I read every word for the first 60 pages. Then, I started skimming a bit here and there. Soon, I was skimming entire paragraphs, and then chapters. Finally, I gave up and read the synopsis on Wikipedia - (Wikipedia: "The Quitters Guide to Literature"). I throughly enjoyed "Remains of the Day", and Ishiguro's subtle yet perspicacious style gave fantastic depth to Mr. Stevens; but here the hyper-nuanced style was flat, pedantic and fatiguing.

I finished reading 'Cloud Atlas' earlier tonight - my head is still spinning. One of the most ambitious and labyrinthine books I've read: the design, style, and language are stunningly virtuosic; and, the philosophical underpinnings (e.g. reincarnation, the nature of man, fate, the purpose of life) are fascinating and fresh. The ending is transformative. It'll likely go down as one of my great reading experiences.

A life-changing book: 5/5 stars

I finished reading 'Cloud Atlas' earlier tonight - my head is still spinning. One of the most ambitious and labyrinthine books I've read: the design, style, and language are stunningly virtuosic; and, the philosophical underpinnings (e.g. reincarnation, the nature of man, fate, the purpose of life) are fascinating and fresh. The ending is transformative. It'll likely go down as one of my great reading experiences.

A life-changing book: 5/5 stars

Yep, I read it, TWICE! I wanted to know what the hype was all about and to see if I could wrap my mind around the greatest novel in the English language. It took seven weeks: I'd read a chapter; then read dozens of pages of commentary; and then re-read the chapter. I think I got a glimpse of Joyce's genius, but it was grueling.

I recently finished Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk. The writer does a superb job of honoring the sacrifice of soldiers while criticizing the vulgar, ignorant, shallow, war-mongering American public that sends kids to die in meaningless wars. It's funny, creative, and insightful.

Engaging: 4/5 stars

"A circuitous narrative brimming with perspicacious insights." -- E. Brian Graham

"A really fine book." -- Eric B. Graham

"Yo, this shit be spiff-a-licious!" -- e. b. graham

Knowing that The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay is one of the most celebrated novels of the new millennium, I began this book with optimism. I gave it 65 pages, hoping to find an interesting idea, plot, or character; but alas, I had to quit.

$17 bucks down the drain!

I found it tedious: long-winded descriptions of irrelevant shit, bland dialogue, mind-numbing plots and sub-plots that went nowhere.

Boring: 2/5 stars

A stupendous book. Full of fascinating characters who crisscross each other's lives in a labyrinthine narrative. I'm not sure I took away a LIFE-CHANGING message from the novel, but it was nonetheless hilarious, amusing, and ultimately redemptive. Both laugh-out-loud funny yet inventive, experimental, and well-crafted. A once-in-a-decade book.

Delightful: 5/5 stars