DaniLanglie > Recent Status Updates

I'm going to try and keep a bit of a reading long as I do a slow and deep read of this text. I adore the introductory essay, particularly the line "The novelist says in words what cannot be said in words."

I also like that she points out that "science fiction is not predictive; it is descriptive." Yes, there's a speculative aspect to it, but it's a comment on the here and now more than anything else.

The blocks of text that make up the paragraphs of this novel are getting harder and harder to fight my way through. It's just a race to the finish line now, my friends. I'm getting sick of this, and I'm also getting less and less confident that the grand conclusion is going to be worth all of the trouble it took to get there. Although, I do like when moments come back around and are told from a different perspective.

I'm very anti-moral-relativism, but I do find the "script" chapter to be very interesting. It moves along at a nice clip, and brings many aspects of the story into close contact. I also liked learning more about Black Charley, and touching on the history of race in the Boroughs. Moore seems to be missing the fact that race and class are intertwined, though. He's making an either/or argument that I find questionable.

I just couldn't deal with chapter twenty-five. I tried, but here's the thing: I was already skimming large portions of this text, reading less carefully than I normally do. This chapter demanded extra attention, and I don't think this novel, as interesting as it can be, has earned that level of attention from me. I did like the big chapter about Alma, though. I wish this story had a more cohesive plot, unfortunately.

And so we come to the end of part two. I really liked the creativity of this version of the afterlife. I've never seen anything like it. I've heard that this middle section is the most interesting, and I definitely liked it more than part 1. This book probably becomes better when you re-read and catch all the references, but I'm definitely not going to be getting through this behemoth a second time. On to part three!

This middle section of the book is much better than the earlier chapters. Each member of the Dead Dead Gang has significance, and it's so fascinating to watch all the pieces put together. Realizing who Bill is, who John is, and how time works in this afterlife is fascinating. It's not time travel, it's just time all existing in whatever order you want. The writing is doing a good job of conveying that messy reality.

I like the system here, where you can travel through time the same way you travel through space, and there's the ghost plane and the multiple Boroughs and all that. I still feel the descriptive aspect of the storytelling is a bit overwrought. A good editor could have made this giant novel much more palatable. But I am interested in the plot - I want to know why Uriel tried to mess with poor little Michael Warren!

I'm enjoying the ensemble cast feel of these last couple of chapters. Phyllis Painter, Michael Warren, and the rest of the Dead Dead Gang all feel very distinct and interesting to me. The plot is also picking up a bit, as we now have a stated conflict and some intrigue associated with Michael's fate. Sure, we know he'll come back to life, but will he keep his deal with the devil? Willingly or otherwise? I'm curious!

Part one is complete, and I'm starting in on Michael's near-death experience. I feel like this book could be trimmed down quite a bit, but I will admit that the descriptions are incredibly vivid in some spots. I love the way time is described in the moment of Michael's death, how everything is warped. Also, I like that we've now come full circle, back to Alma and Mick. I'm excited to see how everything ties together.

I'm finding this book more enjoyable if I think of it as a series of short stories. Each chapter thus far has focused on a different protagonist, though several are connected. The one I just finished, about May, was really enjoyable, although quite sad. I can see that all of this is building to something, but instead of rushing to get there, I'm just trying to enjoy the ride.

We're still going through these chapters of character profiles, and it feels like the plot has yet to start. I do like the time warping stuff, and the coincidences, as certain characters get peaks into different realities, and one character wanders through another character's chapter in a brief way. I can sense that Moore is building to something cool, but he's still building, and I've got a long way to go.

Okay. I think I'm going to be recording my thoughts throughout this behemoth. So far, it's a slow start. I like the details, but each chapter has been about a new set of characters so I'm having trouble sinking my teeth in to any one strand of the story. Favorite part of the first 100 pages was Ern being spoken to by the fresco angel thing. That was seriously intense, and the description was captivating!