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simonator's reviews
159 reviews
To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Das Totenschiff by B Traven
adventurous
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Große Arbeiterklasseliteratur.einziger Kritikpunkt, dass es zwischendurch etwas langweilig wurde. Ansonsten tief berührendes Zeugnis der Frachtschiffarbeiter.
One-Dimensional Man by Herbert Marcuse
challenging
inspiring
reflective
3.0
Brilliant I guess but in parts near incomprehensible to those outside the philosophical cult.
Sinews of War and Trade: Shipping and Capitalism in the Arabian Peninsula by Laleh Khalili
informative
slow-paced
2.0
I really wanted to like this book as the subject matter is fascinating and the research that went into it is original and comprehensive. But despite the warning in the introduction, this just reads too eclectically and the endless listing of facts and anecdotes buries any facade of a red threat.
Dschinns by Fatma Aydemir
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Dieses sehr berührende Buch erinnert in vieler Hinsicht an Elif Shafak - im Guten wie im Schlechten. Leider werden den Lesenden die Charaktere explizit im Text selber erklärt, anstelle Raum für eigene Interpretationen zu lassen. Ansonsten äußerst hohe Dichte an Themenkomplexen, mit vielen Matrizen aus Klasse, Herkunft, und Geschlecht, die erkundet werden. Ob darunter ein gewisser Zusammenhang leidet, muss jede*r selber entscheiden.
Revolting Prostitutes: The Fight for Sex Workers' Rights by Molly Smith, Juno Mac
informative
fast-paced
4.25
Excellent and widely convincing nonfiction straddling the perfect balance between education and political advocacy. Could have done with some extra lengths and some more concreteness when it comes to political demands, but otherwise very clear and readable.
Manifest der Kommunistischen Partei by Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels
Pretty neat stuff. These guys are unto something here
Solaris by Stanisław Lem
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
When a genre piece transcends the boundaries of its own niche, that's how you know you're dealing with a good book. Solaris is not only exceedingly spooky and hitting all the right sci-fi buttons, but also includes deep reflections on man's inevitably futile search of truth through science, which is masterfully mirrored with a study on the disservice we do to the ones we love by defining and imposing our own image upon them. What keeps the reading experience a bit tiresome are the endless encyclopedic entries of fictional scholarly debates and lavish descriptions of abstract oceanic formations which disrupt the reading flow, take out the tension, and are too self-indulgent.
A Concise History of Italy by Christopher Duggan
informative
fast-paced
3.75
Pretty accessible, but not a page turner. Gives ample space to economic and social questions beyond individuals.
How to Spot a Fascist by Umberto Eco
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
1.5
Mostly harmless, superficial, and liberal boomer stuff. Typology of fascism is useful, but curt.