Sharply written, funny and heartening in parts. Subjectively true to the life of a doctor, plus the wonders of going back in time. Quick and easy readSharply written, funny and heartening in parts. Subjectively true to the life of a doctor, plus the wonders of going back in time. Quick and easy read. Would read again to revisit the wild medical adventures, class dynamics, sympathetic narrator, heartbreaking text journey through addiction, and other things. It’s hard to accurately summarize something that’s fairly linear and kind of a short story anthology with chapters that vary in impact....more
A formative text on child psychology. Helped me enter into the mind of a developing infant and understand what shapes its personality and which conditA formative text on child psychology. Helped me enter into the mind of a developing infant and understand what shapes its personality and which conditions do so optimally. Very much a repackaging of ideas expressed by thinkers who came before him plus a few unique contributions. Not always the clearest writer. Poorly organized, meandering. Ideas are illustrated, never directly explained, which works in cinema but is unfailingly a downside in educational texts. Had to listen to the audiobook twice to really internalize the concepts, and some nuance probably still escapes me. Still worth it. ...more
Razor-sharp, brutally realistic, transgressive fiction. Don’t know if it’s a voyeuristic tale about moral decay from a conservative perspective (let’sRazor-sharp, brutally realistic, transgressive fiction. Don’t know if it’s a voyeuristic tale about moral decay from a conservative perspective (let’s just say without spoilers that gays are buried), a punk polemic on what happens when people are marginalized and abandoned by the State, a Hobbesian tale about human nature, or some combination. But I am guilty of consuming it voraciously, anyhow. ...more
4.5 stars. My favorite thing about Dostoyevsky: he says the quiet parts (contents of the unconscious) out loud. The forward focuses a lot on his criti4.5 stars. My favorite thing about Dostoyevsky: he says the quiet parts (contents of the unconscious) out loud. The forward focuses a lot on his critiques of specific authors contemporary to his time and of rational egoism, utilitarianism, and related Enlightenment values. The underground man is a humorous illustration of some of these principles taken to the extreme. But I’m not sure that’s the level on which this really works for me. Where it works is the place where Dostoyevsky explores the interiority of a deeply flawed person who constantly performs his defenses as a last resort to retain any sense of dignity and then abruptly undermines these efforts as if the defense itself were more humiliating than just accepting the badness within. It is an absolute delight to witness his mental and emotional acrobatics, the perils of self-imposed solitude. He is a pathetic and loathsome character and an example of just how three-dimensional every author should aspire to make their own characters....more
I read this in my play therapy course years ago. It is a beautiful story that illustrates the potential for a caring hand to alter the course of a traI read this in my play therapy course years ago. It is a beautiful story that illustrates the potential for a caring hand to alter the course of a traumatized child’s life. Easy to read. Filled with wisdom and hope. Recommend for anyone who works in mental health or works with children. ...more
Poor Lyra. Poor Will. Growing up so fast with so little support from the ones who were supposed to care for you, yet you are strong and capable in youPoor Lyra. Poor Will. Growing up so fast with so little support from the ones who were supposed to care for you, yet you are strong and capable in your own ways. You will be called upon to sacrifice even more, and it will hurt.
Lots of world-building and fantasy stuff. Layers upon layers of all that. Refreshingly unpredictable plot, can be hard to follow until the big beats slap you in the face. For me, most effective when it’s true to life and emotionally complex. The religious takedown stuff is interesting, but it’s not clear how all the dots connect yet between religion and physics and fantasy, and when you’ve been nonreligious all your life, it packs less of a punch.
I don’t love this genre, but this is a very smart, layered book and a great example of the unique possibilities sci-fi and fantasy possess in explorinI don’t love this genre, but this is a very smart, layered book and a great example of the unique possibilities sci-fi and fantasy possess in exploring the troubles of our own society....more
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