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Ken's Reviews > Shy
Shy
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This is Max Porter's bailiwick, all right -- in the head (check) of a troubled (check) teenage boy (check).
Appropriately enough, Shy is at the Last Chance boarding school with other square pegs that don't fit into society's round holes. And oh, the anger in there. The school. Or the heads. Both, I mean.
A rabbit-punch of a book, it stands at a mere 122 pp. Many of the almost psychedelic descriptions of Shy's stream of consciousness are damn near poetic in nature. Incomplete sentences. White spaces between paragraphs fat and thin. A sudden fever of large font.
Meaning: It strangely shares a characteristic with poetry in that it is a good dipper book to read now and then, to savor due to its strength vs. quaffing in one fell draught (as I did due to its brevity). Taken all together, the novella can be a bit much due to its content.
Should carry a warning label, maybe, about the proof. Strong stuff!
I recommend it but realize that it won't be every reader's cup of. Even for me parts held up better than whole, but that's a pretty lame complaint about a book, really, so focus on the rich writing and you'll be fine.
Appropriately enough, Shy is at the Last Chance boarding school with other square pegs that don't fit into society's round holes. And oh, the anger in there. The school. Or the heads. Both, I mean.
A rabbit-punch of a book, it stands at a mere 122 pp. Many of the almost psychedelic descriptions of Shy's stream of consciousness are damn near poetic in nature. Incomplete sentences. White spaces between paragraphs fat and thin. A sudden fever of large font.
Meaning: It strangely shares a characteristic with poetry in that it is a good dipper book to read now and then, to savor due to its strength vs. quaffing in one fell draught (as I did due to its brevity). Taken all together, the novella can be a bit much due to its content.
Should carry a warning label, maybe, about the proof. Strong stuff!
I recommend it but realize that it won't be every reader's cup of. Even for me parts held up better than whole, but that's a pretty lame complaint about a book, really, so focus on the rich writing and you'll be fine.
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Shy.
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Reading Progress
April 25, 2023
– Shelved as:
on-reading-radar
April 25, 2023
– Shelved
June 24, 2023
–
Started Reading
June 27, 2023
– Shelved as:
contemporary
June 27, 2023
– Shelved as:
finished-in-2023
June 27, 2023
–
Finished Reading
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Laysee
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Jun 27, 2023 03:11AM
Great tips on how best to read this book, Ken. Likely not my cup of tea but appreciate your review and helpful critique.
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Thanks, Laysee. A two-sided benefit to GR (when it's working properly, which it is not yesterday and today) is that it leads you to some books and warns you off others!
Do you have a favourite book by Porter, Ken?
I had to blow on this cup of review because it was so hot!
Alan wrote: "Do you have a favourite book by Porter, Ken?"All the Porter I've read is intriguing. Maybe Lanny because of the weird critter from the woods? Though I like crows, too.
Ulysse wrote: "I had to blow on this cup of review because it was so hot!"A cuppa. So British, no? If I'm going to have tea, though, I want it high.
I've been curious about Max Porter, Ken. Seeing your mention of rich writing inches me closer.
I dropped it after a few pages as its "stream of consciousness" style was closely similar to Anne Quin's Passages which I read and worshipped earlier this year. In that sense, I thought Porter could have been more original but your endorsement tempts me to read it all the same. Perhaps I read them too close together... As always, I enjoyed your review!
Fionnuala wrote: "I've been curious about Max Porter, Ken. Seeing your mention of rich writing inches me closer."Inch by inch, we get to certain books and certain authors in the crowded slums of our TBR pile. Some we inch further from. There's no explanation, really.
Vesna wrote: "I dropped it after a few pages as its "stream of consciousness" style was closely similar to Anne Quin's Passages which I read and worshipped earlier this year. In that sense, I tho..."Thank you Vesna. I usually give a book 50 pp. before deciding between the heave and the ho overboard, but if you did that with this book you'd be half done.
Great review, Ken! Not an author I have tried. But the premises I have read so far sound intriguing.
Kushagri wrote: "Great review, Ken! Not an author I have tried. But the premises I have read so far sound intriguing."Maybe you'd like it, if subject matter (people mistreating people) doesn't bother you.
Great review, Ken. I heard an interview with him a couple of weeks ago. Thanks to your review I am intrigued.
David wrote: "Great review, Ken. I heard an interview with him a couple of weeks ago. Thanks to your review I am intrigued."Interviews! Must be part of the book launch promotional program, as this is rather recent.
