TSCPL_ChrisB's Completed Shelf
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TSCPL_ChrisB's rating:
Added Jan 15, 2020
Little GodsLittle Gods, BookA Novel
by Jin, MengBook - 2020 | First edition.Book, 2020. First edition.
TSCPL_ChrisB's rating:
Added Jan 15, 2020
Comment:
Meng Jin’s debut novel, Little Gods, is such a gorgeously constructed story. It’s built on a sturdy frame, decorated beautifully, but it will have some readers scratching their heads saying, but what is it? What does it mean? And that is to say that it is mysterious, clever, thought-provoking, and may leave you with several questions.
Su Lan is a brilliant physicist with an eye always to the future. Liya is gifted with language and searches for answers about her mother’s past. That’s all you need to know about this novel. It is the marriage of science and language, the meeting of past and future. And though this novel featured less hard science than I’d expected up until the final moments, it never ceased to be intelligent. Equally, the lush language and the perfectly joined story elements came together into a story was that altogether very moving.
Little Gods is a poetic and intellectual debut that may have a little trouble finding its audience. It’s one for those who don’t mind having to put some thought into their read, but who also hope to experience emotion. Personally, I’d recommend it to readers of Light from Other Stars and Asymmetry.Meng Jin’s debut novel, Little Gods, is such a gorgeously constructed story. It’s built on a sturdy frame, decorated beautifully, but it will have some readers scratching their heads saying, but what is it? What does it mean? And that is to say that…
TSCPL_ChrisB's rating:
Added Jan 14, 2020
Comment:
Meng Jin’s debut novel, Little Gods, is such a gorgeously constructed story. It’s built on a sturdy frame, decorated beautifully, but it will have some readers scratching their heads saying, but what is it? What does it mean? And that is to say that it is mysterious, clever, thought-provoking, and may leave you with several questions.
Su Lan is a brilliant physicist with an eye always to the future. Liya is gifted with language and searches for answers about her mother’s past. That’s all you need to know about this novel. It is the marriage of science and language, the meeting of past and future. And though this novel featured less hard science than I’d expected up until the final moments, it never ceased to be intelligent. Equally, the lush language and the perfectly joined story elements came together into a story was that altogether very moving.
Little Gods is a poetic and intellectual debut that may have a little trouble finding its audience. It’s one for those who don’t mind having to put some thought into their read, but who also hope to experience emotion. Personally, I’d recommend it to readers of Light from Other Stars and Asymmetry.Meng Jin’s debut novel, Little Gods, is such a gorgeously constructed story. It’s built on a sturdy frame, decorated beautifully, but it will have some readers scratching their heads saying, but what is it? What does it mean? And that is to say that…
THE MAN WHO SAW EVERYTHINGTHE MAN WHO SAW EVERYTHING, Unknown
by Levy, DeborahUnknown - 2019Unknown, 2019
TSCPL_ChrisB's rating:
Added Sep 13, 2019
Comment:
The Man Who Saw Everything is one of those books that only supplies more questions the deeper one looks. For readers who find thrill in trying to piece everything together, this book is well worth the experience. It is clever and mysterious. It's a stylish novel, even if many of its allusions may be elusive. It's every part entertaining as it is intelligent. Perhaps the puzzle could've been a little easier to solve—personally, I like to feel like I have a solution, even if that answer is wrong—but there was pleasure and enjoyment in trying to fit the pieces together.The Man Who Saw Everything is one of those books that only supplies more questions the deeper one looks. For readers who find thrill in trying to piece everything together, this book is well worth the experience. It is clever and mysterious. It's a…
TSCPL_ChrisB's rating:
Added Jan 25, 2018
Comment:
When the Man Booker Prize judges name an unknown debut novelist, it's advisable to take notice. And when the named novel makes the shortlist, you can know you've found a new author worth paying attention to.
Fiona Mozley's Elmet is a finely-crafted moody story. The tale focuses on a father and his two children, Cathy and Daniel. The story is told from Daniel's perspective which is an excellent choice for a narrator. Daniel is unique and interesting; although he is central to the story, he exists largely as an observer. It's what happens to those closest to Daniel that truly propels the story.
Mozley wonderfully draws the rugged Yorkshire setting. The language throughout this novel is beautiful and vivid, but keeps with the atmosphere of the rural setting. Whether the characters occupy the surrounding woods or their own living room, the descriptions are always organic, yet crushing (like the forest).
"[Daddy] led Cathy and me by our hands through the narrow corridors of our school. The ceilings were low and lit by halogen strip bulbs that flickered and shone the same colour as the magnolia pain on the walls, making it appear as if the light were emanating from the plaster. The only windows were long and thing and tucked just beneath the ceiling, well above the heads of the children who walked up and down these corridors so that when they looked up and out into the world beyond all they could see was the sky. On that day the sky was a mesh of criss-crossed grey and white cords being ripped and tugged and frayed by colliding winds."
Elmet may feel a bit light in the middle as the bulk of the story rests on the opening chapters and the ever-expected conclusion. Once the story comes full circle, one can see the necessity for the slow build in the middle. This is a story that doesn't rely heavily on being overly ornate or on the use of tricks. It hits hard at times, but not at the risk of losing its heart or voice.
Fans of Winter's Bone and His Bloody Project may appreciate the dark atmosphere of Elmet. The author gifts the reader with a bit more sensitivity than you might find in other similar tales, but that should not be a deterrent to any reader searching for a contemporary tragedy. This is a dark tale, but one that doesn't lose sight of its themes, love, honor, and devotion.When the Man Booker Prize judges name an unknown debut novelist, it's advisable to take notice. And when the named novel makes the shortlist, you can know you've found a new author worth paying attention to.
Fiona Mozley's Elmet is a…
TSCPL_ChrisB's rating:
Added Dec 04, 2017
Fresh ComplaintFresh Complaint, UnknownStories
by Eugenides, JeffreyUnknown - 2017 | First edition.Unknown, 2017. First edition.
TSCPL_ChrisB's rating:
Added Nov 23, 2017
Comment:
I have a complaint: Jeffrey Eugenides doesn't write enough.
Eugenides's first novel was published in 1993. Since then he's written two more novels and this, Fresh Complaint, his collection of short stories. There have been exactly nine years between each novel. So I was excited when, after reading his third novel in 2011, I read in an interview with Eugenides where he said he would not take the normal nine years to publish his next work (I tried to find that article, but was unable to do so). So it only took six years, but if this is the product of six years I am sorely disappointed and genuinely hope that it is not another nine years before the next novel.
That's not to say Fresh Complaint is a bad book. It isn't. There are some good stories in this collection. Also, there are some forgettable stories. The culmination of these creates just another “good” story collection. And being merely another “good” collection in an industry where there are many similar “good” collections means Fresh Complaint fails to stand out.
What's interesting about the stories in this collection is that they run the length of Eugenides' writing career, from 1988 to the present. I continually looked for growth or distinction between the stories from different eras, but what I discovered is that Eugenides is a consistent writer. His oldest works hold up to his newest. This is a huge compliment. All these are strong in character, language, and dialogue. He constructs such vivid and realistic stories. Strong, vivid, and realistic—these stories are not necessarily achingly beautiful, they do not transcend what we've come to expect from the short story. In fact, they're pretty average amongst the award-winning short story writers of the last century. Average isn't bad at all, but it's not great. Still, Fresh Complaint gave me a sampling of one of my favorite contemporary authors. Fingers are crossed that it's only three or four years until his next novel, but I'm not going to get my hopes up yet.
Personal favorites: “Fresh Complaint,” “Early Music,” and “Great Experiment.”I have a complaint: Jeffrey Eugenides doesn't write enough.
Eugenides's first novel was published in 1993. Since then he's written two more novels and this, Fresh Complaint, his collection of short stories. There have been exactly nine years…
19821982, DVD
DVD - 2016 | Widescreen.DVD, 2016. Widescreen.
TSCPL_ChrisB's rating:
Added Jun 13, 2016
White Light, Black RainWhite Light, Black Rain, DVDThe Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
DVD - 2007DVD, 2007
TSCPL_ChrisB's rating:
Added Jun 13, 2016
The Breakfast ClubThe Breakfast Club, DVD
DVD - 2008 | Widescreen.DVD, 2008. Widescreen.
TSCPL_ChrisB's rating:
Added Jun 07, 2016
Honey, I Shrunk the KidsHoney, I Shrunk the Kids, DVD
DVD - 2002DVD, 2002
TSCPL_ChrisB's rating:
Added Jun 07, 2016
St. Elmo's FireSt. Elmo's Fire, DVD
DVD - 2001 | Widescreen version.DVD, 2001. Widescreen version.
TSCPL_ChrisB's rating:
Added Jun 07, 2016
Back to the FutureBack to the Future, DVDPart III
DVD - 2009 | Widescreen.DVD, 2009. Widescreen.
TSCPL_ChrisB's rating:
Added Jun 07, 2016
Bill & Ted's Excellent AdventureBill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, DVD
DVD - 2001 | Widescreen.DVD, 2001. Widescreen.
TSCPL_ChrisB's rating:
Added Jun 07, 2016
Back to the FutureBack to the Future, DVD
DVD - 2011 | Widescreen.DVD, 2011. Widescreen.
TSCPL_ChrisB's rating:
Added Jun 07, 2016
Back to the FutureBack to the Future, DVDPart II
DVD - 2009 | Widescreen.DVD, 2009. Widescreen.
TSCPL_ChrisB's rating:
Added Jun 07, 2016
GhostbustersGhostbusters, DVD
DVD - 2005 | Widescreen version.DVD, 2005. Widescreen version.
TSCPL_ChrisB's rating:
Added Jun 07, 2016
Mystic PizzaMystic Pizza, DVD
DVD - 2001 | Widescreen version.DVD, 2001. Widescreen version.
TSCPL_ChrisB's rating:
Added Jun 07, 2016
The Baby Sitters ClubThe Baby Sitters Club, DVD
DVD - 2003 | Fullscreen.DVD, 2003. Fullscreen.
TSCPL_ChrisB's rating:
Added Jun 07, 2016
10 Things I Hate About You10 Things I Hate About You, DVD
DVD - 2010 | Widescreen.DVD, 2010. Widescreen.
TSCPL_ChrisB's rating:
Added Jun 07, 2016
Kate & LeopoldKate & Leopold, DVD
DVD - 2002 | Widescreen.DVD, 2002. Widescreen.
TSCPL_ChrisB's rating:
Added Jun 07, 2016
DinosaursDinosaurs, DVDThe Complete First and Second Seasons
DVD - 2006 | Fullscreen.DVD, 2006. Fullscreen.
TSCPL_ChrisB's rating:
Added Jun 07, 2016
Sesame StreetSesame Street, DVDFiesta
DVD - 2004DVD, 2004
TSCPL_ChrisB's rating:
Added Jun 07, 2016
The BlobThe Blob, DVD
DVD - 2000 | Widescreen version.DVD, 2000. Widescreen version.
TSCPL_ChrisB's rating:
Added Jun 07, 2016
The TerminalThe Terminal, DVD
DVD - 2004 | Widescreen ed.DVD, 2004. Widescreen ed.
TSCPL_ChrisB's rating:
Added Jun 07, 2016
Comment: