enbygojira's Reviews (815)

60 days later... fucking finally! I don't remember taking this long to read Perdido Street Station—but I don't know who to blame for it (me, probably; it's always my fault).

The City & The City is brilliant. China Miéville is brilliant. So brilliant, in fact, that I have no idea how to rate this book. I'm fairly tempted to give this a 4-star rating, but it would be unfair. It's not the novel's fault I took this long to read it. Five stars it is then, I think? Everything so neatly done, the writing is impeccable—it takes us exactly where it wants us to be, and it's amazing. As an aspiring author myself, China Miéville is both inspiring and terrifying.

This is a great book, and it's great that Neil Gaiman decided to write it. It's great that Mythology is being seen as cool again, it really is. My experience, however, wasn't the greatest. I believe that's only because I'm not a Norse Mythology beginner, this ain't my first time at the rodeo. I do know most—if not all—stories that are told here, and this is a book that doesn't really bring anything new to the table. I mean, by all means, read it and enjoy if you're starting, but don't expect much if you've read any of the Eddas.

If you know me, you know I've been obsessing over Hamilton for the past five or six months. I don't know how it started, exactly, this relationship. I remember reading about a play—a musical; I love musicals—that had cast POC as American historical figures, but it took me a while to stop and listen to the OBC recording itself. I mean, I love musicals, but I don't like American History—I didn't, at the time. The idea was innovative, all right, but it wasn't until I accidentally heard The Schuyler Sisters in a playlist that I decided to stop and listen to the soundtrack. It was love at first listen, I think. It was different from anything I had experienced till then. And here we are now: reading about it and looking around for John Laurens' biographies. Well.

If you're into it, Hamilton: The Revolution is a great book. Knowing what happens backstage, knowing how everything was done is a particular pleasure of mine—I believe I've spent many hours watching special material on Attack of the Clones, and it isn't even good—, and it's really nice if what you're reading about is how one of the greatest musicals of the century was arranged. Besides, Lin-Manuel Miranda is probably my favourite person in the world right now, and the sentiment grows as I read more and more about him—ah! and his notes are great, too.

I felt that slavery was very romanticized here. See, I didn't dislike this book, but this... issue kept me from loving it. Reading about a main character who thinks

Spoiler

slavery is great and acceptable in his country

is kinda revolting. It doesn't seem to be a race thing, though, which is... less bad? I don't even know.

At some point, I was in doubt whether the main relationship was an abusive one, but I don't think it is. So far,

Spoiler

it's barely a relationship at all

.