Reviews with content warning for Suicide - Machines Like Me

I enjoyed the plot of this book, and I sort of enjoyed the alternate timeline setting - it being so similar to our current society made me half think it was a commentary on the inevitability of how humans act with technology and half made me think there was a lack of imagination in how different a world cold be. Maybe Ian McEwan just didn't want to distract readers from the main themes by making it "obviously Sci-fi" novel in which we also had to understand a different worldly setting.

What I found really disappointing was that the themes and underlying messages about consciousness and technology and AI were rubbed so hard in the reader's face and there was no opportunity to face organic thought about them yourself because they were presented so blatantly as character thoughts or dialogue. The last Ian McEwan book I read (the cockroach, DNF was the same - we get it you think Brexit was stupid) and I feel like the lack of subtlety let down what could have been a really thought provoking novel.

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catayane's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective slow-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? Yes

5.0

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georgiarybanks's review against another edition

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challenging reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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achillea's review against another edition

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Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No

started skimming this book quickly abt two chapters in bc the narrator creeped me the eff out and everything was just so uncomfortable. but even when i managed to zone in, absolutely nothing happened bc the narrator was too busy talking abt himself. maybe it was just my exp with this book but i wouldn't recommend it to anyone who has some trauma from past relationships

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merle_bookdragon's review against another edition

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informative reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Good lord, I am so glad I finally finished. The premise of this book was so promising, and I was kind of excited to read about machine intelligence and the question of morality and how to teach machines the way of human thinking. But sadly, it was executed in such a boring manner that I had to physically force myself to finish. I wouldn't have finished it if this wasn't university reading that I'll have to write an assignment on.
Also, the blurb speaks of a love triangle - for the last time: it's only a love triangle if there is at least one queer person involved. In this case, we are talking about a love V, in which two people love the same person - but not each other. Glad we cleared that up.
Anyway, that's all I have to say. I can't wait to be done with the assignment, lol.

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mssunnyskies's review against another edition

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challenging slow-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

2.75

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linde_euw's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Interesting read, especially if you’re interested in AI and how it might intersect with human emotions and behaviour. Slow start, I would say the ‘real plot’, takes off just before the middle.

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