Reviews and Comments

I'm glad I read it. There was a hot minute (hour) where I thought it all was going to end badly, which made me realize I really cared about it all.

It was interesting, but I don't think I've finished scratching the itch. I want to figure out how to make a better suburb.

The author of this book is blowing my mind. He argues that U.S. fascination with infrastructure amounts to a "cult" because the monetary value of maintaining it doesn't equal what is invested in it, but we all still believe it's critical.

I'm not saying I agree with this viewpoint, I'm simply flabbergasted that someone would argue it. It's the closest thing to a bipartisan position in the U.S. that the state must invest in infrastructure. I at least want to hear the argument.

I loved the world in which this story is set. An infinite labyrinth of statues and sea, occupied by characters that I wanted deeply to know more about.

You follow the story through the journal of the point of view character. The best parts of the story are, to me, when the writer's and the reader's understanding of events diverge. It felt like a Hitchcock movie, where I, with full access to the main character's thoughts, started coming to different interpretations of information they've received - and what I knew compelled me to keep reading in hopes that the main character would catch up. I also appreciated the themes of the story: kindness, interaction with place, memory, ambition.

I read this as prep for a book I'm writing on environmentalist themes in Tolkien. The others really went deep, covering each aspect with academic rigor. At first this was frustrating - what do I have to contribute, now? - but it helped me to realize that I no longer had to go academically deep. I could flesh out the themes enough to tie them modern events, and focus on why they matter now. I'm grateful to the authors.

I'm a few hundred pages in, and of two minds so far. The world of the story is fascinating - a blend of the modern era and mysticism. I care about the main character. But I couldn't tell you what their motivation is, or really, the motivation of any character.