Douglas Beagley > Recent Status Updates

Straightforward, clear arguments, with recent statistics, arguing that we should give more, and that we can make a positive difference when we do. So far it is a bit light on philosophy of meaningfulness, instead relying on ethics. Which is fine! But I’m worried the author makes it too easy to undo his premise with some existential hand waving… which humans are very good at. We’ll see how the back half goes…

Reading this aloud to a nine-year-old. It is striking how slow and ponderous this book is, compared to the intensity of more modern fantasy. And yet somehow my kid wants more of it... sets down Eragon for the moment and asks me to read more.

The novel begins well, with a character-driven background, clever ideas, intentional themes... but it loses its way and becomes a sort of plot summary written by an AI. I'll keep going, but I'm worried.

Oh wow, this is astonishing. Who is this? Where did this come from?

"No wonder tha'rt lonely. Tha'lt be lonelier before tha's done."

A politics fantasy novel? WHY AM I LIKING THIS?

We think he's a comedian, a side-show. "Sure, Discworld. But whatever." We are gravely mistaken. Every so often, even in book ## out of ####, there's genius in here.

The book is getting better. Or I'm figuring out to appreciate what Bellairs is doing.

Everyone should read this book.

The language is a sort of mental spell, slowly chanted, that takes over a part of the reader's brain. This is brill.

Rambling journal style works, in this case, and it is a delightful nerd girl portrait... wondering how much story will be in this story, though... as a painting, it is beautiful.