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librarydoc's review against another edition
2.0
Whaaaa??? I just finished this book, and I can honestly say I have no idea what happened. This book started out so well, with lots of promise. Then it just sort of fizzled. We get all of these potentially awesome story arcs that go nowhere and just leave us confused. Just not my thing.
alliebex's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
Not quite sure why I didn’t like this more. It’s beautifully written and an interesting concept. I guess I maybe would have liked the concept explored in a way that was (ironically) a little less conceptual.
ghutter05's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
The ending felt oddly abrupt, but I was fascinated by the premise. Extra half star for originality.
yaakovakiva's review against another edition
3.0
Read this in 2011, I think, after winning a promotional copy somewhere and I really enjoyed it. Reading Sum by Eagleman recently had me thinking about this book and it's unique tale on the afterlife.
alivaster's review against another edition
2.0
I got this book from a friend who thought I'd love the premise and I was excited to read it after reading the first chapter, but at the end I wasn't in love with "The Brief History of the Dead" by Kevin Brockmeier. It wasn't terrible, but it definitely felt lackluster. I just felt that the beginning premises made it super intriguing, and then the rest of the book ended up not fully delivering on that book's original promise even though it was written decently. I found myself willing to put down the book for longer and longer periods of time because the storylines of the two main characters just weren't very interesting for me. While they came together more as the book went on, nothing really stood out. Really this would be 2.25 stars because there's a great promise and good writing at times, but ultimately the book seemed slow and I found myself bored a good amount of the time. I really wish that the book did more with that beginning chapter because that chapter was SO good and I would've rated it a solid 5 stars. I just wish the rest of the book kept that exciting idea, writing, and pace.
prairiedog's review against another edition
4.0
Beautiful book about memory and how it connects people, even after death. Brockmeier does an amazing job weaving together two initially very different stories--one set in the "first stage" of the afterlife, and one in the arctic. The end result is haunting and very moving. (Fantastic end and last line, too.) Bravo.
trin's review against another edition
4.0
A frustrating blend of brilliance and stupidity. (Which, huh, sounds like both a sequel to and a description of [book: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius].) Brockmeier alternates chapters between the POVs of various citizens of the City of the Dead, a sort of limbo where the dead go until there’s no one left alive who remembers them; and Laura Byrd, a researcher stationed in Antarctica who is, without knowing it, the last human being alive on Earth after a catastrophic plague.
Both narratives are incredibly compelling, and I was totally in love with this book until almost the very end. However, the ending is kind of lackluster: the book’s premise is admittedly something that seems to me like it would be virtually impossible to wrap up well, and Brockmeier…well, he doesn’t rise above that assessment. As for my other issues, Res sums them up very well in her review, but basically: once you stop being directly under the book’s spell, its inherent implausibilities and gaps in logic become much more apparent. Emotionally, I still want to give it five stars; on the Mr. Spock scale, it’s more like two. However, considering that I’d be a very poor Vulcan, I’d still say it’s an incredibly engrossing read, and well worth the time.
Both narratives are incredibly compelling, and I was totally in love with this book until almost the very end. However, the ending is kind of lackluster: the book’s premise is admittedly something that seems to me like it would be virtually impossible to wrap up well, and Brockmeier…well, he doesn’t rise above that assessment. As for my other issues, Res sums them up very well in her review, but basically: once you stop being directly under the book’s spell, its inherent implausibilities and gaps in logic become much more apparent. Emotionally, I still want to give it five stars; on the Mr. Spock scale, it’s more like two. However, considering that I’d be a very poor Vulcan, I’d still say it’s an incredibly engrossing read, and well worth the time.
dankesean's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
mbenzz's review against another edition
3.0
It's hard for me to put into words exactly how I feel about this book. I loved the first half. The explanation of The City and the people that made it up was interesting to read about. I even enjoyed the dual narrative! Whenever I come across dual narratives, I generally prefer one over the other and tend to trudge through the one I don't like, but both of these were interesting and kept me engaged.
However, the second half of the book became muddled in....foggy bizarreness. I don't quite know how to say what I mean. Just that some of the chapters became a little much. Like they were trying to be deep and meaningful, but for me, they became long and tedious. Like the chapter about the guy wearing the cardboard Jesus signs numbering off the days. I have no clue what any of that was about. And the final Laura chapter, detailing her journey, it was like reading about someone's crazy LSD trip.
The ending left me annoyed and incredibly unsatisfied. I finished it in bed this morning when I woke up and upon completing it just rolled over and stared at the ceiling thinking...W...T...F.
I struggled with how to rate this because the first half of the book was definitely 4-5 stars, but the second half was more like 2, so I settled in the middle and am giving it 3 stars. Not sure I would recommend this to anyone I know because it's a strange little book, but it wasn't a terrible read. I imagine this will be quite forgettable for me.
However, the second half of the book became muddled in....foggy bizarreness. I don't quite know how to say what I mean. Just that some of the chapters became a little much. Like they were trying to be deep and meaningful, but for me, they became long and tedious. Like the chapter about the guy wearing the cardboard Jesus signs numbering off the days. I have no clue what any of that was about. And the final Laura chapter, detailing her journey, it was like reading about someone's crazy LSD trip.
The ending left me annoyed and incredibly unsatisfied. I finished it in bed this morning when I woke up and upon completing it just rolled over and stared at the ceiling thinking...W...T...F.
I struggled with how to rate this because the first half of the book was definitely 4-5 stars, but the second half was more like 2, so I settled in the middle and am giving it 3 stars. Not sure I would recommend this to anyone I know because it's a strange little book, but it wasn't a terrible read. I imagine this will be quite forgettable for me.
lindapatin's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
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? It's complicated
4.0