Plot Synopsis: Did you read Wool? Good. Shift is the prequel to Wool. How did the silos come to be? What happened to the world that it turned so toxic and nearly wiped out humanity? The answers to these questions and more are revealed through the eyes of a handful of characters--Donald, a recently elected congressman from the state of Georgia; Mission, a porter in Silo 18; and the familiar Jimmy (Solo) of Silo 17.
Literary Analysis/Personal Reaction: Hugh Howey had a dilemma: he envisioned this post-apocalyptic world within a dystopian society and had to figure out how to explain it all. While this may be your motivation for reading Shift, some mysteries should stay mysteries. Howey's backstory on the silos is hokey, because that's the only real way it could be explained. There are enormous holes that will nag you until the very end when you realize Howey has no intention of filling them in. Shift is rather long and drawn out. Remember my criticism of Wool's tedious beginning, 30% of the book devoted to Jahn's stair climbing? Yeahhhh... this prequel is 70% tedium. The author spends too much time focusing on the daily lives of his characters. The suspense is there only because you want answers and there are periodic hints that you'll get them in time. But that's my gripe...all the waiting for that one bombshell reveal.
Oh, you think I hate the book due to what I wrote above? No, I actually liked it! It's strange and weird and wonderful. The hokey explanation may leave a metallic taste in your mouth (get it?) but you can digest it. Silo 17's plotline is fun and scary, the backstory on Jimmy exciting and insightful. Donald's slow piecing together of the dots is thrilling. Is Shift worth reading? YES, but know this: Shift doesn't reach the high bar that Wool created.
Final Rating: 8/10. It's great, but not as legendary as Wool. I'm reading the final installment of the Silo trilogy now, still totally motivated to see how all this pans out!
Friday, August 23, 2013
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Wool Omnibus (Wool #1-5) by Hugh Howey
Plot Synopsis: A very toxic outside world has driven humanity to live within an underground "silo." 140 floors are devoted to keeping things humming - mechanical down below, hydroponic farm levels throughout, the IT department, Supply, porters (for delivering items), and even offices devoted to law and order -- deputies, sheriffs, and a mayor. But all is not exactly well in the silo as certain individuals begin to question why the outside is "taboo" and discussing an interest in it is punishable by "cleaning" (wherein those sentenced are put in special suits, let outside in the toxic environment, and for some reason, they clean the sensors that allow those in the silo to view the outside...only for the cleaner to then die a quick death outside). One individual, Juliette, a mechanic-turned-mayor begins to discover the awful truth about cleaning, just moments before she herself is sentenced to cleaning...
Literary Analysis/Personal Reaction: This is an incredibly well-done story! And to think it was written by some guy who just decided to self-publish his writing on Amazon! So, let's talk about why this book is so good. First, the writing is so easy to read, so smooth, the descriptions spot on. Each chapter ends on a bit of a bombshell which propels you to keep reading, even when you expected to take a break. The chapters are small and easily digestible. The characters are all very unique and the author does a great job of getting the reader into each of their mindsets. I loved how I could understand the intentions of each of them due to the fact that each chapter is in a third-person-limited POV. You certainly get invested in characters like Jahns and Juliette among others. And the plot is so out there, so original, very dystopian and science-fictiony and yet real enough that it's totally believable. There is no magic here, just deception. It's such a suspenseful story, slightly complex due to seeing the conflict from multiple angles, that it's simply too good to put down until you've made it to the last page.
Was there anything I didn't like about this book? Yes. In the beginning of the novel, there's an immense amount of description of Jahn's descent down to Mechanical. Okay, I get it, the silo is very large and it takes days to traverse all the levels. But was it worth devoting 30% of the book for Jahn's to reach the bottom (rather anti-climatic) and then come back up (okay, that was climatic. No spoilers here!)? Sort of...while I found it difficult to trudge through all the description of aching legs, worn stairs, and porters running up and down, I did understand that these descriptions really did explain in large part how the silo functions which is important to get in order to appreciate the rest of the novel.
My other gripe is about the switching from one character's point of view to another every other chapter. As I continue to reiterate, this book is suspenseful and each chapter ends with a bombshell. So when you hit one bombshell and the next chapter does not follow up on that bombshell, you will be left absolutely frustrated and given no choice but to speed through this chapter to get back to the last "event" of the former chapter. It's very frustrating...great for suspense, but it can drive you a little crazy!
Final Rating: 10/10. I kind of wanted to give this book a 9/10 because of the heavy, boring descriptions in the beginning of the book, but I just can't bring myself to do it. This story is just too good and makes up for whatever faults it may have in the beginning. Oh, and did I mention I'm reading the splinter saga of this book, Shift Omnibus, as we speak? Any book that makes me excited enough to read its continuation less than 30 minutes after finishing it deserves a 10/10!
Literary Analysis/Personal Reaction: This is an incredibly well-done story! And to think it was written by some guy who just decided to self-publish his writing on Amazon! So, let's talk about why this book is so good. First, the writing is so easy to read, so smooth, the descriptions spot on. Each chapter ends on a bit of a bombshell which propels you to keep reading, even when you expected to take a break. The chapters are small and easily digestible. The characters are all very unique and the author does a great job of getting the reader into each of their mindsets. I loved how I could understand the intentions of each of them due to the fact that each chapter is in a third-person-limited POV. You certainly get invested in characters like Jahns and Juliette among others. And the plot is so out there, so original, very dystopian and science-fictiony and yet real enough that it's totally believable. There is no magic here, just deception. It's such a suspenseful story, slightly complex due to seeing the conflict from multiple angles, that it's simply too good to put down until you've made it to the last page.
Was there anything I didn't like about this book? Yes. In the beginning of the novel, there's an immense amount of description of Jahn's descent down to Mechanical. Okay, I get it, the silo is very large and it takes days to traverse all the levels. But was it worth devoting 30% of the book for Jahn's to reach the bottom (rather anti-climatic) and then come back up (okay, that was climatic. No spoilers here!)? Sort of...while I found it difficult to trudge through all the description of aching legs, worn stairs, and porters running up and down, I did understand that these descriptions really did explain in large part how the silo functions which is important to get in order to appreciate the rest of the novel.
My other gripe is about the switching from one character's point of view to another every other chapter. As I continue to reiterate, this book is suspenseful and each chapter ends with a bombshell. So when you hit one bombshell and the next chapter does not follow up on that bombshell, you will be left absolutely frustrated and given no choice but to speed through this chapter to get back to the last "event" of the former chapter. It's very frustrating...great for suspense, but it can drive you a little crazy!
Final Rating: 10/10. I kind of wanted to give this book a 9/10 because of the heavy, boring descriptions in the beginning of the book, but I just can't bring myself to do it. This story is just too good and makes up for whatever faults it may have in the beginning. Oh, and did I mention I'm reading the splinter saga of this book, Shift Omnibus, as we speak? Any book that makes me excited enough to read its continuation less than 30 minutes after finishing it deserves a 10/10!
Sunday, July 7, 2013
CyberStorm by Matthew Mather
Plot Synopsis: Michael, his wife Lauren, and their son Luke live in a friendly apartment in New York City. Their neighbor and good friend, Chuck (who lives with his wife, Susie, and their baby girl), is a prepper and keeps tabs on the news, just waiting for Armageddon. Lucky for Michael, Chuck is prepared when things begin to go downhill. And they go downhill quickly. There are reports of bird flu outbreaks in the city. The internet stops working. Is it hackers? Then the power goes out...is it due to the hackers? And later, so does the water. All this happens while two heavy snow storms pummel the city. Meanwhile, tensions mount in Michael's apartment as neighbors are forced to come to grips with the best way to manage Chuck's stockpiled supplies. Will Michael and neighbors survive the CyberStorm?
Literary Analysis/Personal Reaction: This book made me think about how crucial the internet is to the infrastructure of our modern world. Everything is computerized these days and the openness of the internet is a benefit and a curse at the same time. All it takes is someone malicious or perhaps just "curious" to send a virus or some other "attack" on one of the computers that regulates electricity or water pressure and then we'd have a serious problem on our hands. This is the theme of CyberStorm. The novel beautifully reveals the effects of a lack of communication as the internet, cell phone towers, electricity, and water supply abruptly end. It explores our morality - how willing are you to give out your own supplies to see that others survive?
There were a few flaws with the story. First, Michael is wayyy too happy to be a father. It's creepy. I know, you love your son, but ugh, I don't really think men are that attached to their children. Second, Michael is too willing to help out. I'm not sure how many people in NYC would be willing to volunteer to help at the snap of NYPD's fingers. But I guess it is a means of moving the story along by providing information as gathered by Michael from the police. So I'll forgive it. My last gripe is that the story ends rather abruptly. I don't want to spoil the ending for anyone, but I will say that about 4 months are unaccounted for completely as things "wrap up." The ending is okay, but simplistic. For all the great details for 90% of the book, the ending may be disappointing to some readers.
Final Rating: 8/10. This book has a great plot that'll make you think about whether doomsday preppers are really all that crazy and how you should befriend one :-) A few points taken off for the rushed ending and Michael's annoying tenderness toward babies and the helpless.
Literary Analysis/Personal Reaction: This book made me think about how crucial the internet is to the infrastructure of our modern world. Everything is computerized these days and the openness of the internet is a benefit and a curse at the same time. All it takes is someone malicious or perhaps just "curious" to send a virus or some other "attack" on one of the computers that regulates electricity or water pressure and then we'd have a serious problem on our hands. This is the theme of CyberStorm. The novel beautifully reveals the effects of a lack of communication as the internet, cell phone towers, electricity, and water supply abruptly end. It explores our morality - how willing are you to give out your own supplies to see that others survive?
There were a few flaws with the story. First, Michael is wayyy too happy to be a father. It's creepy. I know, you love your son, but ugh, I don't really think men are that attached to their children. Second, Michael is too willing to help out. I'm not sure how many people in NYC would be willing to volunteer to help at the snap of NYPD's fingers. But I guess it is a means of moving the story along by providing information as gathered by Michael from the police. So I'll forgive it. My last gripe is that the story ends rather abruptly. I don't want to spoil the ending for anyone, but I will say that about 4 months are unaccounted for completely as things "wrap up." The ending is okay, but simplistic. For all the great details for 90% of the book, the ending may be disappointing to some readers.
Final Rating: 8/10. This book has a great plot that'll make you think about whether doomsday preppers are really all that crazy and how you should befriend one :-) A few points taken off for the rushed ending and Michael's annoying tenderness toward babies and the helpless.
Friday, June 28, 2013
The Fault in Our Stars - John Green
Plot Synopsis: Sixteen year old Hazel is living with an incurable type of cancer. An experimental treatment has kept it from worsening, but Hazel's quality of life is hampered by requiring special breathing apparatuses and dwelling on the impact her inevitable death will have on her parents. When she attends a cancer support group, she meets newcomer Augustus Waters, a handsome, funny, all-American teenage boy. Together, they begin living each day like it's their last best day. Until it is.
Literary Analysis/Personal Reaction: Goodreads' readers gave this book a whopping 4.55 rating (260,000+ raters!) and this book has received some prestigious awards, too. The novel, written from Hazel's own point of view, is perfect for a teen audience. Correction: it is perfect for a FEMALE teen audience. Once again, I'm suckered into reading another book with a major cheese factor. There are two reasons why this book is so cheesy:
1. Augustus Waters likes to read. And he's sensitive to the feelings of others. Ugh. Really?! I'm tired of these unrealistic teenage boys marketed to teenage girls through popular adolescent literature. Like Four in Divergent or Peeta/Gale in The Hunger Games, we have a strong female lead who bends to the whims of these awkwardly sensitive boys. I'm all for romantic interests, but I expect them to be REALISTIC. A teenage boy like Augustus, who reads bloody, violent books, would NOT read (let alone re-read) Hazel's favorite book ("An Imperial Affliction"...the title alone would make any real boy run in the opposite direction). Secondly, Augustus goes out of his way to impress Hazel, but due to the fact that these actions are related to reading this book, it's unrealistic and....well...cringe-worthy.
2. The Fault in our Stars is another book where an author talks about their love of books vicariously through their protagonist. I don't want to read a book where every fucking protagonist is a bookworm who thinks glorious thoughts about writing and reading. I get it, John Green, you love books and you want some semblance of yourself in your characters. But as a reader, it's sickening, like watching a movie about characters making a movie. It's weird...annoying, even. The fact that half of this book focuses on cancer and the other half focuses on Hazel and Augustus' journey to discover what happens to characters in "An Imperial Affliction" is just ridiculous. Nobody cares about characters of a made-up book within the book they're reading.
My overall feeling about the novel is that it wouldn't have received so many awards and 5/5 star ratings if it weren't for the ending of the novel. I mean, it's a book about teens with cancer. As a reader, you do sympathize with the concerns of the characters: Hazel says she feels like a grenade ready to go off, that her parents live in fear every day and that at some point, she's going to die (BOOM!). Grab a pack of tissues and be prepared to cry as you read this book. You will almost enjoy the cheesy moments since during the other moments, you'll be crying. It's these intensely emotional, insightful sections that give the book its great ratings/awards. After readers have had a good cry at the cathartic, emotional conclusion to the story, I think they forget all about the awkwardness of the book as a whole. However, I look at the novel as a whole and I gotta say - the cheese factor really impacted my overall satisfaction with the story.
Final Rating: 6/10 - Insightful, easy prose, and an interesting subject make it an enjoyable read. However, the cheesy, unrealistic plot points and characters are nauseating and ruin some of the fun of this book.
Literary Analysis/Personal Reaction: Goodreads' readers gave this book a whopping 4.55 rating (260,000+ raters!) and this book has received some prestigious awards, too. The novel, written from Hazel's own point of view, is perfect for a teen audience. Correction: it is perfect for a FEMALE teen audience. Once again, I'm suckered into reading another book with a major cheese factor. There are two reasons why this book is so cheesy:
1. Augustus Waters likes to read. And he's sensitive to the feelings of others. Ugh. Really?! I'm tired of these unrealistic teenage boys marketed to teenage girls through popular adolescent literature. Like Four in Divergent or Peeta/Gale in The Hunger Games, we have a strong female lead who bends to the whims of these awkwardly sensitive boys. I'm all for romantic interests, but I expect them to be REALISTIC. A teenage boy like Augustus, who reads bloody, violent books, would NOT read (let alone re-read) Hazel's favorite book ("An Imperial Affliction"...the title alone would make any real boy run in the opposite direction). Secondly, Augustus goes out of his way to impress Hazel, but due to the fact that these actions are related to reading this book, it's unrealistic and....well...cringe-worthy.
2. The Fault in our Stars is another book where an author talks about their love of books vicariously through their protagonist. I don't want to read a book where every fucking protagonist is a bookworm who thinks glorious thoughts about writing and reading. I get it, John Green, you love books and you want some semblance of yourself in your characters. But as a reader, it's sickening, like watching a movie about characters making a movie. It's weird...annoying, even. The fact that half of this book focuses on cancer and the other half focuses on Hazel and Augustus' journey to discover what happens to characters in "An Imperial Affliction" is just ridiculous. Nobody cares about characters of a made-up book within the book they're reading.
My overall feeling about the novel is that it wouldn't have received so many awards and 5/5 star ratings if it weren't for the ending of the novel. I mean, it's a book about teens with cancer. As a reader, you do sympathize with the concerns of the characters: Hazel says she feels like a grenade ready to go off, that her parents live in fear every day and that at some point, she's going to die (BOOM!). Grab a pack of tissues and be prepared to cry as you read this book. You will almost enjoy the cheesy moments since during the other moments, you'll be crying. It's these intensely emotional, insightful sections that give the book its great ratings/awards. After readers have had a good cry at the cathartic, emotional conclusion to the story, I think they forget all about the awkwardness of the book as a whole. However, I look at the novel as a whole and I gotta say - the cheese factor really impacted my overall satisfaction with the story.
Final Rating: 6/10 - Insightful, easy prose, and an interesting subject make it an enjoyable read. However, the cheesy, unrealistic plot points and characters are nauseating and ruin some of the fun of this book.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Big Brother by Lionel Shriver
Plot Synopsis: Fortysomething Pandora has a pretty good life in Iowa. She's married to Fletcher, a talented carpenter (though his business isn't profitable), and has two generally good step-children. She even has a thriving business that has landed her on the cover of some prominent magazines. However, her life begins to change when her older brother, Edison, comes for a two month visit. As siblings with a B-list famous father, they grew close during their childhood. But as Edison arrives at Pandora's home clocking in at 400 pounds, no one can truly tackle head-on the elephant in the room. Edison's weight and grandiose attitude disrupt the family in more ways than one. Pandora is left to drastically change her life to change Edison's by moving into an apartment with her brother to make him lose the pounds. Will Edison manage to get down to a healthy 163 lbs? And will Pandora's family handle the crush of big brother in town?
Literary Analysis/Personal Reaction: I previously read Shriver's famous We Need To Talk About Kevin. I'm actually disappointed that I did not review it here on Literati, but I would have definitely rated that book a 10/10. It was excellent. So when I found out the premise of Big Brother, I knew it was a book I wanted to read. Shriver gives an interesting perspective on obesity and the American relationship to food through Pandora's narration. I thought it was very insightful how she notes that we love putting food in our mouths, that it's instinct, and yet we've "forgotten how to eat." We don't know how much is too much until it is too late. And she considers how psychological eating really is - how when someone has gained 10 lbs, what's another bag of chips and one more pound? Can anyone really tell the difference between weighing 120 and 121 lbs? Despite the stigma of being overweight, our society pushes individuals to eat more than they should. And yet, it's shameful that we can only criticize obese people behind their backs rather than confronting the issue head-on without worry that we will hurt their feelings and continue their further downward eating spiral.
But this isn't just a book about obesity and weight loss. The family dynamic is central to the success of this book. Really, what would you do if an obnoxious, yet close family member hit rock bottom and came by for a rather long visit? Would you turn them away? Would you look the other way as they ate everything you had in the refrigerator and cupboards? Would you make it your mission to help them lose the weight? Pandora decides on doing the latter, but not without sacrifices.
There are some downsides to this novel, however. Edison is not a likable character. I'm not sure if he is supposed to be, but I found him downright unbearable and couldn't understand why in the world Pandora would stick up for him. Oh, that's right, Pandora is also somewhat unlikable. Edison and Pandora's father, Travis, is a washed up TV actor. He had a semi-hit show back when they were kids and the siblings remember those halcyon days of being semi-famous. The amount of space that Shriver devotes to describing the family's "claim to fame" is rather annoying. Readers will not be interested in reading about a television show that never existed, nor particular episode plot lines. I understand that Shriver is using these details as a metaphor for Pandora and Edison's dynamic, but it's humdrum and would best be left out.
Back to Edison. In his teenage years, he left home to become a jazz pianist. This just seemed too kooky for me, but worse, Shriver uses jazz lingo all over Edison's dialogue and it's AWFUL, "ya dig?" Seriously, nobody talks that way, even contemporary jazz musicians do not talk that way. It's cliche and frustrating to read over and over. I recognize the importance of giving characters a unique voice, but this was downright ridiculous. Even worse, Edison rants about all the jazz musicians he's played with (okay for character building to show that he's a pompous ass...) but Pandora then discusses everything she fucking knows about jazz from Edison. UGH!!! I get it, he's into jazz, she's trying to understand her brother's jazz world, but my god - enough is enough!
The ending - no, I won't spoil it for you - is somewhat short and surprising. But satisfying. Very satisfying. That is all I will say about that :-)
Final Score: 8/10 - Generally, a very good book, easy to read, with a few annoying faults that don't really take away from the overall enjoyment of the story.
Literary Analysis/Personal Reaction: I previously read Shriver's famous We Need To Talk About Kevin. I'm actually disappointed that I did not review it here on Literati, but I would have definitely rated that book a 10/10. It was excellent. So when I found out the premise of Big Brother, I knew it was a book I wanted to read. Shriver gives an interesting perspective on obesity and the American relationship to food through Pandora's narration. I thought it was very insightful how she notes that we love putting food in our mouths, that it's instinct, and yet we've "forgotten how to eat." We don't know how much is too much until it is too late. And she considers how psychological eating really is - how when someone has gained 10 lbs, what's another bag of chips and one more pound? Can anyone really tell the difference between weighing 120 and 121 lbs? Despite the stigma of being overweight, our society pushes individuals to eat more than they should. And yet, it's shameful that we can only criticize obese people behind their backs rather than confronting the issue head-on without worry that we will hurt their feelings and continue their further downward eating spiral.
But this isn't just a book about obesity and weight loss. The family dynamic is central to the success of this book. Really, what would you do if an obnoxious, yet close family member hit rock bottom and came by for a rather long visit? Would you turn them away? Would you look the other way as they ate everything you had in the refrigerator and cupboards? Would you make it your mission to help them lose the weight? Pandora decides on doing the latter, but not without sacrifices.
There are some downsides to this novel, however. Edison is not a likable character. I'm not sure if he is supposed to be, but I found him downright unbearable and couldn't understand why in the world Pandora would stick up for him. Oh, that's right, Pandora is also somewhat unlikable. Edison and Pandora's father, Travis, is a washed up TV actor. He had a semi-hit show back when they were kids and the siblings remember those halcyon days of being semi-famous. The amount of space that Shriver devotes to describing the family's "claim to fame" is rather annoying. Readers will not be interested in reading about a television show that never existed, nor particular episode plot lines. I understand that Shriver is using these details as a metaphor for Pandora and Edison's dynamic, but it's humdrum and would best be left out.
Back to Edison. In his teenage years, he left home to become a jazz pianist. This just seemed too kooky for me, but worse, Shriver uses jazz lingo all over Edison's dialogue and it's AWFUL, "ya dig?" Seriously, nobody talks that way, even contemporary jazz musicians do not talk that way. It's cliche and frustrating to read over and over. I recognize the importance of giving characters a unique voice, but this was downright ridiculous. Even worse, Edison rants about all the jazz musicians he's played with (okay for character building to show that he's a pompous ass...) but Pandora then discusses everything she fucking knows about jazz from Edison. UGH!!! I get it, he's into jazz, she's trying to understand her brother's jazz world, but my god - enough is enough!
The ending - no, I won't spoil it for you - is somewhat short and surprising. But satisfying. Very satisfying. That is all I will say about that :-)
Final Score: 8/10 - Generally, a very good book, easy to read, with a few annoying faults that don't really take away from the overall enjoyment of the story.
Monday, May 27, 2013
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
Plot Synopsis: Hmm, how to describe the plot of this book. Life After Life is the story of Ursula Todd, an unusual child who is born, dies, and then sort of picks up her life before the last time she's died to do a "re-do." There is no central plot other than that this is Ursula's life...but the author covers a myriad of personalities in Ursula's world - from her sarcastic mother, Sylvie, to her brute of a brother, Maurice. Real world events such as World Wars I and II heavily influence the progression of the novel.
Literary Analysis: This is a book about character development. Each character is given a special personality, a different perspective, an unusual voice that makes them interesting and unique. There are quite a number of characters, so if you're one who can't keep many characters straight, it would be in your best interest to make a list. It's Atkinson's style and snide comments that moves the reader through the story, since the plot is slow moving at best. A great deal of the pages are dedicated to details and character development with a few major events thrown in (and re-done again and again). In some ways, because the story jumps between significant time periods in Ursula's life, and then repeats itself with small, yet important changes, the book itself reads as if this is a draft of a book, rather than an actual refined book.
Personal Reaction: I previously read a Kate Atkinson book, Case Histories, which was a mystery novel. So, I had expected Life After Life to have a bit of mystery to it. It didn't. It took me almost 2 months to complete. The novel is very long - 529 pages - and as there is no central plot and so much character building, it does not make this book a quick read-through. It's certainly an interesting book. The quirky, witty comments from some characters make it fun to read. And if you're into historical fiction, this book has some fascinating events. But it's a heavy book, with so much detail and time juggling that it is a saga you must trudge through, rather than run freely through.
Final Rating: 7/10. It wasn't a bad novel, but it was rather long for what it provided the reader in the end.
Literary Analysis: This is a book about character development. Each character is given a special personality, a different perspective, an unusual voice that makes them interesting and unique. There are quite a number of characters, so if you're one who can't keep many characters straight, it would be in your best interest to make a list. It's Atkinson's style and snide comments that moves the reader through the story, since the plot is slow moving at best. A great deal of the pages are dedicated to details and character development with a few major events thrown in (and re-done again and again). In some ways, because the story jumps between significant time periods in Ursula's life, and then repeats itself with small, yet important changes, the book itself reads as if this is a draft of a book, rather than an actual refined book.
Personal Reaction: I previously read a Kate Atkinson book, Case Histories, which was a mystery novel. So, I had expected Life After Life to have a bit of mystery to it. It didn't. It took me almost 2 months to complete. The novel is very long - 529 pages - and as there is no central plot and so much character building, it does not make this book a quick read-through. It's certainly an interesting book. The quirky, witty comments from some characters make it fun to read. And if you're into historical fiction, this book has some fascinating events. But it's a heavy book, with so much detail and time juggling that it is a saga you must trudge through, rather than run freely through.
Final Rating: 7/10. It wasn't a bad novel, but it was rather long for what it provided the reader in the end.
Friday, April 5, 2013
Dune (Book One) by Frank Herbert
Plot Synopsis: Think Game of Thrones...in space. That is what Dune is like. The story follows Paul Atredies, the son of Lord Leto Atredies, as he moves from a paradise planet to Arrakis, a desert wasteland. Arrakis, however, is a key planet because it is the only place in the universe that has the most valuable resource -- spice. After Paul's family is betrayed by both the Emperor and a rival house (Harkonnen), Paul and his mystical Bene Gesserit mother, Lady Jessica, must survive out in the desert wastelands of Arrakis, full of storms and dangerous sandworms. There they will plot their revenge...and learn more than they bargained for.
Literary Analysis: Dune is a complex story with many plot twists, interesting characters, and an imaginative world full of unique objects, religions, and magic. It is impressive how Frank Herbert manages to cram so much detail into a single novel and do it elegantly! Readers are given a thorough understanding of political structures, philosophies, ethnic languages, deadly weapons, religions, and mystical powers (as in the case of the Bene Gesserits). Herbert describes all of these things with precision and even though there are made-up vocabulary, readers will never be lost on their meaning. (I read the entire book and had no issues with the vocabulary...only to discover there was a glossary at the end. Obviously, I didn't need it.) The characters are extremely well-developed. Chapters switch focus from one character's view (third person limited) to another and provide insight into their thoughts as well as background information, creating a great deal of tension as readers dive deeper into the novel.
Personal Reaction: This was a great novel, although it was a long read. There were some slow spots, but never enough to stop me from continuing on. I fell in love with some of the characters (Liet-Kynes!) and was intrigued by others. I definitely see why Dune is one of the best-selling science fiction novels out there, even after 70 years. It's engaging, creative, and suspenseful. Enough said!
Final Rating: 9/10. Great storyline, memorable characters, fantastic world descriptions, all bundled neatly into a solid novel contribute to the high score.
Literary Analysis: Dune is a complex story with many plot twists, interesting characters, and an imaginative world full of unique objects, religions, and magic. It is impressive how Frank Herbert manages to cram so much detail into a single novel and do it elegantly! Readers are given a thorough understanding of political structures, philosophies, ethnic languages, deadly weapons, religions, and mystical powers (as in the case of the Bene Gesserits). Herbert describes all of these things with precision and even though there are made-up vocabulary, readers will never be lost on their meaning. (I read the entire book and had no issues with the vocabulary...only to discover there was a glossary at the end. Obviously, I didn't need it.) The characters are extremely well-developed. Chapters switch focus from one character's view (third person limited) to another and provide insight into their thoughts as well as background information, creating a great deal of tension as readers dive deeper into the novel.
Personal Reaction: This was a great novel, although it was a long read. There were some slow spots, but never enough to stop me from continuing on. I fell in love with some of the characters (Liet-Kynes!) and was intrigued by others. I definitely see why Dune is one of the best-selling science fiction novels out there, even after 70 years. It's engaging, creative, and suspenseful. Enough said!
Final Rating: 9/10. Great storyline, memorable characters, fantastic world descriptions, all bundled neatly into a solid novel contribute to the high score.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)