Books

Roughing It

Mark Twain describes crossing the country, trying his hand as a prospector, and then sailing out to Hawaii.

Just like yesterday’s review: great travel writing, hilariously written. 

The Hawaii section hits like a ton of bricks. It evokes the place modern visitors know and love, but at a time before it had become widely known as an earthly paradise. It will make you nostalgic for a time long dead before you were born. 

Like the rest of his travel writing, this book is a mainline hit of the distilled essence of the times and places it covers. Plus, of course, a heavy dose of Twain’s personality and perspective. 

Five stars for its class.

Red Rising

Oppressed poor boy who’s Ackchyually Super Awsome sneaks into the rich kids’ hunger games summer camp. He sees through the meta, crushes the game, and gets the girl, even though she’s not as good as his old ride or die poor girl.

The writing at the end is mediocre, which comes as a huge relief after the atrocious writing at the beginning. The author was apparently figuring out how to write in real time over the course of drafting the book. God awful prose, even by the most tolerant standards. 

The storytelling, as distinct from the language itself, is passable, if unimaginative. The character development is laughable. The thesis is exhausted, the tropes are threadbare, and the relationships are entirely implausible. 

Absolute slop, a waste of attention, almost no redeeming qualities. 

My 5yo loved it. 

Two stars, only because I have a soft spot for Battle Royale stories.

>Absolute slop, a waste of attention, almost no redeeming qualities. 

> My 5yo loved it. 

😂😂 

and I have to disagree with your 5yo