I love this perspective. It’s true that it would be useful to know, for example, how much horror fans enjoy a horror novel vs. people who “don’t usually read this.”

At the same time, I can see how those reviews are useful for people who are looking to branch out from their usual genre, and tastes are not static across genres (or subgenres within those genres). A good reminder of how important it is to actually read individual reviews, as one reader’s two-star may arise from the exact same evaluation as another’s three or one-star review (or even wider margins of personal preference for what ratings represent!).

Maybe there’s more going on in McCarthy’s work than just world-weariness, whereas Mutis is focused on that sense of superficiality and jadedness to the point that it excludes other details and depths? Thanks for the thoughtful analysis, this was interesting to read.

Wow, fascinating to hear. Again, haven’t read the book, but it seems to me that you’re pretty clear-eyed about the ways in which it doesn’t work for you. It all just has me curious (like you) about how so many people can be so enchanted by it—a quick Google reveals very positive reviews from some major heavy hitters in literary critique.

I do think that the academy/literary establishment tends to privilege disenchantment and jadedness to a very high degree (so much so that it’s almost integral to literary realism), so maybe that’s the disconnect? I know personally that I also dislike totally jaded writing, and so am turned off by a decent chunk of well-regarded literature because it strikes me as almost disingenuously cool and detached and disbelieving. Like, some works attempt to be so clear-eyed about the human capacity for evil and self-interest that they actually become almost cartoonish, no longer reflecting the positive valences of real lived experience.

Are there any other books with that kind of jaded, detached narrator that you do enjoy? It sounds like this could have been a perfectly bad combination for you of rambling Quixotic travelog and falsely worldly self-affectedly jaded protagonist.

I have not read the book, but I did enjoy the video clip! I can’t imagine anything wrong with a book in which a man claims to invent the question mark, for example…/j

But seriously, most of the praise I see for the book is comparing it to Don Quixote, so I have to assume it’s one of those works that aims for intentionally overwrought satire, which I feel like either lands (if you find the material funny) or is totally unreadable (if it’s meant for other people’s senses of humor).

Do you agree with what the positive reviews point out as being assets, or do they seem to be receiving the work really differently? Definitely this description doesn’t make me want to go searching for a copy.

Love this; especially the attention to detail in lightsaber battle technique. Just noting that it looks like part got cut off—“Mitch McCAInnell was clearly acting in a manner his totally alive counterpart” doesn’t finish—and I’m sad to be missing a potential other awesome quip. I hadn’t realized people post OC in this channel, and I hope you’ll share more!!!

I’m excited to celebrate one of my best friend’s birthdays, attend a neighborhood party in my hometown, and catch a concert by one of my favorite indie artists! Can’t believe they’re playing my small local venue.

Hope you’ve got lots to look forward to, LadyButterfly!

I find that, for me, the best thing I can do to get around a block is to stop attacking it. My mind works in the background and eventually produces a strong solution.

Some specifics are: long walks during which I intentionally don’t think about that project, a few days writing another section or tackling a different piece entirely, or editing for a while rather than writing. The best thing I can do for a book-length project after the first draft is stop looking at it for a few months, but you can apply the same principle (that taking your conscious mind off the work allows new thoughts to percolate) for any duration during the drafting process.

I agree with Powderhorn’s assessment, though, that your framing of this hurdle sounds less about struggling to compose sentences and more about struggling with the content emotionally. In those cases, I tend to lean on friends or writing partners and aim to talk out/about the issue before putting it to paper.

I hope you find a new creative path forward!

I’ve been trying to build community in my neighborhood, so I invited the households across the way and next door to come over for a potluck soon! We got a date figured out, so I’m doing some very late seedling transplants to fill in gaps in my garden and make everything look nice for them 🌱

I built a park for my neighborhood today! It’s got garden beds, a picnic table, a park bench, some native plants and shrubs, and a walking path :) I’ve been working really hard on administrative stuff for months and months to run a community survey, get the grant, balance the budget, order everything, invite volunteers, etc. (with lots and lots of help from community partners too), but today we finally did it! I worked outside from 9am to 5pm and everything but lighting is now installed!!

I’m planning a trip out to the lake with a friend on Saturday—we’ll pack a picnic and spend a few hours swimming. I can’t wait to have some time to catch up with them and appreciate the outdoors.

I was able to visit a beautiful local area today and go for a swim at the beach! A seal came very close to me and my friends, which was exciting.

I read the headline to mean that the university president was SO excited about the cute new baby deer that they waived entrance exams for incoming students! Can’t wait for this little one to graduate.

I had a fun opportunity to help a neighbor over the weekend! At landlord’s request, we’re supposed to padlock our yard gates externally. This means if you accidentally lock your back door, you are trapped in your yard. I just took my locks off after a close call, but she hadn’t on her side—so I walked outside to water the garden yesterday and she was sitting on her back porch across the fence, locked out. I was able to hand her water and my phone over the wall so that she could call the leasing office and ask to be let back in (and given a spare key). It took about half an hour, so I felt slightly ridiculous walking out onto my porch every few minutes in my pajamas asking if she wanted toast or if I could drive over to the office for her, but she was very good-humored about it all.