jeniecegoellner's review against another edition
4.0
To start this review, I do want to preface that I received this novel from a Goodreads Giveaway. That being said, this was an interesting read that I am glad I got a chance to expierence. It is not a style of book I would have picked on my own but found myself enjoying once I got into it.
The writing style is sharp and witty, keeping the reader on top of the pace set by the author. The concept of a novel within the novel could have failed, but the author managed to blend the distinct styles together without compromising the movement of the narrative.
The two main characters are interesting individuals. One who could easily be picked out in the crowd and the other that many would pass over. The two of them have an interesting dynamic and you can't help but wonder what the future might hold for the pair no matter what way the open ending goes.
Overall a solid reading experience. I will be interested in checking out other works by the author.
The writing style is sharp and witty, keeping the reader on top of the pace set by the author. The concept of a novel within the novel could have failed, but the author managed to blend the distinct styles together without compromising the movement of the narrative.
The two main characters are interesting individuals. One who could easily be picked out in the crowd and the other that many would pass over. The two of them have an interesting dynamic and you can't help but wonder what the future might hold for the pair no matter what way the open ending goes.
Overall a solid reading experience. I will be interested in checking out other works by the author.
emilyenchanted's review against another edition
1.0
I recieved a copy of this book through a Goodreads FirstReads giveaway.
I've been putting off writing this review for weeks now. This book was just so unappealing to me that thinking about it long enough to write a review of it is something I don't really look forward to.
Just as I've put off writing the review, it took me weeks to get through this book - at just over 200 pages, this is something that should have taken me a day or two. I just didn't have it in me to read more than 10 pages at any given time. If I wasn't so adamant about not leaving books unfinished, I would have given up on this after just a few pages. Part of me wishes I had.
It's not that Appel is a bad writer per se. I think it is entirely possible that he could write something I might like. This was not it. At times his prose was even enjoyable, but that feeling was always short lived. Although there are many things I could critique about this novel, there were two things that stood out to me as the biggest problems.
The first was how incredibly pretentious the entire things was. Both the writing and the characters gave off the snobby-hipster air of superiority. The main character, Larry Bloom, practically exists on nothing but his own hot air. And his interpretation of his love interest, Sunshine Hart, is no better. It is abundantly clear throughout the whole novel that they think they are better than anyone because they live this unappreciated, ironic starving-artist life in the seedy underbelly of New York. Which is not to say that I necessarily disapprove of their lifestyle, just the superiority complex they have about it.
The second, and arguably more important issue was the blatant sexism displayed by Larry and nearly everyone else in the novel. I could not for the life of me discern whether this was because Larry was a sexist character, or because Appel himself is a sexist author. The entire premise of the book is that Larry has written a book about Sunshine, a woman he doesn't know, imagining her life up to the point when they will meet and have their first date. First, this is incredibly creepy. We never meet Sunshine, except through Larry's novel - we see her only as he sees her, not as she actually is. Even in Larry's imaginings of her, Sunshine often complains about getting creepy, unwanted attention from men, which is exactly what Larry is doing. He acknowledges that she finds this kind of advance is unwelcome, and then does it anyway, thinking that he is so special that she will change her mind. The entire set-up felt like I was in the mind of a very boring serial killer.
Among all this, I couldn't find anything redeeming about the book. There was really no plot to speak of, the characters were nothing more adequate for the needs of telling the story, and the cloying pretentiousness of the prose overpowered any style or lyricism that may have been there. I will not be reading anything else by Appel, and would warn anyone away from this book.
I've been putting off writing this review for weeks now. This book was just so unappealing to me that thinking about it long enough to write a review of it is something I don't really look forward to.
Just as I've put off writing the review, it took me weeks to get through this book - at just over 200 pages, this is something that should have taken me a day or two. I just didn't have it in me to read more than 10 pages at any given time. If I wasn't so adamant about not leaving books unfinished, I would have given up on this after just a few pages. Part of me wishes I had.
It's not that Appel is a bad writer per se. I think it is entirely possible that he could write something I might like. This was not it. At times his prose was even enjoyable, but that feeling was always short lived. Although there are many things I could critique about this novel, there were two things that stood out to me as the biggest problems.
The first was how incredibly pretentious the entire things was. Both the writing and the characters gave off the snobby-hipster air of superiority. The main character, Larry Bloom, practically exists on nothing but his own hot air. And his interpretation of his love interest, Sunshine Hart, is no better. It is abundantly clear throughout the whole novel that they think they are better than anyone because they live this unappreciated, ironic starving-artist life in the seedy underbelly of New York. Which is not to say that I necessarily disapprove of their lifestyle, just the superiority complex they have about it.
The second, and arguably more important issue was the blatant sexism displayed by Larry and nearly everyone else in the novel. I could not for the life of me discern whether this was because Larry was a sexist character, or because Appel himself is a sexist author. The entire premise of the book is that Larry has written a book about Sunshine, a woman he doesn't know, imagining her life up to the point when they will meet and have their first date. First, this is incredibly creepy. We never meet Sunshine, except through Larry's novel - we see her only as he sees her, not as she actually is. Even in Larry's imaginings of her, Sunshine often complains about getting creepy, unwanted attention from men, which is exactly what Larry is doing. He acknowledges that she finds this kind of advance is unwelcome, and then does it anyway, thinking that he is so special that she will change her mind. The entire set-up felt like I was in the mind of a very boring serial killer.
Among all this, I couldn't find anything redeeming about the book. There was really no plot to speak of, the characters were nothing more adequate for the needs of telling the story, and the cloying pretentiousness of the prose overpowered any style or lyricism that may have been there. I will not be reading anything else by Appel, and would warn anyone away from this book.
beautifully_broken's review against another edition
2.0
I won this book from Goodreads giveaways!
"The book is a harebrained, presumptuous scheme that can only be a recipe for disaster." pg. 204 this is the perfect description of The Biology of Luck.
This book was sadly a torture for me to read, I wanted to like it, wanted it to at some point to pull me in and give me something anything to hold my interest. I honestly have no idea what the point was. Half the book is written in the first person of Larry Bloom, going through one very long and unrealistically eventful day that magically coincides with the fiction book that he has written in Starshine's voice. Seriously how the hell does that happen? How can EVERYTHING that happens in his book weave its way into Larry's real life. It can't! It's completely nonsensical and ridiculous. Then after tediously reading about one day in Larry's life we are left with out a definite end, seriously?! "Yes and no...?" WHAT THE HELL! I did not understand this book at all. It's an odd and unfortunately unsuccessful attempt at a stalker romance, a boy who has created the perfect story that he then tries to make a reality with a girl that on dozens of occasions he himself has pointed out is out of his league.
NO JUST NO!!!!!
I'm sure there is someone out there who can and will enjoy this book, I however am not one of them. More power to you if you can find this book a diverting read rather than an arduous one.
"The book is a harebrained, presumptuous scheme that can only be a recipe for disaster." pg. 204 this is the perfect description of The Biology of Luck.
This book was sadly a torture for me to read, I wanted to like it, wanted it to at some point to pull me in and give me something anything to hold my interest. I honestly have no idea what the point was. Half the book is written in the first person of Larry Bloom, going through one very long and unrealistically eventful day that magically coincides with the fiction book that he has written in Starshine's voice. Seriously how the hell does that happen? How can EVERYTHING that happens in his book weave its way into Larry's real life. It can't! It's completely nonsensical and ridiculous. Then after tediously reading about one day in Larry's life we are left with out a definite end, seriously?! "Yes and no...?" WHAT THE HELL! I did not understand this book at all. It's an odd and unfortunately unsuccessful attempt at a stalker romance, a boy who has created the perfect story that he then tries to make a reality with a girl that on dozens of occasions he himself has pointed out is out of his league.
NO JUST NO!!!!!
I'm sure there is someone out there who can and will enjoy this book, I however am not one of them. More power to you if you can find this book a diverting read rather than an arduous one.
pkhodak's review against another edition
3.0
While I have read books featuring alternating chapters with parallel story lines I have never quite read anything like this book. The Biology of Luck is a quirky, interesting and captivating novel about the more than ordinary Larry Bloom.
Larry works as a NYC tour guide and has fallen in love with the odd, beautiful, and unconventional Starshine. Starshine does not want a job in which they will not hire her if she is barefoot. She rides a bike, lives with a roommate named Eucalyptus, has two lovers, and desires to be famous. Larry, feeling his ordinary appearance and personality are no match for Starshine decides to write a novel about the day that Larry professes his love to her. The Biology of Luck alternates between the novel that Larry wrote for Starshine and Larry's day before he has his date with her.
To be honest, it took me a little while to really get into the book. The dense and overly descriptive language often rants on and drags for a while and dampens climactic moments. However, there is a hugely poetic quality to the work. I find it clever and funny that while Larry is writing a novel about Starshine's day before their date we as the reader are reading a novel about Larry's day before his date. It brings up the question if Starshine is even real or a figment of Larry's imagination. Did he conjure her up in his novel and want her to be real? We never get to experience the world from Starshine's perspective except for the chapters from Larry's novel so we have no way of really knowing. Even the novel and Larry's day begin to blur together as details, events, and people cross over from one "world" to the next.
Overall, it makes for a captivating and unique read. The plot is interesting and creative. While the language used in the book is sometimes a barrier to understanding, it is often beautiful at times giving insight into characters and helping to uniquely capture the beauty and dirt of NYC. The characters are extremely well developed and feel like complete, and real people to me. Even the minor characters have their own plausible backstories and lives. Though the author claims they are not based on real people, it would not shock me if any of the characters really are people living in NYC. Their quirks and details just help to add to the character of the novel and of New York. I feel like I could be a part of Larry's tour around the city, potentially running into some of these people. The book also deals with serious themes such as beauty and weight problems, suicide, death, being forgotten. The characters seem more real when they have their own serious issues to deal with.
The Biology of Luck is unlike any other book I have read. Its unique writing style, plot, and almost poetic feel make it a dense, but great read. I enjoyed the story and getting to know the characters and living a day in the life of Larry/Starshine.
Larry works as a NYC tour guide and has fallen in love with the odd, beautiful, and unconventional Starshine. Starshine does not want a job in which they will not hire her if she is barefoot. She rides a bike, lives with a roommate named Eucalyptus, has two lovers, and desires to be famous. Larry, feeling his ordinary appearance and personality are no match for Starshine decides to write a novel about the day that Larry professes his love to her. The Biology of Luck alternates between the novel that Larry wrote for Starshine and Larry's day before he has his date with her.
To be honest, it took me a little while to really get into the book. The dense and overly descriptive language often rants on and drags for a while and dampens climactic moments. However, there is a hugely poetic quality to the work. I find it clever and funny that while Larry is writing a novel about Starshine's day before their date we as the reader are reading a novel about Larry's day before his date. It brings up the question if Starshine is even real or a figment of Larry's imagination. Did he conjure her up in his novel and want her to be real? We never get to experience the world from Starshine's perspective except for the chapters from Larry's novel so we have no way of really knowing. Even the novel and Larry's day begin to blur together as details, events, and people cross over from one "world" to the next.
Overall, it makes for a captivating and unique read. The plot is interesting and creative. While the language used in the book is sometimes a barrier to understanding, it is often beautiful at times giving insight into characters and helping to uniquely capture the beauty and dirt of NYC. The characters are extremely well developed and feel like complete, and real people to me. Even the minor characters have their own plausible backstories and lives. Though the author claims they are not based on real people, it would not shock me if any of the characters really are people living in NYC. Their quirks and details just help to add to the character of the novel and of New York. I feel like I could be a part of Larry's tour around the city, potentially running into some of these people. The book also deals with serious themes such as beauty and weight problems, suicide, death, being forgotten. The characters seem more real when they have their own serious issues to deal with.
The Biology of Luck is unlike any other book I have read. Its unique writing style, plot, and almost poetic feel make it a dense, but great read. I enjoyed the story and getting to know the characters and living a day in the life of Larry/Starshine.
katykat3's review against another edition
4.0
The Biology of Luck surprised me with how much I ended up enjoying it. The story alternates between main character Larry Bloom's day and with excerpts of his book, which he wrote about Starshine's day leading up to their date. It took me awhile to remember that we don't actually know Starshine, all we know is what Larry has made up about her. But then the stories start to become more and more intertwined, leaving me unsure about what is and isn't true. I raced to the end of the book, desperately wanting to know what is the outcome of their date and of Larry's book deal, but the ending was too ambiguous to my liking. I would still recommend this book!
I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway.
I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway.
emsterino19's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely loved this book! I want to pick it up and read it all over again. I couldn't put it down, but when I finally got to the end, I didn't want to have finished it.
It was totally bizarre in a could-this-possibly-be-true-to-life sort of way, and yet I felt like much of the zany-ness has to be typical New York life.
I highly recommend this book.
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
It was totally bizarre in a could-this-possibly-be-true-to-life sort of way, and yet I felt like much of the zany-ness has to be typical New York life.
I highly recommend this book.
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
celestialviolence's review against another edition
5.0
This was honestly one of the best modern books I have read.
The characters were incredibly fleshed out and multidimensional, something that tends to be lacking in other novels of today. The scenery in the book was described as if you were there and the author definitely captured the essence of the city, making his setting believable and having it work for the story. The diction was descriptive and there was a lack of "filler" in the novel. Appel certainly made every word not only count, but also work for him.
Appel took an intriguing concept of blending two different fictions together into a cohesive storyline and certainly made it work.
The theme of the novel, hope, is of course something that many readers can relate to, and it's told in a unique way.
This is a must-read for anyone looking for a good story.
The characters were incredibly fleshed out and multidimensional, something that tends to be lacking in other novels of today. The scenery in the book was described as if you were there and the author definitely captured the essence of the city, making his setting believable and having it work for the story. The diction was descriptive and there was a lack of "filler" in the novel. Appel certainly made every word not only count, but also work for him.
Appel took an intriguing concept of blending two different fictions together into a cohesive storyline and certainly made it work.
The theme of the novel, hope, is of course something that many readers can relate to, and it's told in a unique way.
This is a must-read for anyone looking for a good story.
kklemaster's review against another edition
2.0
Received through a Goodreads Giveaway
Appel's style is definitely reminiscent of Vonnegut, especially in his attention to the peculiar details which allow for the creation of complex characters; however, I think there was an obvious disconnect between characters and themes for this novel. The synopsis implies this story is largely about Starshine, and I would agree, because it's through her that we see what an incredible influence we have on other people's lives and the potential to radically change, or refuse to change, our own lives. Yet the perspective is mainly Bloom's, and he just wasn't as compelling a character for me, nor do I feel he carried this idea of postmodern love to completion. I was also hoping for more on the title - the biology of luck - given that there are multiple examples of sheer coincidence in the novel that could have been elevated to reach some greater conclusion about our existence as humans. As it stands, the writing danced around such thoughts instead of exploring them, and I think the fault for that can be placed on the inaccessibility that sometimes took over Appel's attempt to write "literary" fiction. The Q&A at the back of the book reveals an author who is well-read, articulate, and charming in his own right, but his crafted voice in the story isn't as enjoyable as his natural voice in answering those questions.
Appel's style is definitely reminiscent of Vonnegut, especially in his attention to the peculiar details which allow for the creation of complex characters; however, I think there was an obvious disconnect between characters and themes for this novel. The synopsis implies this story is largely about Starshine, and I would agree, because it's through her that we see what an incredible influence we have on other people's lives and the potential to radically change, or refuse to change, our own lives. Yet the perspective is mainly Bloom's, and he just wasn't as compelling a character for me, nor do I feel he carried this idea of postmodern love to completion. I was also hoping for more on the title - the biology of luck - given that there are multiple examples of sheer coincidence in the novel that could have been elevated to reach some greater conclusion about our existence as humans. As it stands, the writing danced around such thoughts instead of exploring them, and I think the fault for that can be placed on the inaccessibility that sometimes took over Appel's attempt to write "literary" fiction. The Q&A at the back of the book reveals an author who is well-read, articulate, and charming in his own right, but his crafted voice in the story isn't as enjoyable as his natural voice in answering those questions.
mckenzierichardson's review against another edition
2.0
I received a copy of this novel from BookLikes in exchange for an honest review.
I really am disappointed that I couldn't like this work more. The writing was absolutely phenomenal. Appel has a true way with words. He provided great descriptions and amazing environments. I loved the concept of a novel within a novel. However, I just could not get over how astonishingly horrid the plot was.
This is a story about a man named Larry Bloom whose most important characteristic is his hyperbolic unattractive and ordinary appearance. The third person narrator must constantly remind the reader that Larry is very plain. The only thing that is mentioned more than Larry's absurd averageappearance is his undying love for a woman named Starshine, a love that defines him as a quiet stalker. The text alternates between vivid descriptions of Larry's day and chapters from his novel, a work of fiction speculating on Starshine's life and her sexual exploits. It was actually difficult for me to finish this book, because it was so disgustingly creepy as it painted a picture of Larry's devotion to Starshine, an entity that is more of a caricature than a real woman, one whose sole existence depends of her unrealistic beauty and the love of every person she comes into contact with.
On top of that, the overall text was heavy with misogynistic ramblings such as, "All pay tribute to life's sole universal truth: A beautiful girl on a bicycle is communal property" (29) in describing the street harassment Starshine faces as she rides down the streets of New York and "It will gain him nothing" (62) when Larry decides not to intervene when a man publicly manhandled a woman, a decision he made after reaching the conclusion that he won't get to be the hero and the woman will most likely not throw herself at him as her knight in shining armor. Not to mention Borasch's attempt at the next Great American Sentence, another reminder of the value of women's beauty and sexual potential.
Even the whole "ugly-man-beautiful-woman" dynamic was overdone and out of date. Larry harshly criticises every woman he comes into contact with as not attractive enough to be worth his time. He dreads Starshine's rejection because he equates it with his eventual fate of ending up with one of these homely women.
Overall, this book made me sick. There were so many sexist descriptions they plauged the pages. I kept crossing my fingers that Appel would find a way to punish those with such backward ideals or at least have someone call them out on the outdated ideology, but instead throughout the novel, Appel presents the sexism as it is and does nothing to combat it.
I would like to read more by Appel, because I feel he has the potential to produce any amazing work based on his vivid descriptions and detailed portraits, but for me, this was not it.
I really am disappointed that I couldn't like this work more. The writing was absolutely phenomenal. Appel has a true way with words. He provided great descriptions and amazing environments. I loved the concept of a novel within a novel. However, I just could not get over how astonishingly horrid the plot was.
This is a story about a man named Larry Bloom whose most important characteristic is his hyperbolic unattractive and ordinary appearance. The third person narrator must constantly remind the reader that Larry is very plain. The only thing that is mentioned more than Larry's absurd averageappearance is his undying love for a woman named Starshine, a love that defines him as a quiet stalker. The text alternates between vivid descriptions of Larry's day and chapters from his novel, a work of fiction speculating on Starshine's life and her sexual exploits. It was actually difficult for me to finish this book, because it was so disgustingly creepy as it painted a picture of Larry's devotion to Starshine, an entity that is more of a caricature than a real woman, one whose sole existence depends of her unrealistic beauty and the love of every person she comes into contact with.
On top of that, the overall text was heavy with misogynistic ramblings such as, "All pay tribute to life's sole universal truth: A beautiful girl on a bicycle is communal property" (29) in describing the street harassment Starshine faces as she rides down the streets of New York and "It will gain him nothing" (62) when Larry decides not to intervene when a man publicly manhandled a woman, a decision he made after reaching the conclusion that he won't get to be the hero and the woman will most likely not throw herself at him as her knight in shining armor. Not to mention Borasch's attempt at the next Great American Sentence, another reminder of the value of women's beauty and sexual potential.
Even the whole "ugly-man-beautiful-woman" dynamic was overdone and out of date. Larry harshly criticises every woman he comes into contact with as not attractive enough to be worth his time. He dreads Starshine's rejection because he equates it with his eventual fate of ending up with one of these homely women.
Overall, this book made me sick. There were so many sexist descriptions they plauged the pages. I kept crossing my fingers that Appel would find a way to punish those with such backward ideals or at least have someone call them out on the outdated ideology, but instead throughout the novel, Appel presents the sexism as it is and does nothing to combat it.
I would like to read more by Appel, because I feel he has the potential to produce any amazing work based on his vivid descriptions and detailed portraits, but for me, this was not it.
tasmanian_bibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
‘Harlem sleeps late. The rest of the city has already accelerated to full throttle.’
This novel is set within a single day in New York City: a day in the life of Larry Bloom, a middle-aged New York City tour guide. On this particular day, Larry has dinner planned with Starshine Hart, the girl of his dreams. Larry has written a book, and while he has received a letter from the publishers Stroop & Stone, he doesn’t want to open the letter until he is with Starshine.
And so, in a three part story where we move from the face of morning through the belly of the afternoon to the heart of the night, we navigate New York City during the day with Larry while alternately reading chapters of his book ‘The Biology of Luck’.
Larry’s day is fraught with challenge: he has a group of Dutch tourists to guide through the city. Perhaps unsurprisingly there are plenty of obstacles to his success, including a riot, a death, an irritating journalist named Rita Blatt, and even an opportunity for heroism.
‘It is a universally established truth that teenage girls don’t appreciate come-ons from down-at-heel tour guides.’
In between the events of Larry’s life, we read chapters of his novel. In this novel, Larry has imagined Starshine’s life on this, the very same day that he hopes both to win her heart and achieve literary success.
It’s an interesting narrative technique – juxtaposing Larry’s own reality with his imagined concurrent life for Starshine while travelling through Larry’s New York City. Some characters appear in both narratives, which works surprisingly well because these secondary characters help to bring Larry Bloom’s New York City to life. Echoes of a similar but different June journey undertaken by Leopold Bloom through Dublin over a hundred years earlier.
But how will it end? Will Larry achieve literary success? Will he win Starshine? Do we ever meet Starshine outside the pages of Larry’s novel?
‘Yes and no….’
I enjoyed this novel, and admired the way in which Mr Appel manages the interactions between his characters. While I was left with more questions than answers, both life and fiction can be like that. I don’t expect Larry to win, but he might. Maybe. And Starshine? Hmm. There’s plenty to think about, and I wonder what happened next.
Note: I was offered and accepted a copy of this novel for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
This novel is set within a single day in New York City: a day in the life of Larry Bloom, a middle-aged New York City tour guide. On this particular day, Larry has dinner planned with Starshine Hart, the girl of his dreams. Larry has written a book, and while he has received a letter from the publishers Stroop & Stone, he doesn’t want to open the letter until he is with Starshine.
And so, in a three part story where we move from the face of morning through the belly of the afternoon to the heart of the night, we navigate New York City during the day with Larry while alternately reading chapters of his book ‘The Biology of Luck’.
Larry’s day is fraught with challenge: he has a group of Dutch tourists to guide through the city. Perhaps unsurprisingly there are plenty of obstacles to his success, including a riot, a death, an irritating journalist named Rita Blatt, and even an opportunity for heroism.
‘It is a universally established truth that teenage girls don’t appreciate come-ons from down-at-heel tour guides.’
In between the events of Larry’s life, we read chapters of his novel. In this novel, Larry has imagined Starshine’s life on this, the very same day that he hopes both to win her heart and achieve literary success.
It’s an interesting narrative technique – juxtaposing Larry’s own reality with his imagined concurrent life for Starshine while travelling through Larry’s New York City. Some characters appear in both narratives, which works surprisingly well because these secondary characters help to bring Larry Bloom’s New York City to life. Echoes of a similar but different June journey undertaken by Leopold Bloom through Dublin over a hundred years earlier.
But how will it end? Will Larry achieve literary success? Will he win Starshine? Do we ever meet Starshine outside the pages of Larry’s novel?
‘Yes and no….’
I enjoyed this novel, and admired the way in which Mr Appel manages the interactions between his characters. While I was left with more questions than answers, both life and fiction can be like that. I don’t expect Larry to win, but he might. Maybe. And Starshine? Hmm. There’s plenty to think about, and I wonder what happened next.
Note: I was offered and accepted a copy of this novel for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith