This can't come soon enough, I've no patience for cliffhangers. I demand resolution!!!This can't come soon enough, I've no patience for cliffhangers. I demand resolution!!!...more
(C-) 59% | Very Unsatisfactory Notes: Smug and sterile, it refuses to get to the point: all idle-talk and touristy tidbits, it's a dumb book that think(C-) 59% | Very Unsatisfactory Notes: Smug and sterile, it refuses to get to the point: all idle-talk and touristy tidbits, it's a dumb book that thinks it's smart.
*Check out progress updates for detailed commentary: (view spoiler)[
Progress updates:
12/17/2019 - Preamble: [image] In August I set up a poll asking, of books I own, what people would like me to read. I write quite detailed status updates, and would rather they be books others are interested in hearing about. I'm not queuing them in order, though. I retain the prerogative to read what I feel like, and of these top vote-getters I'm in the mood to read "Origin."
12/19/2019 - Prologue–Chapter 1: (1) A rabbi, a bishop, and an Islamic scholar walk into a library... (2) I've given the previous four books each a different star rating, all except 5. Meaning, by all sense and logic, this should be a 5-star book! (3) In Dan Brown books, people are introduced by fanboys/girls. First astonishment: "I can't believe it's you, world famous [blank]!" Then accolades: "I've read your groundbreaking work on [blank]."
12/21/2019 - Chapters 2–8: It's often said that the most difficult Batman villain to write is the Riddler. This is because his whole gimmick is that he devises puzzles that Batman must solve to save the day. This necessarily puts the writer in the role of puzzle-maker, which very few are adept at. In Dan Brown's world, everyone's a genius: the best in the world at what they do. In short, everyone's the Riddler, and his riddles are pretty lame.
12/23/2019 - Chapters 9–26: It took over 100-pages, but the Mad-Lib blanks of Dan Brown formula have finally been filled in, albeit with some twists: (1) The freak religious assassin is decidedly less freakish, more sad than anything. (2) The impossibly brilliant, impossibly beautiful, brunette sidekick is engaged and, unless her fiancé turns out to be the villain, is not a love interest for Langdon. (3) Modern art instead of classical art? Ew!
12/27/2019 - Chapters 27–36: (1) Robert Langdon has an A.I. assistant, his very own deus ex machina. Yay! :( (2) Prediction not spoiler: The PR girl's the mastermind. Looks millennial, but I bet she's a secret zealot. (3) I mentioned previously that Batman writers dislike having to write the Riddler because it forces them to become puzzle-makers. But do you know who's great at making puzzles? Dan Brown! He should write the Riddler!
12/29/2019 - Chapters 37–52: (1) Without the usual historical conspiracy, this book loses considerable intrigue, and sort of reads like a Rick Steves European travel guide. (2) To complete my reading challenge I must read two books in three days. I have a short one marked for Sunday, leaving one. If I push hard, this could be the final piece of the puzzle. I'm not a fast reader, so 100 pages each day will be an effort, but it's doable.
12/31/2019 - Chapters 53–80: (1) I find my updates for this book haven't been very interesting. Possibly because the story hasn't been very interesting, and so there aren't many interesting things to say about it. It's not even so bad that I can make interesting complaints. (2) I've almost exactly 100 pages left to go and should easily finish this tomorrow, thus completing my unnecessarily stressful and down-to-the-wire reading challenge. (hide spoiler)]...more
(A-) 83% | Very Good Notes: Indoctrination exploration, knitting thorny threads, a startling ending (fallout pending!), weighty (dense with dread).
*Che(A-) 83% | Very Good Notes: Indoctrination exploration, knitting thorny threads, a startling ending (fallout pending!), weighty (dense with dread).
*Check out progress updates for detailed commentary: (view spoiler)[
Progress updates:
09/26/2023 (1) - Preamble: (1) I rarely pre-order books, but did for this one. It's a remarkably consistent series and I always look forward to reading the next installment. (2) More than just a well-constructed plot, the characterization is really where the series shines. The Strike/Robin relationship is one of the more interesting ones in current fiction. - Hopefully, there's some tipping-point to their long-running sexual tension.
09/26/2023 (2) - Prologue: (1) We get familiar series accouterments at the very start. - Section epigraphs that don't necessarily add substance or context, but nevertheless set the literary mood. - Different fonts for epistolary sections, which is a perk of reading a physical book instead of digital. Here it's letters, last book was chat rooms. (2) I forgot that this series hasn't caught up to present day. - This takes place in 2016.
09/27/2023 (1) - Chapters 1–5: (1) It's interesting that these books, at least since "Lethal White," have always begun with some major life event. - Previously, a wedding, a deathbed, a milestone birthday, and here with a christening. (2) I enjoy that Strike bases his decisions in part on whether they will increase the chances of Robin breaking up with her new boyfriend. (3) UHC seems to be based on Scientology, with a dash of Amish.
09/27/2023 (2) - Chapters 6–11: (1) Strike and Robin better spill their feelings by the end of this! - It's playing their meant-to-be angle way too hard. - Barely 50-pages in and they're both privately consumed with how "in love" they are with the other. (2) Around 100-pages in, and I'm comfortable enough to rate this 4-stars. - Simply put, I can't see this falling to 3-stars nor reaching 5-stars. - Of course, I could change my mind.
09/28/2023 - Chapters 12–17: (1) I'm at the point in the book where it's really heavy into information gathering. - That means long interviews and lots of new names to keep track of. - Luckily, we get some spicy relationship drama peppered in, so it's never too dry. (2) Whenever I see "The Drowned Prophet" I think "Game of Thrones." - Though odd-sounding nomenclature, prophets are essentially the same concept as canonized saints.
09/29/2023 (1) - Chapters 18–24: (1) Niamh met her much older husband when he was her boss. Which is exactly how Robin met Strike, who's around a decade her senior. - A fairly clear parallel, at least to me. A window into what a potential homelife might be were they a couple. - It also follows similar Robin musings at Prudence's house. (2) Orange tracksuits are a bit Heaven's Gate, a bit "Orange is the New Black." - Ergo, cult prison.
09/29/2023 (2) - Chapters 25–30: (1) The Abigail interview chapter took forever to finish! - Not that it was bad but because, as is one of the hallmarks of this series, all accents are spelled out phonetically. - Abigail has the thickest cockney (?) accent this side of "My Fair Lady." Even more so because she's drunk for most of it. (2) Bold theory: I predict since Daiyu's body was never found, her death was faked to cover an escape!
10/01/2023 - Chapters 31–37: (1) This book does a great job of making Taio Wace look like the world's biggest creep and pervert. - Mostly to do with details concerning Robin and her undergarments. - Slimeball as he is, it's never the likeliest suspects in these books who's the main villain, it's always a twist reveal. (2) Bold theory: I predict Ryan will confront Strike, accusing him of hiding/destroying Robin's messages for him.
10/02/2023 (1) - Chapters 38–43: (1) I'm a big fan of phonetically spelling out accents. We get a variety here. - I especially enjoy Colonel Graves' upper class accent, with "hyar" for here, "yerse" for yes, and (my favorite) "marriage huana" for marijuana. (2) Ryan's handwriting font is quite girlish, especially compared to Strike's comparatively scratchy font on the opposite facing page. - I wonder how deliberate a choice this was.
10/02/2023 (2) - Chapters 44–52: (1) Well, those Polaroids are a game changer. - In a book that's been all sorts of creepy, it's the first really shocking thing to come up. - If not illegal, it at least corroborates some of the most hard-to-believe, allegations against the UHC. (2) Robin losing track of the days is low-key terrifying. - She's lost a grip on reality! (3) In my mental casting, Jonathan Wace is played by Timothy Dalton.
10/03/2023 (1) - Chapters 53–58: (1) Strike channels his inner mob boss during his trip to the prison and in dealing with Littlejohn. (2) I'll never think of the word "retreat" in the same way again! (3) Halfway in, and the bulk of this hardcover has (somewhat predictably) exacted a physical toll on me. - I've developed two bright-red abrasions on the back of my left thumb where the weight of the book's been pressing as I've held it.
10/03/2023 (2) - Chapters 59–65: (1) I don't think I'd ever envision there'd be a witness interview with a laugh track. - The whole thing felt like a sitcom or a late night interview show, or parodies thereof. - Ironically, silly as it was, it resulted in the most consequential witness revelations so far. (2) Charlotte! OMG! (3) Strike finally orders a Doom Bar. - Now we just need creosote tea and all will be right with the universe.
10/03/2023 (3) - Chapters 66–72: (1) One thing I appreciate about this series is that it's fairly agnostic when it comes to modern politics. - Brexit and Trump are brought up as news events, but no moral judgement's passed. - Strike's pretty much apolitical. Robin's politics are fairly clear, but only if you read between the lines. (2) Bold theory: I predict the axe will be used as a weapon! - It's Chekhov's gun... er, Chekhov's axe.
10/04/2023 (1) - Chapters 73–81: (1) It's come to the point where I dread reading Robin chapters. - Not that they're bad, just really uncomfortable. - The abuse Robin must/chooses to endure is increasingly gross and perverse. (2) That lawnmower scene was something else! - Prediction: The TV adaptation will not be 100% faithful to the source material. (3) Somehow I doubt, "Hey, wanna spirit bond?" will ever catch on as a pick-up line.
10/04/2023 (2) - Chapters 82–90: (1) Why does Robin always have to cut it so close? - Thank goodness for Jiang, that's all I'll say. - She's definitely not a damsel-in-distress, but being vulnerable and imperiled is her recurring theme. (2) Ironic, literally running away from religion, but with the absolute blind certainty a savior is at the end waiting for you. (3) Well, it looks like at least one of my bold theories may be correct.
10/05/2023 (1) - Chapters 91–97: (1) Strike: "If the f****r tries using a skeleton key again, he'll get his comeuppance." - So, it's booby trapped? I picture him getting a "Home Alone" style paint can to the face. (2) I'd totally forgotten about Flora Brewster. - I'd appreciate this revelation more if I remembered who she is. - With a book of this length, you need more regular reminders of who people are and their relation to others.
10/05/2023 (2) - Chapters 98–104: (1) As of this moment, this is my second favorite in the series behind "The Ink Black Heart." - That could still change. "The Ink Black Heart" didn't really kick into high gear until the last third, so there's still time for this to wow me. (2) Tasha Mayo looks to be a recurring character going forward. - A decent addition. Though definitely not commensurate compensation for the big series departure.
10/06/2023 - Chapters 105–111: (1) "[Strike] was staring at the board while eating, willing his subconscious to make one of those unexpected leaps that explained everything." - These eureka moments, at least to me, make or break a detective novel. (2) I had to remind myself that the age of consent in the UK is 16. - I understand it varies by jurisdiction, even within the US, but it's commonly understood in North America to be 18.
10/07/2023 (1) - Chapters 112–120: (1) I had to remind myself that "Asian" in the British context means South Asian, whereas in America it means East Asian. (2) Well, Chekhov's gun went off. Here's hoping Chekhov's axe isn't far behind. - The axe being explained/used is up there with creosote tea as things that need to happen before this book is over. - I'd have included the romance angle, but that's been like the boy who cried wolf.
10/07/2023 (2) - Chapters 121–129: (1) Robin's in peril at the climax, because of course she is. (2) While not stated outright, what happened to Daiyu is pretty much clear. - Heck of a twist if it sticks. (3) Good as it's getting, I feel like I'm going to finish disappointed. - With less than 50-pages left, there's barely enough space to wrap up the mystery let alone have Robin break up with Ryan and have a feelings talk with Strike.
10/07/2023 (3) - Chapters 130–136: (1) So, turns out the supposed solution to Daiyu's suspicious death was a red herring! - Though, the actual outcome isn't as beguiling a twist, albeit much more elaborate, so it's a bit of a letdown. (2) Boy! the ending was something, wasn't it? - Who knew all it would take was for Ilsa and Charlotte to cease pressing Strike about the elephant in the room to spur him into action? (3) And so we wait.
10/07/2023 (4) - Final Thoughts: (1) As good as this got toward the end and as much as I preferred the ending to what everyone was hoping for, it wasn't enough to make this my favorite in the series. That remains "The Ink Black Heart." But this got close. (2) We never got any mention of creosote tea! That's disappointing. - Robin's the only person who makes tea the way Strike likes, and hence it's symbolic of their unspoken intimacy. (hide spoiler)]...more
(A) 85% | Extraordinary Notes: It's a logical, captivating mystery where everything clicks into place. It gives backwoods Sweden a Transylvania feel.(A) 85% | Extraordinary Notes: It's a logical, captivating mystery where everything clicks into place. It gives backwoods Sweden a Transylvania feel....more
(A-) 84% | Very Good Notes: Political but even-handed, left and right get reprimanded, merits weight, no novelette, it makes you hate the internet.
*Che(A-) 84% | Very Good Notes: Political but even-handed, left and right get reprimanded, merits weight, no novelette, it makes you hate the internet.
*Check out progress updates for detailed commentary: (view spoiler)[
Progress updates:
09/01/2022 - Preamble: (1) I pre-ordered this book, which means that I'm actually getting it later than if I'd just walked in a store. Still, it's supposedly coming later today, so it's not too bad. (2) I'm interested to see the actual page count. This will likely be the longest book I've ever read. - Previously, I've only read one 1,000+ page book. That was "A Dance with Dragons," which I actually read twice (once in audiobook).
09/02/2022 - Chapter 1: (1) Lots of mirroring to start. Last book ended with Robin's birthday, and this book begins with it. - Also the perfume. (2) I've always said that Strike and Robin's relationship exist in a kind of adolescent/tween bubble, amplified by the often lascivious nature of their investigations. - Over the course of three books, they've graduated from hugs to accidental kisses to almost-intentional kiss movements.
09/06/2022 - Notes: (1) I've barely started with this book. My pre-order got lost in the mail, and so I've just got that sorted out. I'll pick up a copy soon from a brick-and-mortar. - So far, I've been tiding myself over with Kindle preview pages, but those have a bad tendency to run out. - I doubt I'd have had much time to read it last week anyway. I've been very busy. I spent all Sunday at my cousin's baby shower, for example.
09/08/2022 - Chapters 2-5: (1) I have a feeling the could've-been kiss is going to be like the hug at the start of Lethal White, and be referenced endlessly throughout the whole book. - Hugs are not how babies are made and should not be regarded as such. (2) That chat log chapter was like reading Goldstein's manifesto in 1984. - Not bad per se, just a total departure. (3) This takes place in 2014/2015. Seems like forever ago.
09/10/2022 - Chapters 6-12: (1) Around 100-pages in, and I'm comfortable enough to rate this 4-stars. - Simply put, I can't see this falling to 3-stars nor reaching 5-stars. - Of course, I could change my mind. (2) I appreciate that accents are spelled out phonetically. - Instantly adds personality. (3) Must there be food or tea for Strike and Robin to have a conversation? - Yes. (4) I'm sad I've not seen the word "creosote" yet.
09/11/2022 - Chapters 13-17: (1) One big criticism I have about this so far is how it represents online culture. - Everything is just so over-the-top aggressive—unmitigated id—that it bears little resemblance to my experience of YouTube and Twitter... well YouTube at least. (2) This has turned out to be a much more political book than I'd expected. - I guess I'm fine with that, so long as the main characters stay out of the muck.
09/12/2022 - Chapters 18-22: (1) It's worth noting that this book showcases the villain's POV. I think the only other time this happened was with The Shacklewell Ripper in "Career of Evil." - Of course, that depends on whether the prime suspect is the actual perpetrator. (2) We're at the evidence gathering portion of the book. - Usually that tedium is offset by some colorful subplots, but that's been few and far between thus far.
09/13/2022 - Chapters 23-28: (1) I was spoiled on the ending of the book yesterday in my comments by an anti-author troll. It is what it is. - Of course, not having finished the book, I can't confirm it's actually true. So I'll just treat it as if it isn't. - Anticipating mean and malicious harassment, I should have finished the book faster. But, as I said in an earlier update, my book arrived a week late. So, it can't be helped.
09/15/2022 - Chapters 29-34: (1) "Strike, who'd never heard of tumblr, found himself momentarily confused as to what he was looking at." - I'm plenty familiar with tumblr, and I still have no idea what I'm looking at. (2) I've gotten used to reading 2-3 simultaneous chat logs, but it's annoying when they cut off to continue onto the next page at the same time. (3) After a dry spell of relationship drama, suddenly there's a flood.
09/17/2022 - Chapters 35-37: (1) I don't know that the chapter epigraphs add anything to the story or experience of the book. Most often they confuse rather than enlighten. - If there's a poignance to the theme of lady Victorian poets, I'm not getting it. Unless it suggests Edie Ledwell's similarly gothic or discriminated for her gender. (2) Unfortunately ironic that the times I'm free to read each day is when I'm the most tired.
09/19/2022 - Chapters 38-41: (1) There's an additional layer of mystery-solving with this story. Not only is there the search to unmask the villain, but an added satisfaction in unmasking all the anonymous online personas as well. (2) While my reading's been slowed from watching so much coverage of the Queen's death and its subsequent ceremonies and dramas, it has, on the other hand, helped put me in a very British state of mind.
09/20/2022 - Chapters Chapters 42-47: (1) This has been an extremely political book. At least, socio-politically aggressive and in-your-face. Still, it's been clever in not having either main character express a clear political bias. - Robin, for example, feels depressed after the Tories win the 2015 UK election. But it's (I think) deliberately vague as to whether she'd depressed about the election or about a dog that's just died or both.
09/21/2022 (1) - Chapters 48-51: (1) Strike suffering humiliating injury due to his leg is a staple of the series. Here he has two in close succession. - I'm still holding out hope for creosote tea. (2) It's always satisfying to pass the halfway mark of any book, but more so for cinder blocks like this. - I find myself going at a faster pace. Partly because mental pictures have cemented and I'm no longer having to sort out who's who.
09/21/2022 (2) - Chapters 52-57: (1) I wonder if the author's a DC Comics fan? She seems to know her way around Batman characters fairly well, but can't even spell Spider-Man correctly. (2) We have a subtle callback to Strike and Robin's first meeting at the end of the "Red Shoes" chapter. - In both cases, Strike saves Robin from serious, perhaps mortal, injury in a way that could be taken as sexual if not for the life-saving aspect.
09/22/2022 - Chapters 58-62: (1) It's utterly predictable that Strike would reach the conclusion that the ersatz Robin he's been dating isn't close to the real thing. - Well, except physically, which, predictably, is about all he enjoys about her. (2) As in "Lethal White," Robin remarks on how heavy her mahogany bed is. As a hobbyist woodworker, I just want to yell: "Mahogany isn't heavy! It's one of the lightest woods there is!"
09/23/2022 - Chapters 63-65: (1) This moderator exam of Anomie's sounds exactly like the Goodreads' librarian application exam. - Although, with the former, it's not merely used as a tool to dissuade and reject applicants. I'd assume passing the "Drek's Game" moderator quiz actually makes you a moderator. (2) As much as I find information-gathering chapters tedious, the dots connected at the end of the Blay interview is worth it.
09/24/2022 - Chapters 66-70: (1) "[Strike] thought ... what? That [Robin] was some innocent schoolgirl?" - To be fair, Robin pretty much thinks this about herself a chapter or so back. (2) Interestingly, Strike and Robin exist as a kind of implicit couple, emotionally, although not in reality. So, anything romantic or sexual expressed to others is taken as infidelity, with all the emotional baggage, but none of the confrontation.
09/25/2022 (1) - Chapters 71-76: (1) One thing you can count on in this series is that if the police arrest someone, and the book's not over, they're not the killer. - Strike needs his info-dump reveal chapter. (2) I fear this whole Strike/Robin romance subplot may end up being a perpetual ships-passing-in-the-night situation. - At best, we might get a Ron/Hermione outcome, where thing finally happen at the very end of the last book.
09/25/2022 (2) - Chapters 77-81: (1) Again, we have an example of mirroring. The restaurant scene in Whitstable is essentially identical to the Ritz scene at the start. (2) "Strike looked down at his own plate: where there should have been chips, there was only salad." - Perhaps the most perfect line in the whole book. (3) The bit about "All-Star Batman and Robin" is so esoteric that I'm all but certain the author's a DC Comics' fan.
09/26/2022 - Chapters 82-87: (1) It's somewhat surprising how young all these anonymous characters are revealed to be. - Though, I suppose the internet isn't exactly the playground of the middle-aged or elderly. (2) Some jerk spoiled me on the ending early on, but I'm beginning to doubt its veracity. I have a theory that two mods are the same person, as the villain somehow knows information only this other account is able to get.
09/27/2022 (1) - Chapters 88-95: (1) As usual, the last fifth of the book is just flying by. - I had to make an effort to pull away. (2) One of the ironies of this series is how two detectives can be so perceptive and astute, yet so clueless about their own mutual attraction. - Though, early on, one did come to a shock epiphany about their own feelings, and the other did the same just now. - Again, this book's just full of mirroring.
09/27/2022 (2) - Chapters 96-100: (1) Going into the homestretch, I'm flirting with rating this 5-stars, despite saying previously that I couldn't see it happening. - Still a long-shot, but not a thing I even considered over the first 800 pages. (2) At this point, I'm fairly sure who the villain is. - There's at least one major unexplained scene that there's simply not enough pages to make sense of unless it's part of the end reveal.
09/28/2022 - Chapters 101-107: (1) I'm essentially done. All I have left are the Acknowledgements and Credits. I'll mark this finished after I read those. - Yes, I'm the sort of reader who must read every single word of a book to consider it done. (2) The ending was a bit frustrating. A bit too monster-movie for me... plus the personal drama. (3) Creosote tea is back! Of course it would be saved until the end, for maximum effect. (hide spoiler)]...more
(B) 75% | More than Satisfactory Notes: Read in trade paperback. Collective review for issues #1-6 can be found here: Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life and Dea(B) 75% | More than Satisfactory Notes: Read in trade paperback. Collective review for issues #1-6 can be found here: Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life and Death...more
(B+) 78% | Good Notes: Less horror show than action flick, but does the trick, artistically improved, it's slick, a simple plot that goes by quick.(B+) 78% | Good Notes: Less horror show than action flick, but does the trick, artistically improved, it's slick, a simple plot that goes by quick....more
(B) 73% | More than Satisfactory Notes: Blathers a lot, just only shock for plot, so deathly disjointed, you leave it disappointed, and irked 'twas all(B) 73% | More than Satisfactory Notes: Blathers a lot, just only shock for plot, so deathly disjointed, you leave it disappointed, and irked 'twas all for naught....more
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