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johnridleyRiver of Shadows: Eadweard Muybridge and the Technological Wild West by Rebecca Solnit
★★★☆☆
This was a fairly fascinating subject, and the author did a decent job explaining the impact of Muybridge's work on the culture of California, America and the world.
The first third of the book was very labored though, I thought for a while that the author had never heard of any literary device apart from the simile. She was going at a dozen a page or more. It was almost comical if it weren't so bad.
After a few chapters though the style settled down, though there were still occasional forays back into the early style. Also there's a bit of repetitiveness, some events or facts are reiterated a bit too much.
As literature I'd have given it 2 stars at best, but the subject matter pulls it back up a bit.
I read this after hearing a pretty solid recommendation, but having gotten through this book, I think Solnit has probably gotten all of my money she ever will.
★★★☆☆
This was a fairly fascinating subject, and the author did a decent job explaining the impact of Muybridge's work on the culture of California, America and the world.
The first third of the book was very labored though, I thought for a while that the author had never heard of any literary device apart from the simile. She was going at a dozen a page or more. It was almost comical if it weren't so bad.
After a few chapters though the style settled down, though there were still occasional forays back into the early style. Also there's a bit of repetitiveness, some events or facts are reiterated a bit too much.
As literature I'd have given it 2 stars at best, but the subject matter pulls it back up a bit.
I read this after hearing a pretty solid recommendation, but having gotten through this book, I think Solnit has probably gotten all of my money she ever will.
