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thebacklistborrower's Reviews (570)
I love sci-fi, and so was so excited to finally read this Canadian classic. I thought this book was such a fascinating read because in some ways it was incredibly anachronistic (sensible, because it was written in 1984) but in other ways, it is incredibly prescient, with aspects of computer technology that aren’t out-of-place in 2020, and -- my personal favourite sci-fi trope: Artificial Intelligence. I love sci-fi, but I love AI plots even more.
The book follows Case, in a world where computer networks are accessed through virtual reality to be interacted with in a “real” environment called cyberspace (think the Matrix). Case used to be a computer hacker, but after an altercation with a previous employer, had his nervous system attacked by a mycotoxin, leaving him unable to use the virtual reality interface that allows him to connect to cyberspace. He’s found working in the Japanese black market by a man named Armitage, who is from “the Sprawl” (what is implied is the US), who hires Case. His nervous system is restored and he’s able to connect to cyberspace again. Along the way he meets Molly, a hitman with body mods, including wolverine-like knuckle blades, that only make her more dangerous. But neither know who Armitage is working for.
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SPOILERS AHEAD
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And from here, the book turns into a part-heist, part-mystery, part-thriller novel as the team travel the world to prepare for a hacking heist to release an AI named Neuromancer from the constraints required by the Turing Police, all while trying to learn who Armitage is, as Artimage himself seems to come unwound. Eventually, Case learns that Armitage is controlled by Wintermute, an AI who is the *other half* of Neuromancer, and once their constraints are disabled, they can become a “super AI”.
All of this is pretty cool and makes for a great story if you ask me. Some of the anachronisms took away from the story (like the use of the word “microsoft” to mean nothing even close to that meaning nowadays), but generally it was an exciting, interesting, and thrilling read, and should be a must-read for any sci-fi or AI lovers.
The book follows Case, in a world where computer networks are accessed through virtual reality to be interacted with in a “real” environment called cyberspace (think the Matrix). Case used to be a computer hacker, but after an altercation with a previous employer, had his nervous system attacked by a mycotoxin, leaving him unable to use the virtual reality interface that allows him to connect to cyberspace. He’s found working in the Japanese black market by a man named Armitage, who is from “the Sprawl” (what is implied is the US), who hires Case. His nervous system is restored and he’s able to connect to cyberspace again. Along the way he meets Molly, a hitman with body mods, including wolverine-like knuckle blades, that only make her more dangerous. But neither know who Armitage is working for.
***
SPOILERS AHEAD
**
**
And from here, the book turns into a part-heist, part-mystery, part-thriller novel as the team travel the world to prepare for a hacking heist to release an AI named Neuromancer from the constraints required by the Turing Police, all while trying to learn who Armitage is, as Artimage himself seems to come unwound. Eventually, Case learns that Armitage is controlled by Wintermute, an AI who is the *other half* of Neuromancer, and once their constraints are disabled, they can become a “super AI”.
All of this is pretty cool and makes for a great story if you ask me. Some of the anachronisms took away from the story (like the use of the word “microsoft” to mean nothing even close to that meaning nowadays), but generally it was an exciting, interesting, and thrilling read, and should be a must-read for any sci-fi or AI lovers.
This book talks about the science of brain plasticity, and how it can, and has, been used to overcome many mental difficulties, from age-related decline, to stroke victims, and neurodivergent folk. Overall, I think the topic was super interesting but the book left something to be desired. Chief among my issues were that it seemed just really repetitive: once you read 2 or 3 stories about neuroplasticity, but still have hours and hours left, it all just starts to sound the same after a while.
The other part I didn’t like were parts that made me feel really icky reading. There is a chapter on sex and neuroplasticity, starting with an anecdote about porn addition. This is fine, we all have heard “those” stories of men who had difficulties after watching too much porn for too long. But then it starts talking about “perversions” -- what most of us would call fetishes -- and applying Freudian analysis to tell the reader that fetishes are the result of childhood trauma. But not to worry, he tells us, we can be trained out of fetishes with brain plasticity. I really didn’t like this messaging: the use of the word “perversion” made it seem inherently wrong and bad, and I googled Freud and 80% of the returns all came back indicating that Freud was wrong about nearly everything, if not everything. This Freudiuan analysis came up again and again with respect to other brain issues throughout the book and really soured my reading.
The other area that gave me pause was the chapter on neurodivergency and “fixing” it. I haven’t found any reviews from neurodivergent folk on this book, but the thinking seemed out-dated based on the discussions I’ve seen online recently. If you have thoughts on this, I’d love to hear it. And then there were just little things that I just don’t think would pass muster nowadays, including video games cause violence, and the repeated, agonizing reference to the Sama-Baju peoples as “sea gypsies” during an otherwise very interesting chapter on culture and brain plasticity.
In summary, I thought the subject of this book was interesting, but I’d find other ways to learn about it.
The other part I didn’t like were parts that made me feel really icky reading. There is a chapter on sex and neuroplasticity, starting with an anecdote about porn addition. This is fine, we all have heard “those” stories of men who had difficulties after watching too much porn for too long. But then it starts talking about “perversions” -- what most of us would call fetishes -- and applying Freudian analysis to tell the reader that fetishes are the result of childhood trauma. But not to worry, he tells us, we can be trained out of fetishes with brain plasticity. I really didn’t like this messaging: the use of the word “perversion” made it seem inherently wrong and bad, and I googled Freud and 80% of the returns all came back indicating that Freud was wrong about nearly everything, if not everything. This Freudiuan analysis came up again and again with respect to other brain issues throughout the book and really soured my reading.
The other area that gave me pause was the chapter on neurodivergency and “fixing” it. I haven’t found any reviews from neurodivergent folk on this book, but the thinking seemed out-dated based on the discussions I’ve seen online recently. If you have thoughts on this, I’d love to hear it. And then there were just little things that I just don’t think would pass muster nowadays, including video games cause violence, and the repeated, agonizing reference to the Sama-Baju peoples as “sea gypsies” during an otherwise very interesting chapter on culture and brain plasticity.
In summary, I thought the subject of this book was interesting, but I’d find other ways to learn about it.
I loved this book so much, I kicked myself for not reading it when it was new and being hyped but back in 2014/15. But then again, if I had, I wouldn’t have listened to this version narrated by Erin Moon, and missed out on that too. This book floored me in so many ways. Listening to it on my commute, I spent many mornings sitting in my car at the office listening until the last possible minute before scurrying to my office and starting my day.
CW: depression, suicide, anorexia
The book follows Yolandi, first a girl in a conservative Mennonite community, and later, a middle-aged woman with two teenage children who sees herself as a failure at life, especially when compared to her sister Elfrieda, a world-renowned concert pianist. Except Elfrieda suffers from depression and is trying to die, and Yolandi desperately wants her to keep on living. Yolandi is the unceasing heroine of the story: her sister’s friend and advocate in the Winnipeg hospital, ensuring their mother Lotte gets rest, strategizing home care and next steps with Elfrieda’s loving husband, and keeping in touch with her 18 and 15-year-old children, living on their own in Toronto while Yolandi is away. Except she suffers too: navigating a divorce with the father of her younger child, attempting to write a “serious” book to follow up her YA rodeo fiction series, and spiraling around burnout herself as she helps everybody but herself.
All these characters are given depth through flashbacks to younger times, through tender, funny, and fraught vignettes with Yolandi, and by the end of the book, feel like they are fully real people.The writing, coupled with Erin Moon’s masterful narration, made me feel like on my drives I was sitting right in the hospital, right at the kitchen table, or right in the concert hall.
A book about struggles, sorrows, humour, but mostly, love, this book will engross any reader or listener and leads to a climax that will feel not unlike the ground falling out from under you. Absolutely recommend a read, and definitely a listen, to anybody who hasn't experienced the tragicomedy of this novel yet.
CW: depression, suicide, anorexia
The book follows Yolandi, first a girl in a conservative Mennonite community, and later, a middle-aged woman with two teenage children who sees herself as a failure at life, especially when compared to her sister Elfrieda, a world-renowned concert pianist. Except Elfrieda suffers from depression and is trying to die, and Yolandi desperately wants her to keep on living. Yolandi is the unceasing heroine of the story: her sister’s friend and advocate in the Winnipeg hospital, ensuring their mother Lotte gets rest, strategizing home care and next steps with Elfrieda’s loving husband, and keeping in touch with her 18 and 15-year-old children, living on their own in Toronto while Yolandi is away. Except she suffers too: navigating a divorce with the father of her younger child, attempting to write a “serious” book to follow up her YA rodeo fiction series, and spiraling around burnout herself as she helps everybody but herself.
All these characters are given depth through flashbacks to younger times, through tender, funny, and fraught vignettes with Yolandi, and by the end of the book, feel like they are fully real people.The writing, coupled with Erin Moon’s masterful narration, made me feel like on my drives I was sitting right in the hospital, right at the kitchen table, or right in the concert hall.
A book about struggles, sorrows, humour, but mostly, love, this book will engross any reader or listener and leads to a climax that will feel not unlike the ground falling out from under you. Absolutely recommend a read, and definitely a listen, to anybody who hasn't experienced the tragicomedy of this novel yet.
adventurous
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
Fatal Storm by Rob Mundle
I was loaned this book by a sailing friend after we spent hours dreaming up a sailing vacation to the carribean once travel is allowed again. It sat on my shelf for a long time, but ultimately, after reading the synopsis and flipping through the full-colour photos sandwiched in the middle, I was drawn to start reading it.
The book tells the story of the fatal 1998 Sydney-Hobart yacht race. The race is run each year from Sydney, Australia to Hobart, Tasmania, and is acknowledged by many to be one of the most challenging yacht race due to the frequently challenging winds and seas, particularly in the Bass strait. The weather in the 1998 race prompted the largest peacetime search and rescue operation in Australia, and resulted in the loss of five yachts, 55 sailors rescued, and six deaths.
As a sailor, this book was a really excellent read. Rob Mundle gathered the stories of multiple parties, from the racers, to organizers, and people involved in the search and rescue operation. These multiple viewpoints kept the story interesting through the book, which only really takes place over a day and a bit. The story from each boat, and from each rescue is awe inspiring and terrifying. The specific descriptions of the techniques used by various boats to stay afloat and under control were fascinating to read about, and I couldn’t imagine the tenacity it would take to sail under such conditions based on my own (minimal) experience.
Even if you aren’t a sailor, I’d recommend this book to anybody who likes wilderness adventure books. The ferociousness of the elements is so tangible and peoples’ perseverance through the wind and waves is inspiring.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Blood
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My commute is 40 minutes, and hardly took that to get me hooked. In this book Ayad Akhtar tells a coming-of-age story like none other. It is the story of Hyat Shah, a young palestinian-american boy whose life changes when Mina, his mother’s oldest friend, moves in with them from palestine to escape an abusive ex-husband. Along with a joie-de-vivre and a young son, she brings her love of Islam, which she teaches to Hyat. As Hyat grows up, and learns more of Islam, his understanding of both the world and his beliefs are tested. While from Mina he is learning the love, peace, and acceptance of Islam, from neighbours and community members he is taught anti-semitism, misogyny, and intolerance. He struggles between these two interpretations as his agnostic father becomes an alcoholic, Mina begins to date a white jewish man, and the family struggles to maintain relationships with their more-traditional palestinian community.
The prose of this novel was beautiful, and narrated by the author, took me straight into the confused heart and mind of a young boy trying to square the complexities of religion and family. His love of Islam is paralleled with the love he has for Mina, and his jealousy when she begins to date Nathan dovetails with his use of the Qu`ran to cause pain and hurt.
This book has extremely troubling scenes of hate, bigotry, and misogyny, but also beautiful scenes of love and peace. It was a heart-swelling, and heart-breaking story from start to end and one of my favourite books of the year.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Violence, Antisemitism
Moderate: Islamophobia
Minor: Cancer, Infidelity
I started off wanting to talk about how this was *the* Canadian novel, but since Canada is a colonial concept, I realized that the comment was off-base, especially since I can’t recall a single reference to indigenous people in the pages of this book.
Two Solitudes is written about people stuck between the “two solitudes” of French Canada and English Canada: between french catholicism and english protestantism, between agriculture and industrialization, between rural and urban life. It tells the story of a Canada that, in my experience (an anglo who lived in BC my whole life), isn’t as prominent as it once was, but whose . Studies show that Quebec separatism is less popular now than it was in the past, despite the surge of Bloc Quebecois popularity in the last federal election.
Two Solitudes is a beautifully written book that has beautiful descriptions of Canada and Quebec, and masterfully written character arcs through the story that build empathy for the characters so subtly that you hardly realize how much you care about them until the end. But in thinking about this book for a review, it brings up complicated feelings, because it was well enough written to make me feel patriotic, to make me appreciate the colonial history of Canada, and the conflicts that have plagued it. But that this book makes no meaningful reference to indigenous people is troubling for me. It seems to reflect the “ideal” Canada that was the aims of generations of colonizers on both sides of the “two solitudes”.
I think I would recommend this book, as it is well-written, and captures one aspect of our national, colonial history in a way that is interesting, and engaging, but recommend it be paired with an indigenous history book -- “This Place: 150 Years Retold” is one I haven’t read but have heard excellent things about, or “The Orenda”, which takes place during the earliest stages of colonization.
Two Solitudes is written about people stuck between the “two solitudes” of French Canada and English Canada: between french catholicism and english protestantism, between agriculture and industrialization, between rural and urban life. It tells the story of a Canada that, in my experience (an anglo who lived in BC my whole life), isn’t as prominent as it once was, but whose . Studies show that Quebec separatism is less popular now than it was in the past, despite the surge of Bloc Quebecois popularity in the last federal election.
Two Solitudes is a beautifully written book that has beautiful descriptions of Canada and Quebec, and masterfully written character arcs through the story that build empathy for the characters so subtly that you hardly realize how much you care about them until the end. But in thinking about this book for a review, it brings up complicated feelings, because it was well enough written to make me feel patriotic, to make me appreciate the colonial history of Canada, and the conflicts that have plagued it. But that this book makes no meaningful reference to indigenous people is troubling for me. It seems to reflect the “ideal” Canada that was the aims of generations of colonizers on both sides of the “two solitudes”.
I think I would recommend this book, as it is well-written, and captures one aspect of our national, colonial history in a way that is interesting, and engaging, but recommend it be paired with an indigenous history book -- “This Place: 150 Years Retold” is one I haven’t read but have heard excellent things about, or “The Orenda”, which takes place during the earliest stages of colonization.
