Jayson’s Reviews > The Road > Status Update
Jayson
is 11% done
Notes:
(1) At least to me, this has somewhat Victorian sensibilities.
- Being essentially a narrative poem, it's reminiscent of long-form poetry of that era, albeit free verse.
(2) "He withdrew his hand slowly and sat looking at a Coca Cola."
"What is it, Papa?"
"It's a treat. For you."
- It's interesting how, with all the stark prose, "Coca Cola" sounds foreign and exotic.
— Nov 08, 2023 08:55AM
Notes:
(1) At least to me, this has somewhat Victorian sensibilities.
- Being essentially a narrative poem, it's reminiscent of long-form poetry of that era, albeit free verse.
(2) "He withdrew his hand slowly and sat looking at a Coca Cola."
"What is it, Papa?"
"It's a treat. For you."
- It's interesting how, with all the stark prose, "Coca Cola" sounds foreign and exotic.
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Jayson’s Previous Updates
Jayson
is 99% done
Notes:
(1) "It's okay, Papa. You don't have to talk. It's okay."
- Probably the most repetitive piece of dialogue, in a book full of repetition, is the word "okay," back-and-forth between father and son. Searching the text, it comes up 195 times.
- It all builds to this one line though, the book's climax, when roles reverse and the son becomes his father's protector.
— Nov 19, 2023 02:00PM
Notes:
(1) "It's okay, Papa. You don't have to talk. It's okay."
- Probably the most repetitive piece of dialogue, in a book full of repetition, is the word "okay," back-and-forth between father and son. Searching the text, it comes up 195 times.
- It all builds to this one line though, the book's climax, when roles reverse and the son becomes his father's protector.
Jayson
is 90% done
Notes:
(1) In very much the same way Shakespeare is better when performed/read aloud, this book's particular narrative poetry is better when read on the page.
- Listening to the audiobook, it just doesn't have the same punch as my first time around when I read the physical book.
- There's a lot of simple, stark and repetitive dialogue that, frankly, sounds dull read aloud.
— Nov 19, 2023 08:30AM
Notes:
(1) In very much the same way Shakespeare is better when performed/read aloud, this book's particular narrative poetry is better when read on the page.
- Listening to the audiobook, it just doesn't have the same punch as my first time around when I read the physical book.
- There's a lot of simple, stark and repetitive dialogue that, frankly, sounds dull read aloud.
Jayson
is 67% done
Notes:
(1) "When your dreams are of some world that never was or of some world that never will be and you are happy again then you will have given up."
- Of all lines to get a callback, it's one I just mentioned!
- I suppose memories and fantasies are like opium in this post-apocalypse. By implication, opening your eyes to cold, oppressive reality is living clean and sober.
— Nov 18, 2023 08:30AM
Notes:
(1) "When your dreams are of some world that never was or of some world that never will be and you are happy again then you will have given up."
- Of all lines to get a callback, it's one I just mentioned!
- I suppose memories and fantasies are like opium in this post-apocalypse. By implication, opening your eyes to cold, oppressive reality is living clean and sober.
Jayson
is 48% done
Notes:
(1) There's a real timeless quality to this. If you took away all mentions of modern items and asked me to identify an era, I would classify this as distinctly medieval.
- There's a very "Lone Wolf and Cub" or knight and squire feel to it.
(2) All the cannibalism is, of course, rooted in reality but has a very zombie/vampire aura, so this feels like a horror fantasy.
— Nov 16, 2023 08:30AM
Notes:
(1) There's a real timeless quality to this. If you took away all mentions of modern items and asked me to identify an era, I would classify this as distinctly medieval.
- There's a very "Lone Wolf and Cub" or knight and squire feel to it.
(2) All the cannibalism is, of course, rooted in reality but has a very zombie/vampire aura, so this feels like a horror fantasy.
Jayson
is 34% done
Notes:
(1) I'm torn on Tom Stechschulte. I think he's a very good narrator, I just don't think he's a good fit here.
- His little boy voice isn't great, and really takes me out of the story.
- Plus he sounds too polished for this post-apocalypse.
(2) "Query: How does the never to be differ from what never was?"
- I suppose "never to be" has precedent as previously existing.
— Nov 15, 2023 08:30AM
Notes:
(1) I'm torn on Tom Stechschulte. I think he's a very good narrator, I just don't think he's a good fit here.
- His little boy voice isn't great, and really takes me out of the story.
- Plus he sounds too polished for this post-apocalypse.
(2) "Query: How does the never to be differ from what never was?"
- I suppose "never to be" has precedent as previously existing.
Jayson
is 20% done
Notes:
(1) To me, this book doesn't seem to have a plot. A father and son journey south, and things happen along the way. To go into more detail would mean recounting individual (unconnected) incidents.
- Really, it's the prose describing these incidents that make the book.
(2) The father and son have no names.
- In essence, they're emblematic of every father and every son.
— Nov 09, 2023 08:30AM
Notes:
(1) To me, this book doesn't seem to have a plot. A father and son journey south, and things happen along the way. To go into more detail would mean recounting individual (unconnected) incidents.
- Really, it's the prose describing these incidents that make the book.
(2) The father and son have no names.
- In essence, they're emblematic of every father and every son.
Jayson
is starting
Notes:
(1) No reason why I'm reading this now other than it's available at my library.
- I've had it on hold forever.
- As with all my audiobooks, this is a reread.
(2) The thing I most remember about this is there's no chapter breaks.
- Being fairly short, I know it's implied I should finish it in one sitting but that's not going to happen, especially as it's an audiobook.
— Nov 06, 2023 11:10PM
Notes:
(1) No reason why I'm reading this now other than it's available at my library.
- I've had it on hold forever.
- As with all my audiobooks, this is a reread.
(2) The thing I most remember about this is there's no chapter breaks.
- Being fairly short, I know it's implied I should finish it in one sitting but that's not going to happen, especially as it's an audiobook.
