Marissa Linderman > Recent Status Updates

The void beckons. I don’t know what plane of existence I’m on anymore. Borges was a genius.

I want that historical Jesus tea. I hope this book turns out to be what I expect which is Bravo’s Real Messiahs of Galilee.

This is some of the most beautiful and lyrical poetry I’ve ever read. These words were meant to be read in Russian. The English translations I’ve read are impactful and still worth reading, but the Russian is almost musical when I read the cadence of these poems aloud to myself.

Respectfully, WHERE WAS THIS ENERGY FOR THE LAST 900+ PAGES?!

Sanderson’s metaphors and symbolism are SO heavy-handed, and he has a tendency to over-explain them. I think the book could be shorter if those explanations were cut. He doesn’t seem to trust the reader, and he often prioritizes info-dumping over telling the story beautifully. His explanations of metaphors feel like a comedian stopping mid-joke to explain the punchline to a silent audience and a cricket.

This is my first Brandon Sanderson book. The characters compelling so far, especially Kaladin. I like that the character depth is built slowly. But Sanderson’s prose is extremely architectural, scientific, straightforward, and dry. Very “left-brained.” The worldbuilding is amazing, but it sometimes feels like I’m reading an encyclopedia, which takes me out of the slow-burning plot and character development.

Not to be dramatic, but I would die for Kaladin.

This is some crazy world building and slow-burning character development.

This is my break from my feral woman protagonist book bender. This is also my first Brandon Sanderson book. The characters are intriguing and captivating so far. Sanderson really lets mystery and tension build, and is clearly holding back some big reveals. His world building is meticulously detailed and extremely thoughtful. His prose isn’t “pretty” but it’s architectural and vivid. I’m excited to read on.

This is crazy lol.

Unhinged. Unhealed. Unsupervised. Out of her lane and still accelerating. Not thriving. Not learning. Unmoisturized. Feral.

Against my better judgment, she’s becoming a problematic fave.

I know we’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but this cover is ICONIC. A cigarette in high heels on a half-pink, half-glitter background is a choice. The bar has been set absurdly high. I can only hope the writing is half as chaotic.

I feel it’s worth noting that the library copy I’m reading smells like cigarettes and an aggressively powdery, overly sweet perfume. Somehow, that feels fitting for this book.

I loved We Used To Live Here so I’m genuinely excited to read this. The library also took forever to get this in so I’ve been waiting. Here we go!

Erlend remains the embodiment of “well, it seemed like a good idea at the time!” Kristin is finally a real adult and I’m so invested in her personal journey that it’s become a needed distraction from my own. It’s wild that this was written in the 1920s, set in Medieval Norway, and still hits so many relevant truths.

I hate that Erlend is too likable to hate. This isn’t a Count Vronsky situation where I can comfortably point at a man and shame him. Erlend is basically a golden retriever with the financial planning skills of a turnip. I also continue to feel bad for Simon, which is becoming deeply inconvenient. On the bright side, Kristin is showing some self-awareness while managing a giant household and raising 5 million kids.

This is not a love triangle. This is a full-blown entanglement. Jada Pinkett Smith could not have prepared me for medieval Norway. And Kristin lied to Lavrans? To LAVRANS?! One of the few good fathers in literature? Mushu from Mulan is somewhere in the Norwegian countryside yelling, “Dishonor on you! Dishonor on your family! Dishonor on your cow!” And what could POSSIBLY go wrong by choosing the scandalous guy?

She is unhinged and I support her lol. This book is so well-written. I really feel trapped inside her head and her emotions, cognitive dissonance, and insanity are so vivid.

50% through my reread of this book. I forgot how many layers are packed into this thing. This book is a commitment, and that’s coming from someone whose favorite book is War and Peace.

Also, this translation is way better than whichever version teenage me stumbled through. I don’t remember the prose hitting this hard. I wasn’t a fan of the book when I read it at 14, but at 33, it’s brilliant.

I have things to do. Responsibilities. A life. But unfortunately Cormac McCarthy put sentences together like a war crime that I can’t look away from. The man knew how to devastate a reader with one word. He set the bar too high.

As a vegan, this book has been on my list for a long time.