This is the kind of book that makes my heart soar. Quirky characters with soul. Think A Man Called Ove meets The Rosie Project meets the wonderful lilThis is the kind of book that makes my heart soar. Quirky characters with soul. Think A Man Called Ove meets The Rosie Project meets the wonderful lil indie movie The Station Agent (starring the fantastic Peter Dinklage pre-Tyrion days). This novel may not have been Faulkner, but it's exactly what I wanted (and needed, if anyone is familiar with my Shogun rut).
Oh Eleanor: Your way of looking at the world is so wonderful. As Raymond so eloquently puts it, "You just don't give a f*ck." Except you do. You do, and you desperately want to know the right way to navigate through this messy world. And through actions you don't even quite understand, you are pulling yourself out of the ashes.
Raymond: Who doesn't want a Raymond in their life? (Does anyone else cast a movie while they're reading it? I immediately cast you as Chris O'Dowd--the cop with the heart of gold in the movie Bridesmaids). You grounded the book and held your own in every scene against Eleanor's batshit crazy.
Glenn: You scene-stealer, you.
Cathleen McCarron: Bravo for your marvelous audiobook performance.
To give this little book less than 5 stars would be the epitome of unfairness, based on how it made me feel. This book sent me on a 3-hour walk, just so I could keep listening to it: I laughed. I cried. I know people say this all the time and it's cliche, but I truly wished it would never end....more
I'm a sucker for books about the triumph of the human spirit. This is "that" triumph. Thank you, Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ. Not only did I finally win a giveaway, I wI'm a sucker for books about the triumph of the human spirit. This is "that" triumph. Thank you, Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ. Not only did I finally win a giveaway, I won what turned out to be one of my favorite books of all time.
At around 3 am last night, my husband picked his head up from his pillow, and witnessed me huddled under my small light, tears streaming down my face, book in hand. "Seriously?" he said.
Seriously. This is my first John Boyne, and what an absolute powerhouse. Can't wait to read the rest of his work. Given the high rating, and some stellar reviews from peers on this site, I had pretty high expectations going in (yet still managed not to know much about the plot). The book delivered immediately: the setting, 1945 Ireland, where our narrator, Cyril Avery, recounts the heartbreaking story of his own birth. It's one of the strongest openings I've read, and, I'll admit, the next few sections paled in comparison. (I found Cyril's odd relationship with adoptive parents Charles and Maude a tough juxtaposition to the sombreness of the previous section; any attempt at humor fell flat here.) However...
Once Cyril reaches early adulthood I found the 600-page novel unputdownable. It's an odyssey through Ireland, the cruelty and hypocrisy of the Catholic Church, and the AIDS crises in America. Despite the grave subject matter, the book manages to strike multiple humorous notes thanks to Cyril's witty dialogue (especially between him and Alice). God, I loved Cyril. Seventy years with him was far too short.
I'd recommend this book to just about anyone with a pulse. Believe the hype, folks....more
There are books. And there are books. And then there are masterpieces.
Despite my ever-growing reading queue, on the last page of this novel, I flippedThere are books. And there are books. And then there are masterpieces.
Despite my ever-growing reading queue, on the last page of this novel, I flipped back to page 1, starting over again.
It’s such a pleasure to know that in 40 years—probably 35 of them with my nose in books—I’ve never come across a character as joyful, charming, or clever as the Count. A man of taste, of principle, of appreciation; someone who learns to master his circumstances before they master him.
Every sentence is a gem. When the Count is sentenced to a lifetime of house arrest at the Hotel Metropol in Moscow, the first thing he discovers upon his arrival back to the hotel is that the staff have moved his belongings from his suite to “new quarters� on the sixth floor, a 100-foot room. (’So that’s their game,� thought the Count.)
An hour later, the Count bounced twice on his new mattress to identify the key of the bedsprings (G-sharp)....
I mean, nothing gets this guy down.
There are a vibrant cast of characters within the Metropol’s walls, all dear friends of the Count and his partners-in-crime: Andrey, the maitre de of the Boyarsky (the restaurant in the Metropol), Emile the moody chef, Marina the seamstress, and Vasily the concierge. Of course, there is also Nina. Anna. Sofia. There are wonderfully-described meals, like the bouillabaisse that takes three years to finally execute (the amount of time it takes to appropriate the ingredients), or the Latvian stew and bottle of Mukuzani the Count ends up ordering for himself after he suggests it to a couple dining next to him (who are being offered the wrong wine pairing—the indignity!) and then becomes enchanted by his own suggestion.
With the Count, every day is to be savored, every inconvenience or interruption an opportunity for congenial company and conversation, every uncertainty a moment “for a bold new life that we had meant to lead all along.�
To the Count: I salute you, sir.
To Amor Towles: Thank you for such a beautiful book.
Man. HELLO Tana French, my newest girl crush. You sure can write.
I was up until 2 a.m. finishing this book. I knew I had to finish it, because during Man. HELLO Tana French, my newest girl crush. You sure can write.
I was up until 2 a.m. finishing this book. I knew I had to finish it, because during work earlier that same day, I was constantly thinking about it, and beyond tempted to Google how it ended. I knew I wouldn't last another work day.
Around 2:30 a.m. I lay awake, staring at the ceiling, mourning the end of such a great read, and the soul-crushing journey of Rob and Cassie. I had such a feeling of loss at the end. I never got into HBO's "True Detective," but I saw a few clips of Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson looking drained and shells of their previous selves in flash-forwards, talking about the case that did them in years before. This book did a great job of similarly showing the effect of working a murder case. Rob's narration was spot-on for "the murder detective with baggage," but French never lets things get cliche: he is often funny, occasionally unreliable, and when things really starts hitting the fan, reminiscent of Raskolnikov.
I've taken care to keep this spoiler-free; I like to go into books with as little knowledge about the actual plot as possible: but I will say that the section where Rob returns to the woods in the hopes of gaining new insight to his case, left me with actual goosebumps.
Can't wait to see what French will do with the rest of the The Dublin Murder Squad series....more
I'd give this book six stars if I could. A real page-turner, couldn't stop reading it. I read it over the course of a few days, and all I could think I'd give this book six stars if I could. A real page-turner, couldn't stop reading it. I read it over the course of a few days, and all I could think about while I WASN'T reading it, was what was happening with Isabelle and Vianne. Reading this book was exhausting, stressful, satisfying, entertaining, gut-wrenching. All of that. Haven't felt so drawn to two made-up literary characters this intensely since Henry and Clare in "The Time Traveler's Wife" and Dex and Emma in "One Day."...more
Wow. Just plain wow. I read this 700+ page book in about 24 hours. I was warned by the many reviews (along with the not-so-subtle cover) that it was dWow. Just plain wow. I read this 700+ page book in about 24 hours. I was warned by the many reviews (along with the not-so-subtle cover) that it was depressing and yes, while "The Happy Years" were especially horrifyingly depressing, the first quarter of the book painted such a wonderfully vivid and sweet picture of friendship and loyalty, it was easy early on to forgive the sad parts and even feel optimistic. As the "sad" got sadder and more depressing, however, there was a point where I started to get angry with the book. In the end, not an easy read (I had to stop at one point, just to collect myself, and then realized happy or sad, I wouldn't be able to focus on anything else until I knew how the book ended). The writing was so intense, so raw, I'm sure I'll never forget Jude or Willem or Andy or Harold. I felt exhausted reading this story, similar to how I felt while reading Donna Tart's The Goldfinch. (As an aside, the attention to detail-law, art, architecture, math theory--was also similar to reading Tart.)...more
Holy cow, I loved this book. A post-apocalypse book with heart. And a dog. And a man who refuses to lose his faith in humanity despite the sorry stateHoly cow, I loved this book. A post-apocalypse book with heart. And a dog. And a man who refuses to lose his faith in humanity despite the sorry state of affairs around him. This book made me cry on multiple occasions. At one point, I was so profoundly devastated I almost gave up, but then an "exciting incident" occurs and I was right back to enjoying it. And round and round I went.
There were problems with this book (the writing is a little choppy, and there is a bit in the end that is kind of anti-climactic) but even with its faults, it's up there in my favorites of all time....more
Update: Netflix released an utterly beautiful (and appropriately creepy) four-part series of this classic. It has an all-star cast including James McAUpdate: Netflix released an utterly beautiful (and appropriately creepy) four-part series of this classic. It has an all-star cast including James McAvoy, Nicholas Hoult, Tom Wilkinson and Ben Kingsley. Very faithful adaptation, with an ending that made me weep. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
I first attempted Watership Down in grade school and was disappointed--but not entirely surprised--to discover a dense, somewhat dull story about ... well, rabbits. Rabbits with weird names and made-up words, always talking about silfray and El-ahrairah. Chapters began with lofty, obscure passages from Hamlet, Napoleon Bonaparte, the New Testament, even the Mozart opera Cosi fan Tutte. I didn't make it far, suffice it to say. I think I got to the point where the rabbits first encounter a man-made road, and I put it down, just not caring anymore. Man: bad; rabbit: good. I get it. Now give me The Babysitter's Club.
Not sure what made my come back to it again, other than a rekindled desire to make my way through some of the classics. This time, again, the going was slow, and about 30 percent in (according to my Kindle, which admittedly is a long time to not really be feeling a book), I almost gave up. I wish I could pinpoint the exact turning point, but something clicked [I had a very similar experience reading Angle of Repose; I initially found the prose super-dense, then, poof, I got it (an aha moment?), like I had cracked Stegner's writing style, and was instantaneously engrossed in the story].
So yeah: the same thing happened here. I truly, truly wish this was the cover I had seen at my local library back in the day (not the rendering of a cute rabbit at dusk with "timeless classic" scrawled above it in Hallmark Sympathy font), because if it was, I might have given it a fairer shake:
[image]
Look at those badass bunnies. Author Richard Adams clearly doesn't give a flying flop what you think about his rabbits. Slowly, we come to know Hazel, Bigwig (God I loved Bigwig), Fiver, Pipkin, Blackberry, and Dandelion, who leave their warren after Fiver has a premonition that something bad will happen if they stay. You learn over the course of their actions--as these are rabbits tasked daily to make split-second, life-or-death decisions--that they’re not afraid to throw down. They are gruff. They are scrappy. They have honor. In short: Don't eff with these rabbits. When they finally find their Utopia, they take little time to enjoy it: they're too busy negotiating with mice, nursing a fallen bird back to health (proving invaluable), learning new house-building techniques, and finally, deciding to risk it all to 1) infiltrate a nearby dangerous warren and 2) trek to a nearby a farm guarded by a dog and of course, man. Why?
They decide they need lady rabbits.
To say more may spoil the story. Just know this tale has it all: action, adventure, a worthy arch-nemesis, a last stand, and ingenious schemes.
Watership Down is a story about survival, courage, embracing change, friendship, loyalty, tradition--stuff straight out of King Arthur and The Odyssey. It is about the start of a death-defying journey, the establishment of a community, and the making of heroes....more
I’m writing this for Julie. I noticed she just added this to her “To Read� list.
Julie. Prepare for tears. I read this back when I was commuting to andI’m writing this for Julie. I noticed she just added this to her “To Read� list.
Julie. Prepare for tears. I read this back when I was commuting to and from Manhattan every day. I read it in one train ride. I finished it right at my stop. I prayed no one would see the tears streaming down my face as I exited the train. Oh, it was an UGLY cry.
I’m tearing up just thinking about this beautiful, pure, unbelievably sad, innocent, remarkable book.
My grandmother grew up in wartime Okinawa. Her brothers and sisters also hid in the mountains. This certainly played a part in my love for the book, but the story—of the resiliency of the human spirit, especially that of a young child—spans all ages, races, people with pulses.
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