I feel like reviewing this could be dangerous. There are many who have strong feelings about this book. Also, as my statWhat just happened to me . . .
I feel like reviewing this could be dangerous. There are many who have strong feelings about this book. Also, as my status updates for this were hitting Twitter, I was getting several likes from random Pynchon fans, so I feel like this could be under more of a microscope than usual.
So . . . here is how I am going to do this review. The first paragraph will be my experience with the book and my star review. This is strictly my experience and does not reflect on how I feel others should feel about this book. If it triggers anyone, that is not my intention . . . but nothing surprises me anymore. After that I will have just a few bullet point observations that are not necessarily pros or cons, but just things that went through my mind while reading.
Here goes!
Overall . . . I am giving this book 3 stars. At times I felt like I was at 1 star and ready to give up. At other times I was at 5 stars and what I was reading was creative genius. So, it only seems fair to average things out around 3. It was not an easy book to read, follow, or stay interested in. I often found my mind wandering and had to go back several times to recap. But, when a section stuck with me, it really stuck with me and, overall, it is a book I will not forget.
Now . . . random Gravity’s Rainbow thoughts . . .
- If David Foster Wallace was not partially inspired by this book to write Infinite Jest, I would be very surprised. There is such a similar feel between the two. - Throughout the book I also kept thinking this felt at times like Catch-22 (released 12 years before this book), so I feel like Pynchon must have had some inspiration from that classic. - I heard that this book won the Pulitzer, but they retracted the award because of the extreme nature of the content. After reading the book, I am not saying it is right that they did it, but I can say that I am not surprised. - If you are sensitive or easily offended (and blush easily), this may not be the book for you. It has been a long time since I have been this shocked about things that were put down on the page. Also, proceed with caution when reading my next bullet point. - If there was a book about The History of the Penis, it would refer to penises less than this book does. To be blunt, I think penises (and ejaculation) came up so much in this book as a symbolism of rockets, their trajectory, and the force of a launch. - This is a book I feel you might need online resources to help you get through/understand it. It has so much bizarre stream of conscious imagery and so many outlandish plot points that a little extra help won’t hurt.
I am going to stop there for now, but this book was so long and led to so many thoughts while I was on my journey that I may come back later to add additional bullet points as I think of/remember them.
Do I recommend this book? Did you like Catch-22 and Infinite Jest? Do you like very epic, very bizarre stories that will likely make your head hurt but also might blow your mind? Are you trying to complete a list of recommended books? Then yes! But otherwise . . . no or proceed with extreme caution. ...more
Another great volume of American Vampire! This one is quite epic as it collects two full stories spanning 12 issues.
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This is the WWII part of thAnother great volume of American Vampire! This one is quite epic as it collects two full stories spanning 12 issues.
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This is the WWII part of the overall storyline. One story in this collection takes place in the Pacific Theater and the other in Nazi Germany. The setting and mythology of World War II meshes perfectly with the addition of vampires.
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While these two stories have some stand alone elements, they do also carry on the timeline of the American Vampire series overall. There are a few recurring characters from previous issues, flashbacks, etc. It had been a while since I read the last volume, but it was not hard to get back into it.
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The art of this series continues to be fantastic. Sometimes it is impressionistic. Sometimes it it's detailed and precise. Sometimes it is outlandish - especially when monsters and gore are featured. But, whatever it is, it is always eye-catching and cinematic. It's such a fun book to look at!
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Overall, I have been very pleased with this series and the volume has continued the awesomeness. I can't wait for more!
It has been years since I have seen the movie Blade Runner, but as I was reading this I kept saying to myself, for some reason this reminds me of BladIt has been years since I have seen the movie Blade Runner, but as I was reading this I kept saying to myself, for some reason this reminds me of Blade Runner. Then, I started describing the book to a co-worker (and I didn’t tell him about what it reminded me of) and the first thing he said is “Sounds like Blade Runner”. So, I guess I was not too far off! (I did recently read the book that Blade Runner is based on, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? so maybe that contributed to it).
Another thing about this book is that it was very meta for me (is at the word all the young whipper-snappers are using these days?) The book takes place mostly in Indianapolis, which is where I live. I am familiar with all the locations discussed and, at one point he specifically mentions “the corner of Southport and Emerson” right as I was driving by that very corner! (insert Twilight Zone music here!)
It looks like the reviews on this book are very mixed, but I enjoyed it. I thought the story line was creative and the alternate history the author created was dark, brutal, and very interesting. For me, when it comes to writing interesting alternate history, it is best when the alteration is to something major and serious; the results definitely hit harder when this is the case.
In reading some of the criticisms of this book, the major one is that the author is white writing about an issue affecting black people from a black viewpoint. As a white man myself, I probably risk controversy on my own part by commenting on this, but hope my view comes across as straightforward and non-biased. I think that he did a respectful job with the story. If there are people who don’t think this is the case, I completely understand and I am not trying to convince you otherwise! The author did site classic black sci-fi author Octavia E. Butler (specifically her novel Kindred) for inspiration.
In closing, I hope I have not offended anyone with my review and thoughts on this book and approached this with an open mind. It was an interesting and thought provoking novel that I think is worth checking out if you like alternative history or have an interest in Civil Rights based stories....more
This sounded like a really interesting concept for a book. Also, I have enjoyed at least one other book by this author. Finally, the book had enough iThis sounded like a really interesting concept for a book. Also, I have enjoyed at least one other book by this author. Finally, the book had enough interest in it that they turned it into a TV show. These were all good signs that this would be a great read.
But, was it???
It was okay . . . it had some great parts and did play around in some fascinating ways about what the world would be like if Germany and Japan had won World War II. But I don’t think it took the concept far enough or explored it deep enough within the story. This is one of those cases where I wish the book had been longer so that that the “What if?” could have been invested in more. But, before it got to where I hoped it would, it got kind of weird in ways that did not keep my interest. In fact, I thought I knew what I read, but I checked the synopsis on Wikipedia hoping for a little more clarification of the ending and . . . yep . . . I understood exactly what I had read, it was just weird.
While I am giving this book 3 stars, I don’t think it is a bad book to try if you like alternative history, sci-fi, and/or dystopia. Since it is not too long or hard to read, you don’t have to invest too much time or effort to get to the interesting parts. And, maybe you won’t find the ending as odd and so-so as I did. The one thing about the ending that was kind of cool were (view spoiler)[the hints that the timeline in the book is just another alternate, parallel timeline to ours and there are some who have knowledge and experience with both timelines (hide spoiler)].
If you give it a go, I hope you like it more than I did. Feel free to stop back by this review and discuss! ...more
This was truly and epic tale. While I know every author has to do research to make sure that the book makes sense and Another big, big King book down!
This was truly and epic tale. While I know every author has to do research to make sure that the book makes sense and doesn’t sound ridiculous, this had to be the most research King has ever had to put into a book. When discussing historical events and the potential impact of changing them (both knowing what actually happened vs conjecturing what would happen if any details were changed), you have to make sure your knowledge of all related events is strong! The two most common themes of this book are: will the past allow itself to be changed? and the butterfly effect (one little change (flap of a butterfly wing) starting a chain reaction that leads to a landslide on the other side of the world). If you don’t have your history ducks in a row, it will be very hard to sell these themes, but King sells them very well!
I liked the extensive storytelling in this one. It almost felt like 5 different novels/storylines crammed into one. Any of them would be an interesting story by itself, but none of them truly appreciated unless combined with all of the others. I think that some may find that it is too much or that the story drags in places (with inner monologue screaming “get to the point already!”). This didn’t happen for me, but I could definitely understand it if some felt that way. A couple of times it felt like the story was starting over and I was a few hundred pages in! But, in the end I loved the whole package – quick places, slow places, exposition, character development, backstory, etc. – all of it!
Compared to other King? Well, the character development, interaction, and dialogue definitely felt like King. At places it felt like a Dark Tower spin off . . . maybe a little like The Talisman. There are direct references to some of his other novels ((view spoiler)[specifically IT and Christine (hide spoiler)]) that will make King fans feel nostalgic. But, in the end, I feel like the book is in a class all by itself that is not really like any other King book I have read before.
It is not horror. So, if you have not read King before but want to get started with classic King you have heard rumors about, don’t start here! Go back to Carrie, Salem’s Lot, The Dead Zone, etc.
But, since it isn’t really horror, more historical fiction and alternative reality, I think that some people who have been shying away from King might greatly enjoy this. After that, you could try more King, or move on and at least be able to tell your friends, “yeah, I read a Stephen King book *accomplished grin on face*”.
I do recommend this book if you are ready for an 850 page+ adventure. Know that you might devour it, or might need to set it down and take a break from it from time to time. Either way I hope you enjoy – just know you cannot go back and change the fact that you took the time to read it . . . or, can you??? ...more
On the 4th of July it seems appropriate to go back and write a review on a book with one of our American presidents at the center of the action. MaybeOn the 4th of July it seems appropriate to go back and write a review on a book with one of our American presidents at the center of the action. Maybe it would have been a little more appropriate on President's Day, but the 4th is a good secondary option.
The genre of alternate history/retelling the classics with monsters at the center of the story has become quite popular over the past decade. While these titles interest me, I approach them with skepticism - is the gimmick going to lead to a good story or a sloppy tale thrown together for a quick buck? Luckily, my experience with these had been pretty good so far!
I thought this book was great! Sure, a little cheesy and hokey at moments, but what a fun "what if" story: Abraham Lincoln doing everything we know him for, but also kicking vampire ass in the process. And, the format is really cool, too. It is told like it really is an uncovered history of the life of Lincoln. In fact, if the human race went extinct and aliens showed up and found this book, I think they would believe this is a true historical document!
If you like alternative history, vampires, and Abraham Lincoln - this is for you! Fun, action packed, and it might even make you think a bit about "what if Lincoln really did battle these creatures of the night?"
If you are a history purist or have difficulty approaching retellings/alternate history with an open mind, this is not the book for you.
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