ajunejane's reviews
411 reviews

This book was very informative--I learned something new on nearly every page. However, the author tended to wax a little too poetic and long-winded at certain times, as if he wanted to end a section but wasn't sure how to do it concisely. He provided plenty of context for his research. but was also clearly biased in favor of his subject.

"...in Wildness is the preservation of the World." Thoreau's two essays in my version of the text, "Walking" and "Night and Moonlight" focus on the importance of not only appreciating existing wildness around us, but cultivating wildness in ourselves and the surrounding areas. Almost contradicting himself in some parts, he suggest that the Farmer is above the Indian, in that he believes that some cultivation and agriculture is better than leaving things lie. At the same time, he holds the view of his time that the Indians (read, Native Americans) are a primitive culture with no complex technology, saying that they would cultivate the land with a "clam shell." Despite this evidence of his time period and a few slight contradictions, I found these essays to be fresh and informative, still applicable in a time when nature seems to be slipping away through our fingers. Thoreau's places where "no man has stood before and no man will ever stand" are growing few and far between.

Beautifully written and illustrated. I'm definitely going to read this to my kids when I have them.

A fun book. Meno's prose style took a little getting used to (for me), since he wrote it how most people speak, beginning sentences with "And" in a listing style (and the like). Aside from that it was a pretty good story and reminded me of nearly every indie romance/dark romance movie I've ever seen. Although the story takes place in the 90s, there were several points where I forgot that as the book could have been written about anytime in the last 15-20 years (present day included).

Wow. She writes about so many painful experiences without revealing that pain as bitterness or resentment, or even making it seem painful. It was just what it was. She isn't completely stoic though, just realistic when expressing her frustrations with her parents and their attitude toward good living and raising children. There's so much I can say about this book, but not enough words to articulate it. The best thing for anyone reading my review to do is just read the book themselves. Her style is clear and easy to follow without feeling monotonous. After reading this book I wonder what would have been different about what she included if she had been able to keep a diary during her childhood instead of recalling the memories through the lens of experience and adulthood.

The most exciting part of this book for me was the language. Eddison really did his homework and got the syntax just right as to be comparative with other Nordic/Scandinavian sagas, without sounding like he was translating (which he wasn't). After having read Njalls Saga, one of the oldest Icelandic sagas, I feel better able to make this judgement. The climax is revealed way before the even occurs, so the suspense lies in how the climax of the novel comes to pass. Also in keeping with the saga tradition, Eddison presents the story without a bias toward one character or another, which I think makes it easier for the reader to come to a moral decision about the story while yet appreciating the complexity of human interaction. A little heavy at times due to language but overall quite wonderful.

A Thomas Hardy novel with the ending of a Jane Austen novel. I'm impressed by Hardy's respect for nature (which comes through in all his novels) without being overly Romantic or melodramatic. Instead, the natural world is a fact of existence operating on a higher plane than the small world of humans. The symmetrical plot lent a satisfying sense of predictability without being too predictable; the ending could be guessed at but the journey was full of surprises. An enjoyable read that was at times a bit long winded or awkward in prose but forgivable due to the easy attachment I made with the characters of Bathsheba and Gabriel Oak.

I felt so involved in this novella that I said prayers along with Santiago that he would kill his fish. I think Hemingway's (or perhaps his editor's) decision to omit chapters was excellent--any break in the narrative would have ruined the prose for me. Although Hemingway's style can seem brusque at times, here it was appropriate coming through the thoughts and voice of the old man. As for what we should get from the novella, I think as in most of Hemingway's work (that I've read) that the important thing is the journey, the experience, not the end result. And a little battle between man and nature to remind us that we aren't the biggest thing in the universe.

A great read. I had to keep reminding myself that it was a work of fiction, because the plot as well as the characters and their motives were completely relatable and realistic. I haven't read many books that take place in the near future, as in a year from now, like this one. Events that I know will be happening soon have already happened--it's a window into my present next year (a bit eerie). The "one year later" future is just as realistic as the other parts of the novel, which adds to the eeriness. The future/present in the novel doesn't give anything away for readers in this present however, doesn't say who the president is or other big details like that. It's just one (normal) person's reality in 2013/2014. I highly recommend this book, especially to people who were kids in the 60s.