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teabrewer's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
As the title suggests, there are multiple short stories in this book. My opinion on each varied greatly. Some felt like pure art and some almost made me give up the book although over all this xollection is really worth reading.
The tower of babylon, the first story, had an interesting message and a very interesting setting, I liked it but it lacked intensity and I wish more time had been spent in the tower's villages elaborating the world.
The second story, Understand, felt at the beggining like a less interesting version of Flowers for Algernoon. Later on it started to walk with its own legs but, before got anywhere, it tripped and felt on its head fatally.
So far the stories hadn't necessarily lived up to the hype, but the third story, Division by 0, absolutely did! This is the first time I read a female character written by a man before 2010 that feels like an entire person. Both main characters are incredibly written and every one of their actions and thoughts add to the story beautifully. The contrast between the couple's point of views and the sense of inevitability accompanied by the sections on mathematical theory really marked this stoey as a true masterpiece, seriously. I wish I could frame each page and hang them on my walls. I feel like if you don't care a lot about math, you may have some difficulty understanding Renee and some of the terminology may be a little tiring but I don't know if that would get in the way of enjoying this story.
Story of our life has a very innovative manner of representing time. I loved the movie and the short story is even better because the manner in which it is written makes the reader feel like they see time like the main character. Again tackling themes around the inevitable. A very interesting representation of motherhood too.
Seventy-two letters is very interesting and a little uncomfortable to read. I'm not sure if it is a warning or a defense of innovation.
The last story, Liking what you see, was very interesting and a great exploration of the effects of technology in a society centered around beauty. I also really enjoyed the documentary format
Content Warnings
Minor: Misogyny and Suicide
kimbo8's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Misogyny, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and War
rlgreen91's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
What a wonderful collection of stories! I had never heard of Ted Chiang before, but I was happy to squeeze this book in for an online book club, and I'm so glad I did. Each story was wonderfully thought-provoking and engrossing.
In response to another reader's question, I'd have to say that "The Tower of Babylon", "Story of Your Life", and "Seventy-Two Letters" are tied for my favorite. As a fairly devout Christian, I loved the idea of an alternate version of the Tower of Babylon Bible story. I enjoyed the twists that emerged from the narrative structure of "Story of Your Life," as well as the linguistic and anthropological aspects of it - it reminded me a bit of "Speech Sounds" by Octavia E. Butler, another short story I really enjoyed. Finally, I loved "Seventy-Two Letters" because it also invoked linguistic and anthropological concepts - how do you create an epithet that reflects the essence of something? But Stratton's work is so similar at its core to what I do as a software developer. And the way Chiang captured Stratton's final idea was perfect - it was exquisite prose that managed to capture not just how revolutionary the discovery of DNA must have been, but also that moment when you've been puzzling over a difficult problem in programming and you finally figure out a simple, elegant solution. Well, maybe I do have a singular favorite after all, haha.
But really, these short stories are great. I believe Chiang has another collection so I'll have to pick it up soon. 5 stars.
In response to another reader's question, I'd have to say that "The Tower of Babylon", "Story of Your Life", and "Seventy-Two Letters" are tied for my favorite. As a fairly devout Christian, I loved the idea of an alternate version of the Tower of Babylon Bible story. I enjoyed the twists that emerged from the narrative structure of "Story of Your Life," as well as the linguistic and anthropological aspects of it - it reminded me a bit of "Speech Sounds" by Octavia E. Butler, another short story I really enjoyed. Finally, I loved "Seventy-Two Letters" because it also invoked linguistic and anthropological concepts - how do you create an epithet that reflects the essence of something? But Stratton's work is so similar at its core to what I do as a software developer. And the way Chiang captured Stratton's final idea was perfect - it was exquisite prose that managed to capture not just how revolutionary the discovery of DNA must have been, but also that moment when you've been puzzling over a difficult problem in programming and you finally figure out a simple, elegant solution. Well, maybe I do have a singular favorite after all, haha.
But really, these short stories are great. I believe Chiang has another collection so I'll have to pick it up soon. 5 stars.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Suicide attempt, and Classism
Minor: Misogyny
bwwilhelm's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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? N/A
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Ableism, Death, and Medical content
Minor: Child death, Infertility, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, and Acephobia/Arophobia
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