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Four D
Four D consists of four “Space”, “Four Rooms”, “The Principle of Luidgi”, and “Guest”. “Space” is a story about disappearances. The characters lives in a world of disappearing people and objects, which might or might not be important. In such a flexible reality, one should not get used to or attached to anything. However, the main character falls in love and finds a best friend despite all risks. To top it all off, he is visited by Space—the power that stands behind all the disappearances. “Four Rooms” is a story about a young woman called Elise. Elise had always been a prisoner of her own mind. But at some point everything took a turn. She had to make a stand when she found herself at a life changing situation in a dark room with four doors. She has to open all doors and enter every room with its own mystery and secrets and has to do it immediately. Going through the four rooms is a challenge Elise has to complete to find something she needs so badly – the truth. “The Principle of Luidgi” is a story about Luidgi. Luidgi has a beautiful girlfriend, a good job, a lovely apartment, trusted friends but instead of being happy and grateful he’s sick and tired of it all. Luidgi decide to change everything despite all costs. “Guest” is a story about the character who wants to meet the Guest. Finally one day he makes decision to do “it” and Guest arrives. Now all his questions are about to be answered, but is it really what he wants? These tense mysterious stories with incredibly engaging plots will not leave any reader feeling indifferent.
180 pages
First published November 23, 2011
265 people want to read
About the author
Gregory Morrison
23 books7 followersGregory Morrison works as a script writer and author. He has written scripts for short films such as “Stain Remover” and “Frankie Said Relax.” In his free time, he likes traveling, spending time with friends and is an amateur photographer. Morrison currently lives in London.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 17, 2012
Inside a Mind Gone Feral
FOUR D is a collection of four stories by Gregory Morrison that I would describe as speculative fiction.
While the author is a talented writer with a bright future, reading FOUR D was a painful experience for me. There were times of absorption as I groped for understanding, times of interest, especially in the first story, but most of the time I was perplexed, much as the first readers of Edgar Allen Poe’s “Murders in the Rue Morgue” or readers of, say, Albert Camus’ works must have felt.
In his opening remarks, the author tells us that the hero “lives in a world of disappearing people and objects, which might or might not be important.”
It was the phrase, “might or might not be important” that puzzled me. After reading the book, however, I decided that FOUR D was a wild ride inside of a mind gone feral, and that whatever meaning could be squeezed from the words, derived from such a tragicomic experience, but that meaning did not reside in the words themselves. Put another way, the author seems to be saying that there is no meaning, only life devoured by meaninglessness—what the author calls “space” in the first short story.
Some of my favorite works have a character similar to the protagonist in FOUR D, but there is always a foil, someone with a rational mind, a character of equal weight, but a lucid, caring, flesh and blood character, one who lends perspective. I didn’t see any such character in any of the stories so as a reader I felt like I was drowning.
At times FOUR D had a wry humor:
My mother sent me an apple pie with a card. “I’m scared,” it said. What does she mean? I’m scared too! She saw something else. Her phone stopped working, and now we are writing letters to each other. “How are you?” “Making a soup.” “I’m ashamed.” She mentioned the crow that had disappeared in front of her while flying by. It was the biggest event in her life; mine will be tomorrow.
Gregory Morrison has great promise. He writes in English, a language that is not his mother tongue and this in itself is an amazing feat. But while there were times of clarity and humor, in the end, FOUR D did not work for me because of its repetitive narrative, much of which could have been cut, because of its sometimes stiff language: what little dialogue it contained was cumbersome, for example, this telephone conversation, location 1688:
“Hi, Bob!” “Hi, Luidgi, how are you? Everything all right?’ Bob had some worry and care in his voice. They all already know that we have split up, Luidgi was guessing. “Everything is just fine!” he answered. “Do you know what day it is?” “He’s busy; you know him. We are meeting in a restaurant called ‘P.’ I’ll text you the address.” “See you later, Bob.”
I applaud Gregory Morrison for attempting something radical. With revisions FOUR D could be cutting edge, but this edition falls short.
FOUR D is a collection of four stories by Gregory Morrison that I would describe as speculative fiction.
While the author is a talented writer with a bright future, reading FOUR D was a painful experience for me. There were times of absorption as I groped for understanding, times of interest, especially in the first story, but most of the time I was perplexed, much as the first readers of Edgar Allen Poe’s “Murders in the Rue Morgue” or readers of, say, Albert Camus’ works must have felt.
In his opening remarks, the author tells us that the hero “lives in a world of disappearing people and objects, which might or might not be important.”
It was the phrase, “might or might not be important” that puzzled me. After reading the book, however, I decided that FOUR D was a wild ride inside of a mind gone feral, and that whatever meaning could be squeezed from the words, derived from such a tragicomic experience, but that meaning did not reside in the words themselves. Put another way, the author seems to be saying that there is no meaning, only life devoured by meaninglessness—what the author calls “space” in the first short story.
Some of my favorite works have a character similar to the protagonist in FOUR D, but there is always a foil, someone with a rational mind, a character of equal weight, but a lucid, caring, flesh and blood character, one who lends perspective. I didn’t see any such character in any of the stories so as a reader I felt like I was drowning.
At times FOUR D had a wry humor:
My mother sent me an apple pie with a card. “I’m scared,” it said. What does she mean? I’m scared too! She saw something else. Her phone stopped working, and now we are writing letters to each other. “How are you?” “Making a soup.” “I’m ashamed.” She mentioned the crow that had disappeared in front of her while flying by. It was the biggest event in her life; mine will be tomorrow.
Gregory Morrison has great promise. He writes in English, a language that is not his mother tongue and this in itself is an amazing feat. But while there were times of clarity and humor, in the end, FOUR D did not work for me because of its repetitive narrative, much of which could have been cut, because of its sometimes stiff language: what little dialogue it contained was cumbersome, for example, this telephone conversation, location 1688:
“Hi, Bob!” “Hi, Luidgi, how are you? Everything all right?’ Bob had some worry and care in his voice. They all already know that we have split up, Luidgi was guessing. “Everything is just fine!” he answered. “Do you know what day it is?” “He’s busy; you know him. We are meeting in a restaurant called ‘P.’ I’ll text you the address.” “See you later, Bob.”
I applaud Gregory Morrison for attempting something radical. With revisions FOUR D could be cutting edge, but this edition falls short.
January 23, 2012
The Creative Mysteries of the Mind of Gregory Morrison
It is always a pleasure to come across a book by an author unknown at the present who seems to open completely new windows in literature. Such is the talent of Gregory Morrison. Born in the Ukraine but living now in London, he has written some successful movie scripts for short films (after reading this book the reader will want to find if these films are available to see!) but it would seem this is his first foray into the world of writing a novel. His work seethes with imagination and unique style.
At first the book FOUR D seems like a collection of four short stories or novellas and it would be possible to read each story separately at different times and they would each stand comfortable on their own: each has a theme that is well sculpted and developed and contains enough challenge for the reader to make each tale sufficient to spark an interest in the brain of Gregory Morrison. But Morrison's secret is that he in truth has provided four stories that interrelate in the most bizarre fashion that once the entire book is finished the immediate response is a combination s 'Whew! I made it through' and that more rewarding moment of 'Aha!'. That is how challenging AND rewarding Morrison's FOUR D is.
From the cover graphics we are lead to believe that the book may be about four doors: the misty image of a door overlying a foggy background of trees and the title making use of the D of FOUR D extend into a key graphic. But are these stories about unlockable doors and are we being given the key? In many ways the answer to that question is probably 'yes' - whether the author would agree or cringe or applaud we will not know...for now. The stories (or chapters) are titled 'Space', 'Four Rooms', 'The Principle of Luidgi', and 'Guest'. In 'Space' the narrator uses Space as a character: "Space power works [like microchips] in the same way. Everything is being divided and manipulated; you see its rays and signs around you. This is how I see the energy coming out of other people....The future exists whether we want it or not. There were crowds of people on the street. Life will never stop. Understanding that fact makes a person even smaller and even less noticeable. They will always find you a replacement, but if SUDDENLY you get lucky, several people might even remember YOU. Space gave me this gift, and in return, it only wants me to accept it.....What is Space? Space is the big power that came down to earth to cleanse it.'..etc
In FOUR ROOMS we meet Elise: 'One more thing about me: I like talking to myself. There are two women living inside my head. One is an insane freak with lots of answers without any questions. The other is a brokenhearted woman who hasn't got the slightest clue about what she's done wrong in life....This was the birth of the two parts of me: two girlfriends - a bitch and a nice girl. They were much older than I was; they gave me advice when I needed it. Then they were friends and appeared only sometime, depending on what was going on with me.' And as Elise gradually wanders through the four rooms she struggles with her fractured mind and the medicine her doctor has given her to mend the schism. She must find the truth about her being, her life, her existence. And as her doctor explains to her, 'Apparently our dreams when we sleep are not dreams, but our lives, and our lives are a dream. How did it happen? Human desperation to survive is to blame. Everything started with medicine. No one can live without taking medication. People keep inventing new medication in order to survive, to beat death'. [After the invention of a new painkiller] 'People just couldn't to back to real life after sleep anymore. They didn't know that in real life they were getting old. In their dreams everything was okay, but in real life, everything was slowly dying.....You died in your dream! Understand this: you die twice. The first time in your dream and you come alive in your real life. The second time you die ere, and that's for real. The end of the dream - the beginning of life, the end of life, and the beginning of the endless dream.'
The ingredients found in the remaining chapters/stories - THE PRINCIPLE OF LUIDGI (a man with everything who decides that is not enough - he must change everything at all costs) and GUEST (a strange encounter between a man and a mysterious guest - and refer to the previous stories for clues as to who that might be) are not quite so complex, but they are equally absorbing tot he reader. Both during and after reading FOUR D there are periods of loss of a sense of time and place and person that occurs in the mind of the reader - and that may be precisely what this gifted writer is attempting: buy into these characters, live in them for the moments of time they appear on the page, and likely they will remain indelibly imprinted on your perception of who and where you are. This is a compelling novel and a jarring introduction to a new writer of enormous promise.
Grady Harp
It is always a pleasure to come across a book by an author unknown at the present who seems to open completely new windows in literature. Such is the talent of Gregory Morrison. Born in the Ukraine but living now in London, he has written some successful movie scripts for short films (after reading this book the reader will want to find if these films are available to see!) but it would seem this is his first foray into the world of writing a novel. His work seethes with imagination and unique style.
At first the book FOUR D seems like a collection of four short stories or novellas and it would be possible to read each story separately at different times and they would each stand comfortable on their own: each has a theme that is well sculpted and developed and contains enough challenge for the reader to make each tale sufficient to spark an interest in the brain of Gregory Morrison. But Morrison's secret is that he in truth has provided four stories that interrelate in the most bizarre fashion that once the entire book is finished the immediate response is a combination s 'Whew! I made it through' and that more rewarding moment of 'Aha!'. That is how challenging AND rewarding Morrison's FOUR D is.
From the cover graphics we are lead to believe that the book may be about four doors: the misty image of a door overlying a foggy background of trees and the title making use of the D of FOUR D extend into a key graphic. But are these stories about unlockable doors and are we being given the key? In many ways the answer to that question is probably 'yes' - whether the author would agree or cringe or applaud we will not know...for now. The stories (or chapters) are titled 'Space', 'Four Rooms', 'The Principle of Luidgi', and 'Guest'. In 'Space' the narrator uses Space as a character: "Space power works [like microchips] in the same way. Everything is being divided and manipulated; you see its rays and signs around you. This is how I see the energy coming out of other people....The future exists whether we want it or not. There were crowds of people on the street. Life will never stop. Understanding that fact makes a person even smaller and even less noticeable. They will always find you a replacement, but if SUDDENLY you get lucky, several people might even remember YOU. Space gave me this gift, and in return, it only wants me to accept it.....What is Space? Space is the big power that came down to earth to cleanse it.'..etc
In FOUR ROOMS we meet Elise: 'One more thing about me: I like talking to myself. There are two women living inside my head. One is an insane freak with lots of answers without any questions. The other is a brokenhearted woman who hasn't got the slightest clue about what she's done wrong in life....This was the birth of the two parts of me: two girlfriends - a bitch and a nice girl. They were much older than I was; they gave me advice when I needed it. Then they were friends and appeared only sometime, depending on what was going on with me.' And as Elise gradually wanders through the four rooms she struggles with her fractured mind and the medicine her doctor has given her to mend the schism. She must find the truth about her being, her life, her existence. And as her doctor explains to her, 'Apparently our dreams when we sleep are not dreams, but our lives, and our lives are a dream. How did it happen? Human desperation to survive is to blame. Everything started with medicine. No one can live without taking medication. People keep inventing new medication in order to survive, to beat death'. [After the invention of a new painkiller] 'People just couldn't to back to real life after sleep anymore. They didn't know that in real life they were getting old. In their dreams everything was okay, but in real life, everything was slowly dying.....You died in your dream! Understand this: you die twice. The first time in your dream and you come alive in your real life. The second time you die ere, and that's for real. The end of the dream - the beginning of life, the end of life, and the beginning of the endless dream.'
The ingredients found in the remaining chapters/stories - THE PRINCIPLE OF LUIDGI (a man with everything who decides that is not enough - he must change everything at all costs) and GUEST (a strange encounter between a man and a mysterious guest - and refer to the previous stories for clues as to who that might be) are not quite so complex, but they are equally absorbing tot he reader. Both during and after reading FOUR D there are periods of loss of a sense of time and place and person that occurs in the mind of the reader - and that may be precisely what this gifted writer is attempting: buy into these characters, live in them for the moments of time they appear on the page, and likely they will remain indelibly imprinted on your perception of who and where you are. This is a compelling novel and a jarring introduction to a new writer of enormous promise.
Grady Harp
February 23, 2012
**This book was received as a free advanced reader's copy**
I'm really not sure what my feelings are on this book. I enjoyed some aspects of it, but really didn't care for others. I can see it appealing to a limited audience, who like the sort of haphazard action the characters take.
Four D is actually four stories in one, loosely related to each other through the characters emotions and also what I consider their mental delusions. The first story involves a man who lives in a world where things disappear and a being/person/something named Space is a companion for him. Things are fleeting there but happiness must be found somehow. The next story has Elise, who is lost in a place of rooms with no way to get out. Or at least none that she's found yet. But she knows that she has to keep going. The third story, possibly my favorite out of the four, has Luidgi, a man who has become bored with life and just wants to find some happiness and excitement. It leads him on a path to self destruction that almost has him spiraling out of control. The last story, and the shortest, I'm still not sure what it really was about. It went quick and seemed to involve a person that encounters a supernatural being that shows him different visions/things that change his perspective on life.
I couldn't really connect with any of the characters. In Space, he is just plain mad and hard to follow, at least through my eyes. Elise also has some mental issues and split personalities and seems disconnected from reality as we know it. Luidgi, while I didn't particularly like him, had some realism for me and I think that's why I liked that story best. He reminds me of someone I used to know who also slowly started self-destructing and pushing everyone away. It was a sad thing to watch. The last story I had so much trouble following that I can't really comment on the character too much as I feel I don't know enough about him.
Since this was four short stories there were four different styles to the book. The first one was jumbled, garbled, and was much like descending into the mind of a mad man. And I'm not sure if that's the way it was supposed to be or not. Either way, it was difficult to read. The second story was interesting, and while I couldn't connect to Elise, I did enjoy reading her story. You almost had to root for her as she made her way through the different doors. Luidgi's story since it rang so true with my experiences I liked, although the dialogue was somewhat stilted at times. The last story was just as hard as the first to get through, and I really didn't enjoy it at all. I think a re-edit on that one might be called for. It was too short and too rushed to get much out of.
An interesting book. Not something that would appeal to the masses, but those that like odd stories and character studies may find it intriguing.
Four D
Copyright 2011
172 pages
Review by M. Reynard
More of my reviews can be found at www.ifithaswords.blogspot.com
I'm really not sure what my feelings are on this book. I enjoyed some aspects of it, but really didn't care for others. I can see it appealing to a limited audience, who like the sort of haphazard action the characters take.
Four D is actually four stories in one, loosely related to each other through the characters emotions and also what I consider their mental delusions. The first story involves a man who lives in a world where things disappear and a being/person/something named Space is a companion for him. Things are fleeting there but happiness must be found somehow. The next story has Elise, who is lost in a place of rooms with no way to get out. Or at least none that she's found yet. But she knows that she has to keep going. The third story, possibly my favorite out of the four, has Luidgi, a man who has become bored with life and just wants to find some happiness and excitement. It leads him on a path to self destruction that almost has him spiraling out of control. The last story, and the shortest, I'm still not sure what it really was about. It went quick and seemed to involve a person that encounters a supernatural being that shows him different visions/things that change his perspective on life.
I couldn't really connect with any of the characters. In Space, he is just plain mad and hard to follow, at least through my eyes. Elise also has some mental issues and split personalities and seems disconnected from reality as we know it. Luidgi, while I didn't particularly like him, had some realism for me and I think that's why I liked that story best. He reminds me of someone I used to know who also slowly started self-destructing and pushing everyone away. It was a sad thing to watch. The last story I had so much trouble following that I can't really comment on the character too much as I feel I don't know enough about him.
Since this was four short stories there were four different styles to the book. The first one was jumbled, garbled, and was much like descending into the mind of a mad man. And I'm not sure if that's the way it was supposed to be or not. Either way, it was difficult to read. The second story was interesting, and while I couldn't connect to Elise, I did enjoy reading her story. You almost had to root for her as she made her way through the different doors. Luidgi's story since it rang so true with my experiences I liked, although the dialogue was somewhat stilted at times. The last story was just as hard as the first to get through, and I really didn't enjoy it at all. I think a re-edit on that one might be called for. It was too short and too rushed to get much out of.
An interesting book. Not something that would appeal to the masses, but those that like odd stories and character studies may find it intriguing.
Four D
Copyright 2011
172 pages
Review by M. Reynard
More of my reviews can be found at www.ifithaswords.blogspot.com
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July 22, 2016This review was written by me and is the one I wrote and posted at LibraryThing:
Unusual. Unusual. Unusual. There are four stories that are vaguely inter-connecting in this fine, slim book. In the first story, it was his references to his mother that I found I'd like to have read more about. My significant other & I talked quite a bit about this story, and the ppl "who are late". Some are late rarely, and perhaps due to traffic or some other of normal reasons. Then there are the continually late ones. Are these ppl just in a 'world-of-their-own" and not cognizant of this, or are they ppl who are considerably selfish. And many other concepts were brought up and spoken about as we discussed this aspect of 'living'. There is plenty more in this first story, in fact there are a "VAST" amount of other ideas to think about.
The second story is about ones' choices. We must all make them. I definitely agree with the ideas of dreams and 'waking-up' with taking a good handle on reality...so does this mean opening ALL the doors as the main character did?
Third: change "IS". It is most definitely MORE a part of life than some would prefer. Reality "IS" change. Change is number one...like it, make friends with it. It is amazing how many ppl will tell you that they do NOT like change, yet it is a 'constant' in all our lives, days, and environments.
I am leaving the fourth story for you to ponder. I recommend this book for all who like a conundrum-of-a-puzzle which is rather mysterious, in its' way. Yes, this is a unique, unique, a most unique book. You WILL be surprised, that I do believe.
This book was a gift from and through LibraryThing's "Member Giveway".
Unusual. Unusual. Unusual. There are four stories that are vaguely inter-connecting in this fine, slim book. In the first story, it was his references to his mother that I found I'd like to have read more about. My significant other & I talked quite a bit about this story, and the ppl "who are late". Some are late rarely, and perhaps due to traffic or some other of normal reasons. Then there are the continually late ones. Are these ppl just in a 'world-of-their-own" and not cognizant of this, or are they ppl who are considerably selfish. And many other concepts were brought up and spoken about as we discussed this aspect of 'living'. There is plenty more in this first story, in fact there are a "VAST" amount of other ideas to think about.
The second story is about ones' choices. We must all make them. I definitely agree with the ideas of dreams and 'waking-up' with taking a good handle on reality...so does this mean opening ALL the doors as the main character did?
Third: change "IS". It is most definitely MORE a part of life than some would prefer. Reality "IS" change. Change is number one...like it, make friends with it. It is amazing how many ppl will tell you that they do NOT like change, yet it is a 'constant' in all our lives, days, and environments.
I am leaving the fourth story for you to ponder. I recommend this book for all who like a conundrum-of-a-puzzle which is rather mysterious, in its' way. Yes, this is a unique, unique, a most unique book. You WILL be surprised, that I do believe.
This book was a gift from and through LibraryThing's "Member Giveway".
March 20, 2012
I won this book from the member giveaway on Librarything in exchange for an honest review.
I don't know where to start. Usually I start with a 1-2 sentence synopsis about the book. All I can say is, this is a collection of 4 stories that is about Space.
The first story is almost unreadable. It's very choppy and I think very deliberate by the author, and while I respect risks, this risk definitely did not pay off. The biggest problem is that it was the first story of the book, the first impression that we get. And it's not even "stream of consciousness," it has no story to follow. I read the second story to see if the author redeems himself, maybe the first story was a fluke. But the second one, while much more readable than the first, didn't entice me enough to finish the book.
Unfortunately there is nothing I love in this book. No enticing plot, no beautiful prose, no great characters. I would look elsewhere.
I don't know where to start. Usually I start with a 1-2 sentence synopsis about the book. All I can say is, this is a collection of 4 stories that is about Space.
The first story is almost unreadable. It's very choppy and I think very deliberate by the author, and while I respect risks, this risk definitely did not pay off. The biggest problem is that it was the first story of the book, the first impression that we get. And it's not even "stream of consciousness," it has no story to follow. I read the second story to see if the author redeems himself, maybe the first story was a fluke. But the second one, while much more readable than the first, didn't entice me enough to finish the book.
Unfortunately there is nothing I love in this book. No enticing plot, no beautiful prose, no great characters. I would look elsewhere.
September 30, 2012
I was asked to review "Four D" by the author, Gregory Morrison, and even though it is not my normal type of reading, I thought it sounded interesting and gave it a try. After reading it, and I admit, I forced myself to read it and did so speed reading, I just don't get it. I guess that's why this is not my type of reading.
I gave the book a three star rating, it's okay, because I imagine some people enjoy this type of book. Just not me. Same way I don't watch certain types of movies that I'm sure others enjoy. As a writer myself, I do respect any author's time and thought process to write, and appreciate the opportunity to look at something outside my usual fare. But reading this, it was clear to me why this kind of book is not the kind I seek out and read.
To me, the book was dark, depressing, and strange. I didn't really get where the author was going at times, and the stories did nothing to enlighten me or make me feel good. And that is what I read for. I read non-fiction that will teach me something or help me improve, and I read fiction for enjoyment and fun. This book was neither for me. But again, I know there are people out there that do enjoy this kind of bizarre look at the human condition.
I thank the author for the opportunity, and I'm sure some will enjoy these four short stories, but for me, they were not engaging, but rather a bit boring, and very strange. If you like things to make sense and have order, you won't like these stories. I don't like being too harsh, and I don't like to write negative reviews, so I'll just leave it at okay, and I hope the author finds an audience that connects with what he is trying to do, but it's not me.
I gave the book a three star rating, it's okay, because I imagine some people enjoy this type of book. Just not me. Same way I don't watch certain types of movies that I'm sure others enjoy. As a writer myself, I do respect any author's time and thought process to write, and appreciate the opportunity to look at something outside my usual fare. But reading this, it was clear to me why this kind of book is not the kind I seek out and read.
To me, the book was dark, depressing, and strange. I didn't really get where the author was going at times, and the stories did nothing to enlighten me or make me feel good. And that is what I read for. I read non-fiction that will teach me something or help me improve, and I read fiction for enjoyment and fun. This book was neither for me. But again, I know there are people out there that do enjoy this kind of bizarre look at the human condition.
I thank the author for the opportunity, and I'm sure some will enjoy these four short stories, but for me, they were not engaging, but rather a bit boring, and very strange. If you like things to make sense and have order, you won't like these stories. I don't like being too harsh, and I don't like to write negative reviews, so I'll just leave it at okay, and I hope the author finds an audience that connects with what he is trying to do, but it's not me.
March 2, 2015
I received this book as part of the Member Giveaway/Early Review program on Librarything.com.
Well, this book was definitely not the type I usually read. Comprised of 4 short stories, "Four D" attempts to grapple with some of the most profound topics in contemporary society: the power of dreams, the truth about death, the definition of "happiness." It is a highly abstract book, meaning that much of it is difficult to understand. Throughout much of the book, I wish the author had offered more concrete details that the reader could grab onto.
While the book was undoubtedly creative, it was also something of a struggle to get through. I was at many points confused about the author's intentions. More clarity would have been greatly appreciated. I also was thrown off by some of the unconventional word usages and phrasing styles in the book, which serve to make the book even more confusing. I think the author is off to a good start, though, but needs to refine his writing style a bit more.
Nevertheless, I appreciate this book's intentions. The second story, "Four Rooms," was the strongest of the collection. The idea behind the story (a woman trapped in her own dream) is highly interesting, as is the series of puzzle-rooms she must navigate. The story is slightly more direct than the others--it is certainly less abstract than the highly frustrating "Guest"!
[Review written in 2012]
Well, this book was definitely not the type I usually read. Comprised of 4 short stories, "Four D" attempts to grapple with some of the most profound topics in contemporary society: the power of dreams, the truth about death, the definition of "happiness." It is a highly abstract book, meaning that much of it is difficult to understand. Throughout much of the book, I wish the author had offered more concrete details that the reader could grab onto.
While the book was undoubtedly creative, it was also something of a struggle to get through. I was at many points confused about the author's intentions. More clarity would have been greatly appreciated. I also was thrown off by some of the unconventional word usages and phrasing styles in the book, which serve to make the book even more confusing. I think the author is off to a good start, though, but needs to refine his writing style a bit more.
Nevertheless, I appreciate this book's intentions. The second story, "Four Rooms," was the strongest of the collection. The idea behind the story (a woman trapped in her own dream) is highly interesting, as is the series of puzzle-rooms she must navigate. The story is slightly more direct than the others--it is certainly less abstract than the highly frustrating "Guest"!
[Review written in 2012]
August 20, 2014
I suppose there are plenty of readers out there that would enjoy the book Four D. It appears that I am not one of them. I found the stories to be quite weird and hard to follow, though Space and Guest were more understandable. I also found, for the most part, they really had no progression or 'ending'. They just stopped.
There were a couple of pet peeves of mine that were revealed in Four D. Several times the author wrote "sell" instead of "cell". It is clear from the context that he is talking about a cell phone. Spelling and grammar errors (when obvious) in books really annoy me.
The second problem was with the description. It starts out by saying all four stories are interconnected. I only found one small connection. This connection (basic subject) would be like saying The Stand, Earth Abides and The Andromeda Strain are interconnected. It misleads the potential readers into believing the stories will overlap.
Overall I cannot recommend Four D to a specific group of readers because I cannot characterize what that group would be.
There were a couple of pet peeves of mine that were revealed in Four D. Several times the author wrote "sell" instead of "cell". It is clear from the context that he is talking about a cell phone. Spelling and grammar errors (when obvious) in books really annoy me.
The second problem was with the description. It starts out by saying all four stories are interconnected. I only found one small connection. This connection (basic subject) would be like saying The Stand, Earth Abides and The Andromeda Strain are interconnected. It misleads the potential readers into believing the stories will overlap.
Overall I cannot recommend Four D to a specific group of readers because I cannot characterize what that group would be.
March 26, 2012
Well, this has never happened to me before. I am confused as hell, which doesn't feel totally bad, but I also feel like I've read a book I'm not intelligent enough to understand. It's exactly how I felt after watching the movie Donnie Darko…...confusion mixed with the overwhelming feeling that I was so close to grasping a concept so profound but that my feeble mind couldn't/wouldn't be able to fully absorb its true meaning.
It's like waking up from a dream so vivid that it takes you a moment to realize that you are awake, and when you focus on the details they make just enough sense that you get goosebumps but not enough sense that your conscious mind can unravel the overall meaning. This explains exactly how I feel right now.
Now this sounds bad, but I'm not sure it is.
The first chapter of Four D is a complete mystery to me. It almost put me into an early grave, I kid you not I almost didn't make it through. It was like reading
Read the rest of the review here: http://www.bibliobabes.ca/3/post/2012...
It's like waking up from a dream so vivid that it takes you a moment to realize that you are awake, and when you focus on the details they make just enough sense that you get goosebumps but not enough sense that your conscious mind can unravel the overall meaning. This explains exactly how I feel right now.
Now this sounds bad, but I'm not sure it is.
The first chapter of Four D is a complete mystery to me. It almost put me into an early grave, I kid you not I almost didn't make it through. It was like reading
Read the rest of the review here: http://www.bibliobabes.ca/3/post/2012...
April 4, 2012
Four D is a collection of four short stories and the first chapter is entitled Space. The story is interesting at first but after a few pages, right after Space was introduced - I found it too difficult to understand. The main character would often talk to this "Space" but it was not clear if this is a person or a thing. He talks like Space is a friend but sometimes it's like a thing or something. As for the other stories, they were too boring to read. I know it's a puzzle book but it was too complex for me to understand. The stories were hard to follow. The book just didn't work for me.
March 20, 2012
Four D is a book of four short stories. The stories are very strange. The author had to have a vivid imagination to write these stories. The first story was hard for me to comprehend. The second story was also a bit confusing. I understood some of it. The third story I was able to comprehend pretty good. I enjoyed it. The last story was extremely confusing.
I think I would have enjoyed this book better if I could understand what was going on.
I think I would have enjoyed this book better if I could understand what was going on.
June 5, 2012
This was received as a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
I have to admit that I found it to be very heavy going, the first story Space seemed to be very disjointed and hard to follow.
The other 3 were easier to read, but I did get a little distracted by the editing and the use of "sell" instead of "cell" phone.
I have to admit that I found it to be very heavy going, the first story Space seemed to be very disjointed and hard to follow.
The other 3 were easier to read, but I did get a little distracted by the editing and the use of "sell" instead of "cell" phone.
March 26, 2012
The concepts of each story were interesting, but I just could not connect to any of the characters. Read my full, spoiler-free review on my website.
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