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toreadistovoyage's Reviews (1.58k)
This was a wild memoir. I forgot, several times, that this was not a fictional story. It dragged a bit at a few points, but overall it was solidly written.
Very solid story about a sheriff solving a serial killer case. A bit more graphic than Cosby's other books, but just as hard hitting.
adventurous
So, I am not going to pretend that this didn't have issues - it did - but I loved it. Super engaging story, interesting characters, solid-ish world building, a bit of spice, dragons.. A MASSIVE CLIFFHANGER. What's not to love?
And, for those of you wondering, my issues with this book were:
1) The writing is just okay....it's not bad, but it isn't stellar.
and
2) There was a weird anachronistic vibe the entire book - the characters lived in a different time/world, one without technology, but they spoke very modern. There were a few times that the diction pulled me out of the story.
Despite those two issues, I immediately passed my copy to a friend (need to talk to someone about it) and now have a massive book hangover. I am so excited that the second book comes out later this year.
And, for those of you wondering, my issues with this book were:
1) The writing is just okay....it's not bad, but it isn't stellar.
and
2) There was a weird anachronistic vibe the entire book - the characters lived in a different time/world, one without technology, but they spoke very modern. There were a few times that the diction pulled me out of the story.
Despite those two issues, I immediately passed my copy to a friend (need to talk to someone about it) and now have a massive book hangover. I am so excited that the second book comes out later this year.
This is the first biography I have read about Poe (of which there are plenty). I learned quite a few things about both his life and his writing/career.
The biggest issue I had with this book is the structure. The chapters alternate between examining the last few days of Poe's life/his death and an overall biography of his life. Initially this worked. However, as the book progressed, it was difficult to keep track of certain things and, in a lot of ways, it felt repetitive. I think I would have preferred two parts - his biography and then an exploration of his death.
The biggest issue I had with this book is the structure. The chapters alternate between examining the last few days of Poe's life/his death and an overall biography of his life. Initially this worked. However, as the book progressed, it was difficult to keep track of certain things and, in a lot of ways, it felt repetitive. I think I would have preferred two parts - his biography and then an exploration of his death.
This is a great look at the women of Greek mythology through a feminist lens. Haynes discusses the myths themselves, analyzes the role the women play, and makes connections to modern stories to demonstrate their lasting influence. Very well researched, very incisively written.
Haynes, in the chapter on Phaedra, stated, "Just to be clear, I am not suggesting for a moment that the ancient world isn't packed with its own misogyny: it is. The literature and art which survive today were created in highly patriarchal societies which gave enormous power to a small group of wealthy men. But all too often it is the misogyny of more recent times that we are reading." She goes on to give several examples of how the ancient texts differ from the modern ones - and how the changes (often done to make the heroes look more heroic) reflect modern views of women.
This quote, more than anything, stuck with me as I read this book. It is easy to read modern translations and think we are just reading the ancient text in its original form. And, honestly, I never would have thought much about this (not being a classics expert) - but it is something to think about.
Haynes, in the chapter on Phaedra, stated, "Just to be clear, I am not suggesting for a moment that the ancient world isn't packed with its own misogyny: it is. The literature and art which survive today were created in highly patriarchal societies which gave enormous power to a small group of wealthy men. But all too often it is the misogyny of more recent times that we are reading." She goes on to give several examples of how the ancient texts differ from the modern ones - and how the changes (often done to make the heroes look more heroic) reflect modern views of women.
This quote, more than anything, stuck with me as I read this book. It is easy to read modern translations and think we are just reading the ancient text in its original form. And, honestly, I never would have thought much about this (not being a classics expert) - but it is something to think about.
I listened to this last year, and when I started to read it again (for book club), it was like I had no memory of this book. I think reading it physically was the move. I really enjoyed this. Time travel books are sometimes super hard to follow, but this wasn't. The ending was satisfying.
This was so well done. Satire that reads almost as a memoir, an unlikeable main character, a plagiarism scandal, and lots of tension.
While I ultimately ended up enjoying this a lot, it took about a third of the book to truly grab my interest. I can’t wait for the next book (there better be one with that ending).
A reread that never fails to delight. Great writing, great pacing, great twists. Do I understand the choices of any of these characters? Not really. Do I think some of these characters are awful? Absolutely. Does the main character desperation, especially after learning certain things about her husband annoy me? Yep. Will I reread this again? Sure will.