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Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Solaris in Books
Dec 1, 2017
High-brow science fiction
Solaris is a perplexing, impossible world - endeavouring, somehow, to exist and endure in the presence of binary stars with a toxic and corrosive atmosphere constantly enveloping its ink black ocean of intrigue. Hovering above the waves is Solaris station which is an armoured and secluded human outpost, a crumbling and half-forgotten castle in the air.
Scientist Kris Kelvin comes upon an unusual scene in which one of the researchers at the facility has apparently killed himself, another appears to have lost his mind and Snaut, who has a shred of humanity left, is still deeply suspicious. Soon after we discover that apparitions seem to be tormenting them, though they appear to be manifestations or projections of their own deepest, darkest feelings, created by the mystery that is the living ocean of this world. Testing their minds to the limits, we see if they can truly overcome their repressed memories.
It is a haunting novel, and almost parallels the mental health issue of post traumatic stress disorder, and that it can be present in anyone in varying degrees. A visionary science fiction novel.
Scientist Kris Kelvin comes upon an unusual scene in which one of the researchers at the facility has apparently killed himself, another appears to have lost his mind and Snaut, who has a shred of humanity left, is still deeply suspicious. Soon after we discover that apparitions seem to be tormenting them, though they appear to be manifestations or projections of their own deepest, darkest feelings, created by the mystery that is the living ocean of this world. Testing their minds to the limits, we see if they can truly overcome their repressed memories.
It is a haunting novel, and almost parallels the mental health issue of post traumatic stress disorder, and that it can be present in anyone in varying degrees. A visionary science fiction novel.
Debbie (0 KP) rated The Stolen Marriage in Books
Jan 30, 2018
Book Review: The Stolen Marriage
You know a book is good when you contemplate taking the day off just so you can continue reading. Yup. The Stolen Marriage is the real deal! Chamberlain is an exceptional storyteller, who brings the people and town of Hickory, North Carolina to life. The Stolen Marriage is historical fiction at its best and is full of unforgettable characters, secrets, deceptions, racism, and humanity. It is clear Chamberlain did her research. The story deals with the polio epidemic of the 40's and the endless taboos, which was a part of the time (especially in the South). I have no idea why it took me this long to read Chamberlain's work (shame on me)! Nonetheless, I am absolutely a fan and thankfully there are plenty of books to choose from (I already have Necessary Lies on my to be read pile). The polio epidemic was real and sadly individuals suffered and many died, but I am still in awe of how the people of Hickory came together to build a miracle hospital in 54 hours! I would love to see this book adapted into a movie. :-)
Lindsay (1760 KP) rated The Path (Tag #1) in Books
Feb 15, 2018
Review: The Path by Peter Riva Simon Bank does not know he is special. He is the one that starts it all by doing something in the system. He needs to fix it to save humanity on Earth. We learn what we do not know yet. Earth needs to be in balance and if not our world will be gone and we will not know what has happened.Who and how does Peter and then Apollo and Ra become as they do? Peter Riva has you wondering whether it will happen in our real world after a couple chapters. He does so well that all his characters seem real and that you are a part of the story.Will earth survive or will it be exterminated? Simeon reveals secrets and meets up with Crammer and Angie and a few others. Will they help or will they not? Can Crammer and Angie protect Simeon? Will they stay on the Path?If You enjoy this book you will enjoy "Reaching Angelica" which you will want to read. You can review "Reaching Angelica" by clicking the link.
Dana (24 KP) rated The Eleventh Plague in Books
Mar 23, 2018
I got this book in high school about six years ago and decided to finally give it a read. It was just starting at me from my shelf with it's sad eyes, so I had to give in.
This was a pretty interesting dystopia. I liked the world building and the idea of the eleven plagues to wipe out humanity. It was pretty well written and even though it was short, there was a lot of story involved in the pages. It felt like it was rushed. A lot of stuff happens in such a short amount of time that does not allow for the characters to really flourish in the book for me. I think that is the main problem I had with this book
It's been a while since I read it, so I don't remember much of the plot which is kind of a problem for me. I think I will look into more of what Jeff Hirsch has written because I want to try out another book of his to get a feel for the writing style.
Overall, not too bad of a book. I just wish I remembered more of it.
This was a pretty interesting dystopia. I liked the world building and the idea of the eleven plagues to wipe out humanity. It was pretty well written and even though it was short, there was a lot of story involved in the pages. It felt like it was rushed. A lot of stuff happens in such a short amount of time that does not allow for the characters to really flourish in the book for me. I think that is the main problem I had with this book
It's been a while since I read it, so I don't remember much of the plot which is kind of a problem for me. I think I will look into more of what Jeff Hirsch has written because I want to try out another book of his to get a feel for the writing style.
Overall, not too bad of a book. I just wish I remembered more of it.
The Marinated Meeple (1853 KP) rated The Alienist - Season 1 in TV
Mar 29, 2018
Costumes (2 more)
Landscapes and Environments are exquisite
Cinematography
The Acting (4 more)
The Subject
Creepy upon creepy
Unlikable characters
Not enough happens
The production quality is very high, everything else is very low...
This show is very pretty to look at, and I can only imagine all the work that went into making it that way. This is really the only reason it gets any marks at all. I really believe I'm in a historical time period. The camera work is great too. Problem is everything else is a let down to say the least. The Characters are unlikable and borderline uninteresting. Even if they explain what the Alienist means, it's not enough. It's a terrible name. There is a genuine lack of humanity going on here and all the interactions are so cold and sterile of feeling, which I suppose could be on purpose, but doesn't do the show any favors. The characters dance around each other but don't connect. I realize on some level I'm not the target audience because I don't like creepy, and I don't like horror, and I'm not a fan of showing the seedy underside of society with young boys dressed as girls in a brothel.
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