annakim's review against another edition
3.0
I like how the typography and formatting is used to tell the story as much as the words themselves. However, while the conceit is charming, the actual story kept getting bogged down in places. It was almost as if the author was purposely emphasizing the fantastical by introducing more grotesque elements and descriptions, to the point where it just became too heavyhanded.
ebenelephant's review against another edition
5.0
I could write essays on the simple majesty of Light Boxes, but this has already been done – a testament to the design of this book that it has inspired such passion.
Instead I will say that it is beautiful.
Instead I will say that it is beautiful.
koseto_tliterature's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.75
elaichipod's review against another edition
challenging
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
Huh?
adambwriter's review against another edition
4.0
Summary
Shane Jones’s Light Boxes is a fantastical tale of a small town struggling to survive through a perpetual winter. The month is February, and is always February. Those of us Americans & Canadians who have lived through Midwest or East Coast Februaries can immediately recognize the oppression which this last and most brutal winter month brings. Creativity and inspiration are sucked up as children are still forced to remain indoors after two or three long months of bitter cold, snow, sleet, ice, and winds. The mental exhaustion and physical frustration that comes from lack of sunlight, causing “cabin fever” has brought these townspeople to their limit, and after the powerful being, February (who is both an active character(s) and the time period described) bans all forms of flight, for everyone and everything, the townspeople are moved to fight.
The Good
Shane Jones’s Light Boxes has been criticized by some viewers as being a bit nonsensical and unresolved; what these critics miss, apparently, is the entire point of the novel. This is a phantasmagorical romp through the best of lyrical whimsy-noir (yes, I made that up). What I mean is, Jones brings us, with this, his first novel, on an adult fairy tale, the likes of which I can only recall in the works of Lewis Carroll and the Brothers Grimm. The author also takes risks with the composition; as he brings his readers to the creative outer-reaches with his bizarre, dreamlike story, so does he push the boundaries of prose construction by alternating font types & sizes, as well as words-per-page (some filled top to bottom, others just one sentence splashed in the middle of a blank whiteness). All of these elements, as well as the themes themselves: family, home, depression, loss, sadness, and creative-thinking make the novel bittersweet in its playfulness (because the ambiguous ending leaves it up to the reader, really, to determine whether New Town truly answers the prayers of the villagers or not). I also find the idea of a self-conscience deity, an omnipotent being with self-doubt, quite intriguing. The two “powers”, February and The Girl Who Smelled of Honey and Smoke, seem to represent two sides of the same supernatural coin; one compassionate and warm, the other cold and distant. These powers express their commands, their wishes, through writing, none of which ever seems to turn out quite the way it had been planned. Careful readers and experienced writers are likely to catch the meaning here, and be delighted by it (as I was).
The Bad
There really is not much to put in this category. I could say that the novel is too short, but that is not really an accurate criticism, as the novel is exactly as long as it needs to be (though I could have happily gone along with more of the story). I suppose there are two things which I did take issue with, one being a personal preference and the other a question about the story I find could have been more flushed out. In regards to the personal preference complaint, I mean the prose & style. While I applaud authors for being bold and creative in their formatting, I always tend to find these seemingly random, over-the-top text changes a bit distracting. Now, to qualify my own argument, I have to state that this is clearly a dreamscape novel, which should not be bound to conventional rules and, as such, I understand the reasoning (sort of) behind these choices. Still, for me personally, I could do without it. Now, the item in the storyline I wish had been a bit more established was the relationship between “The Builder and the Housewife” and “The Creator, February, and The Girl Who Smelled of Honey and Smoke.” We learn that the Creator, called February, gives The Builder and his wife the same names as the people have given the Creator and his counterpart, which leads me to believe that “The Creator,” who is represented as two beings, male and female, is actually one. Still, what is the relationship between these three (or four) people? It seems almost religious in nature, sub-textually something is going on, but it eludes me.
Final Verdict: 4.5 out of 5.0
Quite obviously, I am generally enamored with this short, dark fantasy. While reading, I immediately began to picture the story in my mind, as I would watch it if it were a film and, if rumors are true, there may indeed be a movie in the works; if so, I believe that, done right, it will be absolutely brilliant. The imagery alone is enough to create a stunningly visual film, but the odd storyline and moving emotional moments will create, I think, something along the lines of a “Waking Life” or “Coraline.” Possible movie aside, though, I found the novel to be touching, both sad and jubilant, with hints of true personal sorrow and struggle on many levels (religious, social, and familial). This particular story and its form are probably not for everyone, but I would certainly recommend it to my more artistic and ambitious readers.
spooderman's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Murder, Grief, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Death, War, Mental illness, Child death, Torture, Kidnapping, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, and Death of parent
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, and Suicide
Minor: Cursing and Pedophilia
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.