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zenarae's review
1.0
I wanted to like this book. I have been excited about reading this book for years, based solely on the cover and its general format. I really liked it for the first 100 pages or so, and I was excited to see where it was going. And then it just took a turn for the horrendous and never looked back. Plot points were introduced that were never resolved. There was an entire story within the story that literally added nothing to the main story. I continued slogging through, hoping beyond hope that somehow in the last 100 pages or so, things would begin to make sense, that there would be some point to all the words I had read before, but alas, no. I had to hold myself back from throwing this book across the room once I finished it. It was pretty much on a level with the LOST series finale as far as endings go. I long for a time machine so I could go back in time and unread this book.
gimchi's review
5.0
picked this one up because i'd heard that jeaunet was doing a film adaptation.
and? i can't wait!
i was originally going to go for 4 stars, because i felt that maybe the prodigy boy child theme was overdone, and that the book felt choppy.
but after further speculation and thought, i just really enjoyed the whole thing. t.s. spivet is so sweetly adorable, even if a bit unbelievable, and the ways in which i felt that the book was choppy just underscored the themes of east and west, of science and Science, past and present.
and seriously, underground hidden societies? unnggghhghgh, i can't wait to see jeaunet's take on this. hellooOOOo IMDB.
and? i can't wait!
i was originally going to go for 4 stars, because i felt that maybe the prodigy boy child theme was overdone, and that the book felt choppy.
but after further speculation and thought, i just really enjoyed the whole thing. t.s. spivet is so sweetly adorable, even if a bit unbelievable, and the ways in which i felt that the book was choppy just underscored the themes of east and west, of science and Science, past and present.
Spoiler
and seriously, underground hidden societies? unnggghhghgh, i can't wait to see jeaunet's take on this. hellooOOOo IMDB.
skybalon's review
4.0
An interesting sort of meta-novel. In some ways this is a realistic fantasy story, there's no magic, no distant lands and no non-humans. Yet what happens defies reality in ways that aren't annoying instead a rather enjoyable ride.
This is also one of those novels that maybe is trying to make some sort of statement about life, but I didn't get it. Something about both the limitations of science and our minds, but I'm probably overthinking it.
Fun read in any case.
This is also one of those novels that maybe is trying to make some sort of statement about life, but I didn't get it. Something about both the limitations of science and our minds, but I'm probably overthinking it.
Fun read in any case.
nappower's review
5.0
read it for the awesome illustrations/graphs/sidenotes themselves - suspending reality or not or plotpoints aside is not the point for me here. it's that the book was all about heart and making sense of a nonsensical world that still manages to move onward.
drshakespeare's review against another edition
5.0
Love this book! Though my uncle read it and found many factual inaccuracies, I loved the conceit of looking at the world diagrammatically and through processes. Highly recommend
jonwesleyhuff's review
4.0
I bought this on a whim at a bookstore. I'm always up for something a little different and experimental and the premise sounded interesting. I don't think the format is quite as earth-shatteringly original as some people believe but there's a lot of fun to be had in the interplay between the text and the illustration that allows this to be more then just a book-selling gimmick and have a real resonance in the story.
I definitely came to care about the main character. Sometimes this was in spite of how the book presented him. The knowledge T.S. exhibits and the insight he has into the world around him seems to vary depending on the needs of the story and what the view the writer wants to espouse at any given moment. There are times when these shifts prevent the reader from fully connecting with T.S. because he feels less like a human being and more like a writer's creation. But more often then not I was willing to overlook these rough moments because I was enjoying myself too much.
Like many books about a journey, the build-up ends up being more exciting then the payoff, but the ending has it's share of other pleasures. I think this might effect some reader's enjoyment of the book. The journey itself seems to be given relatively short shrift. T.S. really only makes two stops on his journey to the east. Much of the journey is spent on the back story of a distant relative. I will admit at first I found this a bit of an intrusion. I was far more interested in T.S. and his journey then this new set of characters that are introduced. But soon I was drawn into this secondary story, and of course by the end you realize that you're not REALLY reading a new story at all. In fact, much of the emotional resolution that readers might be looking for at the end of the book takes place here.
There are times when the tone of the book suddenly shifts - it gets a bit broader or darker then you might expect - but as long as you are willing to hold on a bit tighter during these moments you'll come through relatively unscathed and the world of the book is painted in broad enough strokes that these moments don't feel completely out of place.
The book is actually a fairly easy read as you're going through it, however it does require that the reader make some connections for themselves. Not to worry though as there are plenty of pretty obvious clues along the way. The ending does feel rushed, but in some ways it mimics the whirlwind of activity that awaits T.S. in the east very well. The ending felt a bit abrupt and left me with a lot of questions. But after a bit of reflection the pieces came together and I realized that most of them are answered, though perhaps not definitively, throughout the book.
I don't think this book would be to the tastes of every reader. It can be a bit precious and clever and the author's not afraid to take a moment and step-up on a soap box. Some people will find these more irritating than others. For me, I'm okay with these elements as long as the story stays interesting and I think "The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet" succeeded in that area. Although not perfect, there's a lot to admire about the book and ultimately I thought it was a journey well worth taking.
I definitely came to care about the main character. Sometimes this was in spite of how the book presented him. The knowledge T.S. exhibits and the insight he has into the world around him seems to vary depending on the needs of the story and what the view the writer wants to espouse at any given moment. There are times when these shifts prevent the reader from fully connecting with T.S. because he feels less like a human being and more like a writer's creation. But more often then not I was willing to overlook these rough moments because I was enjoying myself too much.
Like many books about a journey, the build-up ends up being more exciting then the payoff, but the ending has it's share of other pleasures. I think this might effect some reader's enjoyment of the book. The journey itself seems to be given relatively short shrift. T.S. really only makes two stops on his journey to the east. Much of the journey is spent on the back story of a distant relative. I will admit at first I found this a bit of an intrusion. I was far more interested in T.S. and his journey then this new set of characters that are introduced. But soon I was drawn into this secondary story, and of course by the end you realize that you're not REALLY reading a new story at all. In fact, much of the emotional resolution that readers might be looking for at the end of the book takes place here.
There are times when the tone of the book suddenly shifts - it gets a bit broader or darker then you might expect - but as long as you are willing to hold on a bit tighter during these moments you'll come through relatively unscathed and the world of the book is painted in broad enough strokes that these moments don't feel completely out of place.
The book is actually a fairly easy read as you're going through it, however it does require that the reader make some connections for themselves. Not to worry though as there are plenty of pretty obvious clues along the way. The ending does feel rushed, but in some ways it mimics the whirlwind of activity that awaits T.S. in the east very well. The ending felt a bit abrupt and left me with a lot of questions. But after a bit of reflection the pieces came together and I realized that most of them are answered, though perhaps not definitively, throughout the book.
I don't think this book would be to the tastes of every reader. It can be a bit precious and clever and the author's not afraid to take a moment and step-up on a soap box. Some people will find these more irritating than others. For me, I'm okay with these elements as long as the story stays interesting and I think "The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet" succeeded in that area. Although not perfect, there's a lot to admire about the book and ultimately I thought it was a journey well worth taking.
wanderaven's review
3.0
Despite being a bit behind on my reviews for advanced copies from publishers, I stepped away briefly in part because my next book to read within that category is I Am Radar by Reif Larsen. I decided I should finally read his first novel, from 2009, which has been sitting on my literal to-read shelf almost since that time.
Tecumseh Sparrow Spivet is a 12 year old cartographer, though I do wonder whether cartographer is quite the right word to encompass T.S.'s interests. He draws maps but he also obsessively draws behaviors of the people around him, the physical processes required to do things, the sound waves of various gunshots. He is mapping a corn-husking session with his sister, Gracie, in Montana when he receives a call from The Smithsonian informing him he's won an award for which he didn't even know he was entered and the caller clearly doesn't understand that he's talking to a 12-year old boy.
Spivet decides to run away from home to Washington D.C., where he imagines he will find an intellectually nourishing world. Most of his journey is spend on a train, where he somewhat naively, even for a twelve year old boy, believes the world to be the same as it was during the old hobo-train-hopping days.
I was confused during the initial parts of this book as to the time period it was set in. Spivet's world in Montana made me first believe it was from something like the 1950's, until we see evidence of his sister's iPod. I understand that Larsen wanted to show us T.S. moving from his staid and known world to one utterly unlike it, like Chicago and D.C., but although I don't live on a ranch in Montana, I still have a hard time believing that a boy raised when this book was set (seemingly 2008?) wouldn't be just a bit more worldly than T.S.
I wasn't sure about T.S.'s story at first, though the beautiful drawings and the humor - and more depth to the family story than I expected - started to draw me in:
"Packing might seem like a normal ritual that humans practiced daily across the globe - but when you stopped to think about it, packing, and especially packing for a trip to a foreign place, required a highly developed ability to predict the implements you would need for living in an environment that you were not familiar with."
"When I was hungry, my brain slowly began to shut down one section at a time: first I lost my mastery of social niceties, then I lost my ability to multiply, then I lost my capacity to speak in complete sentences, and so on."
"And the inside of their houseboat had been stuffed with this collection, so that when the winds blew hard, rocking their little home up and down, this way and that, the iridescent seashells would make little tapping noises on the mantel, as if applauding their own display."
"The CSX engines sat on the tracks, hissing and waiting, as if to say, 'You want to ride with us? You have never ridden with our caliber before. Are you worthy of such a trip? We are Easterners. If we were able to, we would wear monocles over our engine eye and talk of Rousseau. Have you read Rousseau? He is our favorite."
But then, towards the end, and especially at the end, I was put off a bit again. A couple of minor spoilers follow; read at your own risk. T.S.'s life in Montana is presented as quite rough in some ways and it's clear that the primary emotional and scientific nurturing he receives is from a teacher. I winced and then have since carried with me an early image from the book when T.S.'s father randomly and quite violently kicks a goat in the head. T.S. imagines that he will find his sort of people, and fanfare, on the Eastern coast, if he can only get there, and takes off on his own. Of course, nothing quite works out as he expected, and T.S. discovers that maybe he doesn't belong with the Smithsonian community, either. I was frustrated that there seemed to be a character within that group that T.S. could have easily approached for a balanced and appropriate treatment but he did not. Ultimately, T.S. decides that his home is back in Montana, and happily makes plans to return there, suddenly seeing love and support in his father when before he saw only neglect, abuse, and disdain.
There's a story within the story, and I always enjoy those. A couple of loose ends in The Selected Works convinces me that perhaps a sequel or a prequel may have initially been intended (or may even be in the works?) So I was iffy, then certainly engaged, and ended a bit flabbergasted at the choice of ending. I'm looking forward to reading I Am Radar next, to see what Larsen is doing now.
Tecumseh Sparrow Spivet is a 12 year old cartographer, though I do wonder whether cartographer is quite the right word to encompass T.S.'s interests. He draws maps but he also obsessively draws behaviors of the people around him, the physical processes required to do things, the sound waves of various gunshots. He is mapping a corn-husking session with his sister, Gracie, in Montana when he receives a call from The Smithsonian informing him he's won an award for which he didn't even know he was entered and the caller clearly doesn't understand that he's talking to a 12-year old boy.
Spivet decides to run away from home to Washington D.C., where he imagines he will find an intellectually nourishing world. Most of his journey is spend on a train, where he somewhat naively, even for a twelve year old boy, believes the world to be the same as it was during the old hobo-train-hopping days.
I was confused during the initial parts of this book as to the time period it was set in. Spivet's world in Montana made me first believe it was from something like the 1950's, until we see evidence of his sister's iPod. I understand that Larsen wanted to show us T.S. moving from his staid and known world to one utterly unlike it, like Chicago and D.C., but although I don't live on a ranch in Montana, I still have a hard time believing that a boy raised when this book was set (seemingly 2008?) wouldn't be just a bit more worldly than T.S.
I wasn't sure about T.S.'s story at first, though the beautiful drawings and the humor - and more depth to the family story than I expected - started to draw me in:
"Packing might seem like a normal ritual that humans practiced daily across the globe - but when you stopped to think about it, packing, and especially packing for a trip to a foreign place, required a highly developed ability to predict the implements you would need for living in an environment that you were not familiar with."
"When I was hungry, my brain slowly began to shut down one section at a time: first I lost my mastery of social niceties, then I lost my ability to multiply, then I lost my capacity to speak in complete sentences, and so on."
"And the inside of their houseboat had been stuffed with this collection, so that when the winds blew hard, rocking their little home up and down, this way and that, the iridescent seashells would make little tapping noises on the mantel, as if applauding their own display."
"The CSX engines sat on the tracks, hissing and waiting, as if to say, 'You want to ride with us? You have never ridden with our caliber before. Are you worthy of such a trip? We are Easterners. If we were able to, we would wear monocles over our engine eye and talk of Rousseau. Have you read Rousseau? He is our favorite."
But then, towards the end, and especially at the end, I was put off a bit again. A couple of minor spoilers follow; read at your own risk. T.S.'s life in Montana is presented as quite rough in some ways and it's clear that the primary emotional and scientific nurturing he receives is from a teacher. I winced and then have since carried with me an early image from the book when T.S.'s father randomly and quite violently kicks a goat in the head. T.S. imagines that he will find his sort of people, and fanfare, on the Eastern coast, if he can only get there, and takes off on his own. Of course, nothing quite works out as he expected, and T.S. discovers that maybe he doesn't belong with the Smithsonian community, either. I was frustrated that there seemed to be a character within that group that T.S. could have easily approached for a balanced and appropriate treatment but he did not. Ultimately, T.S. decides that his home is back in Montana, and happily makes plans to return there, suddenly seeing love and support in his father when before he saw only neglect, abuse, and disdain.
There's a story within the story, and I always enjoy those. A couple of loose ends in The Selected Works convinces me that perhaps a sequel or a prequel may have initially been intended (or may even be in the works?) So I was iffy, then certainly engaged, and ended a bit flabbergasted at the choice of ending. I'm looking forward to reading I Am Radar next, to see what Larsen is doing now.
katpiercefield's review
4.0
Although this is about a young person, I would definitely consider it an adult book. I loved it, and especially loved the wonderful visual treats scattered throughout.
teaprincess's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0