Some years ago I got across Marie Kondô's rise to fame through the Internet. I thought all a little bit silly, but the other day at the library there was her book, calling to me, and, well, after seeing that it was quite short, I decided to check what all this 'new age tidying' was about.
And what is all about? Well... It is an interesting read, and it has a couple of nice ideas, but it is far from being anything great or ground-breaking. Basically, Kondô's method goes around a couple of basic points: have things that you enjoy having, and don't have things just for the sake of having them. If you do so, your life will change for the best. So, if you have a book for twenty years without reading it, you'll probably never read it, so throw it away (or sell it/give it, whatever). It is all good enough, but, at the same time, it is a little bit simplistic in her approach. For example, going back to the books, she says to throw away books that have been there for a couple of years without reading: their job was to be bought, and it's been done. Well, of course, a book should be read. But sometimes I bought something and got to read it five, ten years later. And I love the author (hello, David Gemmell) or the topic ("The Iliad"), but I just needed to find the right moment to read it. Of course, this is different from having a piece of clothing in your wardrobe for fifteen years without using it, but sometimes it's difficult to put a time limit for something. She is completely right, though, with some cases of people just having for the sake of having (like having 100 pens that never come to be used, the ink drying); of course, this is without taking into account other psychological reasons behind having the 100 pens in the first place. Maybe, basically, her approach can be too simplistic, sometimes. But, again, it is true that just having what is necessary and is enjoyed is way better than becoming a slave of random pamphlets and discarded socks. I also found interesting her very Shinto approach to things. I am not very Shinto myself, but I understand, again, the need to give a purpose to the things, even if they don't have a soul (I found hilarious, though, the 'placebo' idea that they will make you thinner or have better skin if you 'release' them, though, Kondô-sama).
So, basically, get rid of things before you clean your place. Having fewer things will make you freer. Hmm... Where have I heard this before?
The best: the ideas about just having what you want/need; the ideas about the importance of using what you have and enjoying it; it is short, like really short
The worst: in the translation, she comes as a very 'proud' (and sometimes annoying) person (I should check the Japanese version); the comments about being feminine being the same as having 'cute' clothes (uh, like, really?); the image of someone throwing away 200 bags of things
Further reading: I don't know many books about tidying... ok, none. So I will recommend, "A Manual for Cleaning Women" by Lucia Berlin. It may have little to do with the book at hand but it is a good book and it has 'cleaning' on the title.
5.5/10
(English translation by Cathy Hirano)
Wednesday, March 21, 2018
Sethe and her daughter Denver live by themselves and their terrible past in an old and forsaken house when a man from Sethe's past, Paul D, comes back into her live.
"Beloved" is a book difficult to describe. The story is quite straightforward: woman with a past, the fears, the limitations, the terrible things that happened that brought to that past to be... But Morrison doesn't take the easy way out and creates a book where the atmosphere and language play a role as huge or more than the characters and the plot.
Once you start reading it is pretty easy to see that this story about a woman of color living in the 19th Century USA has so many layers it will take a while to delve into all the topics Morrison brings to the story. It delves into race, gender, freedom and so many other topics that it may not make for easy reading. However, even if we take into account all of this, it is not a in-your-face, aggressive way of telling you a story. It is touching, it is in some moments slow, but it is a very smart look into the minds of people and why they are the kind of persons they are, and the decisions they take and what opportunities there are for change or forgiveness and what that forgiveness may cost (don't worry, there are negative feelings in it too).
It is all deep and powerful stuff. However, I got the feeling, as the story advanced, that this book would have been better as a short story than the almost 300 pages long book that it is. Maybe it is me, but I felt that some moments were a little bit repetitive, and didn't add to the story.
Otherwise, this is a really good book to read.
The best: the atmosphere; the writing style once you immerse yourself in it; the feelings it brings to light
The worst: the writing can become quite messy in some places; repetitive at moments; the characters arc is short
Further Reading: Not an expert on the topic, so... One would think there would me more books of this kind, and most probably there are, but I haven't gotten across anything but academical writing (Kimberle Crenshaw, bell hooks...). Of course, the day is young and I still have time to find more books like this.
6.5/10
(Original English Version)
"Beloved" is a book difficult to describe. The story is quite straightforward: woman with a past, the fears, the limitations, the terrible things that happened that brought to that past to be... But Morrison doesn't take the easy way out and creates a book where the atmosphere and language play a role as huge or more than the characters and the plot.
Once you start reading it is pretty easy to see that this story about a woman of color living in the 19th Century USA has so many layers it will take a while to delve into all the topics Morrison brings to the story. It delves into race, gender, freedom and so many other topics that it may not make for easy reading. However, even if we take into account all of this, it is not a in-your-face, aggressive way of telling you a story. It is touching, it is in some moments slow, but it is a very smart look into the minds of people and why they are the kind of persons they are, and the decisions they take and what opportunities there are for change or forgiveness and what that forgiveness may cost (don't worry, there are negative feelings in it too).
It is all deep and powerful stuff. However, I got the feeling, as the story advanced, that this book would have been better as a short story than the almost 300 pages long book that it is. Maybe it is me, but I felt that some moments were a little bit repetitive, and didn't add to the story.
Otherwise, this is a really good book to read.
The best: the atmosphere; the writing style once you immerse yourself in it; the feelings it brings to light
The worst: the writing can become quite messy in some places; repetitive at moments; the characters arc is short
Further Reading: Not an expert on the topic, so... One would think there would me more books of this kind, and most probably there are, but I haven't gotten across anything but academical writing (Kimberle Crenshaw, bell hooks...). Of course, the day is young and I still have time to find more books like this.
6.5/10
(Original English Version)
Friday, March 16, 2018
Le Rire : Essai sur la signification du comique - Henri Bergson
This short book of essays is an interesting introduction to some ideas around what is laughing, what is the role it plays, why some things/people/situations make us laugh but not others, but it never transcends its basic ideas, and ends up being more of a curio of its time than anything else.
Bergson here tries to explain why we laugh, but he does so in an overwrought style that only shines when he centers on examples and on keeping things simple. Many times he over-stretches himself and becomes over-convoluted and repetitive as, for example, when he keeps talking about rigidity, flexibility or mechanization. It is not that the ideas may be wrong, it is that, as with many other works of non-fiction that go around sociology/philosophy or similar topics, repetition sets in and two paragraphs of information and one of examples turn into 50 pages of rambling (one of the biggest problems of academic writing).
Again, some ideas of how what is different, or break the rules, or the relationship between the unreal and laughing may be interesting, but much of it is lost in the over-repetition that can't overcome an average explanatory style (far from the sarcasm of Virginia Woolf, for example). On top of that, some of the examples can feel really 'insulting', like when he says everyone laughs at people falling down (not really) or an example about people of color which nowadays feels really out of place.
The best: the examples; some ideas of the role laughing plays into our lives and as a a tool to organize society; the relationship he makes between the lack of empathy and feelings with laughing.
The worst: some of the examples look so out of place nowadays it's cringing; some of the ideas about what makes us laugh says more about how we (and Bergson back on his day) are socialized than anything else; it is quite superficial
Further reading: hmm... a difficult one; the role of laughter in Japanese society in "笑いの日本文化―「烏滸の者」はどこへ消えたのか?" by Higuchi Kazunori, for example; "Contingency, Irony, and Solidarity" by Richard M. Rorty to see a little bit about language/society/people; or "A Room of One's Own/Three Guineas" by Virginia Woolf to see some of the ways society is controlled, organized, compartmentalized? And then you have a lot of articles to check if you can pay them or are a member of a university.
6/10
(Spanish Translation by María Luisa Pérez Torres)
Bergson here tries to explain why we laugh, but he does so in an overwrought style that only shines when he centers on examples and on keeping things simple. Many times he over-stretches himself and becomes over-convoluted and repetitive as, for example, when he keeps talking about rigidity, flexibility or mechanization. It is not that the ideas may be wrong, it is that, as with many other works of non-fiction that go around sociology/philosophy or similar topics, repetition sets in and two paragraphs of information and one of examples turn into 50 pages of rambling (one of the biggest problems of academic writing).
Again, some ideas of how what is different, or break the rules, or the relationship between the unreal and laughing may be interesting, but much of it is lost in the over-repetition that can't overcome an average explanatory style (far from the sarcasm of Virginia Woolf, for example). On top of that, some of the examples can feel really 'insulting', like when he says everyone laughs at people falling down (not really) or an example about people of color which nowadays feels really out of place.
The best: the examples; some ideas of the role laughing plays into our lives and as a a tool to organize society; the relationship he makes between the lack of empathy and feelings with laughing.
The worst: some of the examples look so out of place nowadays it's cringing; some of the ideas about what makes us laugh says more about how we (and Bergson back on his day) are socialized than anything else; it is quite superficial
Further reading: hmm... a difficult one; the role of laughter in Japanese society in "笑いの日本文化―「烏滸の者」はどこへ消えたのか?" by Higuchi Kazunori, for example; "Contingency, Irony, and Solidarity" by Richard M. Rorty to see a little bit about language/society/people; or "A Room of One's Own/Three Guineas" by Virginia Woolf to see some of the ways society is controlled, organized, compartmentalized? And then you have a lot of articles to check if you can pay them or are a member of a university.
6/10
(Spanish Translation by María Luisa Pérez Torres)
東京奇譚集 (Tokyo Legends/Tokyo Mysterious Stories)- 村上 春樹 (Haruki Murakami)
One of those typical, quirky, dreamy works by Haruki Murakami, this compilation of short stories plays to the strengths and weaknesses of the author, delivering a work easy to enjoy, particularly by his fans, but that doesn't break any new ground and that, for some of his fans, may seem repetitive or empty of significance.
The stories of this short book are just five, and all have a length of around 40 pages. There is the piano tuner and the causalities that abound in his life, there is the mother of the surfer that keeps going back to Hawaii after her son's death, there is the writer and his 'second' love, there is the woman that keeps forgetting her name, and there is the wife whose husband suddenly disappeared.
All have Murakami's trademark style of reality infused by dreams, of quirky situations and of characters that take random events as totally normal. It is all charming enough, and Murakami does a great job of introducing the reader to his world and making the reader believe what he is reading (maybe the last one, the "品川猿", is the one where things make less sense and the story is stretched thinner). But at the same time, even if his writing style and the way he develops the story entrances the reader, the delivery, the ending seem always to be a little bit half-baked, and that takes some of the strength from the stories. It is an interesting enough reading, but probably better for fans.
The best: the writing style; the dreamy world; it is very easy to feel immersed in the stories
The worst: normally the endings are a little bit forced; "品川猿" is the weakest by far, with a resolution that seems out of bar conversation about how to create silly stories, surprise for the sake of surprise has a limit
Further reading: I am not the number one fan of Murakami, so I can just recommend "Sputnik Sweetheart" (not the biggest fan of "Norwegian Wood"). In this case "Infinite Jest" is for sure a recommendation, even if their worlds and writing styles are really different. Maybe "The House of Nire" by Morio Kita would be an interesting companion, or "Jo confesso" by Jaume Cabré, an author with some similarities to Murakami.
6.5/10
(Original Japanese)
The stories of this short book are just five, and all have a length of around 40 pages. There is the piano tuner and the causalities that abound in his life, there is the mother of the surfer that keeps going back to Hawaii after her son's death, there is the writer and his 'second' love, there is the woman that keeps forgetting her name, and there is the wife whose husband suddenly disappeared.
All have Murakami's trademark style of reality infused by dreams, of quirky situations and of characters that take random events as totally normal. It is all charming enough, and Murakami does a great job of introducing the reader to his world and making the reader believe what he is reading (maybe the last one, the "品川猿", is the one where things make less sense and the story is stretched thinner). But at the same time, even if his writing style and the way he develops the story entrances the reader, the delivery, the ending seem always to be a little bit half-baked, and that takes some of the strength from the stories. It is an interesting enough reading, but probably better for fans.
The best: the writing style; the dreamy world; it is very easy to feel immersed in the stories
The worst: normally the endings are a little bit forced; "品川猿" is the weakest by far, with a resolution that seems out of bar conversation about how to create silly stories, surprise for the sake of surprise has a limit
Further reading: I am not the number one fan of Murakami, so I can just recommend "Sputnik Sweetheart" (not the biggest fan of "Norwegian Wood"). In this case "Infinite Jest" is for sure a recommendation, even if their worlds and writing styles are really different. Maybe "The House of Nire" by Morio Kita would be an interesting companion, or "Jo confesso" by Jaume Cabré, an author with some similarities to Murakami.
6.5/10
(Original Japanese)
Monday, March 12, 2018
Seven-X: Terror to the Seventh Power - Mike Wech
Well, be scared... Or not really. "Seven-X: Terror to the Seventh Power" is an entertaining enough short novel, with an interesting enough premise that, unfortunately, fails to deliver on its promises.
And all starts well enough. We have reporter Eddie Hansen, who is investigating some death row victims who seem to have been shipped to a secret institution, even though officially they have been executed and their bodies disposed of. Eddie got the information from a friend that went to investigate the place and disappeared and he thinks he can make loads of money with this investigation. Pretty soon he seems to discover secret dealings in the place, and strange things seem to be happening, while the 'owners' of the place keep telling him they are dealing with demon possession. Till here, all good. A mystery, a place out in the middle of nowhere, some demons (maybe)...
However, the delivery lacks and the plot is weak. After the good introduction, and Eddie's arrival to Uphir, we just get Eddie doing silly things, making risible mistakes, and shouting for no apparent reason at every corner.
The problem is that there is no clear character development. Forget all the secondary characters that are just there to further the plot. Center on Eddie Hansen. It is difficult to believe his journey, because there is no clear explanation of why what happens, well, happens. We see him shouting, or fighting, getting angry, but not why, and his explosions of anger make little sense if we don't really see why they should be happening. It all seems quite random, just to further the plot. And the demons... Don't start with the 'demons', because there is not a moment you will believe there are demons in the story, apart from reverend Billings telling you once, twice, or a million times, that there are demons in the story.
A big part of the problem resides in the writing. Mike Wech tries to make all easy to read and fast-paced, with videos, audios, blogs, and phone conversations to further the plot. However, along the way, the author has forgotten that just conversation a book don't make, and that we need some description, even some actions and situations. The book is basically Eddie talking to himself or to people, but with conversation that are shallow and have little meaning. Instead of Eddie analyzing the situation or describing things, it is Eddie saying: 'I'm gonna get lots of money, there is a secret here'. Once, it's fine, it's acceptable. But when he says the same thing on page 5, 24, 50, 57, etc., it becomes also repetitive.
On top of that, some moments it seems the book is preaching to the reader. Instead of making the reader wonder and discover, there it comes a sentence of the bible or some long diatribe by reverend Billings about demons. It makes the reader detach from the story and it feels like being hit on the head with a book... Hmm...
The best: the start; it is easy to read
The worst: the plot is non-existent; I like my novels with some character development; does Wech know what description means?, this looks like a script, not a novel; it all becomes repetitive after the umpteenth moment Hansen is seen shouting or scared.
If you like the genre: read Stephen King; his writing can be a little bit long-winded, but he is almost always fun (hello, "It") and he has a very particular writing style that can be quite seductive; Natsuo Kirino is actually more mystery, but her books have that touch of grotesque this one lacks (like, cough cough, "Grotesque"; English edition censored); "The Terror" by Dan Simmons or "The Ruins" by Scott Smith are also entertaining options, even if far from great. Or watch any episode of "Supernatural" which is a great show.
5/10
(Original English Version)
And all starts well enough. We have reporter Eddie Hansen, who is investigating some death row victims who seem to have been shipped to a secret institution, even though officially they have been executed and their bodies disposed of. Eddie got the information from a friend that went to investigate the place and disappeared and he thinks he can make loads of money with this investigation. Pretty soon he seems to discover secret dealings in the place, and strange things seem to be happening, while the 'owners' of the place keep telling him they are dealing with demon possession. Till here, all good. A mystery, a place out in the middle of nowhere, some demons (maybe)...
However, the delivery lacks and the plot is weak. After the good introduction, and Eddie's arrival to Uphir, we just get Eddie doing silly things, making risible mistakes, and shouting for no apparent reason at every corner.
The problem is that there is no clear character development. Forget all the secondary characters that are just there to further the plot. Center on Eddie Hansen. It is difficult to believe his journey, because there is no clear explanation of why what happens, well, happens. We see him shouting, or fighting, getting angry, but not why, and his explosions of anger make little sense if we don't really see why they should be happening. It all seems quite random, just to further the plot. And the demons... Don't start with the 'demons', because there is not a moment you will believe there are demons in the story, apart from reverend Billings telling you once, twice, or a million times, that there are demons in the story.
A big part of the problem resides in the writing. Mike Wech tries to make all easy to read and fast-paced, with videos, audios, blogs, and phone conversations to further the plot. However, along the way, the author has forgotten that just conversation a book don't make, and that we need some description, even some actions and situations. The book is basically Eddie talking to himself or to people, but with conversation that are shallow and have little meaning. Instead of Eddie analyzing the situation or describing things, it is Eddie saying: 'I'm gonna get lots of money, there is a secret here'. Once, it's fine, it's acceptable. But when he says the same thing on page 5, 24, 50, 57, etc., it becomes also repetitive.
On top of that, some moments it seems the book is preaching to the reader. Instead of making the reader wonder and discover, there it comes a sentence of the bible or some long diatribe by reverend Billings about demons. It makes the reader detach from the story and it feels like being hit on the head with a book... Hmm...
The best: the start; it is easy to read
The worst: the plot is non-existent; I like my novels with some character development; does Wech know what description means?, this looks like a script, not a novel; it all becomes repetitive after the umpteenth moment Hansen is seen shouting or scared.
If you like the genre: read Stephen King; his writing can be a little bit long-winded, but he is almost always fun (hello, "It") and he has a very particular writing style that can be quite seductive; Natsuo Kirino is actually more mystery, but her books have that touch of grotesque this one lacks (like, cough cough, "Grotesque"; English edition censored); "The Terror" by Dan Simmons or "The Ruins" by Scott Smith are also entertaining options, even if far from great. Or watch any episode of "Supernatural" which is a great show.
5/10
(Original English Version)
Sunday, March 11, 2018
The Novels of Park Jiwon (Translation of Overlooked Worlds)
A compilation of short stories by Park Jiwon (Bak Jiwon), this book is a curio that will be difficult to appreciate but by experts on the topic. For the average reader it is an interesting look on the era in Korea and of some of its problems/philosophies but not much else.
Bak Jiwon was an important Korean philosopher and an advocate of the 'silhak' movement, that thought the Korean philosophy was becoming disconnected from the real world and its innovations, becoming stilted and trapped in the past. This book offers some of his stories, where he develops little theories or criticizes some behaviors or ways of thinking.
It is interesting enough, but it is all so much a part from another era and place that it is difficult to understand much of what goes on. There are many names that will make no sense for the regular reader (in particular in this English edition that is focused on English readers) and many of the theories and problems that may have looked so important back then make not much sense nowadays. Some of his ideas, though, are timeless.
It doesn't help the translation, which has two clear problems. First, the language, the rhythm, of the translation may be quite literal, but make the reading of the texts slow and difficult. Second, the author has decided to ditch any explanation of the texts but puts hundreds of footnotes that sometimes just complicate things further, as it is difficult to know what he is talking about. If you are an expert in the topic, probably all will make better sense, but if you are just a curious reader or have superficial knowledge of the era in Korea (or the region in Asia) it will be quite difficult to follow through.
Just for experts on the topic.
The best: it offers a glimpse into another world
The worst: the language of the translation is stilted and can't overcome the problems of translating an old source; instead of so many footnotes it would be better to have had little explanations of the texts and its main points, the footnotes becoming many times repetitive, obscure or unnecessary.
Further reading: this is a difficult one, I'm no expert on this kind of texts; "The Art of War" is the closest I can come with; maybe some old texts of Confucianism, Buddhism or old European philosophy could come close; you can also read manga like "Ikkyu" that offer glimpses into old East Asian culture.
6/10
(English translation & introduction by Emanuel Pastreich)
Bak Jiwon was an important Korean philosopher and an advocate of the 'silhak' movement, that thought the Korean philosophy was becoming disconnected from the real world and its innovations, becoming stilted and trapped in the past. This book offers some of his stories, where he develops little theories or criticizes some behaviors or ways of thinking.
It is interesting enough, but it is all so much a part from another era and place that it is difficult to understand much of what goes on. There are many names that will make no sense for the regular reader (in particular in this English edition that is focused on English readers) and many of the theories and problems that may have looked so important back then make not much sense nowadays. Some of his ideas, though, are timeless.
It doesn't help the translation, which has two clear problems. First, the language, the rhythm, of the translation may be quite literal, but make the reading of the texts slow and difficult. Second, the author has decided to ditch any explanation of the texts but puts hundreds of footnotes that sometimes just complicate things further, as it is difficult to know what he is talking about. If you are an expert in the topic, probably all will make better sense, but if you are just a curious reader or have superficial knowledge of the era in Korea (or the region in Asia) it will be quite difficult to follow through.
Just for experts on the topic.
The best: it offers a glimpse into another world
The worst: the language of the translation is stilted and can't overcome the problems of translating an old source; instead of so many footnotes it would be better to have had little explanations of the texts and its main points, the footnotes becoming many times repetitive, obscure or unnecessary.
Further reading: this is a difficult one, I'm no expert on this kind of texts; "The Art of War" is the closest I can come with; maybe some old texts of Confucianism, Buddhism or old European philosophy could come close; you can also read manga like "Ikkyu" that offer glimpses into old East Asian culture.
6/10
(English translation & introduction by Emanuel Pastreich)
The Elfstones of Shannara - Terry Brooks
Here we are, back in the world of Shannara, of the elves, trolls, dwarves, humans and gnomes... with an extra ration of demons.
The Ellcrys tree is dying... and this means the demons are going to be back into the world. Allanon, back from his Druid nap, wakes up and teams up with the latest of the Ohmsford, Wil, in a quest to find the last of the Chosen ones, Amberle, and help her in her quest to bring the Ellcrys back to health and stop the demons from conquering and destroying the world...
"The Elfstones of Shannara" picks up decades after the first one and offers a new threat to the world Terry Brooks created. That he has to stretch his own world's background a little bit to fit this story doesn't seem to matter much, but, ok, we will buy it. We can accept that this book is just entertainment.
However, what is difficult to accept, is the lame and lazy work Brooks has done with this book. The story repeats itself and is boring as hell: characters team up, have to go to a place, and things happen along the way. It happens, in a big way, because Brooks does little to create interesting situations and almost all that he can think of is to throw a demon or a little threat to the characters in their quest. Here, you got to the river, Amberle and Wil, let's put a demon so you can fight it.
The characters, by the way, are as shallow as they come. Wil or Allanon have a little bit of life in them, but little, and almost all the others are cartoon heroes. And that without going into Wil's two female companions: we have Amberle, the shy one, and Eretria, the independent, sassy one. Of course, both of them with more than a passing interest in the 'hero' (if you can call a cardboard character as Wil a hero).
And if the story is not original, and boring, and the characters are also shallow... What is left? Well, Brooks unnecessary need for stretching the story thin and his penchant for writing 10, 15 pages long chapters around the big fights between elves and demons, between armies. Fights that are just descriptive and done in a very poor manner, like if Brooks put some toys in his dinner room and then put into paper his adventures playing with the toys. Fights or wars can be nicely written in a book, but here is just, A kills B, group C is bigger than D, but D counterattacks and survives, but C keeps pushing, but A from group D, goes into the fight and helps his companions. Very, but very poor writing.
A boring book, just for fans of Brooks's world.
The best: Allanon is back and offers more Allanon'ess, the ending is better than expected
The worst: the endless and boring fights between the armies, the shallowness of everyone involved, the book forgets all other races to just center on elves, the shy girl/feisty girl duality
To read: heck, it is not as if there are no other options (and way better); from the original behind this fantasy craziness, "The Lord of the Rings", to Robert Jordan's books, George R.R. Martin (less fantasy, more plotting and violence and people eating; and it may never end), Stephen R. Donaldson, Robin Hobb or less known compared with others but really amazing in character and world creation David Gemmell... The list of fantasy writers is endless, and almost all of them write better and have better plots than Brooks. Even the first book in the series is better than this one, even if it follows the 'chosen one-team creation-go to the bad guy's lair' model.
5/10
(Original English Version)
The Ellcrys tree is dying... and this means the demons are going to be back into the world. Allanon, back from his Druid nap, wakes up and teams up with the latest of the Ohmsford, Wil, in a quest to find the last of the Chosen ones, Amberle, and help her in her quest to bring the Ellcrys back to health and stop the demons from conquering and destroying the world...
"The Elfstones of Shannara" picks up decades after the first one and offers a new threat to the world Terry Brooks created. That he has to stretch his own world's background a little bit to fit this story doesn't seem to matter much, but, ok, we will buy it. We can accept that this book is just entertainment.
However, what is difficult to accept, is the lame and lazy work Brooks has done with this book. The story repeats itself and is boring as hell: characters team up, have to go to a place, and things happen along the way. It happens, in a big way, because Brooks does little to create interesting situations and almost all that he can think of is to throw a demon or a little threat to the characters in their quest. Here, you got to the river, Amberle and Wil, let's put a demon so you can fight it.
The characters, by the way, are as shallow as they come. Wil or Allanon have a little bit of life in them, but little, and almost all the others are cartoon heroes. And that without going into Wil's two female companions: we have Amberle, the shy one, and Eretria, the independent, sassy one. Of course, both of them with more than a passing interest in the 'hero' (if you can call a cardboard character as Wil a hero).
And if the story is not original, and boring, and the characters are also shallow... What is left? Well, Brooks unnecessary need for stretching the story thin and his penchant for writing 10, 15 pages long chapters around the big fights between elves and demons, between armies. Fights that are just descriptive and done in a very poor manner, like if Brooks put some toys in his dinner room and then put into paper his adventures playing with the toys. Fights or wars can be nicely written in a book, but here is just, A kills B, group C is bigger than D, but D counterattacks and survives, but C keeps pushing, but A from group D, goes into the fight and helps his companions. Very, but very poor writing.
A boring book, just for fans of Brooks's world.
The best: Allanon is back and offers more Allanon'ess, the ending is better than expected
The worst: the endless and boring fights between the armies, the shallowness of everyone involved, the book forgets all other races to just center on elves, the shy girl/feisty girl duality
To read: heck, it is not as if there are no other options (and way better); from the original behind this fantasy craziness, "The Lord of the Rings", to Robert Jordan's books, George R.R. Martin (less fantasy, more plotting and violence and people eating; and it may never end), Stephen R. Donaldson, Robin Hobb or less known compared with others but really amazing in character and world creation David Gemmell... The list of fantasy writers is endless, and almost all of them write better and have better plots than Brooks. Even the first book in the series is better than this one, even if it follows the 'chosen one-team creation-go to the bad guy's lair' model.
5/10
(Original English Version)
Sunday, March 4, 2018
The Blind Assassin - Margaret Atwood
"The Blind Assassin" is another great novel by Margaret Atwood, a novel that mixes reality and fiction (within its world) to weave a story of sadness, love, betrayal that will stay with the reader after they turn its last page.
The story centers on sisters Iris and Laura. At the beginning of the novel we learn of Laura's death (probably a suicide). Her older sister, Iris, is the one that tells the story, one that starts before both sisters were born and that develops little by little, letting us know why each of them got the point where they are at the beginning of the novel. While telling her story, Iris takes us down a path of darkness, family betrayals, money problems and desperation, with the Second World War as its background.
It is a beautiful novel, that starts amazingly and has a great ending, and where Atwood does a great job in mixing styles and timelines. We get the past, the present and the 'parallel world', a place where two characters develop sci-fi/fantasy stories, a world that we will discover little by little how it relates to the rest of the story (even if at the beginning it may be a little bit jumpy, the cuts from one story-line to another, as the novel advances it all becomes fluid and relatable). And if the plot is really interesting, with all its twists and creaks, the characters are also really interesting, Atwood creating a couple of sisters that will enrapture and delight the reader, getting all their attention in the process. Laura is a more black/white character, but still, Atwood does a great job in that department too.
The writing style is also amazing, Atwood a master in the use of English to tell the story. Some images are so beautiful/sad/disturbing (etc.) that you feel like bowing to her constantly. In a second, in a paragraph, there is she, creating a beautiful world with a great use of vocabulary and sentence construction. It is a work of art.
Really interesting, with great characters and an engaging story-line, "The Blind Assassin" is another treat from a great author.
The Best: The use of English (language and sentence construction), Iris as a character, the sci-fi/fantasy stories, the look into what makes us 'human beings', Atwood doing a great job in creating believable characters.
The Worst: After a great beginning the story feels a little bit on a shaky ground for the first 100 pages, difficult to see/follow with all the jumps and changes in characters/plot/story-lines. A couple of slow moments close to the end.
Read More: Well, you have "The Handmaid's Tale", of course, by the same Margaret Atwood (which I feel it is a more well rounded novel). Stories with females characters there are many, as "姉妹" (ok, if you read Japanese), or "Sense and Sensibility" (quite different world, though). If you feel in the need for good sci-fi, "Dune" is an option (the greatest option) or "The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch" by Philip K. Dick. And "Infinite Jest", always "Infinite Jest".
8/10
(Read in English)
The story centers on sisters Iris and Laura. At the beginning of the novel we learn of Laura's death (probably a suicide). Her older sister, Iris, is the one that tells the story, one that starts before both sisters were born and that develops little by little, letting us know why each of them got the point where they are at the beginning of the novel. While telling her story, Iris takes us down a path of darkness, family betrayals, money problems and desperation, with the Second World War as its background.
It is a beautiful novel, that starts amazingly and has a great ending, and where Atwood does a great job in mixing styles and timelines. We get the past, the present and the 'parallel world', a place where two characters develop sci-fi/fantasy stories, a world that we will discover little by little how it relates to the rest of the story (even if at the beginning it may be a little bit jumpy, the cuts from one story-line to another, as the novel advances it all becomes fluid and relatable). And if the plot is really interesting, with all its twists and creaks, the characters are also really interesting, Atwood creating a couple of sisters that will enrapture and delight the reader, getting all their attention in the process. Laura is a more black/white character, but still, Atwood does a great job in that department too.
The writing style is also amazing, Atwood a master in the use of English to tell the story. Some images are so beautiful/sad/disturbing (etc.) that you feel like bowing to her constantly. In a second, in a paragraph, there is she, creating a beautiful world with a great use of vocabulary and sentence construction. It is a work of art.
Really interesting, with great characters and an engaging story-line, "The Blind Assassin" is another treat from a great author.
The Best: The use of English (language and sentence construction), Iris as a character, the sci-fi/fantasy stories, the look into what makes us 'human beings', Atwood doing a great job in creating believable characters.
The Worst: After a great beginning the story feels a little bit on a shaky ground for the first 100 pages, difficult to see/follow with all the jumps and changes in characters/plot/story-lines. A couple of slow moments close to the end.
Read More: Well, you have "The Handmaid's Tale", of course, by the same Margaret Atwood (which I feel it is a more well rounded novel). Stories with females characters there are many, as "姉妹" (ok, if you read Japanese), or "Sense and Sensibility" (quite different world, though). If you feel in the need for good sci-fi, "Dune" is an option (the greatest option) or "The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch" by Philip K. Dick. And "Infinite Jest", always "Infinite Jest".
8/10
(Read in English)
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