Jimmy > Recent Status Updates

Franzen is a very good writer.

It’s good. But the gore is over the top and gratuitous. Yes, I get it, trench warfare is obscene; but there’s no purpose in exaggerating it so much.

Quite good. Interesting style to start every short paragraph with “and” and to write one extended narrative with the only punctuation throughout being the comma, and only for reading pace and rhythmic purpose. The emphasis on the soupy gore everywhere in the trenches is a bit much and unnecessarily over the top. That’s my only major complaint. Otherwise solid.

The storytelling gets a little better; but it’s an outmoded way to write biography. I should find an updated biography, if one exists. But I will finished this by the end of the week.

Been reading this forever. Hard to get through. Stilted writing and pretty boring. Old school biography. But one does get a larger picture of an understudied US President.

Interesting concept, but mediocre writing, in my humble estimation.

This popular history of the a Western Hemisphere looks promising, though not seeming, so far, to offer anything really new in the story.

The big reveal.

It reads easily and quickly. I find the concept intriguing.

It’s just ok. A very typical kind of late 19th/early 20th century style of unhappy southern aristocratic/socialite life.

Fair. Only fair, I think.

So far, so good. But I’m only just into it. I’m mostly curious since Chopin is a New Orleans writer and the story takes place in southern Louisiana.

Finally getting around to this. Can’t believe it’s taken me 56 years to do so. But better late than never!

Nicely written; but too ethereal for my taste. I’ll finish this Pulitzer finalist today.

Can’t say I’m enjoying this one so much. The writing style is too spare and yet also too fluffed.

Excellent. And very sad.

Final chapter! Should be done in 30 minutes. Yay!

Still with Chicken George, who has just embraced the idea of freedom really for the first time.

Now into the story of Chicken George. That was a short Kizzy story.

Done with Kunta Kinte’s story, and now into his daughter Kizzy Kinte’s story.

Done with Kunta Kinte’s story, and now into Kizzy Kinte’s story.

Good.

Making progress. Kunta is now enslaved in the British colonies of North America. He’s tried to escape 3 times, unsuccessfully.

Good, easy reading. Still with young Kunta in Juffure. Interesting and enjoyable storytelling.

Simple, easy reading. Early on in the epic.

Closing in on the big finale. I can feel the suspense building. Writing is good.

Slow going and a bit confusing at first, but gets better and better as it moves along. Very good writing.

Good so far.

Just getting started on this year’s Pulitzer winner.