Not much of a mystery. It's about a period and a place, and not a very interesting one. The best parts are about a radio program that's very noir and Not much of a mystery. It's about a period and a place, and not a very interesting one. The best parts are about a radio program that's very noir and droll, and the girlfriend gets off a few good lines. Otherwise, weak plot and no ending!! I wouldn't recommend this one....more
When we saw the movie Arrival, my husband and I were intrigued by the structure, and both went immediately to find the author, who happened to be Ted When we saw the movie Arrival, my husband and I were intrigued by the structure, and both went immediately to find the author, who happened to be Ted Chiang. In a book of short stories, is the title selection, The Story of Your Life. The story explained perfectly the parts of the movie that had us going around in circles, and that's because Ted Chiang is an excellent writer. He used different verb tenses to explain without words, a technique that would not have worked in the movie. This made the concept that troubled us in the movie version a lot more accessible. But the movie more than made up for any flaws in theory with some incredible information about language acquisition, which doesn't sound very sexy, but was. Loved both versions, and thought both taken together gave a full picture which was thought-provoking. A perfect choice for a "Page-to-Screen" activity. 5 stars...more
This was a very good history of Jinnah and Nehru and Gandhi and Mountbatten as the British Empire tried and failed to turn the subcontinent back to itThis was a very good history of Jinnah and Nehru and Gandhi and Mountbatten as the British Empire tried and failed to turn the subcontinent back to its natives and failed - as they failed in Palestine. The author succeeded in describing an enormously complex situation, successfully communicating the flavor of the times without boring the reader to death with names and dates. The biographical information about the major actors and some more minor characters, was superb. Pakistan was always a theocracy; India was always secular; and America has consistently favored Pakistan with aid and forgiveness in spite of everything. I couldn't help but wonder what on earth we were thinking? Thanks to Pakistan we have highly trained and well equipped fanatical Muslim enemies on every continent, many of whom have learned to make atomic bombs from one of its most prominent scientists. Very good book....more
I thought this was a very average YA book about a troubled teen. It was conventional and not as witty as most other YA books.
Spoiler: She was raped whI thought this was a very average YA book about a troubled teen. It was conventional and not as witty as most other YA books.
Spoiler: She was raped while drunk at a party, age 13. She stopped talking. Her family became dysfunctional with parents fighting all the time. She lost all her middle school friends and had to sit alone at lunch and hide in a closet, which she furnished, at school. Her marks got very bad, except for art, where she had a teacher who was exceptionally caring. It all worked out in the end.
Added in 3/21/2025: I reread Speak ten years later and found I liked it a lot more this time. I appreciated the tone and the satire. It brought back for me the attitudes I carried with me at that age, and the descriptions of the school, students and teachers made me smile. They were instantly recognizable. In fact, I could put names to them from my own high school experience. I would rate it 3.75 or 4 stars today, though the ending is still problematic. Recovery from trauma doesn't happen in one flash, nor does it happen to the whole family at the same time. It does often happen as a result of taking action, though, so I forgive the author for oversimplifying....more
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