yak_attak's review
5.0
A book somehow fully composed of simply sensation and force, this grimy boiling mess of personal pain, depression, ennui, and existential dread. It's impressive how simple the story begins, and how natural each pitiful step feels until like the main character you're in far too deep and there's only one way out of this thing - through. A look into the horror of hospitals. Of not knowing the answer. Of bathrooms. of God. of transcendence and unknowingness.
Word of warning to that though, there's a heavy aspect of this book that's just absolutely bizarrely confusing - it's literally about something incomprehensible - through science, emotion, faith.... and there's a beautiful slipping quality to Koja's writing that binds all this together perfectly - a story about a man with brain trauma who forgets time, forgets things he does, blanks out, and Koja omits moments. sentences. Words - a chapter or two in and you won't notice, instead it spills out mercury smooth and just as deadly.
Fucking great, but a little hard to recommend - I suggest you give it a shot of course, but we're dealing with abstracted writing about confusing concepts dealing with a lousy fucking asshole guy who's not great to women and spends most of the book vomiting on the floor in the bathroom, like... it's brilliant, don't get me wrong, but you're in for it if you pick this up
Word of warning to that though, there's a heavy aspect of this book that's just absolutely bizarrely confusing - it's literally about something incomprehensible - through science, emotion, faith.... and there's a beautiful slipping quality to Koja's writing that binds all this together perfectly - a story about a man with brain trauma who forgets time, forgets things he does, blanks out, and Koja omits moments. sentences. Words - a chapter or two in and you won't notice, instead it spills out mercury smooth and just as deadly.
Fucking great, but a little hard to recommend - I suggest you give it a shot of course, but we're dealing with abstracted writing about confusing concepts dealing with a lousy fucking asshole guy who's not great to women and spends most of the book vomiting on the floor in the bathroom, like... it's brilliant, don't get me wrong, but you're in for it if you pick this up
agenc's review
2.0
Although just as well written as Skin, Cipher, and Strange Angels this story didn't resonate with me.
verkisto's review
1.0
I really like Koja's writing style. When I was younger, I didn't think much of it, but on re-reading it, I find I can appreciate it a lot more. When so much of the older fiction I read is more tell than show, it's nice to read a style where the narrative is almost entirely show. In the Abyss line, Koja and Kelley Wilde both refused to follow any standards, and their books are much more enjoyable for it.
That being said, Bad Brains is a pretty dull book. It starts off well, but it slowly becomes a story of the main character moving from place to place. The main character isn't that likable, which I expected, but he's somehow both less or a loser and more of a loser than the main character in The Cipher. The story is about Austen, an artist who falls and suffers a brain injury that causes him to see a shimmery silver color encroach on his vision. This has happened to him after his wife has left him, and after he has fallen into a depression that halts his artwork. Since this is a Koja novel, Austen is a bit of an outcast, but he starts off as someone more respectable than Nicholas, from The Cipher. Slowly, though, he falls further and further out of step, so while he starts off having accomplished more in his life, he winds up being more insufferable than Nicholas. Maybe it's because he did make something of himself before his wife left him and he fell into the downward spiral of his infection.
Bad Brains reads well, and makes as strong of an impact as The Cipher did, but the story just isn't that interesting. Her style was enough to keep me reading, but I wanted the story to be as good as her narrative. I'm hoping her later works will capture that same blending of prose and story like I found in The Cipher. This could be a case of the Sophomore Novel Syndrome.
That being said, Bad Brains is a pretty dull book. It starts off well, but it slowly becomes a story of the main character moving from place to place. The main character isn't that likable, which I expected, but he's somehow both less or a loser and more of a loser than the main character in The Cipher. The story is about Austen, an artist who falls and suffers a brain injury that causes him to see a shimmery silver color encroach on his vision. This has happened to him after his wife has left him, and after he has fallen into a depression that halts his artwork. Since this is a Koja novel, Austen is a bit of an outcast, but he starts off as someone more respectable than Nicholas, from The Cipher. Slowly, though, he falls further and further out of step, so while he starts off having accomplished more in his life, he winds up being more insufferable than Nicholas. Maybe it's because he did make something of himself before his wife left him and he fell into the downward spiral of his infection.
Bad Brains reads well, and makes as strong of an impact as The Cipher did, but the story just isn't that interesting. Her style was enough to keep me reading, but I wanted the story to be as good as her narrative. I'm hoping her later works will capture that same blending of prose and story like I found in The Cipher. This could be a case of the Sophomore Novel Syndrome.
the_bookubus's review
5.0
Another phenomenal read from Kathe Koja. Bad Brains tells the story of Austen. He used to be an artist but that has fallen by the wayside and he now works a crappy day job to pay the bills. He still holds a torch for his ex-wife. He's a bit of a loner and one of his only lifelines is gallery owner Peter.
One evening he stumbles and falls, the accident putting him in hospital. Austen begins to suffer from seizures and visions. The medications don't seem to help. Once released from hospital the seizures continue and he is haunted by the visions. Always the same thing. Silver. Austen starts to paint again as he tries to find a cure.
This was an incredible book. Koja's writing is unique and poetic. I was making notes of amazing sentences and passages on practically every other page. The story is mesmerising and I was compelled to join Austen on his journey. Sure, there are some slower, quieter sections of the book but I felt they gave necessary breathing room to the intensity of the rest of the story. It's unsettling and disturbing yet absolutely fascinating. There are some similar themes and elements to The Cipher but Bad Brains definitely felt like its own entity rather than retreading familiar ground.
The opening paragraph will probably determine whether this will be your cup of tea or not:
"Gargoyle benedictive, above his breakfasting head: oils, luscious as blood and framed in red, a reclining sphinxlike form in all the shades of black. Ram's head atop the dreaming body, poisoned eyes."
One evening he stumbles and falls, the accident putting him in hospital. Austen begins to suffer from seizures and visions. The medications don't seem to help. Once released from hospital the seizures continue and he is haunted by the visions. Always the same thing. Silver. Austen starts to paint again as he tries to find a cure.
This was an incredible book. Koja's writing is unique and poetic. I was making notes of amazing sentences and passages on practically every other page. The story is mesmerising and I was compelled to join Austen on his journey. Sure, there are some slower, quieter sections of the book but I felt they gave necessary breathing room to the intensity of the rest of the story. It's unsettling and disturbing yet absolutely fascinating. There are some similar themes and elements to The Cipher but Bad Brains definitely felt like its own entity rather than retreading familiar ground.
The opening paragraph will probably determine whether this will be your cup of tea or not:
"Gargoyle benedictive, above his breakfasting head: oils, luscious as blood and framed in red, a reclining sphinxlike form in all the shades of black. Ram's head atop the dreaming body, poisoned eyes."
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