JESUS SHIT I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE WHAT THE FUCK NATE HAWTHORNE WHY THIS BOOK IS SO BAD THAT I THREW MY PHONE ACROSS THE ROOM LISTENING TO IT I'VE ONLY EVER DONE THAT WITH BOOKS BEFORE, BUT THIS IS SO BAD THAT I HAVE TO DO IT WITH MY PHONE! COME BACK TWAIN, ALL IS FORGIVEN! THIS BOOK MAKES ME MISS JANE EYRE
THE FIRST CHAPTER SAYS THAT THERE IS A JAIL IN BOSTON. THAT IS ALL IT SAYS. IT TAKES HIM A WHOLE CHAPTER TO SAY THAT.
I WOULD'VE HATED TO BE THIS GUY'S TEACHER WHEN HE WAS A KID. I WOULD ASSIGN A THREE PAGE PAPER AND HE WOULD HAND IN A THESIS STATEMENT THAT MEETS THE LENGTH REQUIREMENTS.
Just completed Republic of Thieves, the third book in the Locke Lamora/Gentlemen Bastard series. I don't want to spoil anything, of course, but... there's not a lot to spoil.
I was expecting a book much like the previous two in the series. It DOES retain a lot of the small, clever things I've come to enjoy about a the characters, and the short-range twists that come almost out of the blue to throw a wrench in the works. It even provides a little backstory to some of the characters. But the plot doesn't really seem to go anywhere as a whole. No hints at any sort of setup, no payoff... it just sort of peters out at the end, with barely a few paragraphs to explain the final result and what the characters did afterwards. On top of that, all situations seemed largely... defused. Not much stake was involved.
I'd still give it a chance if you liked the previous books, but I didn't get the "OH SHIT, SON" moment I was expecting at the end. Or even once throughout the entire thing.
Finished Reamde, by Neal Stephenson. It wasn't nearly as dense or as heavy as some of Stephenson's other books, which was a bit of a disappointment, but it was still fun and enjoyable. I've pretty much come to the conclusion that I will read anything that Neal Stephenson writes.
Starting to read 1Q84 by Murakami after the reviews hes had as an auther from you guys. Having come off a big fantasy kick I'm not to sure that Im in the right state to consume it but Ill give it a pop.
Also finished reading Shadows of the Apt. The first time I tried to read it I found it dull and inchomprehensable, rather like my spelling. But second time round it was a bit more maluable, unlike my spelling, and I began to understand the characters a bit better and what was going on in the world. I think the auther needs to give a more concise over view of the history, rather than vauge hints that don't fit. So far it has established a wide range of interesting characters with some cool opotunites with the begnings of a good story, if a little predictable. One thing that I did like was the combination of magic and mechanical understanding. Its got a cool premise for using some steampunk, though less punk more early modern if that works I mean its not medieval by a long shot but nor it is modern think 16/17th renecance europe for a close idea but you couldn't really tie it down to one nation, that avoid a lot of cliches that can make the genre unbearable. Johannes Cabal the Detective is another example that manages to use the genre with out horriably abusing it, like my spelling.
I finished The Yiddish Policemen's Union, now I'm halfway through Gentlemen of the Road. Chabon is amazing.
The Yiddish Policeman's Union was good, but I much preferred Kavalier and Clay. I wish the Yiddish Policeman's Union had started where it ended, as that would have been a much more interesting. book.
I finished The Yiddish Policemen's Union, now I'm halfway through Gentlemen of the Road. Chabon is amazing.
The Yiddish Policeman's Union was good, but I much preferred Kavalier and Clay. I wish the Yiddish Policeman's Union had started where it ended, as that would have been a much more interesting. book.
Kavalier and Clay was better. I enjoyed Yiddish Policeman's Union more consistently, though, and I disagree that it shouldn't have began and ended where it did. It was a story of identity, family, quiet desperation, and the acceptance of fate. Framing those themes in a struggle for truth during uneventful goings on before the climax was a great way to build the world and reinforce the hopelessness of nihilism and self-medication in the face of an inevitable loss or change. If it had started where it ended the book would not have been able to explore the same ideas.
Read the first two books in the Forgotten war serries. Man that shit is tender, I wasn't overly digging it when I brought the thing but was drawn in. With in ten pages I was hooked like a crack addict and read both books in three days. To say that it creates feeling is an understatement, you feel for the shit that Mandella and Potter have to go through and the changing society that they keep on having to go throgh. Suficed to say it was good.
Also was walking through WaterStones and realised I am totally drawn in by the covers of books.
I just bought The Biomechanics of Structure Breaking in Russian Martial Arts by Paul Genge. It's basically the science of making people lose their balance. Worth every penny.
Read Devil's Pool. I'm going to have to write a paper on it, but I don't know what aspect to approach it from. I mean, it's enjoyable, but it's all in the flavor text. There's no substance.
So, instead, I'm reading Bruce, Peter Carlin's bio of The Boss that I picked up at the airport on a whim. It is more about Bruce Springsteen than I thought I could ever know -- but obviously not more than I would ever want to know.
Just finished Enders Game. As a stand alone I loved it, I don't care for Card as a person nor do I want to read the later books that much save for those that feature characters that I care about. The book however was facinating. Ender isn't the hero in the traditional sense of not wanting to do it and has none of the melodrama associated with a reluctant hero. You feel that cold logic that motivates him. The writing lends its self to that impersional feel of Ender, even when rousing his troops it is, not stillted but more removed almost like Wellington in that reguard.
Like wise I really enjoyed Valentine as a character and would have loved to have read some of Demosthenes and Locke's writings. It does not fill me with confidence however about the film. There are too many options when Ender could have had an emotional relationship but doesn't. Im thinking off the top of my head of shoe horning something with Petra in there when infact it would be better to look at Alai and the bond that they formed.
As a bonuse there was no orgy! Huzza and all that.
I'm 70% through Ender's Game. I didn't read much of Amp's earlier post, in case for some spoilers, but I was just looking up rest of the series. I wouldn't mind checking out the other novels.
Per ScoJo, I'll check out Ender's Shadow. Anyone else read the other novels? Is it better to go with the chronology of the series, or how it was released? It's like Haruhi all over again.
Ender's Shadow isn't good. Speaker For The Dead is very good. Ender's Shadow is not an Ender's Game sequel, nor a prequel, but a retelling of the same story from Bean's perspective.
I didn't read Ender's Shadow, though my friends thought it was very good in middle school. Speaker of the Dead is good, but you need to lower your expectations a little. I didn't and was really bitter towards it.
It does not fill me with confidence however about the film.
Say wherever else you will about him, I think OSC really wanted this to be a good movie. I have the tiniest bit of hope that this will turn out well because he didn't let anybody screw with his baby.
On the other hand, that hope is diminished because trailer.
From what I understand about the movie, they are portraying Ender and the children to be older. I don't necessarily agree with that, however I can understand why WB did that. Most audiences can't comprehend that some young children are smarter than adults.
I check out IMDB every now and then to see who they cast for each character. I really enjoy that it's diverse and fairly spot on to how the characters are portrayed in regards to ethnicity.
From what I understand about the movie, they are portraying Ender and the children to be older. I don't necessarily agree with that, however I can understand why WB did that. Most audiences can't comprehend that some young children are smarter than adults.
To be honest, it's also because it's more likely to appeal to a larger set of demographics, and because it would be much easier to have somewhat older actors to play the roles they want in the way they want in the film.
From what I understand about the movie, they are portraying Ender and the children to be older. I don't necessarily agree with that, however I can understand why WB did that. Most audiences can't comprehend that some young children are smarter than adults.
I check out IMDB every now and then to see who they cast for each character. I really enjoy that it's diverse and fairly spot on to how the characters are portrayed in regards to ethnicity.
I kind of wish that people could just suck it up and accept that sometimes adults don't know everything. It would be awesome to have a six year old Ender and co being obviouisly smarter than their perants and peers. I also wonder how they will deal with some of the later stuff with reguards to Enders actions and stuff. Again I have a feeling that they will justify it and make Ender be all "Well its not what I wanted but I did it and now Im a hero and everyone loves me, and Valentine is with me and Petra thinks Im hot and Bean and Alai and I are gonna sail that raft all day long and and...Yeah not much hope really it could be a gritty as balls story that showed how fucked up it was what they did to Ender and co but I doubt that they will show it to even a tenth of the scale.
Edit, aso sorry if there were any spoilers I was trying to be vauge. I know I spoiled the lack of orgy though.
Edit, aso sorry if there were any spoilers I was trying to be vauge. I know I spoiled the lack of orgy though.
Awe shucks. No orgies! It's ok. You really didn't spoil anything for me.
I'm very interested in seeing how they will adapt the whole fairytale game in the movie. I also wasn't originally expecting to see more of Valentine or Peter. I thought it was going to be all Ender.
I don't care about the age so long as they are good. There have been many actors that are good due to experiance and many due to their youth. That siad kids that age could be a pain but if the right actors/actresses where chosen then the film would be infinatly better.
Edit, aso sorry if there were any spoilers I was trying to be vauge. I know I spoiled the lack of orgy though.
Awe shucks. No orgies! It's ok. You really didn't spoil anything for me.
I'm very interested in seeing how they will adapt the whole fairytale game in the movie. I also wasn't originally expecting to see more of Valentine or Peter. I thought it was going to be all Ender.
I can see that being toned the way down. Im not sure how far you are but its pretty dark off the bat and only gets more so. I can totally see them avoiding the macarbe elemets entierly.
Comments
THE FIRST CHAPTER SAYS THAT THERE IS A JAIL IN BOSTON. THAT IS ALL IT SAYS. IT TAKES HIM A WHOLE CHAPTER TO SAY THAT.
I WOULD'VE HATED TO BE THIS GUY'S TEACHER WHEN HE WAS A KID. I WOULD ASSIGN A THREE PAGE PAPER AND HE WOULD HAND IN A THESIS STATEMENT THAT MEETS THE LENGTH REQUIREMENTS.
I was expecting a book much like the previous two in the series. It DOES retain a lot of the small, clever things I've come to enjoy about a the characters, and the short-range twists that come almost out of the blue to throw a wrench in the works. It even provides a little backstory to some of the characters. But the plot doesn't really seem to go anywhere as a whole. No hints at any sort of setup, no payoff... it just sort of peters out at the end, with barely a few paragraphs to explain the final result and what the characters did afterwards. On top of that, all situations seemed largely... defused. Not much stake was involved.
I'd still give it a chance if you liked the previous books, but I didn't get the "OH SHIT, SON" moment I was expecting at the end. Or even once throughout the entire thing.
Also finished reading Shadows of the Apt. The first time I tried to read it I found it dull and inchomprehensable, rather like my spelling. But second time round it was a bit more maluable, unlike my spelling, and I began to understand the characters a bit better and what was going on in the world. I think the auther needs to give a more concise over view of the history, rather than vauge hints that don't fit. So far it has established a wide range of interesting characters with some cool opotunites with the begnings of a good story, if a little predictable. One thing that I did like was the combination of magic and mechanical understanding. Its got a cool premise for using some steampunk, though less punk more early modern if that works I mean its not medieval by a long shot but nor it is modern think 16/17th renecance europe for a close idea but you couldn't really tie it down to one nation, that avoid a lot of cliches that can make the genre unbearable. Johannes Cabal the Detective is another example that manages to use the genre with out horriably abusing it, like my spelling.
I just finished the prologue, and...needless to say...I'm hooked.
Also was walking through WaterStones and realised I am totally drawn in by the covers of books.
So, instead, I'm reading Bruce, Peter Carlin's bio of The Boss that I picked up at the airport on a whim. It is more about Bruce Springsteen than I thought I could ever know -- but obviously not more than I would ever want to know.
Like wise I really enjoyed Valentine as a character and would have loved to have read some of Demosthenes and Locke's writings. It does not fill me with confidence however about the film. There are too many options when Ender could have had an emotional relationship but doesn't. Im thinking off the top of my head of shoe horning something with Petra in there when infact it would be better to look at Alai and the bond that they formed.
As a bonuse there was no orgy! Huzza and all that.
Per ScoJo, I'll check out Ender's Shadow. Anyone else read the other novels? Is it better to go with the chronology of the series, or how it was released? It's like Haruhi all over again.
On the other hand, that hope is diminished because trailer.
I check out IMDB every now and then to see who they cast for each character. I really enjoy that it's diverse and fairly spot on to how the characters are portrayed in regards to ethnicity.
Edit, aso sorry if there were any spoilers I was trying to be vauge. I know I spoiled the lack of orgy though.
I'm very interested in seeing how they will adapt the whole fairytale game in the movie. I also wasn't originally expecting to see more of Valentine or Peter. I thought it was going to be all Ender.