Shoplifting from American Apparel by Tao Lin.

"Much in the way that Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace left me feeling at loose ends and confused, so did Tao Lin's novella. But perhaps that was the point. It was something fleeting, temporary, but thought provoking enough to make you stop and think and wonder about what you just read. I'm honestly not sure."

2 Stars

Pros: It definitely painted a pretty accurate picture of the younger generation of today, constantly on their phones/email/Disinterested, aloof.

Cons: I couldn't tell if this was satire or not and it left me feeling a little lost. Much like Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace

Full Review:

This novel follows the life of a young, writer. He often feels lost, at loose ends and unsure as to what to do with himself. He chats with his friends on GMail Chat, goes from place to place and never seems to really set roots anywhere. The relationships he has are fleeting though he seems to genuinely like the people he chooses to sleep with. But after awhile, the passion burns out and he ends up saying things that he regrets. As a whole, the narrative is just off, strange, hard to pin point and those are basically the feelings I had after finishing this book.

I wasn't sure if it was satire, a spoof on the youth of today, or if it was supposed to be enlightening. I finished the book and just kind of blinked. I didn't enjoy it but at the same time I didn't hate it. It just kind of there, something that I had read, come into my life and I finished it. And perhaps, that's the whole meaning, that life is fleeting, the time we have here is temporary and unless we make an attempt, our life will pass us by without us knowing.

Comments

Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury

"Obviously targeted to writers but honestly, anyone could benefit from Bradbury's practical yet poetic advice, this was a collection of esasys by Bradbury about his writing process and reflections on some of his greatest works." ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Pros: Bradbury, duh, though I'm biased, to me, the man's prose is pure poetry, every word beautiful/Since writing is not my career, it was an interesting way to view Bradbury's life. Writing was his job and he was the only income. If he did not produce material, he would not get paid. It help put things into perspective. Cons: The man can go on for a bit 😂/Bradbury's insane work ethic and endless endurance to just produce story after story seems insane and overwhelming but then again, this was his livelihood, so I'm sure it was insane and overwhelming. If he didn't write and get paid, they'd starve, so, it was a life or death situation. Full Review: This was essentially a collection of essays written by Bra...

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick

“Rick Deckard is a Bounty Hunter who's on the trail of six "Andys" (Androids) who have come to Earth illegally. His job is to track them down and "retire" them. Something he found easy to do until he met her, Rachael Rosen. The Android that does the impossible, passes the "Voight-Kampff" test. The story quickly devolves into a slow, drawn out and frankly boring mystery that was putting me to sleep by the end." ⭐⭐ Pros: I was more interested in comparing it to the film, "Bladerunner."/At first I kind of liked the drab, dreary atmostphere but it soon became soporific. Cons: I had no real idea what was going on with Mercerism/The end there had me blinking in bewilderment, like with Herbert's 29th Dune Book/There was a lot of idle chit-chat while they were in murderous/intense situations, it just seemed odd. Full Review: Rick Deckard, a Bounty Hunter, contracted with the San Francisco Police Department hunts down and retires rogue ...

Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King

“The tale of Andy Dufresne and how he served his time at Shawshank prison, as told through the eyes of his friend and fellow inmate, Red. Dark and disturbing but also compulsively readbale. I finished it in 2 days. Also enjoyable is Frank Darabont's 1994 film adaptation, "The Shawshank Redemption." ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Pros : Red has a soothing, drawl, making the reading easy and flowing/Since I saw the film first, I couldn't help but compare the book though I was pleased to find that the two were very similar. Cons : Things got a bit rambling a bit at the beginning/Since I saw the film first I couldn't help but compare the book but this ended up not being a con. Full Review: The state of Maine has a prison. Shawshank Redemption. And Red is the guy that can get you things. He also happens to be the only guilty man in Shawshank but that's netiher here nor there. He meets Andy Dufresne for business purposes at first and he finds him to be a calm, cool man and Red likes him i...

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