Zahir Bey was OK. I know he was kind of the "voice of conscience" in the book but I thought the description of him as loud, brash, and seemingly liking to dance around made him almost kind of foolish (apply that to descriptions of most of the Katiris as well).
I liked that. It may be because of my love of Nietzsche, but I feel quite strongly that a "voice of conscience" should have that sort of vitality. If he had done the low key brooding thing, or the strong silent man (god forbid), it would have been to much of a cliché. Slightly crazy man who dances on tables and saves grandmothers in his dressing gown, but who knows how to puncture tension with crazy dancing, THAT works for me.
I didn't necessarily think much of Gonzo. I think the way the narrator describes him Gonzo is "that guy" that everyone knows sooner or later in life; the alpha male type, fearless and gung-ho. I didn't hate Gonzo but I didn't like him that much either.
How do you feel about him when you see him in light of the reveal? I did not like him much up to that point, but seen in context he becomes more interesting.
Who couldn't love Master Wu? What is not to love about the stereotypical wise, old Chinese master full of a thousand secrets but unwilling to teach anyone not ready to know them? I think it helped that he was a fun old man as well rather than just a constantly meditating and stern. Wu was as fun as he was wise and it was endearing.
I agree.
I also liked Elizabeth. I just liked her, I don't know why exactly but I liked her much more than I did Leah. In fact I was kind of po'd when Leah showed up because I felt like the narrator and Leah belonged together somehow. I think she was just a steady force to the narrator and Wu and every fighting man needs that - a sense of stability and sanity.
A sense of stability and sanity from the girl who dresses up in a crazy moustache and pilot goggles. And a cape!
Pestle was kind of weird. I didn;t like him but I loved the scene where the narrator peeks in on him and sees him kind of disconnected from reality, awaiting orders from Jorgmund. The realization that the founder of this thing called FOX and Jorgmund had been overtaken by it and become a tool used by it rather than a master of it was a pretty strong statement about how business can become soulless.
Yes.
*MySmiley*
structured procrastinator
structured procrastinator
June Book Club: The Gone-Away World by Nick Harkaway
- 07/06/2010 06:09:34 PM
1362 Views
What did you think? Love, hate, etc? *NM*
- 07/06/2010 06:10:02 PM
460 Views
No surprises here, I suppose.
- 07/06/2010 07:05:47 PM
930 Views
Neither. Good, but not that deep, and with some annoying things.
- 07/06/2010 10:29:18 PM
826 Views
Mostly regarding being tricked
- 08/06/2010 08:47:56 AM
1028 Views
*lol* Don't give up on your thesis just yet. 
- 08/06/2010 09:20:16 AM
938 Views
- 08/06/2010 09:20:16 AM
938 Views
Re: I am linking to my review, because I am self-centred like that. But I am not a fan.
- 09/06/2010 11:47:16 AM
960 Views
Is it successful as a satire?
- 07/06/2010 06:11:11 PM
751 Views
Yes, as long as we are clear on one thing: that is not all it does.
- 07/06/2010 08:29:59 PM
877 Views
Partially.
- 08/06/2010 01:58:19 PM
897 Views
Re: Actually, the IMF loan thing worked better for me.
- 09/06/2010 11:50:36 AM
984 Views
But right up to the point where they're given one they don't want, and the interest thing, etc?
- 12/06/2010 01:21:11 PM
846 Views
Characters:
- 07/06/2010 06:12:29 PM
948 Views
One of my favourite things about this book. *spoilers* (do we need to mark spoilers here?)
- 07/06/2010 07:58:36 PM
1076 Views
*NM*
Re: Characters:
- 09/06/2010 03:03:40 AM
1128 Views
Re: Characters:
- 15/06/2010 02:56:01 PM
786 Views
The BIG twist:
- 07/06/2010 06:13:38 PM
913 Views
Not such a surprise
- 07/06/2010 07:01:24 PM
885 Views
Apparently I was the only person who did not see it coming *spoilers*
- 07/06/2010 08:51:01 PM
936 Views
Re: I guessed it in the second chapter.
- 09/06/2010 12:00:49 PM
869 Views
I clearly need to reread Thief of Time.
- 13/06/2010 06:07:28 PM
713 Views
Re: Spoiler for Thief of Time :
- 14/06/2010 08:27:33 AM
880 Views
Ideas
- 07/06/2010 06:15:25 PM
911 Views
Re: Ideas
- 08/06/2010 12:41:31 PM
785 Views
Re: I agree with you, and I think it is one of the drawbacks of the novel.
- 09/06/2010 12:07:51 PM
801 Views
Re: I agree with you, and I think it is one of the drawbacks of the novel.
- 09/06/2010 06:26:20 PM
850 Views
Re: I think you tend to read something and then decide that it is not fit for the genre it is trying
- 10/06/2010 09:23:29 AM
678 Views
The New People
- 07/06/2010 07:32:46 PM
912 Views
I know how I would have reacted in real life
- 08/06/2010 01:20:04 PM
834 Views
Re: I would have been one of those awkward hypocrites who tried to be cool with it.
- 09/06/2010 12:11:51 PM
808 Views
The first chapter
- 07/06/2010 09:01:13 PM
964 Views
Favourite scenes
- 08/06/2010 01:31:57 PM
858 Views
Re: Ninjas vs. Pirates: Your inner geek votes for?
- 09/06/2010 12:05:22 PM
903 Views
Pirates. Everytime.
- 12/06/2010 01:29:01 PM
822 Views
Re: Pirates. Everytime.
- 15/06/2010 02:40:45 PM
791 Views
I don't consider the pirates thing to be a "pattern"
- 15/06/2010 02:52:46 PM
790 Views
Oh, but that is just the thing: it is.
- 15/06/2010 03:16:26 PM
762 Views
I suspect our differing opinions on what is and isn't a pattern might make this discussion fail. 
- 17/06/2010 06:19:11 PM
834 Views
- 17/06/2010 06:19:11 PM
834 Views
A question I had while reading the book - was this meant to be set in Britain, the US, or some mix?
- 13/06/2010 10:53:03 PM
746 Views
You've not got it quite right. We are able to distinguish between a truck and a lorry.
- 20/06/2010 11:09:51 PM
1030 Views
The other people in the airfield pond
- 15/06/2010 03:04:01 PM
1061 Views
They were scary.
- 17/06/2010 06:25:59 PM
820 Views
The use of tense
- 17/06/2010 03:55:01 PM
842 Views
This is a tendency I have noticed in a lot of contemporary literature
- 17/06/2010 08:54:55 PM
1157 Views