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I read this for class and my expectations were WAY exceeded. The brilliance of this book makes that movie with Will Smith seem horribly butchered. It doesn't really have anything to do with the book anymore.
In the book, Robert Neville tries to come to terms with his fate as the last man on earth which makes the book quite philosophical. But there are also some fun occurrences of intertextuality, for example when he rants about Bram Stoker's Dracula. Unlike in a lot of vampire stories, Neville even tries to explain the existence of vampires by scientific means, by reading up on microbiology and experimenting on vampires during the day.
It's a very compelling read, one of the few books I've read within such a short period of time. It's a very impressive book for its time (1954).
In the book, Robert Neville tries to come to terms with his fate as the last man on earth which makes the book quite philosophical. But there are also some fun occurrences of intertextuality, for example when he rants about Bram Stoker's Dracula. Unlike in a lot of vampire stories, Neville even tries to explain the existence of vampires by scientific means, by reading up on microbiology and experimenting on vampires during the day.
It's a very compelling read, one of the few books I've read within such a short period of time. It's a very impressive book for its time (1954).
A brilliant but utterly depressing dystopian novel. Depressing because when I watch American news, the Republic of Gilead seems *this* close to reality. It's scary that in a country with a very long history of religious nutjobs there are still enough religious nutjobs who could set up a theocratic government and turn women into breeding machines.
Honestly thought a lot of this book was pretty boring, but maybe that's just because I read it to fall asleep.
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
This book makes it a plot point that every book has its own unique voice or song. Well, unfortunately I have to say that this book's voice and me did not vibe at all. I was super excited by the premise of the book - a library of unwritten books that is part of Hell! What a lot of potential! But sadly, I found myself reading page upon page of this book and I was just not in it, my mind kept wandering. This may be due to the, in my opinion, mediocre writing. I think a large problem stems from the fact that conversations are frequently interrupted by entire paragraphs of bloat. This book felt to me like 80% white noise, and somewhere in there was supposed to be a plot, which I honestly couldn't really follow.
I'm sad to say that I will not read the other two books in the series, fighting my way through this one was enough for me.
I'm sad to say that I will not read the other two books in the series, fighting my way through this one was enough for me.
dark
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I originally read this almost 10 years ago for uni (2014). It was always bothering me that I haven't read the third and final book yet, so that's why I decided to re-read the whole series now (2024).
And what a time to re-read! This graphic novel portrays Berlin in 1928, and the parallels to German (and European, and international) politics today are striking. The rise of the Nazis is juxtaposed with the Marxist working class, and we see how a colorful (well, black-and-white) cast of characters is affected by this in everyday life in Berlin. It's scary, and looking at the news, it feels like history repeats itself.
And what a time to re-read! This graphic novel portrays Berlin in 1928, and the parallels to German (and European, and international) politics today are striking. The rise of the Nazis is juxtaposed with the Marxist working class, and we see how a colorful (well, black-and-white) cast of characters is affected by this in everyday life in Berlin. It's scary, and looking at the news, it feels like history repeats itself.
A lovely little adventure featuring all my favorite mythological creatures!
Terribly silly. Doesn't quite live up to the standards I'm used to by Neil Gaiman. But maybe I'm just not good with children's books.
I read this entirely by accident and then just couldn't put it down, which is ridiculous because I have seen the film and knew exactly what was gonna happen. Still, I quite enjoyed the read, it's got a beautiful language and a much more consistent plot than e.g. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
A few things still bothered me though:
- What happened to William and Mary the mice? It appears they've been completely abandoned
- I liked the "happier" ending of the film. It shows that not everything is as borderline-good-and-evil as the witches in this book.
- Two somewhat religious mentions would make me worried that children will put too much truth into them. I doubt the book has the power to indoctrinate children, but I would still prefer it if children's books such as this were free from such things.
A few things still bothered me though:
- What happened to William and Mary the mice? It appears they've been completely abandoned
- I liked the "happier" ending of the film. It shows that not everything is as borderline-good-and-evil as the witches in this book.
- Two somewhat religious mentions would make me worried that children will put too much truth into them. I doubt the book has the power to indoctrinate children, but I would still prefer it if children's books such as this were free from such things.
Another Gaiman kid's book which I found a lot more enjoyable than most the others by him I've read so far. I can imagine that this would actually be great for a kid. Also, it has Dave McKean's beautifully idiosyncratic illustrations.