While I was quickly swept away in the story, my involvement and engrossment quickly dissolved into me simply reading to finish the story. The book was quick to engage and quick to disengage.
My first issue was with the character Hedy. She had no depth, no development, no engaging characteristics. She was a one-dimensional, uninspiring character, which was incredibly disappointing considering Hedy Lamarr's life. Even when Hedy begins developing the plans for the torpedoes, she remains seemingly impassive and unattached to her story. I believe this was due to some weak character sketching of the author. The character didn't seem to care about what was happening in her life, so I didn't either.
While the events in the book were wrought with suspense, the book was not. Marrying a powerful political man at the start of WWII, and then planning an escape after discovering his true character should be thrilling, and that's not including all of the politics involved in Hedy's life. However, I was left disappointed after a quick page summarized the escape attempts. When the escape was successful, there were no details as to how Hedy got to where she was. Readers are expected to guess? Or to not want to understand how Hedy succeeded. It makes a very real story sound very unreal, which leads to a very boring story.
The book feels to be in chunks: before marriage, marriage, crumbling of marriage, success in Hollywood, torpedoes. Each chunk seems like a separate book, and the only thing connecting each one is a page or two, which isn't enough to carry readers through the story of Hedy's life.
I'm sure trying to write a book about a real person who had real-world impact while keeping the book under the "Fiction" category is incredibly hard and time-consuming. An author can't make too much up about the character because she existed in the real-world. This is where artistic license comes in. I think much more could have been done to make Hedy's story more enjoyable, educational, and exciting had the author attemped to delve more into the person of Hedy.
As I read, I was keeping in mind this challenge, trying to figure out what prompt I could put it under. When I finished, I read through the acknowledgements where the first sentence is "The opportunity to share the incredible legacy of Hedy Lamarr, both historic and modern..." This led to me Googling Hedy Lamarr and discovering that she was indeed a real person! Color me surprised! I had never heard of her before. The most disappointing part of this book was that I learned more about Hedy through her Wikipedia page than I did in the book. However, I was glad to learn that this book was based on a true story, so that I could count it towards my reading resolution!
Saturday, June 8, 2019
An Anonymous Girl: Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen (A book by two female authors)
This was a page-turning thriller, and I was kept enthralled throughout the whole story. I was very happy with the pace of the novel because it never really slowed down enough for me to be bored. I was appreciative of how quickly the story picked up; the start-up wasn't long or drawn out, and it was very easy to get swept away quickly.
The writing was very engaging, especially the change in perspectives of alternative chapters. I appreciated the perspective of Dr. Shields that was so removed, as a psychologist's notes would be. It was distant and removed from the plot, and that distance somehow added suspense, thrill, and drama to the story.
The biggest set back I had of the book was the characters. While Dr. Shields was not necessarily well-developed, she was a very intriguing character, and her lack of development didn't take away from my appreciation of her character. Jessica's character was well-developed, but she wasn't as exciting of a character as she could have been. I was especially not thrilled with how she ended the story, as what she did just seemed way out of character, or way out of the character that I was led to believe she was. After the end, I found it very difficult to sympathize with her on any level. Thomas was a character who I wanted more development on. His story was not intriguing enough to warrant the lack of development he received. He was just like a soggy old wet blanket on the story. At certain points, I thought, "This is Thomas' moment! He's going to shine and step out of the shadows," but he never does, which is disappointing for me. I think his character had a lot of potential.
This is the first book I've read by Hendricks or Pekkanen, and I'm very interested to read The Wife Between Us, their first book. I enjoyed their writing, and I would like to see if there other book is as page-turning as this one.
The writing was very engaging, especially the change in perspectives of alternative chapters. I appreciated the perspective of Dr. Shields that was so removed, as a psychologist's notes would be. It was distant and removed from the plot, and that distance somehow added suspense, thrill, and drama to the story.
The biggest set back I had of the book was the characters. While Dr. Shields was not necessarily well-developed, she was a very intriguing character, and her lack of development didn't take away from my appreciation of her character. Jessica's character was well-developed, but she wasn't as exciting of a character as she could have been. I was especially not thrilled with how she ended the story, as what she did just seemed way out of character, or way out of the character that I was led to believe she was. After the end, I found it very difficult to sympathize with her on any level. Thomas was a character who I wanted more development on. His story was not intriguing enough to warrant the lack of development he received. He was just like a soggy old wet blanket on the story. At certain points, I thought, "This is Thomas' moment! He's going to shine and step out of the shadows," but he never does, which is disappointing for me. I think his character had a lot of potential.
This is the first book I've read by Hendricks or Pekkanen, and I'm very interested to read The Wife Between Us, their first book. I enjoyed their writing, and I would like to see if there other book is as page-turning as this one.
Thursday, June 6, 2019
The Gifted School: Bruce Holsinger (A book about a hobby)
I was pretty excited when I won this book in a giveaway. This was one I was excited to read about.
Holsinger brings up thought-provoking ideas of education, friendship, family, parenting, and so on that helped keep me reading until the end. All along I was waiting for these people to do "the right thing," but as I finished, I realized that I wasn't even sure what "the right thing" would be for each family.
I think the main question is "To what extent do parents go to see their child succeed, and at what point have they gone too far? Or can they go too far?" I haven't been a parent, so I struggle to answer that question, and I have a hard time asking myself what I would do in this situation. I like to think that I wouldn't push that hard, but with the pressure of my best friends as well as all of society, it would be hard to stop myself, I think.
Holsinger has five families, each one with several different problems, and while the problems are pretty stereotypical of a middle-age, middle-class, white family, by interlocking the separate families, he helps shake the stereotypes he brings up. And by dropping in this gifted school, he helps the story not be stereotypical by having such a unique problem. The story could have been very bland, very boring, and very "usual," but Holsinger does a nice job turning the stereotypes into unique situations.
I must admit that I didn't like the ending. I thought Xander's project was a bit too out there, and the results were too guessable. That's where he fails to add in a unique touch, and keeps it stereotypical. I would have liked something a bit more new and fresh, but that's okay.
I do wonder if such a school has existed, and I'm sure it has, and so I wonder how those communities handle such a school. I can see this being a very real thing in our society, as every parent wants his child to succeed. Such a school would tear a community apart, and I'm not sure the resolution would be as perfect as Holsinger's resolution was.
I'm stretching it a bit to fulfill the prompt, because it's not fully about a hobby, but each child has his or her own hobbies, and those hobbies play a big role in the plot, soccer, chess, horses, etc. The hobbies are important and take up a lot of pages, so I figured this was a stretch I could pull off.
Holsinger brings up thought-provoking ideas of education, friendship, family, parenting, and so on that helped keep me reading until the end. All along I was waiting for these people to do "the right thing," but as I finished, I realized that I wasn't even sure what "the right thing" would be for each family.
I think the main question is "To what extent do parents go to see their child succeed, and at what point have they gone too far? Or can they go too far?" I haven't been a parent, so I struggle to answer that question, and I have a hard time asking myself what I would do in this situation. I like to think that I wouldn't push that hard, but with the pressure of my best friends as well as all of society, it would be hard to stop myself, I think.
Holsinger has five families, each one with several different problems, and while the problems are pretty stereotypical of a middle-age, middle-class, white family, by interlocking the separate families, he helps shake the stereotypes he brings up. And by dropping in this gifted school, he helps the story not be stereotypical by having such a unique problem. The story could have been very bland, very boring, and very "usual," but Holsinger does a nice job turning the stereotypes into unique situations.
I must admit that I didn't like the ending. I thought Xander's project was a bit too out there, and the results were too guessable. That's where he fails to add in a unique touch, and keeps it stereotypical. I would have liked something a bit more new and fresh, but that's okay.
I do wonder if such a school has existed, and I'm sure it has, and so I wonder how those communities handle such a school. I can see this being a very real thing in our society, as every parent wants his child to succeed. Such a school would tear a community apart, and I'm not sure the resolution would be as perfect as Holsinger's resolution was.
I'm stretching it a bit to fulfill the prompt, because it's not fully about a hobby, but each child has his or her own hobbies, and those hobbies play a big role in the plot, soccer, chess, horses, etc. The hobbies are important and take up a lot of pages, so I figured this was a stretch I could pull off.
The Wise Man's Fear: Patrick Rothfuss (A book inspired by mythology, legend, or folklore)
Holy smokes! This was great. I didn't have high hopes for this sequel because usually the second books don't go very well, but boy was this good.
I knew what to expect when I started reading, so unlike the first one, I was hooked immediately. I was so excited for the story to continue and to get my questions answered. Unfortunately (but really, fortunately), I've ended the story with more questions than answers, which makes me incredibly excited for the next one (please, Patrick! Write faster!!!).
I was really excited by how much this book veers off the University path. I love the University portions of the book. I'm fascinated by the classes, by the Masters and by the other students, but 1000 pages on this would get old pretty quickly. While a majority still takes place at the University, Kvote goes to many different places, and while he is really on one task for the Maer, he branches off into five or six different tasks, each one more exciting than the next. This keeps the story moving, and moving at a rapid pace. He's in the middle of a task but has to pause to fix this other task, and I'm left wondering how he's ever going to get out of that in order to finish his first task, but that cycle keeps going, which keeps me turning pages.
I was asked today why I like this book so much when I've believed firmly that I don't like fantasy of any sort (Harry Potter aside because that doesn't fit into a category), and I had a hard time explaining it. I think for me the fantastical parts of the story are so vividly explained and realistic, that I have a hard time convincing myself that what Kvote is learning at the University is unreal and impossible. It seems so possible and true, and it excites me to a level that when I'm reminded of the fantasy, I feel an acute sense of disappointment. I just want it to be real. I want to call the wind.
I think another part might be that the fantasy aspects almost seem behind the scenes. While all the magic is important to drive the story, this is a story about Kvote, not about magic or other fantastical elements. And even when he's with the Felurian, which is all fantastical, the story had a Narnian feel to it that made it enjoyable for me.
Again, I have a hard time explaining why I like this so much, when I have a hard time reading fantasy, but I think the bottom line is that Rothfuss is such an excellent writer that he makes fantasy the best of the best, and I can't help but love it. His writing, his imagination, his creativity goes far and beyond anything else I've read (sorry Rowling...).
Maybe I'm assuming too much by putting it under "A book inspired by mythology, legend, or folklore," but with all the folklore in the story, and all the legend passed around, with the Felurian which is such a mythological creature, it's hard to imagine there was no mythological or folklore inspiration in this book.
I knew what to expect when I started reading, so unlike the first one, I was hooked immediately. I was so excited for the story to continue and to get my questions answered. Unfortunately (but really, fortunately), I've ended the story with more questions than answers, which makes me incredibly excited for the next one (please, Patrick! Write faster!!!).
I was really excited by how much this book veers off the University path. I love the University portions of the book. I'm fascinated by the classes, by the Masters and by the other students, but 1000 pages on this would get old pretty quickly. While a majority still takes place at the University, Kvote goes to many different places, and while he is really on one task for the Maer, he branches off into five or six different tasks, each one more exciting than the next. This keeps the story moving, and moving at a rapid pace. He's in the middle of a task but has to pause to fix this other task, and I'm left wondering how he's ever going to get out of that in order to finish his first task, but that cycle keeps going, which keeps me turning pages.
I was asked today why I like this book so much when I've believed firmly that I don't like fantasy of any sort (Harry Potter aside because that doesn't fit into a category), and I had a hard time explaining it. I think for me the fantastical parts of the story are so vividly explained and realistic, that I have a hard time convincing myself that what Kvote is learning at the University is unreal and impossible. It seems so possible and true, and it excites me to a level that when I'm reminded of the fantasy, I feel an acute sense of disappointment. I just want it to be real. I want to call the wind.
I think another part might be that the fantasy aspects almost seem behind the scenes. While all the magic is important to drive the story, this is a story about Kvote, not about magic or other fantastical elements. And even when he's with the Felurian, which is all fantastical, the story had a Narnian feel to it that made it enjoyable for me.
Again, I have a hard time explaining why I like this so much, when I have a hard time reading fantasy, but I think the bottom line is that Rothfuss is such an excellent writer that he makes fantasy the best of the best, and I can't help but love it. His writing, his imagination, his creativity goes far and beyond anything else I've read (sorry Rowling...).
Maybe I'm assuming too much by putting it under "A book inspired by mythology, legend, or folklore," but with all the folklore in the story, and all the legend passed around, with the Felurian which is such a mythological creature, it's hard to imagine there was no mythological or folklore inspiration in this book.
Monday, April 29, 2019
Seven Letters: J.P. Monninger (A book published in 2019)
I was so excited when I won this book. I love books about or in Ireland and about or with Irish people. They just make my heart so happy, so I was really excited to win an ARC of this book from a Goodreads Giveaway. This book will be published in October, 2019.
My favorite part of the book was reading the landscape descriptions of Ireland. Every time the Monninger introduced a new landscape, I had to Google it so that I could fully visualize the location, and while that was fun, it made me yearn to visit Ireland all the more, which isn't super helpful...
I enjoyed the first half a lot; I really enjoyed watching the relationship of Ozzie and Kate, and I remember being so confused when they get married and it's not even halfway through the book. I was thinking, "What else can possible happen during the rest of the novel?" Then lots more happened, which was nice.
I struggle to explain how I feel about this book. I had a lot of thoughts in different directions. Yes, I loved watching the romance bloom, but it happened too fast to be believable in any way. There were never conversations (at least, no conversations for the readers to be a part of) that helped grow the relationship to the point we were to believe it was at. They spent a lot of time together, sure, but I never understood how they grew to be in love to the point of marriage.
Which is why I wasn't surprised at all when the marriage ended in the separation. They had no depth to the relationship. It was built on hormones and lust. I can't imaging that works well.
However, even the separation caused me much confusion. They are sailing, they hit a storm, and all of the sudden, Kate realizes that she married a monster, is how I interpret her feelings. So she runs from him. And she never looks back. And that's the part where Monninger really lost me. I didn't understand why she just left without even contacting Ozzie, without even trying or communicating with him at all. She just leaves. And part of the confusion is that I don't understand why she leaves in the first place. Maybe it's because she finally starts to understand how little she actually knows him.
But even then, they never actually get divorced. It seems like all along, Kate is hopping and thinking that Ozzie will come running to her again and they can start fresh. But she never does anything for the relationship, and starts dating other men, never actually letting go of her relationship with Ozzie. Again, for reasons that are confusing to me.
But of course. The book can't end there.
Death strikes, and Kate has to go on this soul searching adventures to find answers for her husband, and I guess along the way heals from the loss? But again, I don't understand this. There relationship seemed surface level at best. There was no depth. There was nothing to support it. Why did she travel the world for answers? Who knows.
Then Ozzie returns, of course, and they live happily ever after... together. What? Why? How? I have no idea.
So to summarize.
I loved the book because I love all things Ireland. I loved the landscapes and the sights and the sounds and the smells that Monninger evokes through the detailed writing. I love the cute doggie. I hate everything else.
My favorite part of the book was reading the landscape descriptions of Ireland. Every time the Monninger introduced a new landscape, I had to Google it so that I could fully visualize the location, and while that was fun, it made me yearn to visit Ireland all the more, which isn't super helpful...
I enjoyed the first half a lot; I really enjoyed watching the relationship of Ozzie and Kate, and I remember being so confused when they get married and it's not even halfway through the book. I was thinking, "What else can possible happen during the rest of the novel?" Then lots more happened, which was nice.
I struggle to explain how I feel about this book. I had a lot of thoughts in different directions. Yes, I loved watching the romance bloom, but it happened too fast to be believable in any way. There were never conversations (at least, no conversations for the readers to be a part of) that helped grow the relationship to the point we were to believe it was at. They spent a lot of time together, sure, but I never understood how they grew to be in love to the point of marriage.
Which is why I wasn't surprised at all when the marriage ended in the separation. They had no depth to the relationship. It was built on hormones and lust. I can't imaging that works well.
However, even the separation caused me much confusion. They are sailing, they hit a storm, and all of the sudden, Kate realizes that she married a monster, is how I interpret her feelings. So she runs from him. And she never looks back. And that's the part where Monninger really lost me. I didn't understand why she just left without even contacting Ozzie, without even trying or communicating with him at all. She just leaves. And part of the confusion is that I don't understand why she leaves in the first place. Maybe it's because she finally starts to understand how little she actually knows him.
But even then, they never actually get divorced. It seems like all along, Kate is hopping and thinking that Ozzie will come running to her again and they can start fresh. But she never does anything for the relationship, and starts dating other men, never actually letting go of her relationship with Ozzie. Again, for reasons that are confusing to me.
But of course. The book can't end there.
Death strikes, and Kate has to go on this soul searching adventures to find answers for her husband, and I guess along the way heals from the loss? But again, I don't understand this. There relationship seemed surface level at best. There was no depth. There was nothing to support it. Why did she travel the world for answers? Who knows.
Then Ozzie returns, of course, and they live happily ever after... together. What? Why? How? I have no idea.
So to summarize.
I loved the book because I love all things Ireland. I loved the landscapes and the sights and the sounds and the smells that Monninger evokes through the detailed writing. I love the cute doggie. I hate everything else.
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
The Name of the Wind: Patrick Rothfuss (A book featuring an extinct or imaginary creature)
As a rule, I don't like fantasy. My one exception has thus far been Harry Potter. I guess I always had trouble getting caught up in things that are way beyond the possibilities of this life. With this book, however, that was not the case.
I was so intimidated a. by the length of this book and b. by the fact that it's a fantasy novel, but enough people told me to read it, so I did. It took me quite a bit to get into the book. I'm talking about 100 pages, which out of 700ish isn't really that bad. Once I got into it, I really got into it.
I think what captured me was the extraordinary science behind Kvote's learning. It was beautiful and excellent and magical. I wanted it to be as real as the glass of water sitting next to me. I wanted to learn all the Kvote was learning, and I was fascinated by the progress and scope of the teaching he received.
My favorite parts were definitely anything that happened at the University. That's where you have the best enemy, the best friends, the love interest, and, most importantly to me, the vast majority of his learning. And every chapter ended with me wondering if he would be expelled in the next chapter because much of what he did warranted expulsion.
Another fascinating aspect occurred to me as I picked the second book off my shelf. The book says, "The Kingkiller Chronicle: Day Two." Then I realized that this whole book is the span of one day. 722 pages make up one day. The second book is over 1000 pages, but it's just day two. I'm glad I only just now figured that out because otherwise that would have made it hard for me to keep going.
But I loved the way this book is written. Kvote is narrating his life to an audience of two, and sometimes you get a bit of what is happening in the present, but that's not what's important. I'm sure it will be important later on, but for now, the past matters. It helped keep me engrossed in the story. Switching back to Kvote's present made me yearn for the past and helped keep the momentum going for me.
There are parts with dragons and demons that aren't super great for me because that's not my kind of book, but even those are find to read. I got through them, and I can say that I somewhat enjoyed them. I'm sure there will be more of that in the future books, which I'm not looking forward to, but given how much I enjoyed this first book, I'll enjoy those aspects as well.
The length of this book was the only thing that made it challenging for me. The writing is really easy to understand and follow. Rothfuss writes in a way that is simple yet exciting and engaging. He sucks his readers right in!
"I learned to love the feel of good words."
I was so intimidated a. by the length of this book and b. by the fact that it's a fantasy novel, but enough people told me to read it, so I did. It took me quite a bit to get into the book. I'm talking about 100 pages, which out of 700ish isn't really that bad. Once I got into it, I really got into it.
I think what captured me was the extraordinary science behind Kvote's learning. It was beautiful and excellent and magical. I wanted it to be as real as the glass of water sitting next to me. I wanted to learn all the Kvote was learning, and I was fascinated by the progress and scope of the teaching he received.
My favorite parts were definitely anything that happened at the University. That's where you have the best enemy, the best friends, the love interest, and, most importantly to me, the vast majority of his learning. And every chapter ended with me wondering if he would be expelled in the next chapter because much of what he did warranted expulsion.
Another fascinating aspect occurred to me as I picked the second book off my shelf. The book says, "The Kingkiller Chronicle: Day Two." Then I realized that this whole book is the span of one day. 722 pages make up one day. The second book is over 1000 pages, but it's just day two. I'm glad I only just now figured that out because otherwise that would have made it hard for me to keep going.
But I loved the way this book is written. Kvote is narrating his life to an audience of two, and sometimes you get a bit of what is happening in the present, but that's not what's important. I'm sure it will be important later on, but for now, the past matters. It helped keep me engrossed in the story. Switching back to Kvote's present made me yearn for the past and helped keep the momentum going for me.
There are parts with dragons and demons that aren't super great for me because that's not my kind of book, but even those are find to read. I got through them, and I can say that I somewhat enjoyed them. I'm sure there will be more of that in the future books, which I'm not looking forward to, but given how much I enjoyed this first book, I'll enjoy those aspects as well.
The length of this book was the only thing that made it challenging for me. The writing is really easy to understand and follow. Rothfuss writes in a way that is simple yet exciting and engaging. He sucks his readers right in!
"I learned to love the feel of good words."
Wednesday, March 27, 2019
4 3 2 1: Paul Auster (A book with unusual, strange, or unconventional chapter headings)
I was absolutely fascinated by the premise of this book: four different possible lives of the same person. I was so excited to dig in and get going on this adventure. I wasn't disappointed, but it was very difficult for me to make it through the book. This was my first Paul Auster book, and I've heard good things about his writing, but now that I know what his writing is like, I'm not sure how I feel.
It definitely isn't the light-hearted read I imagined nor was it an easy read. The density was overpowering in many places. It was such a huge book; at several points, I thought it would never end.
Part of what helped, was that a lot of the book consisted of political going-ons and people, about which I couldn't care less. I'm sure that I missed out on a lot of the depth and meaning behind the book, but I skimmed over a majority of that. I don't feel like this ruined the book for me; I enjoyed it immensely. I'm sure if I were to do a real review or write an article or essay on it, I'd have to go back and reread those sections to connect them with the rest of the book. Especially when the last few pages are solely about the politics, I'm sure politics plays a bigger role than I assigned them.
Another issue that I had, which I again solved by skimming, were Auster's long sentences. They were Dickensian in style, but most of them I found to be longer than the average Dickens' sentence. They were just massive sentences, which makes sense considering how massive this novel was.
As to the story itself, I found it really interesting to consider the multitude of different paths a person could take. This book only had four different lives, but in each of those lives, Ferguson made many choices, and those four lives could have gone in any which direction. Where he goes to college, who his friends are, his relationship with his parents, his sexuality, his pen name, his death are just a few of the differences he faces in his four different lives.
And yet, some of the big things remain the same. For Ferguson, no matter which way his life went, he was destined to be a writer. No matter where he went to school (if he went to school), who he dated, where he lived, he had to write. I think that's an interesting thing to consider. Are we all born with these innate desires that won't change no matter what decisions we make in life?
I also enjoyed that in each story, the same people are central to his life. The same girlfriends or boyfriends, the same friends, the same relatives, they all play a role in his life, no matter his choice. The same people entered his life in different ways, times, and places, but they entered his life.
Overall, this was a good read. I have to take a break from Auster now, though, because I don't think I could handle another book like this for a few weeks, at least. I don't mind a challenge, but this book wasn't interesting enough to make me enjoy the challenge. Maybe his other books are different, but I need a break.
I'm using this as my strange chapter headings even though I might be stretching it to make it fit. Each chapter was numbered according to the life it was about. For example, 1.1 was about the first life, 1.2 was about the second life, 1.3 about the third, and 1.4 about the fourth. Then you got into 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, and 2.4, and so on. I really enjoyed this because it helped me to keep track of which Ferguson I was reading about. It was also really sad that even after there was a death, there was still the chapter heading listed, but nothing was written in the chapter, which was a sad reminder of what had happened. Instead of completely erasing that character, he still took up space in the book.
It definitely isn't the light-hearted read I imagined nor was it an easy read. The density was overpowering in many places. It was such a huge book; at several points, I thought it would never end.
Part of what helped, was that a lot of the book consisted of political going-ons and people, about which I couldn't care less. I'm sure that I missed out on a lot of the depth and meaning behind the book, but I skimmed over a majority of that. I don't feel like this ruined the book for me; I enjoyed it immensely. I'm sure if I were to do a real review or write an article or essay on it, I'd have to go back and reread those sections to connect them with the rest of the book. Especially when the last few pages are solely about the politics, I'm sure politics plays a bigger role than I assigned them.
Another issue that I had, which I again solved by skimming, were Auster's long sentences. They were Dickensian in style, but most of them I found to be longer than the average Dickens' sentence. They were just massive sentences, which makes sense considering how massive this novel was.
As to the story itself, I found it really interesting to consider the multitude of different paths a person could take. This book only had four different lives, but in each of those lives, Ferguson made many choices, and those four lives could have gone in any which direction. Where he goes to college, who his friends are, his relationship with his parents, his sexuality, his pen name, his death are just a few of the differences he faces in his four different lives.
And yet, some of the big things remain the same. For Ferguson, no matter which way his life went, he was destined to be a writer. No matter where he went to school (if he went to school), who he dated, where he lived, he had to write. I think that's an interesting thing to consider. Are we all born with these innate desires that won't change no matter what decisions we make in life?
I also enjoyed that in each story, the same people are central to his life. The same girlfriends or boyfriends, the same friends, the same relatives, they all play a role in his life, no matter his choice. The same people entered his life in different ways, times, and places, but they entered his life.
Overall, this was a good read. I have to take a break from Auster now, though, because I don't think I could handle another book like this for a few weeks, at least. I don't mind a challenge, but this book wasn't interesting enough to make me enjoy the challenge. Maybe his other books are different, but I need a break.
I'm using this as my strange chapter headings even though I might be stretching it to make it fit. Each chapter was numbered according to the life it was about. For example, 1.1 was about the first life, 1.2 was about the second life, 1.3 about the third, and 1.4 about the fourth. Then you got into 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, and 2.4, and so on. I really enjoyed this because it helped me to keep track of which Ferguson I was reading about. It was also really sad that even after there was a death, there was still the chapter heading listed, but nothing was written in the chapter, which was a sad reminder of what had happened. Instead of completely erasing that character, he still took up space in the book.
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