NWR: Soft Apocalypse

HappinessByTheKilowatt

Have any of you read this book by Will McIntosh? It was a free Nook book one of these last few Free Fridays, and I was wondering what you thought, if you have.

The Mel and Todd Show

I haven't read it, but after reading the Amazon review and description, I think I'd like to.  Have you begun reading it yet, or are you still considering it?  I'm concerned with the dialogue that I'm seeing in the product description on Amazon.  It sounds unrealistic and forced.  But another review says it's deserving of a Hugo.  I'm torn.  Bad dialogue can absolutely kill any interest I have in a story. 

HappinessByTheKilowatt

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_nwr-soft-apocalypse?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:3f1eb6f8-cee8-4e94-94e4-8895f354e252Post:69036800-9eab-4b1b-9c17-96ecf5908da2">Re: NWR: Soft Apocalypse</a>:
[QUOTE]I haven't read it, but after reading the Amazon review and description, I think I'd like to.  Have you begun reading it yet, or are you still considering it?  I'm concerned with the dialogue that I'm seeing in the product description on Amazon.  It sounds unrealistic and forced.  But another review says it's deserving of a Hugo.  I'm torn.  Bad dialogue can absolutely kill any interest I have in a story. 
Posted by The Mel and Todd Show[/QUOTE]

I'm on page 80. I had really high hopes for this book, because I like apocalyptic novels. I am pretty disappointed, and forced actually sounds like a really good word to describe the story. I wanted to see if it was worth it to keep reading, but there are only around 200 pages in the book, so I guess if I don't like it almost halfway through, I am probably not going to.

It starts off pretty decent, but then it just gets... lame. Basically, the story went from being about the terrible things going on in the country, to quickly just being about this kid and his relationships with different women, with the bad things becoming a back story. It kind of jumps around, and I feel like I am missing vital pieces of the plot. I don't really feel any connection to any of the characters, and I am not a big fan of how dogs are treated, and from what I read on Goodreads just now, that gets worse as the story goes on (yes, I know it's a fiction book, but it's pissing me off). I feel like if the only emotion I am feeling about a book is anger toward the treatment of fake dogs, it's probably missing something. So I don't know. Do I keep going?

The Mel and Todd Show

I would probably finish it simply because you're nearly halfway through.  I feel a strange sense of guilt if I stop reading a story.  The Neverending Story fuccked me up.  I feel like I'm leaving the characters in peril if I don't see it through to the end.  I'm an idiot. 

I understand what you're saying, about the dog thing.  American Psycho did that to me, but the rest of the novel was worth tolerating it.  Quite frankly, I think there's something wrong with you if you don't have Bret Easton Ellis nightmares.  I actually had to skip a chapter...the title alone told me I couldn't handle it in my current condition (read it while I was pregnant, and stuff happening to kids really bothers me).  I accidentally saw the last sentence of the skipped chapter, and I am disturbed by it frequently.  So I wouldn't feel silly about being turned off by the treatment of the fictional dogs, but if the treatment of the fictional dogs is all that is disturbing about a post apocalyptic novel, the author is doing something wrong. 

mandapanda78

"Bad dialogue can absolutely kill any interest I have in a story." said Mel.

"Oh." I said.

"Yes. Any interest. It kills it." she said.

"Oh." I said again. "I see."

"Yes. It is true." Mel said, this time with finality.

The end.

HappinessByTheKilowatt

That's exactly it. Like none of it really makes sense, or fits together. You are told about the characters desparation, but you don't actually FEEL it. It's "We can't eat today. Wow I miss my girlfriend." It's... unmoving, I guess. You're told that people are sick and that there are manmade viruses killing people, the unemployment rate is 40%... but then it goes back to the main character trying to find his next girlfriend again. It skips entire chunks of time, in years, and you don't have any idea what went on during that time. It's weird.

I don't know if I got spoiled with detail reading Stephen King's "The Stand" recently, which is a great novel with the same concept. Maybe I just expected too much for 200 pages. I guess I will probably finish it though, because you're right. Leaving a book unread bugs me.

The Mel and Todd Show

*****The Stand- SPOILERS***************************











The Stand.  My advice is to everyone who was not read that novel is to not read the end, unless you enjoy losing respect for an otherwise gifted writer.  I swear, SK should just end all of his stories with a choose you own adventure option.  That man has managed to take my top five most detested literary devices and has used one to end every single epic story he has ever written.  It's like he sucks at ending his stories simply to spite me.  Deus ex machina?  Really?  And quite literally with the actual hand of god?  Greek plays had more imagination than that, and they had angels on wires fixing shiit.  M-O-O-N, that spells bullshit. 

I may have to DD this if LVB shows up today.  She does not like when I speak ill of SK.

ETA- Stephen King is by far my favorite author.  I'm critical becuase I love him.  I feel like that disclaimer is necessary.  I'm tiger-momming him, and it's working- Under the Dome ended to my satisfaction. 

HappinessByTheKilowatt

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_nwr-soft-apocalypse?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:3f1eb6f8-cee8-4e94-94e4-8895f354e252Post:6b6cbde1-4468-4f1e-8164-9024f8c721f3">Re: NWR: Soft Apocalypse</a>:
[QUOTE]*****The Stand- SPOILERS*************************** The Stand.  My advice is to everyone who was not read that novel is to not read the end, unless you enjoy losing respect for an otherwise gifted writer.  I swear, SK should just end all of his stories with a choose you own adventure option.  That man has managed to take my top five most detested literary devices and has used one to end every single epic story he has ever written.  It's like he sucks at ending his stories simply to spite me.  Deus ex machina?  Really?  And quite literally with the actual hand of god?  Greek plays had more imagination than that, and they had angels on wires fixing shiit.  M-O-O-N, that spells bullshit.  I may have to DD this if LVB shows up today.  She does not like when I speak ill of SK. ETA- Stephen King is by far my favorite author.  I'm critical becuase I love him.  I feel like that disclaimer is necessary.  I'm tiger-momming him, and it's working- Under the Dome ended to my satisfaction. 
Posted by The Mel and Todd Show[/QUOTE]

Totally agree with this, 100%. I enjoyed The Stand right up to the end and then was like "Well. That was... anti-climactic." But, he managed to keep me interested through 1100 pages until then, which is more than I can say for this.

Also, loved Under the Dome. A lot of people did not like the way it ended though, from what I read in reviews.

HappinessByTheKilowatt

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_nwr-soft-apocalypse?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:3f1eb6f8-cee8-4e94-94e4-8895f354e252Post:33a63618-2e7c-4773-9d3c-7acfdda2ab2f">Re: NWR: Soft Apocalypse</a>:
[QUOTE]"Bad dialogue can absolutely kill any interest I have in a story." said Mel. "Oh." I said. "Yes. Any interest. It kills it." she said. "Oh." I said again. "I see." "Yes. It is true." Mel said, this time with finality. The end.
Posted by mandapanda78[/QUOTE]

Hahaha, this is kind of how I feel about this book, not going to lie.

The Mel and Todd Show

Manda, I find that dialogue to be riveting.  You've got a future, kid. 

HappinessByTheKilowatt

****SPOILER****

So, I decided to continue with the book.

I made it another 100 pages almost, so I only have 40 more to go or so.

In that 100 pages, they have both eaten dog, and cut one open to put a bomb inside.

I am so angry about this book.

missy68

I couldn't finish Gerald's Game, because I'd gotten to a certain part.

And I remember reading American Psycho, and thinking - who THINKS this way? Apparently BEE isn't the only one.

HappinessByTheKilowatt

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_nwr-soft-apocalypse?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:3f1eb6f8-cee8-4e94-94e4-8895f354e252Post:37828232-dff6-45c4-9350-22bdc5c447cc">Re: NWR: Soft Apocalypse</a>:
[QUOTE]I couldn't finish Gerald's Game, because I'd gotten to a certain part. And I remember reading American Psycho, and thinking - who THINKS this way? Apparently BEE isn't the only one.
Posted by missy68[/QUOTE]

I started Gerald's Game and never finished it. I thought it was stupid. My FI loved it though. I love some King and not others. I'm weird.