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Fiction

Galatea 2.2
Author: Powers, Richard
Genre: Fiction
Rating: Good
Last Read: Prior to 2004

Review:An intellectual thriller, Galatea 2.2 explores the mind/brain dichotomy in a non-academic and amusing way. A humanist paired up with a cognitive neuroscientist push the limits of their own conception of this classic problem when they train a machine on a set of Great Books.

Hunger
Author: Hamsun, Knut
Genre: Fiction
Rating: Excellent
Last Read: February, 2004

Review:Through the extremity of hunger, Hamsun has captured the insanity of every day life. The main character is starving but instead of instilling pity, he instills wonder. A captivating novel, Hunger captures the detail of every day life and the the desperation of humanity.

Less Than Zero
Author: Ellis, Bret Easton
Genre: Fiction
Rating: Good
Last Read: January, 2004

Review:I read this review in one sitting, and when I was done spent more time thinking about it than I did reading it. In the end, I decided that I liked it. It's one of those books, like Catcher in the Ride or On the Road, that some read and ask "What was the point?". But others read and say, "Wow, that book really captured a very real human element." Less Than Zero takes place in Southern California (LA and Palm Springs), and is about rich college-age kids who live decadent lives, but struggle to find any meaning in them. It tells of a lifestyle I couldn't possibly imagine, yet the characters are very human and very compelling. Full of drugs, sex and abuse, this book is not for the queasy. But I enjoyed it and thought it was a profound tale of human lives going nowhere.

Quicksilver
Author: Stephenson, Neal
Genre: Fiction
Rating:
Last Read: March, 2004

Review:

The Big U
Author: Stephenson, Neal
Genre: Fiction
Rating: Poor
Last Read: Prior to 2004

Review:I was mostly disappointed by this book. I'm a big fan of Stephenson and had high expectations. It meant none of them. It rambled, it lacked direction, it tried to be several novels in one. But it was his first and all authors must start somewhere. It does show some of Stephenson's satirical brilliance and creative wit. A good read if you are interested in Stephenson as an author, otherwise I wouldn't recommend it.

The Da Vinci Code
Author: Brown, Dan
Genre: Fiction
Rating: Excellent
Last Read: March, 2004

Review:There's a lot of hype and controversy over this book. I wasn't concerned by the accuracy of the art details nor did I concern myself with the plausibility of conspiracy by the Catholic church. As a result, I loved this book. It was a fast-paced thriller with fun puzzles, intriguing characters, and a plot with great twists and turns. I couldn't put this one down.

The Sheltering Sky
Author: Bowles, Paul
Genre: Fiction
Rating: Good
Last Read: February, 2004

Review:Wow, I'm not really sure how to review this book. It was good, I enjoyed it. But I'm still not sure why. It's not the type of book I would normally read. It had compelling characters and a decent plot. But there was something intangible about this book that made it a delightful read.

The Stranger
Author: Camus, Albert
Genre: Fiction
Rating: Good
Last Read: Prior to 2004

Review:A short and quick read, this novel tells the story of a seemingly amoral and unfeeling man who commits a senseless murder. Well-written and concise, Camus does a fabulous job exploring the darker sides of mankind.