Intriguing research premise, but too on the nose for these times and not philosophical or probing enough to make me stick with it. I’ll pick it back uIntriguing research premise, but too on the nose for these times and not philosophical or probing enough to make me stick with it. I’ll pick it back up when we’re a bit more past these plague years. ...more
This postmodern trickery might have played well when this novel was released, but I found it mostly insufferable from the very beginning, barely gettiThis postmodern trickery might have played well when this novel was released, but I found it mostly insufferable from the very beginning, barely getting halfway through before putting it down for good....more
I'd heard Gogol's name referenced in so many different cultural settings lately, it seemed time to check out the actual writing. I've heard that his sI'd heard Gogol's name referenced in so many different cultural settings lately, it seemed time to check out the actual writing. I've heard that his short stories are great and maybe I'll give them a whirl someday, but Dead Souls never grabbed me and I finally put it down about 2/3 the way through. I'm sure that in the time of its publication the social satire was razor sharp, but it's a tough sell in 21st century America. I was hoping for the universality of such Russian greats as Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky, but ole' Nikolai just didn't deliver....more
I just couldn't get through this. The book raises some interesting issues, but is a bit too academic and impressed with itself, to the point where I bI just couldn't get through this. The book raises some interesting issues, but is a bit too academic and impressed with itself, to the point where I began to lose sight of the book's larger points amidst all the intellectual posturing. Which is unfortunate because the points being raised—violence in art, censorship, etc.—deserve a wider audience. ...more
I'm actually not finished with this book--as much as I liked it, Barnes' philosophical musings on death were beginning to cause me some existential anI'm actually not finished with this book--as much as I liked it, Barnes' philosophical musings on death were beginning to cause me some existential anxiety. I will go back to the book at some point, though, as it's too good to put away only half-devoured. ...more
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