Books: Book(s) you are Currently Reading | Part II

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GB

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Mar 6, 2002
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Interested in your thoughts on this one. I’ve read mixed things. I have the flame throwers beside my bed to read sometime before the end of the year.
I picked it up after checking which Booker long-listed novels by female authors were available at the library an hour or so before I visited. The Mars Room was the only one. I can't say if it deserved to move to the short-list or not. It's basically fine, what you'd expect of literary fiction. It fits the stereotype of MFA program writing for better and worse.

Nothing in it shocked or surprised me. A large part of it is that the justice system/prison complex/society generally fails under-privileged people, especially women/girls. That doesn't seem like a shocking revelation to me but the way the book is spoken about makes it seem like this is a real shock to some readers. It's so on the nose in places as well where I think subtlety could have been employed and made a much better novel.

I've seen it criticised as disjointed but I didn't find it that way. There are chapters and viewpoint characters that really add nothing and that makes the book bloated but not disjointed. I learned after I'd finished the novel that it had started as a short story and that seems very obvious in retrospect. The problem is that these additional and unnecessary chapters provide some of the best parts of the book. The main narrative makes sure you know exactly how to feel about the main character and that's a little tedious.

After all that negative criticism having been said it certainly isn't a bad book. It's perfectly adequate everywhere and exceptionally good in some places. Frustratingly it feels like a different editor could have gotten a much better book out of The Mars Room but it's still a solid 3* read.

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The Macho King

Back* to Back** World Champion
Jun 22, 2011
48,610
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I promised myself I wouldn't do it, but I did.

I restarted Aubrey/Maturin. My next two-three months are booked solid.
 

valeriammm

Beers/Bikes/Bums
Sep 21, 2018
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I havent really been into reading for a few years, I just got out of college and found myself having time and once again enjoying reading for fun not just text books so im currently reading Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Craddle, so far so good.
 
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GB

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Mar 6, 2002
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Every year I say I'll finally read some Vonnegut and somehow I never et around to it.

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GB

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Mar 6, 2002
5,027
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UK
Did you ever get round to the USA Trilogy?
No. I got Manhattan Transfer at the end of April intending to read that and The USA Trilogy. I read about 30 pages before I put it down. It's still on my list for 2018 but it's pretty unlikely I'll get to it before next year.
 

sdf

Registered User
Jan 23, 2015
2,220
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Rostov on Don
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One of the most useful books I’ve ever read so far. This is a book they really should require reading in school to help children understand not only that they can change anything, but also how to do it. I think way too many people fall into that latter category which is really sad.
i believe that people who follow the advices of some moron about "how to change everething" not available to change nothing. Lol
 

Babe Ruth

Proud member of the precariat working class.
Feb 2, 2016
1,402
603
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An ancient warrior decribes his development to his captors.. I'm about 50 pages in..
 

kihei

McEnroe: The older I get, the better I used to be.
Jun 14, 2006
42,550
10,140
Toronto
Fear: Trump in the White House, by Bob Woodward. I'm getting tired of spending time reading about Trump, but Woodward is too important a source to ignore. So one more Trump book, and then I'm going to give this piece of shit a rest.
 
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GB

Registered User
Mar 6, 2002
5,027
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The plan is to read this today, start History of Wolves tomorrow and then knuckle down to finishing Manhattan Transfer.
 
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Babe Ruth

Proud member of the precariat working class.
Feb 2, 2016
1,402
603
Brief collection of writings & primary source letters, documenting Maryland's relationship to secession..

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