C Audiobook

" A few lovely passages aren't enough to justify the rest of the story the effectively goes no where. The theme of the book is obvious and repetitious, and the main character, Serge, goes along with out a point. Wasted potential. "

" I don't think I quite did this book justice due to exorbitant amounts of work- and life-related stress this week. So, a leeetle difficulty concentrating. My overall impression was that it was really well-written, with some very well-done set pieces, but overall it didn't really hang together. I thoroughly enjoyed the first section of the book (before all that stress hit later in the week) so I might have felt differently had I been able to concentrate a little better. "

" Started promisingly enough, but soon got very dull. No real storyline, characterless and empty. All very high brow no doubt, lots of scientific research and in-jokes, but just seemed quite pretentious. Quite enjoyed the 1920's London section, but other than that not for me. Filing under 'C' for crap. "

" Not really the "experimental" novel the cover blurbs promised -- I mean, there were comparisons to Joyce and Borges; um, no -- but still a fascinating and compulsively readable novel, with encyclopedic detail of the various scenarios the main character finds himself immersed in during the course of his life. "

" I couldn't put this book down, but at the same time I don't know if other people would feel the same way. Very heavy on description, technology, vocabulary. The descriptions of flight over WWI battlefields were amazing. Somehow it never bothered me that the character was one step removed from everything, whether by nature or nurture (drug use). For me, this book proves that sometimes extraordinary writing skill actually can overcome oddities of plot and character. (But I also happen to like descriptions of bizarro English families in the first decades of the 20th century, and don't mind numerous descriptions and metaphors involving telegraphy, weaving and chemistry.) "

" I very rarely give up on a book, always believing if a book is worth writing then it has to be worth reading. But I struggled with this, can't say if there was too much going on or not enough, or I just prefer simpler plots! "

" I give up...this book was such a slog. And after Remainder was so brilliant! "

" Well-written, but very aimless. It's such an interesting point in history, and the plot is littered with intriguing locations and details, but the protagonist is sadly void of real depth. The ending makes one feel cheated and disappointed. "

" Very smart, at moments beautifully and brilliantly written, but sometimes missing a bit in empathy. I wanted to know more about the character's interiority, not just have him as a vast, mobile canvas for the birth of 20th century technology. "

" this story is totally schitzo and lost me at the flying/war, but i loved the first half, even the constipation! "

" Totally waste of time. "

" I give the writing a 5 and the story a 1. McCarthy is so imaginative and original, but the story was a little too out there for me. "

" Gorgeous writing, intriguing and...what? Felt kind of flat throughout. Although maybe that's some clever joke based on Serge's perspective problems. "

" Took me well over half of the book to get into. "

" B. let me get back to you on this one. weird. "

" This was sort of like Pynchon (and specifically Gravity's Rainbow, with hints of V) lite. For the small investment the book required, it was by and large pretty worth it, neither as difficult and ambitious nor as baffling and frustrating as Pynchon. "

" I really enjoyed the first third of this book and then I got completely LOST as to its direction and purpose. Kris, we need to talk about this one and then maybe I can raise my rating. I just really don't understand it! "

" Eh ? Sorry I just didn't get it. Wasn't very keen on the main character and didn't really care what happened to him. As for the rest of it. It went straight over my head. "

" This book appeals to both the history nerd and the science nerd in me. I can usually guess where a plotline is going, but not this one. Suspenseful and cryptic in the best of ways. "

" A very tedious read. I'm usually not a "skimmer" but it took all of my self control not to skim this novel. A few interesting and a few humorous sections, but on the whole, I was greatly relieved to be done with this one. "

" I can't say I enjoyed this, I found it so hard to focus on the text - but maybe that's more a review of me than the book. I feel like I was missing something. Or the book was. Or both.Hmm. "

" One of the best books that I have read in the last year. Delicious language. A strange and obscure plot but I like the "message" or vision the author had. Reviewers (see NYTimes) were at odds about the meaning of this book. "