Customer Comments

justannesopinion has commented on (3) products.

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir by Bill Bryson

justannesopinion, April 21, 2008

Lots of fun, a good mix of common baby boomer experiences, fifties history/sociology, and matters specific to the author's life. Many observations about fifties childhood that I hadn't framed specifically, but which hit me with a jolt of recognition. The only flaw is that it's a little uneven, with occasional forced jokiness.

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Second Lives: A Journey through Virtual Worlds by Tim Guest

justannesopinion, April 21, 2008

The book is well written and engaging, and explores a very interesting subject. The information about virtual worlds and their inhabitants and creators and rules is presented quite cogently, in a tone that is engaged but still objective.

I had a little difficulty with the material that the author included about himself; some of that is quite interesting, other parts left me with a "so what?"

On the whole, if you want a flavor of what's behind the immersive/avatar stuff, this book is a good resource and a pleasing read.

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(5 of 15 readers found this comment helpful)

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A Free Life by Ha Jin

justannesopinion, April 21, 2008

A really unusual book! The author manages to create a texture and narrative that make a reader see and feel a particular immigrant experience. It's a long book filled with not only events and emotions, but also details of daily life, all told with equal emphasis. This gives it a unique texture, which worked very well for me.

There are many places where the author could go for easy sentimentality or contrived melodrama, but he keeps the narrative true to itself. I cared about the characters and their journeys.

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(3 of 4 readers found this comment helpful)

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