Scan barcode
haberkat's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
eclairemoon's review against another edition
4.0
Good, but not as good as the book I was hoping it would be. A bit cluttered, long, unanswered. Yet pieces shine through, like glittering fragments of poetry lost in the sea of a novel, waiting, churning.
nooneyouknow's review against another edition
4.0
Maybe even 4.5 stars. Great read that I enjoyed very much. Thoughtful exploration of the development of artificial intelligence and what it is to be human, all developed through the narratives different characters from different eras. Recommended.
storybookvisitor's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
sb1500's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
msbyfield's review against another edition
5.0
Through transcripts, journal entries, and letters over the span of centuries, SPEAK explores themes of technology's potential and limitations, the necessity of human connection, and the preservation of memory. With masterful and subtle prose, the novel acts as a character study, as each narrative voice provides unique insight into the ultimate creation of a cloud-based A.I. program called MARY3. But it's the illuminating interactions, or lack thereof, between these very human characters that had me finishing this book in just one day -- a rare treat. Highly recommended for readers of David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas and other speculative fiction.
Read my other book reviews on my staff reviews page at Grass Roots Books!
Read my other book reviews on my staff reviews page at Grass Roots Books!
blairmahoney's review
5.0
An absorbing look at artificial intelligence, not in any technical sense, but rather its implications for human interaction and conversation. Much of the text is set in the past, as it merges the journal of a seventeenth century pilgrim with the stories of Alan Turing, an estranged couple involved with the development of a chatbot in the sixties and eighties and then into a dystopian future where AI 'baby-bots' have been outlawed. It's very moving at times and well-crafted.
cancermoononhigh's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
robotswithpersonality's review against another edition
Beautiful writing, sad subject matter.
Apt for a literary sci fi novel focused on memory,
the format is a mix of epistolary and diary entries, told from a number of voices throughout history.
(Did a tandem read, can highly recommend the full cast audiobook.)
The inclusion of robots/machine intelligence is more a framework to other discussions, but the narrative does involve a possible future wrought by humans who create and interact with robots with varying degrees of human-like capacity.
Much about transitional periods, regrets.
Focus on relationships, not simply communication gaps but the mistakes made when people build the wrong vision of the person they thought they were building a relationship with and the resulting fall out, reflecting on loss. Characters also reflect on their own flaws to a greater or lesser degree, though in Turing's and Bradford's case the flaw feels more in the historical period, the society they were living in, than themselves.
I feel I should point out three things:
1) There's at least one real historical figure (Alan Turing, not sure about Mary Bradford) who's intimate correspondence the book suggests we are reading. On the off chance that makes you feel as uncomfortable as it does me, be forewarned.
2) Part of the relationships and character flaws discussed are two sets of wives putting up with arrogant shitty husbands who either realize their many mistakes too late or are only exposed in the spouse's rebuttal. Again, if that's likely to make your blood boil, be aware.
3) The 1600s narrative involves the wedding of a 13 year old girl to what I gather from his military history is an adult man. At no point in the course of the narrative does she do anything more than hold hands with her new husband. In case you get to chapter five, had an immediate case of the heebie jeebies, and wanted reassurances on that front.
Taking a peek at Hall's backlist, the preponderance of literary novels -contemporary or historical - makes sense, but I think the sci fi elements in this book were what tied it all together for me. If she ventures into this particular genre mashup again, I'll happily pick up more from her. The strong sense of each character's voice, the seamless carrying forward of various motifs, it was a pleasure to read such writing, even if the content bummed me out a little.
⚠️animal death, homophobia, body dysphoria, non consensual hormonal modification, internalized fatphobia, suicide, ableism
Apt for a literary sci fi novel focused on memory,
the format is a mix of epistolary and diary entries, told from a number of voices throughout history.
(Did a tandem read, can highly recommend the full cast audiobook.)
The inclusion of robots/machine intelligence is more a framework to other discussions, but the narrative does involve a possible future wrought by humans who create and interact with robots with varying degrees of human-like capacity.
Much about transitional periods, regrets.
Focus on relationships, not simply communication gaps but the mistakes made when people build the wrong vision of the person they thought they were building a relationship with and the resulting fall out, reflecting on loss. Characters also reflect on their own flaws to a greater or lesser degree, though in Turing's and Bradford's case the flaw feels more in the historical period, the society they were living in, than themselves.
I feel I should point out three things:
1) There's at least one real historical figure (Alan Turing, not sure about Mary Bradford) who's intimate correspondence the book suggests we are reading. On the off chance that makes you feel as uncomfortable as it does me, be forewarned.
2) Part of the relationships and character flaws discussed are two sets of wives putting up with arrogant shitty husbands who either realize their many mistakes too late or are only exposed in the spouse's rebuttal. Again, if that's likely to make your blood boil, be aware.
3) The 1600s narrative involves the wedding of a 13 year old girl to what I gather from his military history is an adult man. At no point in the course of the narrative does she do anything more than hold hands with her new husband. In case you get to chapter five, had an immediate case of the heebie jeebies, and wanted reassurances on that front.
Taking a peek at Hall's backlist, the preponderance of literary novels -contemporary or historical - makes sense, but I think the sci fi elements in this book were what tied it all together for me. If she ventures into this particular genre mashup again, I'll happily pick up more from her. The strong sense of each character's voice, the seamless carrying forward of various motifs, it was a pleasure to read such writing, even if the content bummed me out a little.
⚠️animal death, homophobia, body dysphoria, non consensual hormonal modification, internalized fatphobia, suicide, ableism
alfsan's review against another edition
4.0
First of al, It was a short read. It reminded me of cloud atlas in the sense that there are different timelines and different points of view from the story telling perspective. While I did enjoy the elegant prose, i feel it lacked a bit of an extra punch to the overall story. The book lives up to its title in the way that it highlights this basic human need of communication and learning. Do i recommend it? yes! But you might want to google some of the characters if you arent familiar with their story.