belgaer's reviews
70 reviews

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

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adventurous lighthearted tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I Am a Strange Loop by Douglas R. Hofstadter

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informative reflective slow-paced

2.0

I honestly found I Am A Strange Loop to be much less enjoyable than his previous book GEB. I would say that it is much more accessible to readers not willing to wade through heaps of number theory and tangents about recursion in various different settings.
The analogies in Loop are less lively and more tedious than those in GEB, and at points the book reads like an old man complaining about various others' views.
I will say that the central thesis of the book is fascinating. The idea that I am me because of the configuration of loops and symbols in my brain, and that I contain recursive low fidelity copies of everyone I have ever met is truly thought provoking.

Another Roadside Attraction by Tom Robbins

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.

This was kind of nonlinear in a frustrating sort of way, as well as just not being particularly engaging

A Hologram for the King by Dave Eggers

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reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This book dragged a bit at times with how the main character jsut floated from situation to situation, faced with a nearly kafkaesque bureaucracy and his own impotence to deal with any of his problems.

The Great Train Robbery by Michael Crichton

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adventurous lighthearted fast-paced