Next to TFioS, An Abundance of Katherines I think is John Green’s second best story. It’s quirky and intelligent I was seriously entertained the whole time. :)
Imagine an operating room at the start of a daring but well-rehearsed procedure and you will have something of the atmosphere of ”An Abundance of Katherines”: every detail considered, the action unrolling with grace and inevitability.”
-New York Times Book Review
The plot is quite simple and predictable, with a bunch of fun characters. However, it is John Green’s crazy awesomeness that its prose is beautiful and enticing to the mind. I love how Mr. Green created the character of Colin, a washed-out child prodigy, who is obsessed about “mattering in life,” yet atypical even with the very human thing called love; and, Colin’s sweet and faithful best friend Hassan, who is a Muslim though not dogmatic. The book may not have an epic ending or as colossal as TFioS, but these two definitely are! Oh, those humor and insight their dynamic can’t help with… It is a story of friendship.
I also like how Mr. Green crafted his story. Even the disarrayed flashbacks made the character of Colin even more real… and, those footnotes! How many nerds can actually pull it off? Lol, it’s good that a simple and quick read can be full of learning, and this is so ‘cause (1) I find Mr. Green likes to employ his bank of vocabulary, (2) even the dialogues and quips are so so smart! I had to stop myself from imagining a manga-like enactment of the scenes. :)
Not colossal but still brilliant as to give readers an abundance of reasons as to why this, and even Mr. Green himself, is worth all the acclaim.
“I have a story that will make you believe in God.”
Currently reading this riveting adventure of a young Indian boy known as Pi. Pi’s family owned a zoo, but suddenly found himself cast adrift a lifeboat with a zebra, hyena, an orangutan, and a Bengal tiger, named Richard Parker, when the cargo ship which the family was aboard on their way to migrating to Canada, sunk.
Knowing so little about the the book before picking it up, I almost thought it is real, especially after reading the Author’s note, from which the above quote was taken. However, since the critical success of its movie, I read bits about the novel, and found out: it is indeed a fantasy adventure story.
I’m through only three fourths of the book, but I have to say an “amen” to much of what it has to say. It is neither not solely for the original story nor of the epic journey of the very young hero, but its simple tales of the different creations, which by far is owed of one’s capacity for literature, let you drop to your being microscopic in this real infinite and vast universe. More so, to wonder and be amazed at the Hands that created them, including the one whose hands held the pen that made this writing into being.
“I spent more hours than I can count a quiet witness to the highly mannered, manifold expressions of life that grace our planet. It is something so bright, loud, weird and delicate as to stupefy the senses.”
This might not be enough to confirm the statement of the book as to whether there is a God, but I find that the only ones to argue with it are those that do not believe His very existence; or those who have never encountered Him; and those who believe that an encompassing “god” should not allow any mishap to befall his people- those who’d rather call Him a sadistic jerk because life isn’t cotton candy sweet or perfect.
The movie of the same name opens today, and I can only hope that it is as good as the book. Nevertheless, I hope you will read it. For in its plain narration and in my plain view, I am moved to learning and wonder. :)
