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boxcar's reviews
230 reviews

The Castle of Crossed Destinies by Italo Calvino

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adventurous challenging slow-paced

3.75

I love the premise. Like I really do. It is so Calvino it hurts. I admit I got lost in the work itself. The tarot cards were cool, parts of the book stuck out like gems, others felt like wading through a swamp that you knew could flash to a pristine beach were you a more suitable traveler.


The Lives of Others by Neel Mukherjee

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dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Very good. Brutal look into a hierarchical, unjust world. An examination of counterrevolutions and their terror: does the initial terror justify it? (justify, probably. does it lead to change, or a perpetuation of the cycle of pain and suffering?) The focus on the family was interesting, acting as a sort of microcosm for society at large, and then it zooms out (in?) to one of the family members trying to fix that “at large”. Can one truly remove themselves from their upbringing? 

The thread of the budding math prodigy was a headscratcher. I suppose his success amidst the abject failure and disaster of his family and surroundings is due to his reluctance to interact with the concrete, with the tangible. By living for the abstract, the theoretical, he was able to escape the pain and cyclical suffocation of the family, of the world. 

okay not much of a headscratcher. This book has multiple narratives which all paint a corner or a portion of the canvas.

Very well written, but unfortunately parts felt like a slog. A slog that I never doubted was worth it, mind you. 

Did I enjoy it? not really, no.
Is it a book made to be enjoyed? I don’t think so.
Did it make me think? Did it open the chest of humanity and show me the heart? probably.

good essay writin material.
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott

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funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

4.0

Good advice, and written with a very funny and truthful voice. Didn't feel preachy or anything, felt real. Like here's how I feel about writing and life, you can feel however the hell you want, but maybe my stuff will be helpful. 

Easy read, helpful. 
My Volcano by John Elizabeth Stintzi

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Complicated review. I think this is about as ambitious as it gets in a novel. And it works. Just barely. I love the weirdness that parallels the weirdness of the real world, sometimes a little too plainly. It’s ridiculous and all over the place, there are god knows how many characters and viewpoints, things happen and then oop guess what that didn’t happen. confusing, but enrapturing. One of those books where you wonder how the hell the author came up with this.

A story very invested in the marginalized, in pointing out injustice, elevating silenced voices.
Call Me Cassandra by Marcial Gala

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dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

heavy read. the classics merged with modern history, the illiad and castro. never read something like it.
graphic, uneasy, beautiful. A story where nothing good happens to the main character. No redemption to be had, except in death, in a return to the domain of zeus and athena. 
Making Money by Terry Pratchett

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funny lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Thud! by Terry Pratchett

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.5

not my fav, kinda confusing as far as terry pratchett goes. still, love the characters, the setting, and the idea of the plot. kinda cliche resolution, but whatcha gonna do. 
Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

fun fun fun! cool seeing the night watch again and vimes ’ backstory. I love the librarian.

ook 

City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi by William Dalrymple

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adventurous funny informative reflective slow-paced

4.0

Really well written. I got more history than i expected, but i’m glad for it! a great view into the numerous delhis. A look into the culture at a human level (if from the point of view of an outsider). He has an obvious passion and love for Indian culture and history. 
The Book of Imaginary Beings by Jorge Luis Borges

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informative fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.75

Borges! I have seen this book referenced by Rushdie and Murakami, the latter naming it as a reference for Satanic Verses. Fun collection of mystical creatures, known and unknown to me. Good context to them as well, and fun imagination done by borges.