Curtis > Recent Status Updates

Intro got laughs,;eSmith's vision of Moroni who kept re-appearing because there was something else he forgot to mention in his instructions. Witness testimonies interesting; the 3 talk as if they didn't literally see the plates, but saw 'visions' of them because God put it in their mind's eye. The 8 more concrete about seeing the plates but taking their truth on faith. Circular logic aimed @ Christian audience only.

Premise very memorable & creepyl; influence of story immediately recognizable. Understandable why influences never adapt it literally, though. Poor prose, minimal exploration beyond describing premise, frat-bro sexism makes overall read weaker than it should've been. A premise should tell a story, not vice versa. Unreliable narrator most interesting element.Still highly memorable & worth the 30 mins it takes to read.

Very touching finale, deciding to not take a perfect chance at leaving just because the husband was still brainwashed; committing to only leave if she can get him out too. Very admirable! Hilarious that she learned most secret aspects of her faith via the South Park episode, and that ENTIRE Miscavige family bailed except for David, who's all alone now lol. Book made me less afraid of Scientologists; they seem feeble.

Funny how Hill invented sci-fi stories/borrowed from movies to invent past lives from which to confess during interrogation sessions! So cathartic as she begins to fight back, especially when they try to keep her from her love. Knocking down doors, screaming at people, threatening to sacrifice herself to cause investigation. Rooting for her, yelling encouragement at the book! Back half SO much better than first half.

Hill finally standing up for herself--against her parents who're now trying to get her out of cult! An irony that had me on the edge of my seat, rooting for parents despite understanding Hill's resentment/distrust of them after lifetime of neglect. Cracks in belief reminding me of my own progress out of religion, but naivite still center stage even if skepticism starting to bloom. Frustrating; much more engaging now.

First half: lots of lulls, feels padded, lingers on mundanity of Scientology life. Hill rarely establishes things in advance; a situation will come up and she'll have to retroactively explain its significance. Once fractures in belief & family show up, gets much better. Writing still very bland, but interesting subject. Auditing, behavior modding, groupthink on full display; very eerie. Still doesn't know about Xenu!

A bit understated in tone; reciting events with minor insight & sometimes over-explanation, reminding reader repeatedly that she was only a kid so couldn't question or know better. Interesting seeing contrast between 'regular Scientologist' and Sea Org; semi-normalcy giving way to life of forced deprivation/labour. Some things could've been positives if not so intense, like learning construction/commune life.

Gets darker as it goes; pessimistic about technology & human nature, grapples with mixed hopes & fears of postwar: middle class boom & technology advancements mixed with nuclear/cold war paranoia. Stories vary in quality & relevance, but continuity makes each important in its place. Sombre, thought provoking, while also charming & goofy at times. Part time capsule, part still-relevant warning. Solid but pulpy sci fi!

More fantasy than sci-fi, aside from Mars settlement premise. Full of magic, mysticism, & fantastical logic similar to 'man encroaching on fairydom' of old fairytales. Full of colonialism/Native American genocide parallels, racial segregation commentary. Sometimes funny (2nd expedition) sometimes very creepy (Usher II). Pretty entertaining, thought provoking, good variety, uneven at times but always vintage charm.

Hokey, but doesn't take itself seriously; stories often silly, some creepy. Feels aimed at tweens/YA audience. Stories published independently but connect in way that mostly maintains trajectory of a novel, including buildup of story. Religious tone in some stories, especially 4th expedition which looks down on atheism. Anti-colonialist motif that dips into 'noble savage' territory; still evocative for its time.

Once things fall into place for Dorothea, the book seems in a hurry to wrap up, with understated endings for each of them that resolve in a similar way, with help of time jumps. Wish it had slightly different pacing priorities, truncating some parts to expand on others. Moments of suspense where it seems like a polite Game of Thrones, but those are the exception to book's mild tone. Very strong novel overall though!

Once things fall into place for Dorothea, the book seems in a hurry to wrap up, with understated endings for each of them that resolve in a similar way, with help of time jumps. Wish it had slightly different pacing priorities, truncating some parts to expand on others. Moments of suspense where it seems like a polite Game of Thrones, but those are the exception to book's mild tone. Very strong novel overall though!

Again, book takes a direction easy to see coming, but exact path to get there a surprise, & more complicated than audience has been led to expect. Feeling bit dubious whether book can satisfyingly conclude all these threads with 100 pages left, but hoping Dodo is more prominent--feel she was sidelined. Not really feeling much like climax is coming; episodic nature increasing as story goes. Still hopeful for good end!

Lydgate/Rosamond fallout really interesting--their different ideas of their last resort is based on gender role expectations: L more concerned with independence & provider status; R feeling entitled to dependence & materialism. Bulstrode backstory a critique of religious hypocrisy to justify increased industry/commercialism of the time. Lots of coincidence in last third; reminds me of Dickens/Greek plays. Invested!

More apparent momentum issues as stakes raised in some perspectives and takes lots of time to come back to them. Might cross line into too many characters? Still enjoying though slowing down. In other ways, picking up, with lots of modernity creeping in to change ways of community--trains, land and franchise reforms, etc. Madame Bovary vibes with Lydgate/Rose, funny moments w/ Celia. There might be a villain now!

'Between scenes' storytelling a bit disorienting at times--major events (marriages, births, improving tenant conditions) are set up, but happen during a time jump so we only see results afterward. Plot thickening with possible villain character! Mysteries relating to one character might have big bearings on others; well beyond typical slice of life now, with intrigue steadily rising. Interesting way to take this!

Masterful use of anticlimax! Twice now the story has built up tension around something only to subvert closure and throw a bit of a wrench into the character's mental states because of how things play out. Also interesting reflections on the 'yoke' of marriage even after a person dies due to their will; how characters impact others even when absent. Jumps in time/major events bewildering at times; go with the flow.

Surprisingly tense will-reading scene! Mysterious character enters stage; stakes raised; didn't expect it to go there! Moving into politics; a bit wary about this since many references are now going over my head since they tackle contemporary issues. Love triangle, class commentary (highlighting landlord/tenant dynamic), all being advanced in interesting ways. Though wary about upcoming lull, I'm thoroughly enjoying!

Liking all perspectives now! Becoming a polite Game of Thrones with characters conniving for power/status. Richly insightful moments reflecting on domestic aspects; characters so well done. Biting dialogue, funny, meta-humour in narrative as it bounces between characters. Won't be easy for all readers to keep up with its meandering nature; go with the flow. Connections with 'Vindication of Rights of Woman.' Enjoying!

Well done chapter only focusing on the why's of Dodo's emotional state--beginning to appreciate the 'introspective' sections. Seems to want to expand her horizons and challenge herself but finds herself inside another trap society has set for her. Love triangle imminent but I'm interested due to characterization. Though some sections difficult, some challenging diction, I'm happy with how much I'm enjoying it so far!

Some very poignant moments. Unfortunately, scattershot chronology/overwritten prose makes it more tedious than it had to be. Often feels like he barely got past 'note gathering/brainstorming' phase of things and didn't work it nearly enough. A few shining moments, but the writing/structure keeps getting in the way of really letting his stories breathe. Those who relate to him more will get more out of it, probably.

Complete shift in perspectives; new set of characters. Striking how book weaves between characters, jumps into their heads etc; a rarity in Victorian novels. Omniscient voice feels very modern. Funny how Eliot takes an aside to tell you directly that things will all tie together. Rosamond is Dodo's opposite; sets contrast in relation women have to expectancies placed upon them, especialyl regarding marriage.

Slowing down with many new characters coming in, scope of story/setting expanding. Dodo still great; lively humour. Anticipation being built up for wedding, though in back of mind I'm looking at how fast they're getting married, and the 800 pages left, thinking there's no way this is gonna be happily ever after! Bit nervous about the slow down and long character description sections, but eager to read on!

Getting impatient. Though very poignant in places, mixed chronology results in no resolving threads. Loose collection of moments that feel yet to be assembled in cohesive way. Likewise, prose sometimes very evocative, but often gratingly pretentious. Could work if chapters more thematically solid or Eliot circled back to earlier narrative threads. Feels underdeveloped as is. Good parts are enough to keep me reading!

Really lively so far w/ some long asides. Characters jump off the page, humour done well, pacing is surprisingly brisk for such a big old novel. Love & relate to Dodo & her fastidiousness. Tension between sisters feels real; worried for the rift widening. Have a feeling it might get overcomplex but right now very simple & easy to follow. Themes of independence & deeper thought resonate, remind me of Wollstonecraft.

It's trans representation, but the thing that makes me feel most seen about it is the setting! I keep gasping or yelling when Page namedrops a street I've been on a million times. Very intense though--wasn't aware what he went through. Prose very poetic, sometimes pretentious, but doesn't feel ghostwritten. Very mixed chronology makes book more about reflections than conventional memoir. Engaging to spend time with.

Unreliable narrator reveal at the end shows he was far more brutal to himself than how other people saw him. Relatable, especially with my own experiences sometimes failing to connect with people because of my own hang ups. But whole book leading up to that was a chore; not particularly interesting with only brief flashes of something more insightful. Don't see how this is so renowned in Japan. What am I missing?

Another nihilist novel of the late 40s, but with less dimension of The Stranger or Catcher/Rye. Yozo is one-note with nothing to 'discover' about his character as I go. Moments of insight or relatability are brief; moments of backstory so matter-of-fact it's hard to become immersed. Even the bleak mood this book is famous for seems like a put-on more than genuine, despite the book being semi-autobiographical.

Another historical graphic novel that's barely more than an illustrated Wiki article. Almost no 'scenes;' instead a running narration. Even then, lacking substance. No mention of perceived social good of NOI (reforming convicts to live a more disciplined life), nor much exporation of Malcolm X's evolving philosophy. Nothing on black pride, or animus towards whites until after he softens on it post-Hajj. Just okay.

Decent but very introductory, pop-oriented. Left out a lot that I just didn't understand (Schools of Love? Adult education programs etc?). Would've liked it better if it were my first taste of civil rights history, but knowing as much as I do, I can't see why this won a Pulitzer aside from the declassified FBI material & unreleased interview material he used, but it's in service of an overall lukewarm MLK biography.