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So far, there's largely been really good writing, but there have also been a few parts with a particular style of journalistic/web article writing which I've come to really dislike.

The timeline of events seems to have been this:

• Makoto Ueda writes the play "Summer Time Machine Blues"
• Tomihiko Morimi writes the novel "The Tatami Galaxy"
• "Summer Time Machine Blues" is adapted into a film
• "The Tatami Galaxy" is adapted into a TV anime series; Makoto Ueda writes the script, as well as the scripts for other Morimi screen adaptations
• Tomihiko Morimi writes this novel, which is a retelling of "Summer Time Machine Blues" using the characters and setting from "The Tatami Galaxy".

The film "Summer Time Machine Blues" is pointless drivel; that's what makes it good. I think I liked it better than this book. Morimi's protagonist has too much bitterness in him to replicate the fun environment of the film. On the other hand, I do have a certain fondness for "The Tatami Galaxy", so it was nice seeing further adventures of these dubious characters.

Thinking about it, without the context of its source material, it would probably stand okay on its own merits.

i'm always saying this

If you can penetrate the thick layer of irony that the protagonist's self-aggrandizing narration is coated with, it's an amusing book. I often like familiar things more, so the repetitive structure worked to its advantage – I grew fond of these characters, as dubious as most of them were.

Actually, I can't give a general recommendation for this book. It's the sort of work that makes me wonder what kind of person the author is. It's perhaps a book for someone who wants to examine a particular Type of Guy under a microscope.

early miéville babey let's go break out the jungle mixtapes

this is the kind of book that takes itself and puts itself back together again. it's full of john darnielle's typical preoccupation with small towns, houses, people, & the small details of people's lives. the kind of writing you can smell the asphalt from. i listened to the audiobook, so i got to hear john darnielle read his work out loud, which of course suits the text perfectly.

it's not very different from most other discworld books, but that's not really a bad thing. it's about witches and vampires and a hapless priest.