this was my first han kang and i definitely enjoyed the dreamlike quality of this one that somehow reminded me of banana yoshimoto. perhaps it was itsthis was my first han kang and i definitely enjoyed the dreamlike quality of this one that somehow reminded me of banana yoshimoto. perhaps it was its proximity to grief, perhaps the surrealness. i often struggle with unreliable narrators and dreamlike books because i end up flipping back pages or rewinding bc im confused with what's going on and the need to understand what's real and what isn't. that would be my only complaint, but it's a me thing, not a book thing. in the end, this book opened my eyes to the atrocities pre-korean war, and reminded me once again of what humans are capable of. ...more
this seems to be a divisive book, which i fall firmly on the side of loving. beautiful turns of phrase, complex thoughts and emotions, enough semblancthis seems to be a divisive book, which i fall firmly on the side of loving. beautiful turns of phrase, complex thoughts and emotions, enough semblance of plot to keep it interesting - this is a romance story that you dont realize is a romance until partway in. were there issues? sure - there were some similies that fell hilariously flat and felt jarring, and there are plotholes and moments that feel rushed, but im still left with the feelings this one leant to me, those moments of setting the book down and just living in the line you just read....more
Decent lit fic that tells a story spanning time with characters you're not sure you ever necessarily root for, but they feel real enough. Something abDecent lit fic that tells a story spanning time with characters you're not sure you ever necessarily root for, but they feel real enough. Something about them kept me from connecting fully, i'm not sure if it was the characterization itself - they all felt fully developed but somehow i just didn't seem to care about any of them except for Cory. Perhaps it was intended, their standoffishness exhibiting their internal growth, but it just left me kinda meh. A decent book with clunky AF similies that took me out of the story....more
3 is probably too low but 4 is too high. This book is about atmosphere and the lulling comfort of watching a family through the ages with sharp contra3 is probably too low but 4 is too high. This book is about atmosphere and the lulling comfort of watching a family through the ages with sharp contrasts as moments of horror descend. Like think of any historical family saga you've ever read and then add malicious ghosts and terrifying sea creatures and you've got Blackwater. It follows the family saga template well, and you do grow attached to some of the characters, but always a bit on the periphery (which is much how i feel about most family sagas in all honesty, aside from East of Eden) It was good, and it was compelling and kept me reading, and i recommend it, but there are definitely flaws and moments where things felt forced (particularly the end)...more
I really enjoyed this - it has an engaging plot about characters that aren't always necessarily likeable, and as i grow older i appreciate the nuance I really enjoyed this - it has an engaging plot about characters that aren't always necessarily likeable, and as i grow older i appreciate the nuance of character more and more. What's funny is that reading this made me feel like...it's hard to explain but it reminded me of Douglas Coupland, particularly microserfs, but it was missing the little indelible things that have made that book an all time favorite. I think, perhaps, it was just missing the thoughts and feelings that hit me the hardest. still, a great read with a plot twist that might make some folks throw the book into the wall, but somehow lost impact for me....more
why are people fighting over ships when this has the best yearning-filled ot3 i've seen in forever? aside from shipping (my heart!) this was a pickup fwhy are people fighting over ships when this has the best yearning-filled ot3 i've seen in forever? aside from shipping (my heart!) this was a pickup from bloodbourne's sometimes off pacing, and after the initial setup i FLEW through the pages and now a month later im still bereft that it will be a year or two before the next book. why does no one talk about this series? it's so fucking good?...more
This was my first Atwood and while I found the writing immensely clever, it didn't do much for me emotionally. I can see the general themes, and I'm sThis was my first Atwood and while I found the writing immensely clever, it didn't do much for me emotionally. I can see the general themes, and I'm sure I'd get more out of it if I was up on my Homer, but I am a character person first and foremost and this felt written at a distance....more
As you read/listen to this, if you've read The Stand, this feels almost like McCammon's attempt at The Stand but with nuclear war, but in the end you As you read/listen to this, if you've read The Stand, this feels almost like McCammon's attempt at The Stand but with nuclear war, but in the end you don't care that there's this sense of Good and Evil, that the character arcs feel similar, that there's this sense of magic that pervades. It's still a great book, about post-apocalyptic America, written as the apocalypse occurs. As a child of the 80s, the early chapters describing nuclear war were so terrifying and brought back some childhood fears for sure. Reading this also made me understand the concept of nuclear winter, and the long-term effects of what nuclear blasts would bring. This is a story about characters and their hearts and their struggles, but I cannot not call out that this is simply an immensely readable fanfiction AU of The Stand. ...more
3 star may seem low but this is simply a really long, fun adventure story. There are no realizations that hit you like a load of bricks, there are no 3 star may seem low but this is simply a really long, fun adventure story. There are no realizations that hit you like a load of bricks, there are no beautiful descriptions of the countryside, there is just a really fun to read plot. Worth it, as fast a read as classics get....more
this felt like a deeply personal book to the author, and i appreciated how different it was from the usual contemporary romance. it's more on the linethis felt like a deeply personal book to the author, and i appreciated how different it was from the usual contemporary romance. it's more on the lines of normal people, i say, without having read normal people lol. I think the characterization is intense and deep, and this portrays the love of two very very different people coming together in a way that I found mostly compelling, though it dragged in some parts. I think that people probably can see themselves in these characters because of how intricately they're constructed, and I can appreciate it, even if i cannot directly relate and the feelings are foreign. I can see this character-driven, plotless book driving many mad, but I mostly enjoyed it and think it is worth a read....more
This was a pleasant surprise- very well written and hard not to find the characters endearing. I was a bit afraid of the tone of it, as it veered almoThis was a pleasant surprise- very well written and hard not to find the characters endearing. I was a bit afraid of the tone of it, as it veered almost into historical fiction style writing, if that makes sense, but it just meant i needed to put it down here and there. Great for people who are terrified of reading fae books because of YA kinda mangling the genre. ...more
3.5 for sure. I really enjoyed this, and the audiobook was worth a listen for the cadence of speech that helped add color and authenticity to the Nati3.5 for sure. I really enjoyed this, and the audiobook was worth a listen for the cadence of speech that helped add color and authenticity to the Native American characters. I normally get bored with mysteries, but this one has me in it's grips despite being somewhat obvious as the plot continues. I think some combination of mystery with romance and a culture I'm not familiar with made this a success for me....more
Towards the 3/4 mark of this book, I screamed out loud. And then I cried. I had to set aside the book for a couple of days, I was just so w r e c k e Towards the 3/4 mark of this book, I screamed out loud. And then I cried. I had to set aside the book for a couple of days, I was just so w r e c k e d, but I also had to know how it finished, so I picked it back up and finished, and I'm glad i did.
This book gets five stars for making me lose it on the highway because i cared so much about the characters. It gets five stars because, as someone who enjoys writing, I would often pause the audiobook, inspired by the absolute mastery of plot, of pacing, of character that I was reading at the moment. It gave me so many ideas of how to raise the stakes.
I will be taking a break from this world, because I need one, but I'll be back....more
Meh but also good to learn (through later searches when i was like wow is this true?) that einstein was a selfish dickhead. The prose was dull but verMeh but also good to learn (through later searches when i was like wow is this true?) that einstein was a selfish dickhead. The prose was dull but very quick to read, and that's why i finished it. I havent yet learned the art of DNF....more