asteroidbuckle's review against another edition
4.0
Short and amazing. Easily read in one sitting (and worthy of numerous readings), this modern-day fable offers a story of hope amidst tragedy, the importance of friends and community, and the power of one voice.
February, in his perpetual and bitter gloom, has descended on a small town, where the snow and the cold begin to take their toll on the townspeople. Children go missing. Flying is banned. People begin to lose hope. But Thaddeus stands against February, vowing to fight. He slowly wins the trust and support of the rest of the town who look to him as their leader and their only hope against the endless winter that plagues them.
That is, until tragedy strikes Thaddeus and he finds himself losing the one thing he has left: hope.
Written from the perspectives of various characters and in varying styles, this little gem offers a fresh take on the classic tale of good vs. evil and triumph over tragedy. Alternately poignant, funny, and moving, I highly recommend this book to anyone who needs a little reminder that there are still good people in the world and that just a little hope can change the world.
(Also, the cover is gorgeous, which is what drew me to the book in the first place.)
February, in his perpetual and bitter gloom, has descended on a small town, where the snow and the cold begin to take their toll on the townspeople. Children go missing. Flying is banned. People begin to lose hope. But Thaddeus stands against February, vowing to fight. He slowly wins the trust and support of the rest of the town who look to him as their leader and their only hope against the endless winter that plagues them.
That is, until tragedy strikes Thaddeus and he finds himself losing the one thing he has left: hope.
Written from the perspectives of various characters and in varying styles, this little gem offers a fresh take on the classic tale of good vs. evil and triumph over tragedy. Alternately poignant, funny, and moving, I highly recommend this book to anyone who needs a little reminder that there are still good people in the world and that just a little hope can change the world.
(Also, the cover is gorgeous, which is what drew me to the book in the first place.)
shelfimprovement's review against another edition
4.0
About a year ago, I read a review of Shane Jones’s Light Boxes at the hipster book club. I was intrigued, but unable to find the book at any of the zillions of libraries around here (I’m a poor grad student, so unless I can read it at the store on my lunch break, snag an ARC, or can get it from the library, I very rarely actually buy books.). I walked into the store on Tuesday morning after a week and a half off, and staring me in the face atop the new paperback table was this book. It's been republished by Penguin! And how cool is the new Penguin cover? I immediately snatched it up and devoured the first twenty pages or so while I was supposed to be tending to the cash register. Hey, it was a quiet morning, save for the ocassional sixty-something lady wanting to purchase the latest Steig Larrson. It wasn’t like I was shirking any responsibilities.
Light Boxes is something of a fable, in which the Thaddeus Lowe, his wife Selah, daughter Bianca, and neighbors are in the throes of an unending February. In Jones’s world, though, February is not just a month, but a godlike spirit who, with the help of the girl who smells like honey and smoke, kidnaps the town’s children and outlaws flight. Depressed and desperate, Thaddeus joins up with six men in bird masks who are leading the War Effort to put an end to nearly three years of winter.
It might sound strange. And it is, a little. Jones tells his story through a constantly shifting narrative voice to tell his story, alternating between Thaddeus, Bianca, several of the townsmen, the birdmen, February and Ms. Honey and Smoke. Jones also uses a variety of fonts and paragraph styles to help tell his story. Bianaca whispers in miniature font, whereas Smoke and Honey gets a much bolder, thicker font (Georgia, perhaps? I’m not really a font person). Some pages contain only a sentence or two. But, holy goodness, do those sentences pack a punch.
Jones’s prose will never be described as “lush,” but he so eloquently manages to capture the irrational and despairing state of mind of his characters. Unique, creative, and fascinating, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in atypical methods of storytelling.
Light Boxes is something of a fable, in which the Thaddeus Lowe, his wife Selah, daughter Bianca, and neighbors are in the throes of an unending February. In Jones’s world, though, February is not just a month, but a godlike spirit who, with the help of the girl who smells like honey and smoke, kidnaps the town’s children and outlaws flight. Depressed and desperate, Thaddeus joins up with six men in bird masks who are leading the War Effort to put an end to nearly three years of winter.
It might sound strange. And it is, a little. Jones tells his story through a constantly shifting narrative voice to tell his story, alternating between Thaddeus, Bianca, several of the townsmen, the birdmen, February and Ms. Honey and Smoke. Jones also uses a variety of fonts and paragraph styles to help tell his story. Bianaca whispers in miniature font, whereas Smoke and Honey gets a much bolder, thicker font (Georgia, perhaps? I’m not really a font person). Some pages contain only a sentence or two. But, holy goodness, do those sentences pack a punch.
Jones’s prose will never be described as “lush,” but he so eloquently manages to capture the irrational and despairing state of mind of his characters. Unique, creative, and fascinating, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in atypical methods of storytelling.
amynbell's review against another edition
2.0
I usually like strange and different novels, but this one just didn't do it for me. The entire novel feels like it is the dictation of a long dream or that it is written under the influence of a hallucinogen. For content, I would have given it 1 star except that I can see that the author is being original in his approach to the novel. He "steps outside the [light:] box" by using fonts and characters' points of view in a very unique way. The storyline of the book has a very fleeting, dreamlike quality that makes you feel as if you only kinda sorta know what's happening. In the novel, February (personified) has instituted perpetual February (the month) across the land and caused nothing to be able to fly. In addition, children are going missing all over town. The hope is that perhaps the children will return if someone can find a way to oust February (the personified version and the month) from the town. And now you know nearly everything that happens in this entire dark, experimental novel.
I found the font of the book to be very hard on my eyes. Even though most pages are not completely filled and the book is very short, it took me several days to read it because the font kept putting me to sleep (or was it the dreamlike quality of the storyline?).
I've read several reviews from people who really liked this novel, so don't necessarily go by my personal opinion when you choose whether to read or like this book. It may appeal to some people who like dreamlike, strange books with experimental writing styles. And perhaps it's better-read under the influence of something stronger than a glass of milk.
Note: While I critique both purchased and free books in the same way, I'm legally obligated to tell you I received this book free through the Amazon Vine program in return for my review. Blah blah blah.
I found the font of the book to be very hard on my eyes. Even though most pages are not completely filled and the book is very short, it took me several days to read it because the font kept putting me to sleep (or was it the dreamlike quality of the storyline?).
I've read several reviews from people who really liked this novel, so don't necessarily go by my personal opinion when you choose whether to read or like this book. It may appeal to some people who like dreamlike, strange books with experimental writing styles. And perhaps it's better-read under the influence of something stronger than a glass of milk.
Note: While I critique both purchased and free books in the same way, I'm legally obligated to tell you I received this book free through the Amazon Vine program in return for my review. Blah blah blah.
sam8834's review against another edition
5.0
Read this for the second time, today. I want to fashion a pocket in my mouth to fit this book, so I can walk around while continually chewing on it.
innae's review against another edition
3.0
This is a quick read, and inventive..probably too inventive for me...I got lost a bit in the telling, though it had some aspects of the Hades and Persephone myth.
kjvelz's review against another edition
2.0
I picked this book up years ago at Brookline Booksmith in their suggestions for a winter read. I love winter and its coziness. This book is certainly not about winter's coziness.
This novel felt like a brain exercise. The writing is complex, the characters are confusing, and it's all a bit hard to follow, but it's supposed to be. I enjoyed reading it - it felt like a parable in some ways. I didn't love it, although I think it would be much better to read in a class. I can imagine it starting many discussions, particularly before the ending is revealed.
This novel felt like a brain exercise. The writing is complex, the characters are confusing, and it's all a bit hard to follow, but it's supposed to be. I enjoyed reading it - it felt like a parable in some ways. I didn't love it, although I think it would be much better to read in a class. I can imagine it starting many discussions, particularly before the ending is revealed.
bookhero6's review against another edition
5.0
I rarely read the praise that is attached to books. While glancing at the page of praise for Shane Jones' Light Boxes, it is less the praise itself which is important, and more the length of each statement. These are not trite one-liners, but actual statements about this work. To me, this says that there is a lot to be said about Light Boxes.
This work is deceptively simple, yet beautiful, elegant, extraordinary, and rather exquisite in its simplicity. It utilizes language, rather than manipulating it, in a very 21st Century way. The text itself is very stripped down, with minimal flourish and no flowery prose, and yet, the words themselves create vivid, violent imagery. It is whimsical and devious. It creates a narrative from multiple perspectives and yet maintains a single voice. It infuses that personal narrative with non-narrative lists, a drawing, changes in font and font size, external "data," etc., devices to further the narrative and establish that single voice.
It is like a fairy tale in its use of the grotesque and the elegance of its imagery. It creates a magical world which could only exist in a fictional universe, with very little exposition. It uses an economy of phrasing and a wealth of imagery. I think A.A. Milne, Kurt Vonnegut, and Dr. Suess would have loved this book.
This work is deceptively simple, yet beautiful, elegant, extraordinary, and rather exquisite in its simplicity. It utilizes language, rather than manipulating it, in a very 21st Century way. The text itself is very stripped down, with minimal flourish and no flowery prose, and yet, the words themselves create vivid, violent imagery. It is whimsical and devious. It creates a narrative from multiple perspectives and yet maintains a single voice. It infuses that personal narrative with non-narrative lists, a drawing, changes in font and font size, external "data," etc., devices to further the narrative and establish that single voice.
It is like a fairy tale in its use of the grotesque and the elegance of its imagery. It creates a magical world which could only exist in a fictional universe, with very little exposition. It uses an economy of phrasing and a wealth of imagery. I think A.A. Milne, Kurt Vonnegut, and Dr. Suess would have loved this book.
leaflinglearns's review against another edition
4.0
This is a surreal little fable in an experimental format and the plot is my worst nightmare. In a small town, there are four seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, and February. And at the time that we meet this town, they are experiencing an unusually long February. It has gone on for years and it doesn't seem like it's going to end. As it turns out, there's a god named February and he's mad at the villagers for using flight. So that's banned and he continues to torture them. And then children in the village start to go missing. A war against February begins.
At first it's a little difficult to figure out what's going on. Light Boxes almost looks like our world, but then it gets a little weirder and a little more magical. Sometimes, to mark the POV, the name of the character is in bold at the top of the page. Sometimes a page is just a list of things. You never know what to expect as you keep turning the pages, but you can be assured that you'll be confronted with whimsical, poetic language in every line. This is a tricky fairy tale that will keep surprising you. If you like linear storytelling, back away from this book now. Otherwise, by the end, you'll be especially surprised by how in love with the characters you were the whole time.
Full review: http://outlandishlit.blogspot.com/2015/07/3-tiny-strange-delightful-books.html
At first it's a little difficult to figure out what's going on. Light Boxes almost looks like our world, but then it gets a little weirder and a little more magical. Sometimes, to mark the POV, the name of the character is in bold at the top of the page. Sometimes a page is just a list of things. You never know what to expect as you keep turning the pages, but you can be assured that you'll be confronted with whimsical, poetic language in every line. This is a tricky fairy tale that will keep surprising you. If you like linear storytelling, back away from this book now. Otherwise, by the end, you'll be especially surprised by how in love with the characters you were the whole time.
Full review: http://outlandishlit.blogspot.com/2015/07/3-tiny-strange-delightful-books.html
kemb22's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0