Lukáš Kucharczyk
Funny in an entirely unintended way. The authoress must have really loved Pride and Prejudice!
An outstanding intro into the Malazan Book of the Fallen series. Hard to say something that hasn't been said before so I'll just go with a hearty recommendation to anyone who thinks himself/herself a fan of fantasy, or just a fan of good literature in general.
The narrator of the novel is a journalist writing about the last game of the Japanese master of go for their newspaper audience of laymen who probably like many a reader is not familiar with the game and thus care more about the personalities. Although it is based on real events and people, this final match is also an allegory for the then-popular topic in Japanese literature, the clashing of traditional Japan with modernity, the old and the young. And though not explicitly intended for non-Japanese readers, it also manages to describe the meaning and ties the game has to Japanese culture.
All of this is done with Kawabata's characteristic style where often we see focus shift on describing the natural world around the protagonists that sometimes, if read into deep enough, also serves to describe the feelings and relationships of the characters in a very obscure way.
I started reading this very uninterested because of the seemingly heavy focus on the game I know virtually nothing about, but Kawabata managed to wove an intricate tale (with some help from history) that's more about the underlying culture and people, and I ended up liking it a lot. This has also been an overall experience of mine with all his stories so chances are if you like his style, you'll probably like any of his writings regardless of topic.
Incredible story of a family trying to survive during the Great Depression that is strangely relevant even today. Loved the characters (especially Má and Tom) and the colloquial language.
Even though I've known about Pratchett for years, I had never gotten around to reading any of his books until now and it was delightful. The quirky humour and impeccable writing doesn't sacrifice any of the wonder that I came to expect from a good fantasy, on the contrary.
Did you know that in the bombing of Dresden at the end of the Second World War more people were killed (~130k) than during the bombing of Hiroshima by the atomic bomb (~70k)? I didn't and shame on me for that.
Well written and tense. “Romance” part was mostly unforced and the very amount I am ok with, more would be awkward given the setting. Felt a bit short although more pages would probably stretch the story unnaturally.
Even more bizarre than the previous book I read (After Dark). The atmosphere of the stories is as sterile as a hospital room, yet the oddities in each make them somewhat familiar, and they won't let you collapse into boredom because of the stark contrast of the humdrum routines and the outlandish happenings set into them. I can safely say that Murakami's style is something else, something you would be hard pressed to find in other author's books.
Incredibly tough book to get through but one that overflows with insights about the way we think, why do we often make mistakes and how to learn to try and avoid them, if only a little.
Where other people may have found heartbreaking story I found only guy who invaded a land that was manifestly different, on behest of couple of drunkards calling themselves a parliament and for no reason other than boredom no less, found his soon-to-be wife there who he later drove away due to his complete inability to accept anything else but his own little world, and despite her trying to do her best. The rest of the book is then describing his nothing short of insane obsession (no euphemism there, mind) with getting her back with no self-reflection whatsoever... and succeeding.
I realize this is fairy tale-esque fantasy but I just couldn't get over it with this book.
An interesting insight into living with cats and their personalities. The descriptive parts of Particularly Cats dragged quite a bit for me but the rest was good.
A great story that I think would be very satisfying to anyone who likes a good whoddunit murder mystery. It is hard to describe in a spoiler-free way why it is so good, therefore Spoilerhidden from the eyes of those would would like to keep themselves unspoiled, I can say here it is an amazing example of an unreliable narrator. As it is said in the epilogue, we are not as much mislead as facts are elided in a masterful way.
The narrator's account of what has happened to her seems to be woven with great care from many different pieces of our own history. It's appalling how many of the things in the book remind me of the various events that took place in the past decade, especially in the US.
Thinking back on the ending, I especially like it because it avoids being both a clichéd happy-end and its polar opposite. It's both bleak and hopeful, but also quite sudden; a story suddenly cut off. This reinforces its “found diary” quality.
Short but tense view into a case of child abduction will make you poignantly realize that this is what probably happens all the time, hidden from a public eye and, tragically, without a happy end.
Could be I'm just fond of this particular strand of science fiction but the setting and the atmosphere is pitch perfect and doesn't feel like it aged one bit.
Inredible short story that doesn't lose any of its impact even when knowing its rough content in advance.
A short, well written essay laying out the problem of lack of gun control in the USA and how to deal with it without banning guns outright that also busts some myths along the way. Overly aggressive in some places, but a good reading nonetheless, even for those who aren't familiar with the issue.