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Alice in Madness

Alice in Madness

has 41 followers and is following 45 people

Age: 22
Location: TX
Major: Biology ---- Minor: Chemistry

View my 2010 shelf here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/3661919-stephanie?shelf=read

"the mechanism demands a mysticism" {Louis de Broglie}

My sanity would be forfeit without the written word...at least the written words that have some semblance of... more »
  • TX, USA
  • member since July 23, 2008

Reviews

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Displaying 1-10 of 45 reviews
  • The Tower, The Zoo, and The Tortoise
    • Rated 5 stars

    *This is a review of the advance reader copy*

    Well, I'm not going to beat around the bush here. I LOVE this book. The plot is a little bizarre, but the strangeness of life lends itself well to moments of humor. More than once I laughed out loud at some outrageous, but inevitable occurrence. The book is written in charming and entertaining vignettes, moving from character to character in a world I've only seen as a tourist.

    Those addicted to English historical fiction, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and The Art of Racing in the Rain alike will adore this book as much as I do. In my package, Doubleday publishers sent a little sketch of the Tower, and I really hope that sketch will appear in either the paperback or hardcover final version since I referred to it often and reminisced about my own trip to London. Even so, I found myself running to google about every 10 pages to look up more treats of Tower history.

    There are a few things that annoyed me however. Almost every chapter starts with the first and last name of a character. By chapter four, with unusual names like Balthazar, Hebe, and Septimus, I find that unnecessary and vaguely annoying. Some descriptions also appear multiple times. I don't like it when Laurell K. Hamilton does that, and I don't like it when Julia Stuart does it either, although I have the feeling this was done on purpose for some unfathomable reason.

    Other than that, I did really love it, and I think I'll be rereading it many times.

    Alice in Madness wrote this review Friday, August 6, 2010. ( reply | permalink )
  • Breakfast at Tiffany's
    • Rated 4 stars

    It's sprightly and well-written, although a little darker in tone than I thought it would be. Sadly, I've never seen the movie...I've heard it ends differently. No matter the ending, Holly Golightly is a rightly fascinating character, and even for such a short book it has moments of true insight hidden beneath its babbling rambunctiousness. I enjoyed it!

    Alice in Madness wrote this review Tuesday, July 20, 2010. ( reply | permalink )
  • Naamah's Kiss
    • Rated 2 stars

    I absolutely loved the first Kushiel Trilogy. The second was enjoyable enough. This third one is...not what I want from Jacqueline Carey. I enjoyed Kushiel etc. because of the complex and dense plotlines and the intense interactions of characters and the way that events and histories intertwined and created a very believable world. Naamah's Kiss is little more than a fairy tale. Not that it isn't well-written...it's just below the skill level that I know Carey is capable of. If you take out the sexual content, you might as well read it to a six year old and find great acclaim for it.

    Alice in Madness wrote this review Monday, July 19, 2010. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Know-It-All
    • Rated 4 stars

    I found this book to be well-written humorous, full of interesting little factoids, and a generally enjoyable read. I would recommend it even if you're not very much into autobiographical-type books. My only complaint about it is that some of it is very in-the-moment. There is a lot of commentary about President Bush (at least once a chapter, I would guess) that seems tired and trite in 2010, though I'm sure it was considered witty when the book was published.

    Alice in Madness wrote this review Monday, July 19, 2010. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Stolen Child
    • Rated 4 stars

    Good to read if you like fantasy + faeries minus the erotica. While the perspective of the changeling attempting to pass for human is more engaging throughout most of the book, the original boy's observations of the way that mythology, superstition, and natural mysticism are evolving in the modern era are quite interesting to think about. Perhaps this book should have been titled "The Last Stolen Child."

    Alice in Madness wrote this review Monday, July 19, 2010. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Kite Runner
    • Rated 5 stars

    On the front cover one of the reviewers said it was haunting. That's pretty much the only word I have for it. Haunting. This book will stay with me for a long time.

    Alice in Madness wrote this review Monday, July 19, 2010. ( reply | permalink )
  • Coraline
    • Rated 5 stars

    creepy...but satisfying

    Alice in Madness wrote this review Monday, July 19, 2010. ( reply | permalink )
  • Forbidden Fruit: From The Letters of Abelard and Heloise (Penguin Great Loves)
    • Rated 2 stars

    The story itself is poignant, if a little depressing. The letters written by Abelard however, are mostly a self-pitying cry fest. Heloise seems to be much more intelligent, forceful and good-natured. Unfortunately, most of the book is taken up by a very long letter by Abelard to a friend detailing all the events of his life (more or less). His personality is very nearly unreadable. In the end, Heloise made me give it an extra star.

    Alice in Madness wrote this review Monday, July 19, 2010. ( reply | permalink )
  • Flowers for Algernon
    • Rated 5 stars

    Keen and heartfelt; only rarely have I encountered a book in which I felt so in tune with the character. Every insight and anguish felt like my own. I've read the negative reviews on Amazon and found them to be extremely ironic and written (probably) mostly by children. I'm not sure why they give this book to high-school and younger students, as they are unlikely to understand to any depths the psychological aspects of this book. This isn't a fast-paced adventure novel, and it definitely shouldn't be!

    Alice in Madness wrote this review Monday, July 19, 2010. ( reply | permalink )
  • Pride and Prejudice
    • Rated 2 stars

    I can't say I was disappointed with this book, as I wasn't expecting much to begin with. Roughly the first 20% is tedious in its description of who went to see whom and who came to town and who came to dinner. The interaction between Darcy and Elizabeth wasn't nearly as profound or shocking (even for the time period) as I was expecting. You get much better banter out of Shakespear's Much Ado About Nothing. I can see how you might analyze it, take it apart, extract themes and morals and dynamics...but I certainly don't see why it is so obsessed over. That having been said, I'm glad I read it simply for the sake of being able to make a checkmark next to the title.

    Alice in Madness wrote this review Monday, July 19, 2010. ( reply | view 1 replies | permalink )
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Displaying 1-10 of 45 reviews