Einigermaßen kompetent geschrieben, aber ich konnte trotzdem wenig mit dieser Stan Laurel und Thomas von Aquin Crossover-Fan Fiction anfangen. Die beiEinigermaßen kompetent geschrieben, aber ich konnte trotzdem wenig mit dieser Stan Laurel und Thomas von Aquin Crossover-Fan Fiction anfangen. Die beiden treffen sich im Jenseits, im Dunkeln, und reden. Das wirkt oft sehr forciert, wie sie sich über Philisophie und das Leben und den Tod unterhalten. Die jeweiligen Erinnerungen ans eigene Leben fand ich interessanter, aber für biographische Bruchstücke bekannter Persönlichkeiten muss ich ja keinen Roman lesen....more
Generally I'm not a fan of semi-autobiographical novels, so maybe it's a good thing I only realized this is what it is after I finished it. I read it Generally I'm not a fan of semi-autobiographical novels, so maybe it's a good thing I only realized this is what it is after I finished it. I read it plainly as fiction and wondered why Schulman chose the weird framing of an author discovering the truth about his grandparents and his grandmother's love affair with another author in the 30s. I didn't know that Sven Stolpe was an actual Swedish author and the actual author's grandfather. Knowing that the book mixes fact and fiction after the fact doesn't diminish the impact the book had on me. But of course, you do end up wondering how much of it was true and how much he imagined.
I felt very much for Karin and Olof and you wish, despite knowing everything, that they could end up together and find happiness. I found the book quite touching and harrowing. Only at times the writing style from the author's perspective was a little too sloppy for me, it took me a little out of the story. ...more
I don't think I read this as a high-minded as I probably "should have". I did not think about this novel in any meta way at all - except when reading I don't think I read this as a high-minded as I probably "should have". I did not think about this novel in any meta way at all - except when reading other people's thoughts on and it and going "huh, really?". Which is to say: for me this novel worked plainly as a literary entertainment novel. I didn't find the style grating, in fact I didn't even notice the repetitions until someone pointed them out to me, and I found the interior monologue with no pauses surprisingly easy to read.
I mostly found Wertheimer quite baffling as a person. I kept thinking "but being the second best player sounds sweet!" I understand being frustrated by not being able to reach your artistic ideal, but it seemed he/they were mainly unable to deal with the fact that they weren't the best player in existence, not some abstract notion of perfection. Well, huh, maybe I did think about some of the themes a little after all. ...more
A much stranger book than I anticipated, "Mr. Pink Floyd" is a novel about Pink Floyd, and Syd Barrett in particular. However, saying it like this, maA much stranger book than I anticipated, "Mr. Pink Floyd" is a novel about Pink Floyd, and Syd Barrett in particular. However, saying it like this, makes it sound much too straight-forward. It's written in short segments from many POVs - the band's (although never Syd's), people the band worked with, people I don't know why they're in there (Julian Lennon's segment says literally nothing relating to Pink Floyd), people from the afterlife, family and even the gnome from Piper at the Gates of Dawn.
I picked up this book because I'm a fan of the band and my main fear was that his was going to horribly written and boring. It was not boring at all, in fact I breezed through it in a day and couldn't put it down. But for most of my reading I didn't know if I liked it or not. I found the reading experience very bizarre. Every character has the same narrating voice, which I found confusing, but the mixture of fact and fiction was even more disorientating. As this is fiction, of course the author is free to write the band as he wants, but I found his choices baffling at times. Why make Nick Mason and Rick Wright out to be the villans and have Roger Waters be Syd's hero who "loves him like no other person has ever love another before"? There's also stuff like giving one member of the band a different date of birth and changing other facts around where I didn't see what it brought to the book?
Narrative-wise, I found the conclusion a little disappointing. Because there is none, there are only "might this have happened...?" bits, some of which are hinted at being supernatural. I don't find the idea of Roger Waters channeling Syd and/or literally being/becoming him very appealing. Also, was the author trying to say David Bowie slept with David Gilmour in his version of events?
I have no idea if this book is readable for non-fans, but I thought it was baffling and fun in equal measure. Is this trash or literary? I can't quite decide. And can someone explain what's up with the bleeding? I felt I was definitely missing something there. ...more
I had two reasons for reading this: being curious about what kind of writer David Gilmour's wife is when she's not penning lyrics for horrible songs -I had two reasons for reading this: being curious about what kind of writer David Gilmour's wife is when she's not penning lyrics for horrible songs - and wanting to read fan fiction about Leonard Cohen and some young authors in the 60s on a Greek island. The writing is fine, but I found it rather detached and could not connect to the main characer - or the side characters floating by. Seminal plot points were done away with really quickly while unimportant things went on for pages. What I did like were the descriptions of the island. I've never really been interested in travelling to Greek islands, but now I suddenly am. But definitely not in the summer!...more
I picked this up at an Oxfam shop because it looked like Rolling Stones meets Charles Manson fanfiction. It turned out to be just that. It also featurI picked this up at an Oxfam shop because it looked like Rolling Stones meets Charles Manson fanfiction. It turned out to be just that. It also features a lot of underground filmmaker Kenneth Anger and other figures from the 60s. I was fascinated just how fanfiction-y it got, including more than just a little homoeroticism.
I liked the writing style, although I found it a little overwritten at times (metaphors that, when you think about them for one moment, don't actually make any sense at all). I'm also not a big fan of novels that are so fragmented, with so many characters that never fully come together. I enjoyed the Rolling Stones parts the most. Although they were bizarre at points, they were very atmospheric and will stay with me. They also made me want to read more non-fiction about the band. I'm a big fan of 60s and 70s rock but I never really got into the Rolling Stones apart from a few songs, so there were times where I wondered how much was fact and what was fiction.
Overall, an uneven novel that could have done with more story, less fragmentation and few less 5 Dollar words. But I'd be interested in reading more by the author. ...more
It started out well - a book about a rock band from the 60s in London sounded really like my kind of thing. And seeing that it was written by David MiIt started out well - a book about a rock band from the 60s in London sounded really like my kind of thing. And seeing that it was written by David Mitchell, I was expecting a twist. After half the novel, I realized there is none. This book is extremely conventional, paint-by-numbers and, frankly, quite boring for the most part. The characters are flat, the story lines unconvincing, the drama unnatural. And don't get me started on the weird cameos of rock stars that felt stilted and just plain off.
I did enjoy the part few hundred pages, but this is overly long and overindulgent, and never manages to emotionally grab you. It's like reading a shallow soap opera. I'm surprised, but: "Daisy Jones and The Six" is more literary and better-written than this....more
I was really looking forward to this novella because I like the author and the topic sounded fascinating - Jesus' crucifixion seen through his mother'I was really looking forward to this novella because I like the author and the topic sounded fascinating - Jesus' crucifixion seen through his mother's eyes. While it was an interesting read, I thought it's literary prose was a little bit its downfall too. I never really felt close to Mary (or Jesus or anyone else) and her plight as the writing was quite detached despite the direct point of view. I understand being subtle, but I honestly wish there'd been more emotion and more drama. Maybe I was also missing a little bit of the context a few times too, because while I'm fascinated by christianity, I haven't read the bible in a good while.
This is a fascinating and poetically told novella - it just wasn't completely what I wanted it to be. But it's definitely fine writing....more
I chose to read this for my "book club" (aka me and two friends) because I really enjoyed Mary Beth Keane's second novel "Ask Again, Yes" but didn't tI chose to read this for my "book club" (aka me and two friends) because I really enjoyed Mary Beth Keane's second novel "Ask Again, Yes" but didn't think I would pick her earlier novel on my own; I just didn't think a story told from Typhoid Mary's perspective sounded very interesting. So it was a "I oughta read this but I dont want to" pick.
The writing is once again pretty good and easy to read, but not as strong or interesting. I also thought there were parts that were written too simplistic and at least quite cheesy too. But overall the novel easily held my attention and entertained me. Keane tries to make the reader sympathize with Mary, but it never really worked for me. It was strange coming to this book in the middle of a pandemic because Mary's - and some other characters' - reasoning for why she couldn't have been the cause of death for so many people and why it was really unfair for her to have to stop cooking reminded me of so many "why should I have to change my life in any way when I'm not worried about being sick" types of people. In Mary's defense, germ theory of disease was not as well-established back in 1907 and asymptomatic carriers were something newly discovered. Still, Mary's stance was irritating, even though I felt for her when she was quarantined for the first time, and then later a second time when she broke the agreement not to cook. Although the novel is centered around Mary's struggle with accepting her disease and the damage she's caused, a large part of the book is about her and her partner. Their love story or rather the tragedy of it was, although entertaining, a little obvious.
I think the novel was hindered by it being about a real historic person and trying to include all the real parameters and names, but trying to turn around the perception a reader would have of the events and characters. It's a very obvious "You thought Typhoid Mary was bad? But have you ever looked at it from her POV?!" both-siding attempt, which I found a little irritating. As a stand alone story it was an entertaining and easy read, but not definitely not as good as "Ask Again, Yes". I haven't read her debut yet but I'm still curious. ...more
Quite a good way to end the reading year. I loved John Williams' "Stoner" and I really liked his coming of age western "Butcher's Crossing", but it toQuite a good way to end the reading year. I loved John Williams' "Stoner" and I really liked his coming of age western "Butcher's Crossing", but it took me a long time to finally read and finish his novel about the roman emporer Augustus. It's solely written in the form of letters and throws you into the world of Ancient Rome. For me, someone who hardly knows anything about the topic, it was really quite difficult to get into. But this 1972 novel is so well-written and intelligently structured, that once I was really in it, I didn't want to let go. I'm now so hyped about learning more about Ancient Rome. People like John Williams and Mary Renault really showed what historical novels can be like, far away from the cliché: intelligent, engaging and making the reader want to learn more about the topics and time frame. ...more
I'd never heard of Eduard von Keyserling before reading this, and I still don't know much about him after. He was a Baltic German fiction writer and dI'd never heard of Eduard von Keyserling before reading this, and I still don't know much about him after. He was a Baltic German fiction writer and dramatist and an exponent of literary Impressionism. He also had a SDT he picked up from sleeping with a prostitute. He was rich. That's... pretty much all I got? This novel just seemed a little.... unnecessary to me. It wasn't super engaging, it wasn't emotional, it was rather bland. The last 50 pages or so were the most interesting because there was some sort of narrative and some drama. The writing was fine but not great. It was, thankfully, rather short. I didn't really mind reading it, but I wouldn't recommend it either. ...more
Both the best and the worst Hillary Clinton fan fiction I've ever read. I am baffled that major newsouts and literary critics took this seriously, becBoth the best and the worst Hillary Clinton fan fiction I've ever read. I am baffled that major newsouts and literary critics took this seriously, because it's a fluffy wish-fulfilling piece, clumsily written and totally bonkers. It was entertaining which is why I gave it a second star, but I'm not sure the entertainment was worth the weird sex scenes and the saccharine first part of the book, the Hillary & Bill love story: At one point Hillary describes having sex with Bill as "he plunged into me". The first person narrative gave this an especially absurd feeling, she sounds like a high schooler even when she's supposed to be in her 60s. I was also baffled how often she mused on her own unattractiveness. Is this from her autobiographies? Because otherwise it's pretty insulting. I kept looking up old pictures of her, and to me this is just an attractive couple on both ends, so the whole "how could Bill find me attractive when I'm soooo not" was really strange. As someone who has read real person fan fiction before and who doesn't think there is something morally wrong about in principle, this book did seem distasteful at times and like it was trying to go for shock value, especially with the sex scenes and other TMI scenes which were not necessary for the plot. Let's say, if this was about someone else I would not have been surprised if they sued. If I were Hillary or Bill, I would not be a fan of this book.
Everything is tell don't show and the dialogue is mostly absurd. No one talks like this. With fan fiction you have the help of not having to create the main characters, but Sittenfeld manages to make the people we already know seem less real through the weird POV and dialogue. I have never before wondered what Clinton's thoughts look like, but I would bet a lot they are nothing like in his book.
I also thought the ending in regards to Trump was so weird. I understand the author loves Hillary and dislikes Bill Clinton, but he's clearly not as bad as Trump... At least if you think of their presidencies.
I dislike the term 'white feminism' because it's often used wrongly and it's a stupid catchall etc etc... but man, if this book didn't reek of that.
Everyone who loved this, can I interest you in a membership of Archive Of Our Own, where you can read all the fan fiction you want for free? I've not read any other Clinton fan fiction, but I had a friend who wrote about Trudeau and Macron, so I'm sure there's gotta be something better written out there about Hillary Clinton too. Maybe with some more realistic characterization and proper dialogue.
[image] (How does one look at this and think "What's he doing with the fuggo?")...more
In all fairness, I did not read the first part of this trilogy, so the moments when I felt lost during the novel, might be due to that. However, thereIn all fairness, I did not read the first part of this trilogy, so the moments when I felt lost during the novel, might be due to that. However, there was little to hold my interest in general. I thought the story was meandering, the characters thin, the women written horribly. I just did not care about Henry Smart one bit. It's full of action, and cinematic-driven, but since you're not engaged in the story, it all feels so pointless.
Several times reading this I had to ask myself "Roddy Doyle is generally a better writer than this, right? I know I loved some of his books so... what IS this?!" ...more
Shortlisted for Women's Prize for Fiction, this novel tells the, very much fictional, story of Shakespeare and his wife and the death of their son HamShortlisted for Women's Prize for Fiction, this novel tells the, very much fictional, story of Shakespeare and his wife and the death of their son Hamnet.
What most people will love about this is probably what I disliked: the style. It is heavily convoluted, highly lyrical and in the first half of the book the perspectives and times change quite rapidly. At times the style worked for me, most notably whenever Shakespeare (who's never mentioned by name) and his wife interact directly. There the over-the-top word choices managed to suck me in. In other sections, I found it difficult not to start skimming. I wanted content not just empty prose.
There is one part that tells the journey of flea that infects Hamnet. This is at best a nice gimmick, since it tells us nothing about the characters we actually care about. At worst it's a little pretentious, an adjective I thought about a lot as I was reading the whole novel.
Don't get me wrong, it's an alright novel. Despite the stylistics choices it's quite easy to read and it did make me wonder about the real fate of Shakepeare's wife. I do not necessarily regret reading this, but I wouldn't recommend it, unless you really like lyrical prose and don't mind a little pretentiousness....more
I just re-read this (original review below), but this time I listened to the audio book. Sometimes I found the the voice acting a little much - all thI just re-read this (original review below), but this time I listened to the audio book. Sometimes I found the the voice acting a little much - all that sighing! - but overall it was pretty atmospheric. Still an entertaining Fleetwood Mac AU fanfiction. With an annoying ending.
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I'd heard near-universal praise about "Daisy Jones & The Six", so my interest was peaked. But the topic of the book alone is very much my thing, anyway. As a 11 year old I knew my battered screenplay for Cameron Crowe's "Almost Famous" almost by heart. I've been a big fan of 70s rock music since I was a young teenager and I've always loved it in fiction, too. (Anyone remember Todd Strasser's/Morton Rhue's cheesy book about that rock band? Loved that one too)
I'm very glad I believed the hype, because I haven't read such a page turner in a very long time. The story about the Fleetwood Mac-esque rock is told only through interview snippets. At first, I found it a bit distracting, but it creates a really great atmosphere. It really worked. The main characters Daisy and Billy felt so real and totally came alive to me (and I was, of course, rooting for them...). The characterisation of some of the other characters fell a bit flat to me, at times, but ultimatively it mostly makes sense because of the choice of narrator.
However, my first gripe is also to the with the style: at times I felt there was something off about the way the members talked. Almost like English wasn't their first language. It was just awkwardly phrased at times and I'd find myself thinking "No one would say it like that, especially not in a casual conversation."
Despite this, the story about the band and the main love story really gripped me. I read the book all in one go last night, because I couldn't stop. The main reason this isn't a 5 star book to me, besides the weird phrasing sometimes, is the ending. I didn't like it. I felt it was very cheesy, forced and constructed. Way too neatly wrapped up for my taste.
That said: great book! I'm really looking forward to the 6 part mini-series of this....more
This is a Supernatural fanfiction but it's so AU that nothing but the name remain, so in my eyes as a fanfiction it already doesn't deliver what I wasThis is a Supernatural fanfiction but it's so AU that nothing but the name remain, so in my eyes as a fanfiction it already doesn't deliver what I was looking out for.
But alright, I read a lot of novels, I can give any characters a try, and let's just say this a novel about two random characters named Dean and Castiel (cause that's such a normal name for a guy in the 60s with no further explanation, especially when there's also Balthazar). They fall in love at first sight at a party, Dean the bad boy and Cas the medical student and everything is rosy and grand and amazing - except maybe for the landlord throwing Cas out for his unnatural sexuality.
But yes, for a few chapters it's all just a big fluff love fest and let me tell you this stuff bores me to death. These characters just don't exist, ever, anywhere. These dialogues are not real and a love like this doesn't make me feel fuzzy inside, it makes me think they're hormonal idiots who jump into things way to fast. I had literally zero idea what the liked about each other. "You're beautiful, you're the love of my life, you're special", etc etc, that's just general stuff you can say about anyone.
And then comes the war and Dean has to enlist and after a year he comes back with PTSD, which - as I can say with some authority as someone with PTSD - was described in a very superficial way that was hardly convincing. He becomes an alcoholic and suffers so badly that he leaves Cas, which I did find believable. Then there's a jump in the story forward to a few years and Cas is dying of Aids in San Francisco and Dean returns to him. And then pretty much nothing happens, except for some badly written sap fest until death. Oh, and somewhere there is Sam and Jess and they have a baby and they and all the other minor characters are SO not real people and clearly just props.
This story is about 300 pages long, so I could have read a really good novel with nuanced characters instead of wasting my time on this pile of dreck. I love Castiel and Dean, but no matter, because they weren't anywhere to be found in this story anyway. It just baffles me how many people adore this cheesy, boring and unbelievable story. There is no proper arch, no good characterisations, a lot of good ideas that go nowhere - I mean: vietnam war, homophobia in the 60s/70s, the Aids crisis, drug abuse, PTSD, alcohol abuse, love, poverty, love sickness. It's kind of amazing just how boring and cheesy you can make a story despite ticking all these boxes. This shit made people cry? Really?
Writing this review, I realize how angry this made me. I'm going to watch some bloopers now or, I don't know, read a god damn book by an author who knows what they're doing. ...more
I was not prepared for: a) how weird this book was going to be and b) how incredibly tedious.
I'd read Joyce Carol Oates before as a teenager and had I was not prepared for: a) how weird this book was going to be and b) how incredibly tedious.
I'd read Joyce Carol Oates before as a teenager and had liked the books alright, but I couldn't for the life of me tell you which two out of her 50 novels it was. What I do know is that they had a normal amount of pages. Between 200 and 400 or so. "Blonde" is a 1k whopper of a novel and it does not deserve to be so long.
It's kind of written competetently but after the first 100 pages or so I already found myself not wanting to continue. Still, the reimigining of Marylin Monroe's childhood was the best part. Maybe because I think complicated family structures (her and mother's) are more interesting than the repetition of failed romantic relationships ad nauseum. And they are so weird and brutal and loveless. You never get to feel for any of the characters.
Presumably, writing this fan fiction meant that the author wanted to explore the character of Monroe? But no, she only describes her as a phenomena - which is so boring! She's seen as a dumb sex symbol and nothing else by men, when all she craves is real love. Get it? Do you get it yet? But Oates herself describes her as dumb blonde, so that often it feels more like cruel judgement than social commentary.
I could excuse all the wobbly morality of this if the novel wasn't so god damn boring. ...more
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