Jennifer’s review of The Mountain in the Sea > Likes and Comments
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@ Tau I never got through that one...I don't quite remember why.
Oi! An author has to try really hard to make cephalopods boring!
That's a bummer, Jennifer. I agree with Elentarri.
Elentarri & David - yep, how is that even possible?
Nataliya, I need to get on that! I bet Tchaikovsky does octopuses well.
Since Tchaikovsky made spiders fun in Children of Time, I would think octopus would be easy. :)
Tchaikovsky writes octopodes much better than he writes people. I kept getting annoyed when he jumped back to the other non-octopus group. 🤣
PS and for anyone interested: I had to look this up (again): "The three plurals for octopus come from the different ways the English language adopts plurals. Octopi is the oldest plural of octopus, coming from the belief that words of Latin origin should have Latin endings. Octopuses was the next plural, giving the word an English ending to match its adoption as an English word. Lastly, octopodes stemmed from the belief that because octopus is originally Greek, it should have a Greek ending. "
Thanks for the refresher. English is such a mongrel language! I haven’t taken Greek, but Latin declensions are more complex than just adding an -i (there are different declensions, plus different endings for each gender within a declension), so I prefer English plurals when possible. I don’t want to work that hard! Exceptions: genus / genera, which got beaten into my head, fungus / fungi, hmm…there are probably quite a few others. My nerdy classics friend suggested that the plural of Prius should be Priori.
...(Someone doesn't understand the pleasure of a good hate read.)...
Yes! Although, more satisfying than a good hate read, is venting your spleen with a good, 500+ word hate review? 😼
@ Charles That is the whole payoff of the hate read! Is it really over 500 words? It felt short to write.
I am just staring Children of Ruin (the third book of the trilogy comes out this week! though LOL I will not read it right then, but I got weird internal rules about unfinished series), and Jennifer, octopodes! Octopuses... Jokes and character definition about which plural each character uses.
Just 100 pages in though, but definitely check it for any octopus needs you might have..
Ah, that sounds delightful! Do I need to read the first book in the trilogy first?
Jennifer wrote: "Do I need to read the first book in the trilogy first?"
You don't necessarily have to, but it's probably better if you do. There are a lot of concepts that are explained in the first book that get a passing mention (but are important) in the second book, but it won't be completely confusing if you don't read the first book first. In my opinion, of course.
Let me finish it, to make sure, but surprisingly, maybe not? The book is divided into sections, past (in a totally different solar system than the first book), present alternati ng and there is a small recap of the premises of the events of the first book, as understood at the time, and then a small recap at the start of the first present chapters,
If you could read the prologue for the first book, it might help but otherwise I think the first part (some 70 pages) of children of ruin have lots of octopo-something (is this a sneaky personality test? Not falling for it) and totally understandable on its own. But like I said let me finish it to be sure!
And he admitted to dedicating the book, or naming a character at least, based a real octopus, the famous german world cup expert!
I loved your anecdote of coming face-to-face (?) with a curious octopus.
Good to know, thanks Elentarri and Hirondelle. Tchaikovsky is usually a pleasure to read (though I've only read his novellas), and I have a long weekend coming up, so maybe I'll pick up the first one.
Thanks, Beth! We looked each other in the eye, and the curiosity was mutual. I'm quite sure I could be friends with an octopus.
Your partner did us all a disservice, although I can understand if they were saving themselves drama at home. 😁
I found Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness underwhelming, as it was based far more in philosophy than actual, you know, octopi.
If you want a laugh with some fun octopi facts, zefrank video on youtube (can't link, search zefrank and octopus): ("freaky spider of the sea" and "reverse shrinkage" crack me up.)
Your experience at Monterey Bay sounds very cool!
@carol. I think it was my long dramatic sigh before I cracked it open to plow through another chapter that pushed him over the edge. Or maybe it was the muttered 'get on with it' type interjections I inserted when I was reading aloud. Hmm.
zefrank is the best!
I'm just about to give up on this one. I'd forgotten your review! What a waste of a debut novel . And he's such a good short-story writer! I presume you've seen some of those? Mostly set in Turkey. If you read the best-of-year SF collections you've seen some, and he links some freebies at his website.
Ooh, thanks for the heads-up, because I'm weirdly obsessed with cephalopods and would absolutely pick it up. Someone just nominated it in my book group and it intrigued me, but now I think I'll pass.
Have you read Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky? (sequel to Children of Time, which you should read first). Tchaikovsky does an EXCELLENT job with octopuses in that one (he's a trained evolutionary biologist, so he knows his stuff).
WTF. Even if you don't like it, don't put spoilers in the first sentence of your review. Serious jerk move.
Am at 47% seeing im not the only one waiting for my octopus action. Sending this back to the library NOW
Fey wrote: "Am at 47% seeing im not the only one waiting for my octopus action. Sending this back to the library NOW"
Heh. Another unhappy customer!
@Travis First homicide and extremely unsubtle hints as to perpetrator show up quite early, within the first quarter of the book, which is generally not considered spoiling. I don't think it's meant to come as any surprise what's happening to these people.
@Fey Send it back!
I completely disagree. I loved this book. It's my fave book of the year so far.
Beth wrote: "I loved your anecdote of coming face-to-face (?) with a curious octopus."
Me too! Missed it the first time.
Apparently octopi are a real challenge keep in their tank in the lab. Lots of stories of brilliant escapes. Though I don't recall where they would go! Maybe the labs were near the ocean??
Oh, man. The cephalapod version of River of Teeth. Sorry you were deprived of a 100% hate read.
This review be spitting straight facts
Bruce wrote: "I completely disagree. I loved this book. It's my fave book of the year so far."
Couldn't agree more - this book knocked my socks off. I thought this book was bursting with emotion and pathos. Sorry you didn't like it, Jennifer.
@Liam I'm okay with other people enjoying a book I didn't!
You didn't miss anything. The last half is exactly the same as the first half. Like I had dejavu a few times.
DNF AT 38%! I love octopuses and found this book sooo disappointing
Sorry you didn’t like this book but I wish you didn’t have a spoiler in your first sentence because your review is voted up yo second place . I was on chapter one , spoilers are a bummer and no you didn’t save me you spoiled it
I’m at 40% and straight up not having a good time. I think I’ll table it and find something with…. feelings.
I am reading this book & loving it. Stopped to get feedback from other readers. I know some of my reading buddies will love this book & some will not. Really appreciate your review, I wanted to know what an opposing reviewer disliked about this book. Thanks!
It seems hard to believe we read the same book… I found it to be full of character and feeling, right alongside its scientific roots, and the portrayal of the octopus culture was (in my view) immensely interesting exactly because it was not made into something more spectacular.
But of course it’s fiction, so fair enough, this book’s way of telling its story won’t be to everyone’s taste : )
Remarkably Bright Creatures was a far superior read IMO about octopuses
I fear you missed the entire point of the book! It was not supposed to be the most interesting piece of octopus fiction you’ve ever read, it was about questioning humanity and what it really means to be conscious. Also, the “pointless backstory” is crucial to the ending of the book. I think it’s pointless to give a review if you haven’t finished a book, you’re seeing an incomplete piece of a larger whole.
I disagree but feel your assessment is fair.
I’m just glad I’m not the only one who found themselves wanting to like this book way more than they actually did.
I pretty much agree with everything you said. Will finish it anyway, because we are reading it for my book club. Looking forward to what the others think about it.
I find it unfair when folks rate a book they haven’t read fully. If you DNF a book and want to share why, then write a review without rating it. These ratings affect authors and the least we can do is hold off rating something that we haven’t even fully experienced. It’s like rating a painting before the artist is finished painting. You have no idea where the author was going.
Slenchabela wrote: "I find it unfair when folks rate a book they haven’t read fully. If you DNF a book and want to share why, then write a review without rating it. These ratings affect authors and the least we can do..."
Two things I can say here:
1) By 40% mark I think it’s fair to rate the book. If something is awful by this point, do you honestly think there’s a chanced that suddenly it ends up a 5-star read? Not a chance, and that’s how I know:
2) I don’t DNF books, so I feel like I’m a bit of a self-proclaimed expert on this here — of all the books that were terrible by 40% mark I can’t think of a single one that suddenly became great at the end, and my rating at 40% would be no different than at 100%.
If you go to a restaurant and order a meal, and it’s terrible, would you require yourself to finish the entire terrible entree before you announce that it’s awful?
Spot on. Especially point 3. I finished it, hearing it picks up halfway through. ...not worth it.
I wanted to DNF so bad, finished it and literally nothing happened the whole book
Seems like you didn’t want to read a fiction book with developed characters and world building in the first place? Marine-specific nonfiction is probably better for ya! “1 star because product is as described.”
Spot on. You missed nothing in the back half of the book. The story, what little there is of it, screeches to a halt and characters continue to monologue with nothing insightful to say. This book was a huge disappointment.
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@ Tau I never got through that one...I don't quite remember why.
Oi! An author has to try really hard to make cephalopods boring!
That's a bummer, Jennifer. I agree with Elentarri.
Elentarri & David - yep, how is that even possible?Nataliya, I need to get on that! I bet Tchaikovsky does octopuses well.
Since Tchaikovsky made spiders fun in Children of Time, I would think octopus would be easy. :)
Tchaikovsky writes octopodes much better than he writes people. I kept getting annoyed when he jumped back to the other non-octopus group. 🤣PS and for anyone interested: I had to look this up (again): "The three plurals for octopus come from the different ways the English language adopts plurals. Octopi is the oldest plural of octopus, coming from the belief that words of Latin origin should have Latin endings. Octopuses was the next plural, giving the word an English ending to match its adoption as an English word. Lastly, octopodes stemmed from the belief that because octopus is originally Greek, it should have a Greek ending. "
Thanks for the refresher. English is such a mongrel language! I haven’t taken Greek, but Latin declensions are more complex than just adding an -i (there are different declensions, plus different endings for each gender within a declension), so I prefer English plurals when possible. I don’t want to work that hard! Exceptions: genus / genera, which got beaten into my head, fungus / fungi, hmm…there are probably quite a few others. My nerdy classics friend suggested that the plural of Prius should be Priori.
...(Someone doesn't understand the pleasure of a good hate read.)...Yes! Although, more satisfying than a good hate read, is venting your spleen with a good, 500+ word hate review? 😼
@ Charles That is the whole payoff of the hate read! Is it really over 500 words? It felt short to write.
I am just staring Children of Ruin (the third book of the trilogy comes out this week! though LOL I will not read it right then, but I got weird internal rules about unfinished series), and Jennifer, octopodes! Octopuses... Jokes and character definition about which plural each character uses. Just 100 pages in though, but definitely check it for any octopus needs you might have..
Ah, that sounds delightful! Do I need to read the first book in the trilogy first?
Jennifer wrote: "Do I need to read the first book in the trilogy first?"You don't necessarily have to, but it's probably better if you do. There are a lot of concepts that are explained in the first book that get a passing mention (but are important) in the second book, but it won't be completely confusing if you don't read the first book first. In my opinion, of course.
Let me finish it, to make sure, but surprisingly, maybe not? The book is divided into sections, past (in a totally different solar system than the first book), present alternati ng and there is a small recap of the premises of the events of the first book, as understood at the time, and then a small recap at the start of the first present chapters,If you could read the prologue for the first book, it might help but otherwise I think the first part (some 70 pages) of children of ruin have lots of octopo-something (is this a sneaky personality test? Not falling for it) and totally understandable on its own. But like I said let me finish it to be sure!
And he admitted to dedicating the book, or naming a character at least, based a real octopus, the famous german world cup expert!
I loved your anecdote of coming face-to-face (?) with a curious octopus.
Good to know, thanks Elentarri and Hirondelle. Tchaikovsky is usually a pleasure to read (though I've only read his novellas), and I have a long weekend coming up, so maybe I'll pick up the first one.Thanks, Beth! We looked each other in the eye, and the curiosity was mutual. I'm quite sure I could be friends with an octopus.
Your partner did us all a disservice, although I can understand if they were saving themselves drama at home. 😁I found Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness underwhelming, as it was based far more in philosophy than actual, you know, octopi.
If you want a laugh with some fun octopi facts, zefrank video on youtube (can't link, search zefrank and octopus): ("freaky spider of the sea" and "reverse shrinkage" crack me up.)
Your experience at Monterey Bay sounds very cool!
@carol. I think it was my long dramatic sigh before I cracked it open to plow through another chapter that pushed him over the edge. Or maybe it was the muttered 'get on with it' type interjections I inserted when I was reading aloud. Hmm.zefrank is the best!
I'm just about to give up on this one. I'd forgotten your review! What a waste of a debut novel . And he's such a good short-story writer! I presume you've seen some of those? Mostly set in Turkey. If you read the best-of-year SF collections you've seen some, and he links some freebies at his website.
Ooh, thanks for the heads-up, because I'm weirdly obsessed with cephalopods and would absolutely pick it up. Someone just nominated it in my book group and it intrigued me, but now I think I'll pass.Have you read Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky? (sequel to Children of Time, which you should read first). Tchaikovsky does an EXCELLENT job with octopuses in that one (he's a trained evolutionary biologist, so he knows his stuff).
WTF. Even if you don't like it, don't put spoilers in the first sentence of your review. Serious jerk move.
Am at 47% seeing im not the only one waiting for my octopus action. Sending this back to the library NOW
Fey wrote: "Am at 47% seeing im not the only one waiting for my octopus action. Sending this back to the library NOW"Heh. Another unhappy customer!
@Travis First homicide and extremely unsubtle hints as to perpetrator show up quite early, within the first quarter of the book, which is generally not considered spoiling. I don't think it's meant to come as any surprise what's happening to these people.@Fey Send it back!
I completely disagree. I loved this book. It's my fave book of the year so far.
Beth wrote: "I loved your anecdote of coming face-to-face (?) with a curious octopus."Me too! Missed it the first time.
Apparently octopi are a real challenge keep in their tank in the lab. Lots of stories of brilliant escapes. Though I don't recall where they would go! Maybe the labs were near the ocean??
Oh, man. The cephalapod version of River of Teeth. Sorry you were deprived of a 100% hate read.
This review be spitting straight facts
Bruce wrote: "I completely disagree. I loved this book. It's my fave book of the year so far."Couldn't agree more - this book knocked my socks off. I thought this book was bursting with emotion and pathos. Sorry you didn't like it, Jennifer.
@Liam I'm okay with other people enjoying a book I didn't!
You didn't miss anything. The last half is exactly the same as the first half. Like I had dejavu a few times.
DNF AT 38%! I love octopuses and found this book sooo disappointing
Sorry you didn’t like this book but I wish you didn’t have a spoiler in your first sentence because your review is voted up yo second place . I was on chapter one , spoilers are a bummer and no you didn’t save me you spoiled it
I’m at 40% and straight up not having a good time. I think I’ll table it and find something with…. feelings.
I am reading this book & loving it. Stopped to get feedback from other readers. I know some of my reading buddies will love this book & some will not. Really appreciate your review, I wanted to know what an opposing reviewer disliked about this book. Thanks!
It seems hard to believe we read the same book… I found it to be full of character and feeling, right alongside its scientific roots, and the portrayal of the octopus culture was (in my view) immensely interesting exactly because it was not made into something more spectacular. But of course it’s fiction, so fair enough, this book’s way of telling its story won’t be to everyone’s taste : )
Remarkably Bright Creatures was a far superior read IMO about octopuses
I fear you missed the entire point of the book! It was not supposed to be the most interesting piece of octopus fiction you’ve ever read, it was about questioning humanity and what it really means to be conscious. Also, the “pointless backstory” is crucial to the ending of the book. I think it’s pointless to give a review if you haven’t finished a book, you’re seeing an incomplete piece of a larger whole.
I disagree but feel your assessment is fair.
I’m just glad I’m not the only one who found themselves wanting to like this book way more than they actually did.
I pretty much agree with everything you said. Will finish it anyway, because we are reading it for my book club. Looking forward to what the others think about it.
I find it unfair when folks rate a book they haven’t read fully. If you DNF a book and want to share why, then write a review without rating it. These ratings affect authors and the least we can do is hold off rating something that we haven’t even fully experienced. It’s like rating a painting before the artist is finished painting. You have no idea where the author was going.
Slenchabela wrote: "I find it unfair when folks rate a book they haven’t read fully. If you DNF a book and want to share why, then write a review without rating it. These ratings affect authors and the least we can do..."Two things I can say here:
1) By 40% mark I think it’s fair to rate the book. If something is awful by this point, do you honestly think there’s a chanced that suddenly it ends up a 5-star read? Not a chance, and that’s how I know:
2) I don’t DNF books, so I feel like I’m a bit of a self-proclaimed expert on this here — of all the books that were terrible by 40% mark I can’t think of a single one that suddenly became great at the end, and my rating at 40% would be no different than at 100%.
If you go to a restaurant and order a meal, and it’s terrible, would you require yourself to finish the entire terrible entree before you announce that it’s awful?
Spot on. Especially point 3. I finished it, hearing it picks up halfway through. ...not worth it.
I wanted to DNF so bad, finished it and literally nothing happened the whole book
Seems like you didn’t want to read a fiction book with developed characters and world building in the first place? Marine-specific nonfiction is probably better for ya! “1 star because product is as described.”
Spot on. You missed nothing in the back half of the book. The story, what little there is of it, screeches to a halt and characters continue to monologue with nothing insightful to say. This book was a huge disappointment.
Btw what do you think of Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness? Did you already read it (GR only mentions 'added it' in your status) ?