Reviews

Reincarnation Blues by Michael Poore

thehighepopt's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

jaiden_es's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

ziggymusic's review against another edition

5.0

By the nature of its subject, a reincarnating human (… well, usually human), reading this felt like reading a collection of fascinating short stories deftly woven together into an even more fascinating novel. (I was going to say fictional biography but biographies are defined as the story of a life... so what do you call the story of many disparate lives of one reincarnating entity? Hmm. Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey.)

In this case the connecting thread is the usually-human Milo and his quest for cosmic, spiritual Perfection.

I love novels that deal with the Big Stuff (philosophical, existential cosmos-y, what-is-humanity? type stuff) with wit, humor, and frankness. This book gave me the same happy-reader vibes as 3 other novels I loved with which it shares themes and/or tone: ‘The Hike’ by Drew Magary, ‘The Library at Mount Char’ by Scott Hawkins, and ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’ by Douglas Adams.

Great read. Stories and imagery that’ll definitely stick with me.

dnandrews797's review against another edition

5.0

This book was very up and down for me. It could go from being hilarious to tragic at the drop of a hat. Overall, it was a very complex story built out of other smaller stories that meditated deeply in what it means to be alive and influence change in the world. I debated whether or not it was four or five stars but the ending really put it over the top for me. Excellent work.

cloudcastle's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

4.0

pellegrinic's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

bittersweet_symphony's review against another edition

3.0

Poore displays playful smatterings of his imagination, throwing glimpses into dozens of the 10,000 lives lived by Milo, our protagonist. He must have had a really enjoyable time writing this. Reincarnation Blues attracted me with its premise about a person falling in love with Death--a concept I've thought about from time to time--and continued to treat me by combining several of my other interests: our relationship to death and a well-lived life, abstractions like Spring or the Wind becoming embodied characters, Hinduism, Buddhism, mythology, and of course, love (though he offers little commentary on the nature of love).

It came across at times as a non-pretentious and more tongue-in-cheek version of Cloud Atlas or The Fountain, playing on the motifs of reincarnation and characters running parallel in different times. Poore inflects his writing with a humorous tone. Reincarnation Blues rarely takes itself very seriously, reading something akin to Kurt Vonnegut or Douglas Adams (but lacking some of the satirical commentary).

For a book about love, I wanted a bit more heart. It was difficult to connect deeply with Milo, or any characters. The constant jumping into different lives prevented me from experiencing the depth of the characters and finding continuity in their experiences. Each story felt more like a veneer preventing me from actually seeing Milo or Suzie as fully-developed people. Further, I expected more mythology than science fiction. Poore told us more tales of Milo in hypothetical futuristic worlds rather than in historically rich ones; I find future-age metals and technology less interesting than the untold stories from human history. I wanted more mythology, fewer spaceships. I hoped for something more nostalgia-inducing and romantic. This felt more mechanical and surface level.

It was like asking for the heart and soul, essential to the original Star Wars, and instead, getting the CGI-saturated visuals of the Star Wars prequels.

Still, Poore has created an interesting novel that most people will find compelling. 'Slaughterhouse' was the most moving chapter while 'The Buddha in Winter' and 'The Family Stone' were the most enlightening, glimpsing at what Poore thinks best constitutes a life well-lived.

I was cheering him on from page one, but Reincarnation Blues didn't quite do it for me.

aryaxo's review against another edition

emotional funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

foundfiber's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

azaline's review against another edition

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0