step909's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
wolkenfels's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
larrarreadsboks's review against another edition
2.0
eigentlich ein gutes buch, aber es wirkte zwanghaft lustig an gewissen stellen.
matthew_gibbs's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
arel2908's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
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? It's complicated
3.75
linguitte's review against another edition
3.0
Great concept, badly executed… where’s the fucking plot?
joosty's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Qualityland is a lighthearted, yet depressing look at where trends of the present may take us in the future if left to run unchecked. Subtlety is not a part of this book's DNA though, so be prepared for some lecturing if you are already aware of how the current internet is shaping us in many unwanted ways.
The book splits the story into three points of view: that of Peter Jobless, an everyman pushed to the bottom of the hierarchy by the system, John of Us, an android presidential candidate, and Martyn Chairman, a scummy politician coasting through life solely on his heritage as the son of a rich industrialist.
Although these storylines all come together in the end, it gives the book a bit of a haphazard feel. This is made worse by the short chapter length which is reduced even further by every chapter being bookended with some in-universe advertisement or news article with social media comments. It keeps the tone light, but also prevents the reader from really engaging with any of the main storylines. Of the three, Peter's would be the most traditional, but admittedly, the story end would make no sense if the other story lines were dropped. It is just unfortunate that these didn't carry the same momentum.
In the end, the book is something of a court jester making a fool of itself to make a fool out of us. It mashes up several seasons of black mirror episodes and in that sense, the story doesn't add that much new to the topics it wants to call attention to. However, since the message seems to fall on deaf ears most of the time, I think that any repetition of it is worth our attention.
The book splits the story into three points of view: that of Peter Jobless, an everyman pushed to the bottom of the hierarchy by the system, John of Us, an android presidential candidate, and Martyn Chairman, a scummy politician coasting through life solely on his heritage as the son of a rich industrialist.
Although these storylines all come together in the end, it gives the book a bit of a haphazard feel. This is made worse by the short chapter length which is reduced even further by every chapter being bookended with some in-universe advertisement or news article with social media comments. It keeps the tone light, but also prevents the reader from really engaging with any of the main storylines. Of the three, Peter's would be the most traditional, but admittedly, the story end would make no sense if the other story lines were dropped. It is just unfortunate that these didn't carry the same momentum.
In the end, the book is something of a court jester making a fool of itself to make a fool out of us. It mashes up several seasons of black mirror episodes and in that sense, the story doesn't add that much new to the topics it wants to call attention to. However, since the message seems to fall on deaf ears most of the time, I think that any repetition of it is worth our attention.