I know I haven't posted in a while but I was really proud of my previous article and was hoping that more people would read it if I left it up for longer. I assume the waves of hysterical fans are dropping by tomorrow.
I just finished Special Topics in Calamity Physics. Some thoughts:
-A lot of good ideas throughout the book. I am referring to a lot of pocketed ideas with no significant relevance to the story.
-It is kind of interesting to read a novel about a person growing up in high school at about the same time I was in high school. Not that I had similar experiences or felt like I could relate to a lot of what was there, but there was definitely a familiarity to it.
-The writing style is entertaining although sometimes distracting. Her narrative used is similar to a text book with citations to literature that never existed. It can be fun but at times seems tacked on.
-The beginning of the book is enthralling and the buildup does a good job of holding the reader's interest.
-I was waiting for a big explosion at the end of the book and got a different one than expected. Maybe I telegraphed things too much but the ending seemed a bit of a letdown. I can't say it was a disappointing book but to be honest I felt labored reading the last fifth of the book whereas I breezed through the beginning, sometimes staying up until two or three in the morning because I was completely immersed.
Overall, I'd have to say that I enjoyed most of the book and thought the narrative was more entertaining than not, the ending made me completely indifferent to the novel as a whole. I get a lot of the ideas presented in the book and I understand (at least I think I do) what she was trying to get across with the ending, I'm just not sure I connected with it. The ideas of bravery and dedication in relation to parenting and friendship are fine and dandy but there was a few more central ideas that could have been addressed. Specifically, I wanted the pretentious nature of all of the central characters exposed, but in the end only a few characters got the full treatment.
-I forgot this when I first posted, but it's worth saying that I really did like the very end of the book, and by that I mean the last two paragraphs of the last story chapter.
Do I recommend the book? If you have nothing else to read I'll lend it to you. I hope you do enjoy it. But I can't say I recommend going out of the way to read it.
Overall Grade: You can go anywhere for book reviews with shortcut grades at the end. You come here for my inventive diction and comical self-loathing. This book gets 3 pissporkers out of five. Now I'm going to get in the shower and sob at my pasty body.
3 comments:
There's an old adage in newspaper-ville: "You're only as good as your last story."
It's meant to remind you that even though you worked really hard on a piece, the physical manifestation usually ends up lining the bird cage the next day. That doesn't really relate to amature blogging, as we do, but your stalling technique reminded me of the saying.
Marty did the same stalling technique with his "A Moving Story," but I put the ki-bosh on that. My push to produce at least once a week on the blogosphere probably has to do with my days in The Land Of Print.
This post made me want to check out that book, though, so kudos.
just was at the library, and, lo and behold: that book was smack dab in front of my eyes.
So checked it out.
And I'm seriously concerned that my critical take on the book will be compromised by the fact that the author is, scientifically speaking, Smokin' Hot.
Stupid sexy book jacket photos!
Super hot.
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