Kris Taylor > Recent Status Updates

It’s readable, but very low level. And I’m about sick of Bill Browder. I get that this is a memoir, so he is going to make himself the star, but man- every success he is just a brilliant person, and every failure is someone else’s fault.

Repetitive
Loses himself in bias- opinion is started as fact, clearly impacted by both his identity as a Brit and his own personal football support. IE- about supporters of Newcastle“Newcastle fans have disturbingly seemed to side with Saudi state propaganda rather than human rights charities.“statement insinuates no one has the right to make up their own minds and if they don’t agree with him they are wrong.

This is beautiful….heartbreaking, but beautiful

Trying to earn a bookmark….

Secondly, this translation is bumpy. I’d like to read it in the original French, because the English translation has really awkward moments, especially in the voice of the 10 year old. I have a feeling these asides and retorts would work better in French and the direct translation is the problem.

All that said, I love the idea and the exploration of the works so far. I’m excited to read more.

First off- it bothers me that the cover is not Mona Lisa, but Vermeer’s Girl with the Pearl Earring (which, based off of the images in the cover) is not even one of the works addressed?!

Picked it up in the train station at Amsterdam. Started reading this story of water while sailing around the Iberian Peninsula. The writing is beautiful, and the ocean is cerulean. I am blessed.

Chapter 4- REALLY uncomfortable. The whole scene where Bina is watching Alex bathe feels completely wrong. If gender roles were reversed and. Man was watching a woman bathe and touching himself we would be outraged— but it’s ok because she is a woman? Either this is a heavy handed attempt to make us not like her (given the preface comments about blowing up her reputation) or it’s just ick.

It’s a slog…

Interesting so far- this is not an attempt to solve the crimes, but a detailed historical exploration of the lives of the women who were killed. The author has clearly done extensive research through census records, church documents and all other avenues to track down the lives of these women. It’s a fascinating exploration of poverty in Victorian England.

Beautiful language. I love the woven story lines- so appropriate for the context!

Interesting— so far it’s pulling me in. The writer had a great voice.