jenknox's Reviews (494)

A fun book to read. Gaiman is great at quirky characters. The dialogue is simple in this one, but the story itself is full of twists and turns that are easy to follow.

Freedom has the two-and-a-half-dimensional feel of reality television. I enjoy reading it, but I'm not convinced that any of the characters (especially Patty) is really so good at taking punches. I read this book as I might Greek mythology. Franzen the jovial God, getting kicks out of kicking his characters but never quite believing any of them could ever really exist. I don't believe any of them could exist either, but then again, who cares?
It's definitely a five-star so far. Very fun to read. No flowery, pretentious prose, just smart writing.
#
Half-way through: the characters are getting there; even though I'm still not buying Patty, Walter and Richard came to life immediately. Perhaps Franzen shouldn't write female characters? To be fair, I don't remember thinking this when reading The Corrections, but I don't recall.

All in all, still going strong. There are passages in which I start thinking of other things I should be doing, or I start thinking maybe I'll take a nap. Then I read a few minutes longer, and I'm pulled back in.
#
Still smart, still a tad unbalanced.

I'm getting distinct glimpses of Rabbit, Run; I Am Charlotte Simmons; something else...
#
O.K., final assessment: strong writing, a little dry in places; Franzen could use more humor to balance out the seriousness of the characters and their situations (yes, literature needs humor (yes, I'm referring to this book as literature)). Some of the secondary characters seem more alive than the main characters. The story is mostly realistic and contains remarkable insight, bravely displayed, but the way it is disclosed sometimes--the awkward dialog, for example--is lacking.

I wonder why all the women characters are not only depressed, but on medication for depression and why none of the characters are capable of being faithful sexually. There are ways, other than infidelity, to abuse ourselves and loved ones. The political discussions, namely the discussions on population control, a taboo subject, won me over. Largely, a very good book.

Bound by Blue is a collection of brave, unflinching tales about dynamic characters whose realities have been twisted and injured by others whose realities have, no doubt, been twisted and injured by those before them. The philosophy that drives the book offers a thorough examination of neurosis. The characters in this book, all bound by something, must push to find the everyday freedoms that many take for granted. Despite the seemingly impossible obstacles these characters face, each story is also intensely beautiful because it sheds light, not only on the fragile human psyche, but on the spirit of survival necessary for many to continue on each day.

Nothing about these stories is predictable, nor do they tread lightly. Instead, the sharp prose shines a bright light on the hidden corners of life, and this will consume you. These stories stick to your ribs and fill your mind with the possibilities that exist, despite the pasts that seemingly shape us. With true reflection and a reminder that all we do to others matters, we can move forward. This is the freedom possible for those who are bound by blue.

I love Fannie Flagg. She's always fun to read because her characters are so alive that they jump off the page and shake you by the shoulders. Southern charm, deception, identity issues and humor summarize this book. Underneath all this, there's a larger question: How much of who we are is situational and how much is handed down from family? How much control do we really have over our lives when a single piece of information can change reality as we know it. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Setting (Appalachia during an unexpected butterfly migration) drives everything about this novel, including the juxtaposition between a community hanging on to routines with faith and the slow destruction of the natural world that has allowed for such routines in the first place. The fact that a community seems awed by something that may very well be a sign of its future undoing is a subject Kingsolver took on full-force, with just a bit of humor to soften the blow. I felt as though the novel's intensity fell off toward the end as I had more of a connection to Dellarobia when she seemed to be searching for something specific, self realization. I'm not sure she got there. The way the butterfly migration was used to display her relative intelligence and extreme sadness was powerful, but alone it was not enough to sustain the character. I wanted something more extreme to happen to her or her family, or for her to take some extreme action. Everything about the ending is subdued and less interesting to me than the characters I wanted to get to know. All that said, I loved the book in that it was thoroughly entertaining and well researched.

The dialogue in this book is great, and the idea is, well, very relevant and almost creepy. I like the critique on social media dominating our lives and, at its extreme, taking over our lives and therefore replacing real life with a virtual reality. This story is about a cult-like company that is out to make the entire world "transparent" in order to increase accountability and eliminate secrets, thereby eliminating crime and all wrongdoings. I enjoyed the ideas explored: that a person would be on her best behavior at all times if she knew everything she did was monitored. At the same time, this constant monitoring allows no room for human flaws or shortcomings. The concept called to mind people who portray idealized versions of self on Facebook. Curious stuff.

What I enjoyed most about this story was Eggers' ability to make the company's argument convincing, so much so that I can imagine a lot of folks buying into such an argument for transparency. At the same time, I do wish our protagonist, Mae, had a tad more self-awareness so that readers could see more contrast between her true self and her monitored self. Good book. Recommended.

This book has a fantastic opening. The soon-to-be married artist with a mysterious past, Annie Oh, and the down-to-earth man who made a serious mistake he's not fully owning up to, Orion Oh, begin to narrate their tale of a failed marriage. We Are Water drew me right in. The characters were fantastically flawed and fragile. I wanted to save them all. My biggest gripe with this book, aside from the fact that all the redheaded female characters are victims and assholes at the same time (which I personally find cliché), is that as the other narrators who came in after Annie and Orion seemed to add very little to the story. All of the narration could have come from those two and, to this reader, would have made for a far tighter storyline. As it is, it begins to feel too fragmented and confusing around the time the son begins his story. I enjoyed The Corrections, which also used a multi-narrative style, but I didn't think it quite worked for this novel. Absolutely lovely writing and vivid characters, just a little fuzzy on the focus.

Not sure why I started with this one, exactly, but I love the understated humor and the overstated humor and the repetitive humor and the silly humor. Some of the scenarios were overly absurd, but I smiled at all the unsaid thoughts I imagined I shared with Jeeves as I read. The reading experience is fun. I'll read more when I need something light, which might be now.