User Profile

haha. This book!! Afterword says he was thinking about Wolf in White Van. And I can see that. Totally. 

This novella reminds me of a fav horror novel by Joey Comeau "The Summer Is Ended and We Are Not Yet Saved". Which I am very sorry I gave away. Another gem.

This book is not for everyone. Or maybe even most. But it aims for something and delivers. Zero complaints.

This was not suspenseful. At all. Very snoozy. Clearly not my kind of book.

This was a light book for dark times. Nice to see St. John's through other eyes. Be reminded of the way life flows there. Ultimately, though, it was not really my cup of tea, but it is written well and I can see why it has and deserves its audience. 

First published in 1940, this book is a ride. Multi-layered, constantly re-focusing. It gives you insights from the author on human relationships, and then you see those 1940's insights in light of current day. NOt for the plot-driven. But definitely for those who find the construction of character-driven novels intrinsically interesting.

This book is a journey and it makes you pay attention to the details. It is multi-layered and for me, deeply interesting. But it also reflects a racism I've seen in other books of its period. 

For such a simple, entertaining read, it covers some serious terrain. If I had read this book pre 2020, I probably would have had a very different take on everything. But in 2022? I am filled with thoughts on how this book tackles directly or indirectly so many current issues/themes: catastrophic public health events, decision-making in societies especially (pseudo)democracies, the trolley problem, the concept of benevolent dictators, who pays the costs in society, power structures, what good works mean and how they are rewarded, transparency in government,... I'm going to be thinking bout this for a while.