Taitai
Opal
Posts: 8,305 Likes: 54,853
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Post by Taitai on Jul 16, 2017 4:20:45 GMT -6
I just finished the book and am pretty much on the same page as everyone else. I feel like this book was the movie Multiplicity combined with the Time Traveler's Wife. It was an addictive read, and thought provoking in the beginning...but by the end, I was just like - ugh. The book lost me at the many many Jasons plot point. Perhaps it would have been a physics error/plot hole for the book to NOT go that way, but I honestly would not have minded...and I am probably am not smart enough at physics to have even thought about it. I would have liked to have seen more character development with a showdown between the protagonist and the Jason (Jason2) who stole his life. I think limiting the ending to two Jasons also could have developed the characters of Daniela and Charlie a bit more, instead of basically just having them be compliant and overwhelmed for most of the ending.
*Also - I have to point out that Jason2 in the book is actually the guy who invented the box and kidnaps Jason in the beginning. The protagonist is just Jason...not Jason2. Just trying to set that record straight to avoid confusion, as I've seen some people referring to the protagonist as Jason2.
I was actually okay with Amanda and Jason going their separate ways, and not knowing what happens to her. I mean, it would have been nice to know what happened to Amanda (as well as Velocity Laboratories for that matter), but I think it might have been too much for the author to tie up. It would have messed with the quick pace of the read as well and made the book too long.
In terms of writing style - the short sentences bugged me towards the end. Not really a fan of this staccato writing voice.
Lasting thoughts/impact? I guess the phrase/concept "It is our choices that define us" comes to mind here. I am sure it is what the author desired to be a take-away. Reminds me of a quote from Harry Potter...I think Dumbledore says something along those lines? I think that is a good message and something to keep in the back of one's mind, so if the book has any lasting effect with me - that is what I will choose to retain for my own "moral of the story."
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Post by Notarobot on Jul 16, 2017 7:59:54 GMT -6
I am on the same page as a lot of you here. I read the book in less than 2 days and couldn't put it down, but didn't find it life changing or even well written.
The plot holes really bothered me. +1 to what happened to Amanda? Also, how did all these other Jasons find their way back to his 'real' world when there are infinite possibilities? I found it enough of a stretch that original Jason found his way back with 1 ampoule left. Also, how did Jason2 ensure that Jason ended up in the world with the Lab? Wouldn't Jason have woken up in the box and then had to wander around? How did he get out of the box at all? Maybe I missed that in the book but it really bothered me.
I also found Jason unlikeable. I did not really care if he ended up back in his life, honestly. Maybe it was due to the short sentence writing style, but I just found him very shallow as a character.
In the end, I would recommend it for a quick summer read if you can put aside the plot holes. It was like watching a Mission Impossible or Fast & Furious movie, it will be entertaining for a few hours if you can suspend reality and just accept what is happening.
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loony
Emerald
Posts: 12,598 Likes: 45,098
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Post by loony on Jul 16, 2017 8:25:28 GMT -6
*snip* In the end, I would recommend it for a quick summer read if you can put aside the plot holes. It was like watching a Mission Impossible or Fast & Furious movie, it will be entertaining for a few hours if you can suspend reality and just accept what is happening. I agree with this sentiment completely.
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jewel
Silver
Posts: 319 Likes: 940
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Post by jewel on Jul 17, 2017 19:43:09 GMT -6
I also found it hard to believe the wife and son noticed the differences. Sure, calling me a different name I'd notice. But if DH put this shoes on first or last, or wore new pajamas... Probably not. I really disagree with this... if my husband suddenly started dressing differently, humping all the time like we had just started dating, and talking about completely different things I would definitely notice. It seemed to me from the book the changes were pretty noticeable.
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loony
Emerald
Posts: 12,598 Likes: 45,098
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Post by loony on Jul 17, 2017 19:52:44 GMT -6
I also found it hard to believe the wife and son noticed the differences. Sure, calling me a different name I'd notice. But if DH put this shoes on first or last, or wore new pajamas... Probably not. I really disagree with this... if my husband suddenly started dressing differently, humping all the time like we had just started dating, and talking about completely different things I would definitely notice. It seemed to me from the book the changes were pretty noticeable. After being together for 12+ years. I would notice these things and think he was on drugs or something.
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jewel
Silver
Posts: 319 Likes: 940
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Post by jewel on Jul 18, 2017 5:03:25 GMT -6
Generally I liked this book but I couldn't get over that Jason2 basically destroyed the universe and it's kinda broken forever. Even if you can forgive what he did to himself (which was super fucked up) he basically ruined that entire world which is becoming over run with Jason's. And with infinite possibilities/choices/chances it's going to continue to happen. Then other Jason's I'm sure will leave too and basically it just kinda seems like bad news all around. That box needs to die.
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Taitai
Opal
Posts: 8,305 Likes: 54,853
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Post by Taitai on Jul 18, 2017 5:40:17 GMT -6
Generally I liked this book but I couldn't get over that Jason2 basically destroyed the universe and it's kinda broken forever. Even if you can forgive what he did to himself (which was super fucked up) he basically ruined that entire world which is becoming over run with Jason's. And with infinite possibilities/choices/chances it's going to continue to happen. Then other Jason's I'm sure will leave too and basically it just kinda seems like bad news all around. That box needs to die. This comment makes me realize a plot fail. Why isn't the world at the end (Jason1's original world, with the "real" Daniela and Charlie) being overrun with Jason2s as well? Like...Jason2 had 100 vials of that drug thing when he first went into the box, and wouldn't an infinite number of Jason2s also ultimately have found their way to the "ideal" world of Jason1? Esp since Jason2 basically went into the box wanting to find the ideal version of himself, had he not left Daniela 15 years prior? I just don't like this infinite Jasons thing...I wish that angle hadn't been in there.
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jewel
Silver
Posts: 319 Likes: 940
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Post by jewel on Jul 18, 2017 6:31:57 GMT -6
Generally I liked this book but I couldn't get over that Jason2 basically destroyed the universe and it's kinda broken forever. Even if you can forgive what he did to himself (which was super fucked up) he basically ruined that entire world which is becoming over run with Jason's. And with infinite possibilities/choices/chances it's going to continue to happen. Then other Jason's I'm sure will leave too and basically it just kinda seems like bad news all around. That box needs to die. This comment makes me realize a plot fail. Why isn't the world at the end (Jason1's original world, with the "real" Daniela and Charlie) being overrun with Jason2s as well? Like...Jason2 had 100 vials of that drug thing when he first went into the box, and wouldn't an infinite number of Jason2s also ultimately have found their way to the "ideal" world of Jason1? Esp since Jason2 basically went into the box wanting to find the ideal version of himself, had he not left Daniela 15 years prior? I just don't like this infinite Jasons thing...I wish that angle hadn't been in there. Dealing with infinities is always complex. But even if you suspend your disbelief there I still couldn't get over the world basically being destroyed. I either needed the world to actually be destroyed at the end or some ending that undid everything and righted the balance of the universe.
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Taitai
Opal
Posts: 8,305 Likes: 54,853
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Post by Taitai on Jul 18, 2017 6:35:33 GMT -6
jewel Yep - totally agree.
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Post by roguelily on Jul 18, 2017 8:03:20 GMT -6
Generally I liked this book but I couldn't get over that Jason2 basically destroyed the universe and it's kinda broken forever. Even if you can forgive what he did to himself (which was super fucked up) he basically ruined that entire world which is becoming over run with Jason's. And with infinite possibilities/choices/chances it's going to continue to happen. Then other Jason's I'm sure will leave too and basically it just kinda seems like bad news all around. That box needs to die. This comment makes me realize a plot fail. Why isn't the world at the end (Jason1's original world, with the "real" Daniela and Charlie) being overrun with Jason2s as well? Like...Jason2 had 100 vials of that drug thing when he first went into the box, and wouldn't an infinite number of Jason2s also ultimately have found their way to the "ideal" world of Jason1? Esp since Jason2 basically went into the box wanting to find the ideal version of himself, had he not left Daniela 15 years prior? I just don't like this infinite Jasons thing...I wish that angle hadn't been in there. ::brain exploding gif::: This is so true.
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Post by roguelily on Jul 18, 2017 8:04:37 GMT -6
This comment makes me realize a plot fail. Why isn't the world at the end (Jason1's original world, with the "real" Daniela and Charlie) being overrun with Jason2s as well? Like...Jason2 had 100 vials of that drug thing when he first went into the box, and wouldn't an infinite number of Jason2s also ultimately have found their way to the "ideal" world of Jason1? Esp since Jason2 basically went into the box wanting to find the ideal version of himself, had he not left Daniela 15 years prior? I just don't like this infinite Jasons thing...I wish that angle hadn't been in there. ::brain exploding gif::: This is so true. M Also all those other Jasons, or at least some of them, have to end up in the new world too, right? Like how could he be the only Jason who manages to get there?
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Post by bearfootzcontinued on Jul 18, 2017 10:22:26 GMT -6
I thought the book was an interesting read in the beginning but have to admit that I got a bit lost with the infinite worlds and was irritated with the multiple Jasons. I was especially confused with how they all ended up at the same place at the same time. When are these other versions gaining access to the box? It took Jason a month to find his way home - did the other Jasons find that world in less time? There was no time travel, right? And why did the other Jasons not kill Jason2 - how did he survive?
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Risscaboobs
Sapphire
Fuck is by far my favorite F word.
Posts: 2,971 Likes: 10,175
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Post by Risscaboobs on Jul 24, 2017 7:58:28 GMT -6
Here are discussion points if you are interested. I am almost through reading. 1. For you, what was the biggest surprise as you followed Jason through the many twists laid out in Dark Matter? 2. What makes Jason 1 a standout amongst the others? Is our allegiance to him a matter of perspective? Or is there something fundamental to him that is more deserving of Daniela and Charlie than the others? 3. When the novel switches to Daniela’s point of view for the first time, were you surprised by the scene that takes place? Confused? What did you think was happening? 4. At its heart, Dark Matter is a love story. Yet we see Daniela in many different worlds and in situations where she is not with Jason and happy. Do you think they are supposed to be together? Do you believe that they would have been just as happy pursuing their career-driven dreams? 5. Many of the decisions in Dark Matter center around the notion of career and family. If you had to choose, would you rather live Jason 1 or Jason 2’s life? Why? 6. Jason 2 (and some of the other Jasons we meet later in the book) acts in morally questionable ways throughout the novel. Do you think that his life path has caused him to be less kind-hearted? Or is he merely self-interested and willing to do whatever it takes? 7. Without Amanda, Jason 1 might not have survived. What do you think of her decision to leave him? How did you feel about their relationship? 8. What kind of world do you imagine Jason, Daniela, and Charlie entered at the end of the book? 9. What did you think of the science and technology in the book? If this kind of advancement in science was possible, would you want it to exist? 10. Dark Matter has a somewhat unusual combination of qualities—it’s part thriller, part science-fiction novel, part love story. Can you think of other books or movies that combine these genres in similar ways? 11. What writing tricks and techniques does the author use to keep readers turning pages and make the book read quickly? Did you find them effective? 12. What was your favorite element of the novel? Your least favorite? 13. Is there a path not taken that you wish you could experience? If so, what is it? Do you feel you ultimately made the right decision?
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Risscaboobs
Sapphire
Fuck is by far my favorite F word.
Posts: 2,971 Likes: 10,175
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Post by Risscaboobs on Jul 24, 2017 8:00:05 GMT -6
angelashly, bunnyfungo, rach7170, budders, cdnfroggy, mamascarlett, pianolove, allisong, CestLaVie, rablissful, butlerfan, pearbear, tatorhead328, 45thparallel, pippa, @blanche, kittyforman, bookworm, betches, cake, nelzie, windwithfingers, roguelily, Peekaru, kclause, loves2read, scsmith, bonzo, silverspoon, oreobitsy, reginaphalange8, criss, lupineaura, Nymeria, Radley, flat, @frank, Cher, helloerrbody, nenarene, daisy818, ktg, coffeecoffeecoffee, sluttybigb00bz, wanderingheart, ginandtonic, northernlghts, moutonrouge, dreadpirateroberts, Taitai, haleyscott, scsmith, lucilleaustero, @definitelynotwallie, bearfootz, jewel, blurnette989, NamasteBirches, byjove, pinkflamingo, fikafairy, grumpycat, @nellybluth, cribs, elsiemae, Radley, meggriffin; seamonster, bearfootzcontinuedDiscussion points above.
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Post by bearfootzcontinued on Jul 24, 2017 8:16:55 GMT -6
7. Without Amanda, Jason 1 might not have survived. What do you think of her decision to leave him? How did you feel about their relationship?
I got the impression that there was some sort of romantic involvement between Amanda and evil Jason - or at least she wanted there to be. The way she asked Jason1 "you don't remember me? at all?", and the fact that she was so willing to help him escape made me think that she was more than a coworker. I actually think it was kind of sad in a way, how she saw what Jason could be like. The Jason she knew was so focused on his research and career and I believe she said he was a lot harsher. Perhaps she desired a romantic relationship with evil Jason but he kept his guard up? Seeing the other version of him, especially one willing to risk his life to return to his family was probably somewhat of a slap in the face.
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Post by cdnfroggy on Jul 24, 2017 8:21:34 GMT -6
1. For you, what was the biggest surprise as you followed Jason through the many twists laid out in Dark Matter? That it was another version of him that kidnapped him2. What makes Jason 1 a standout amongst the others? Is our allegiance to him a matter of perspective? Or is there something fundamental to him that is more deserving of Daniela and Charlie than the others? I think it's because he's the one we get to know the best, there may be another Jason who is as or more deserving, but since we don't get to know them , we can't say for sure. I think it was written in a way that we would feel allegiance to Jason 13. When the novel switches to Daniela’s point of view for the first time, were you surprised by the scene that takes place? Confused? What did you think was happening? 4. At its heart, Dark Matter is a love story. Yet we see Daniela in many different worlds and in situations where she is not with Jason and happy. Do you think they are supposed to be together? Do you believe that they would have been just as happy pursuing their career-driven dreams? I think they're meant to be together just as much as anyone else, but I think Daniela would be just as happy on her own, but not the same for Jason, his true happiness is with her and Charlie.5. Many of the decisions in Dark Matter center around the notion of career and family. If you had to choose, would you rather live Jason 1 or Jason 2’s life? Why? Jason 1, because it sounds like they are both still doing something they love, while having a family as well6. Jason 2 (and some of the other Jasons we meet later in the book) acts in morally questionable ways throughout the novel. Do you think that his life path has caused him to be less kind-hearted? Or is he merely self-interested and willing to do whatever it takes? 7. Without Amanda, Jason 1 might not have survived. What do you think of her decision to leave him? How did you feel about their relationship? I understand her decision to leave, but I wish we could have learnt what happened to her. I feel like, honestly, the author thought about making their relationship into more, but changed his mind as it wouldn't fit with the family narrative, which, is why she had to "leave" Jason and go on her own.8. What kind of world do you imagine Jason, Daniela, and Charlie entered at the end of the book? I think they would have entered one very similar to the one they were from, because Charlie probably remembered some of his happier moments with his parents.9. What did you think of the science and technology in the book? If this kind of advancement in science was possible, would you want it to exist? Not sure, because while the idea is cool, it could obviously pose serious danger if it fell into the wrong hands.10. Dark Matter has a somewhat unusual combination of qualities—it’s part thriller, part science-fiction novel, part love story. Can you think of other books or movies that combine these genres in similar ways? Not off the top of my head, but I don't think that's a bad thing, I honestly wasn't a big fan of the combination.11. What writing tricks and techniques does the author use to keep readers turning pages and make the book read quickly? Did you find them effective? HIs seeming refusal to use paragraphs. HIs jumpy writing made it feel more urgent to keep reading and helped with the general sense of malaise and urgency of the book. It's effective but I hated it. It made me feel like my brain was jumping around too much and it would take me out of the story a little.12. What was your favorite element of the novel? Your least favorite? I don't think I have a favourite element. My least favourite was definitely the writing style-hated it.13. Is there a path not taken that you wish you could experience? If so, what is it? Do you feel you ultimately made the right decision? I wish I had continued my studies right after my undergradRead more: howeverithappened.proboards.com/thread/3171/book-club-dark-matter-discussion?page=2#ixzz4nl4xsXSp
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Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2017 11:24:36 GMT -6
I am a slacking slacker who has read very little of this book so far.
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Post by reginaphalange8 on Jul 24, 2017 11:41:21 GMT -6
I'm almost done! I'll be back soon to chat
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loony
Emerald
Posts: 12,598 Likes: 45,098
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Post by loony on Jul 24, 2017 11:59:57 GMT -6
1. For you, what was the biggest surprise as you followed Jason through the many twists laid out in Dark Matter? I think I was mostly surprised by the multiple Jasons...although, if there were two, I guess there could have been many, but it still was surprising to me.2. What makes Jason 1 a standout amongst the others? Is our allegiance to him a matter of perspective? Or is there something fundamental to him that is more deserving of Daniela and Charlie than the others? My allegiance could have gone either way really. I think that part of the reason I wasn't so enthralled with this book is that the character development was lacking. I didn't really care about any of the characters.3. When the novel switches to Daniela’s point of view for the first time, were you surprised by the scene that takes place? Confused? What did you think was happening? I grasped pretty quickly what was happening. I just didn't really care enough to think about it too hard.
4. At its heart, Dark Matter is a love story. Yet we see Daniela in many different worlds and in situations where she is not with Jason and happy. Do you think they are supposed to be together? Do you believe that they would have been just as happy pursuing their career-driven dreams? Any of us could be happy with our without our current partners. Nobody is fated to be together. While I love my SO, if we had never met or had just stayed friends with benefits instead of partners, meh, we could still be happy. The work/family split is a false dichotomy. I don't think they are mutually exclusive.5. Many of the decisions in Dark Matter center around the notion of career and family. If you had to choose, would you rather live Jason 1 or Jason 2’s life? Why? I think that this is where it really lost me. I don't think that these things are mutually exclusive. There are a lot of very successful "work" people who still have a family. It is all about your own personal drive and focus. I don't think that one thing or the other is how life actually goes.6. Jason 2 (and some of the other Jasons we meet later in the book) acts in morally questionable ways throughout the novel. Do you think that his life path has caused him to be less kind-hearted? Or is he merely self-interested and willing to do whatever it takes? 7. Without Amanda, Jason 1 might not have survived. What do you think of her decision to leave him? How did you feel about their relationship? She was a guide figure, and then just disappeared. I don't know how her story arc should have ended, but it was too abrupt and unresolved for me. 8. What kind of world do you imagine Jason, Daniela, and Charlie entered at the end of the book? I have no clue. The "imagining new worlds" thing was over my head. 9. What did you think of the science and technology in the book? If this kind of advancement in science was possible, would you want it to exist? The alternate reality world building has been in sci-fi for years. Do I think it is theoretically possible, no. Would I want to know, no.10. Dark Matter has a somewhat unusual combination of qualities—it’s part thriller, part science-fiction novel, part love story. Can you think of other books or movies that combine these genres in similar ways? 11. What writing tricks and techniques does the author use to keep readers turning pages and make the book read quickly? Did you find them effective? The short sentence and frenetic pace definitely was the only thing that kept me reading. If it had been long descriptive passages, I probably would not have finished it at all.
12. What was your favorite element of the novel? Your least favorite? The premise of two alternate realities was intriguing to me, but the infinite possibilities of multiple emotion/mental state worlds was beyond my level of caring or involvement.13. Is there a path not taken that you wish you could experience? If so, what is it? Do you feel you ultimately made the right decision? I wish that I had taken more language courses and actually finished my PhD, but would it make me happier? I don't know. I don't think there's a right or wrong path...it's more what you do with your choices.Read more: howeverithappened.proboards.com/thread/3171/book-club-dark-matter-discussion?page=2#ixzz4nlxCEK00
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Peekaru
Sapphire
Posts: 2,518 Likes: 10,480
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Post by Peekaru on Jul 24, 2017 13:18:08 GMT -6
1. For you, what was the biggest surprise as you followed Jason through the many twists laid out in Dark Matter? I thought it was sweet that the book is truly a love story to the family. I was particularly surprised, except for when he took the family into the cube.
2. What makes Jason 1 a standout amongst the others? Is our allegiance to him a matter of perspective? Or is there something fundamental to him that is more deserving of Daniela and Charlie than the others? We didn't have Jason 1, we had Jason 7. They all started the same way and then moved through the cube at differing paces. this is most obvious in that they ran into another while in the cube itself. But I did wonder, why this jason, why are we following this particular one?
4. At its heart, Dark Matter is a love story. Yet we see Daniela in many different worlds and in situations where she is not with Jason and happy. Do you think they are supposed to be together? Do you believe that they would have been just as happy pursuing their career-driven dreams? Every time anything happens, good or bad, doors will close. In the time they were married, they were meant to be together. In the other universes, they were not. I'm a little annoyed at the story asserting that the only way to be happy is to have a family and be married. I think you can be happy, but it's not going to be the same type of happy, which doesn't lessen then level of happy.
5. Many of the decisions in Dark Matter center around the notion of career and family. If you had to choose, would you rather live Jason 1 or Jason 2’s life? Why?
6. Jason 2 (and some of the other Jasons we meet later in the book) acts in morally questionable ways throughout the novel. Do you think that his life path has caused him to be less kind-hearted? Or is he merely self-interested and willing to do whatever it takes? Yes, I think that seeing different things in life effects people, and perhaps makes them harder. He was running a company, and perhaps became more ruthless from that aspect.
9. What did you think of the science and technology in the book? If this kind of advancement in science was possible, would you want it to exist?
I don't understand quantum physics enough to even have this make any sense.
10. Dark Matter has a somewhat unusual combination of qualities—it’s part thriller, part science-fiction novel, part love story. Can you think of other books or movies that combine these genres in similar ways?
Very curious to see other answers here
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kclause
Bronze
Posts: 155 Likes: 244
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Post by kclause on Jul 24, 2017 13:23:21 GMT -6
2. What makes Jason 1 a standout amongst the others? Is our allegiance to him a matter of perspective? Or is there something fundamental to him that is more deserving of Daniela and Charlie than the others? I think it all comes down to our allegiance because Jason 1 is the protagonist. I caught myself rooting for him and then really wondering why. If all the other Jasons are just like him then there really is no way to determine who deserves his family more.
4. At its heart, Dark Matter is a love story. Yet we see Daniela in many different worlds and in situations where she is not with Jason and happy. Do you think they are supposed to be together? Do you believe that they would have been just as happy pursuing their career-driven dreams? I don't think we will ever know. I think happiness is created by how we choose to handle different situations. Daniela and Jason could both let their careers take over their lives and ultimately distance themselves from one another or they could both have successful careers yet choose to put each other first and ultimately be happy.
5. Many of the decisions in Dark Matter center around the notion of career and family. If you had to choose, would you rather live Jason 1 or Jason 2’s life? Why? Jason 1. I am very fulfilled at my job but to me I could not be truly happy without my family.
6. Jason 2 (and some of the other Jasons we meet later in the book) acts in morally questionable ways throughout the novel. Do you think that his life path has caused him to be less kind-hearted? Or is he merely self-interested and willing to do whatever it takes? I think its a little bit of both. Nurture v. nature. I think the path he has taken and his self-centeredness all play a role in his behavior and choices.
9. What did you think of the science and technology in the book? If this kind of advancement in science was possible, would you want it to exist? Um yeah, no. This sounds absolutely horrible. 13. Is there a path not taken that you wish you could experience? If so, what is it? Do you feel you ultimately made the right decision? I often wonder if my life would be the same if I had waited a little longer to marry and have children. Really my only regret is not traveling.
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Post by fikafairy on Jul 24, 2017 13:59:35 GMT -6
1. For you, what was the biggest surprise as you followed Jason through the many twists laid out in Dark Matter? Honestly, I was most surprised by how many Jasons wound up in the same place at the end. I do understand how, but it was mind boggling that really at the core, any one of them were the same original Jason that was taken from that world, just a couple difference choices earlier or later.
2. What makes Jason 1 a standout amongst the others? Is our allegiance to him a matter of perspective? Or is there something fundamental to him that is more deserving of Daniela and Charlie than the others? He wasn't Jason 1 in the chat thing, but for the sake of this question - I think it's the perspective, honestly.
3. When the novel switches to Daniela’s point of view for the first time, were you surprised by the scene that takes place? Confused? What did you think was happening? I picked up on what was happening, but I felt like it was a bit strange to just do it once. I would have wanted to see a bit more of it as more time passed by - noticing different things, etc.
4. At its heart, Dark Matter is a love story. Yet we see Daniela in many different worlds and in situations where she is not with Jason and happy. Do you think they are supposed to be together? Do you believe that they would have been just as happy pursuing their career-driven dreams? I think everyone finds their own version of happy following whatever choices they make - and since there's no *real* way of knowing anything else, I think they could have been happy enough. Maybe not the same level, but certainly other things were different in other worlds Jason 1 stopped in that could have held the same amount of happiness, just for different things
5. Many of the decisions in Dark Matter center around the notion of career and family. If you had to choose, would you rather live Jason 1 or Jason 2’s life? Why? Jason 1, no question. I would rather have a family and enjoy my career in whatever state its in, than have no family and be at the top of my career field.
6. Jason 2 (and some of the other Jasons we meet later in the book) acts in morally questionable ways throughout the novel. Do you think that his life path has caused him to be less kind-hearted? Or is he merely self-interested and willing to do whatever it takes? I think his life path just gave Jason 2 different priorities, I don't know that it makes him different. I think it made him naive actually, to think that the Jason 1 was just as curious/miserable in the path he chose, and would WANT to switch.
7. Without Amanda, Jason 1 might not have survived. What do you think of her decision to leave him? How did you feel about their relationship? I think she was an unfinished plot line, personally. I think it would have closed the circle a little more for him to either a)see her in some other world, or b) them stumble on a world where they wound up together, and then mutually decide to part ways from there.
8. What kind of world do you imagine Jason, Daniela, and Charlie entered at the end of the book? because I think there was some major character development lacking, I really have no idea.
9. What did you think of the science and technology in the book? If this kind of advancement in science was possible, would you want it to exist? Theoretically if it did exist, I wouldn't want to know.
10. Dark Matter has a somewhat unusual combination of qualities—it’s part thriller, part science-fiction novel, part love story. Can you think of other books or movies that combine these genres in similar ways?
11. What writing tricks and techniques does the author use to keep readers turning pages and make the book read quickly? Did you find them effective? eh. It was written so that it was easily understood and not terribly complex, but I think the second half of the book went too quickly while the first half took too long.
12. What was your favorite element of the novel? Your least favorite? the notion that one simple choice can sometimes lead in a thousand different directions was fascinating for me, but I'd have to say my least favorite was the hundreds of Jasons at the end.
13. Is there a path not taken that you wish you could experience? If so, what is it? Do you feel you ultimately made the right decision? there's too many ways I would answer this question right now based on recent experiences, but one thing I wish I HAD done was study abroad for a period of time in college. I applied but didn't get in, and didn't really make it much of a priority. I wish I had now.
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Post by reginaphalange8 on Jul 24, 2017 21:06:45 GMT -6
I just finished!
1. For you, what was the biggest surprise as you followed Jason through the many twists laid out in Dark Matter?
- multiple Jason's. I did not see that coming and I'm still trying to wrap my head around it.
2. What makes Jason 1 a standout amongst the others? Is our allegiance to him a matter of perspective? Or is there something fundamental to him that is more deserving of Daniela and Charlie than the others?
- I actually found myself questioning whether he was more deserving. Other than the different worlds they navigated to get back, their lives and experiences were the same. I wish we could have seen more of a difference in how the worlds changed them. I felt like anyone other Jason could have found Daniela and Charlie and wife and son would have been just as happy.
3. When the novel switches to Daniela’s point of view for the first time, were you surprised by the scene that takes place? Confused? What did you think was happening?
- I was confused. I thought at first that he was somehow dreaming or that it was a 'what if he hadn't gotten kidnapped' type of situation. I understood by the next one where she talks about all the ways he has changed what was going on.
4. At its heart, Dark Matter is a love story. Yet we see Daniela in many different worlds and in situations where she is not with Jason and happy. Do you think they are supposed to be together? Do you believe that they would have been just as happy pursuing their career-driven dreams?
- Hmmm, I'll have to think about this one. I don't really believe in destiny but I think people need to feel loved to be happy. However, I don't nescessarily think you can only be happy with one person.
5. Many of the decisions in Dark Matter center around the notion of career and family. If you had to choose, would you rather live Jason 1 or Jason 2’s life? Why?
- Jason 1 for sure. Family is everything for me. I don't think I could be happy living alone and having a career. There also isn't really a career that's calling to me right now.
7. Without Amanda, Jason 1 might not have survived. What do you think of her decision to leave him? How did you feel about their relationship?
- I think they were, at the very least, lovers in the other world. If not, she was in love with him. I think it made sense because it hurt her to see him want someone else and not her (at least from my perspective). I do wonder where she ended up.
8. What kind of world do you imagine Jason, Daniela, and Charlie entered at the end of the book?
- I don't know but I wonder what happens when they run into the version of Jason, Daniela, and Charlie in that world.
13. Is there a path not taken that you wish you could experience? If so, what is it? Do you feel you ultimately made the right decision?
- Not before I read the book but I definitely started thinking about it after the book. There are two. The first is if I had taken a different Minor at university I probably would have had the grade point average to get into the Master's program I wanted too. I'd most likely be living in a different city right now. - The second is kind of silly and in the love department. I really liked this guy and he liked me. We had a nice night together and I incorrectly entered my phone number into his phone by accident. He texted me several times but I obviously didn't get them. It wasn't until a few months later when I saw him that I realized. He definitely thought I did it on purpose so it never started up again.
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Post by meggriffin on Jul 25, 2017 5:21:49 GMT -6
11. What writing tricks and techniques does the author use to keep readers turning pages and make the book read quickly? Did you find them effective? eh. It was written so that it was easily understood and not terribly complex, but I think the second half of the book went too quickly while the first half took too long.I agree with this, it felt very rushed at the end when compared to the first half of the book.
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Post by reginaphalange8 on Jul 25, 2017 6:45:29 GMT -6
The premise of two alternate realities was intriguing to me, but the infinite possibilities of multiple emotion/mental state worlds was beyond my level of caring or involvement.This is me too. I liked the premise of having one big decision in your life lead to two separate paths but the multiple Jasons just made my head spin. And I keep wondering what people will think when they discover the house with four or so dead Jasons and their finger prints/dental records all say they are the same person. Read more: howeverithappened.proboards.com/thread/3171/book-club-dark-matter-discussion?page=2#ixzz4nlxCEK00
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Taitai
Opal
Posts: 8,305 Likes: 54,853
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Post by Taitai on Jul 26, 2017 8:23:33 GMT -6
I'm just going to answer two questions, because I think all the other responses have basically summed up my thoughts.
10. Dark Matter has a somewhat unusual combination of qualities—it’s part thriller, part science-fiction novel, part love story. Can you think of other books or movies that combine these genres in similar ways?
-->The only thing that comes to mind that does the thriller/sci-fi/love theme all in one is the movie Interstellar. In addition to the heavy involvement of theoretical physics in the movie, there is also a strong love theme - including the concept that love can transcend the universe/serve as a guiding force through these large and really complex concepts that are hard to wrap ones mind around. There was also a thriller element in Interstellar. I feel that's as close as I can get to the qualities of this book. I liked Interstellar a lot more than Dark Matter.
13. Is there a path not taken that you wish you could experience? If so, what is it? Do you feel you ultimately made the right decision?
-->I am overall really content with the choices I have made in life. My one regret is not doing a semester study abroad - because I let my mom convince me I shouldn't go overseas due to SARS. Looking back on that I'm just like - well, that was a dumb reason not to spend 6 months studying in Copenhagen.
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Risscaboobs
Sapphire
Fuck is by far my favorite F word.
Posts: 2,971 Likes: 10,175
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Post by Risscaboobs on Jul 28, 2017 18:46:22 GMT -6
I am on the same page as a lot of you here. I read the book in less than 2 days and couldn't put it down, but didn't find it life changing or even well written. The plot holes really bothered me. +1 to what happened to Amanda? Also, how did all these other Jasons find their way back to his 'real' world when there are infinite possibilities? I found it enough of a stretch that original Jason found his way back with 1 ampoule left. Also, how did Jason2 ensure that Jason ended up in the world with the Lab? Wouldn't Jason have woken up in the box and then had to wander around? How did he get out of the box at all? Maybe I missed that in the book but it really bothered me.I also found Jason unlikeable. I did not really care if he ended up back in his life, honestly. Maybe it was due to the short sentence writing style, but I just found him very shallow as a character. In the end, I would recommend it for a quick summer read if you can put aside the plot holes. It was like watching a Mission Impossible or Fast & Furious movie, it will be entertaining for a few hours if you can suspend reality and just accept what is happening. Just going to say my interpretation of some of this. 1. How did all these other Jasons find their way back...I assume an infinite number of Jasons didn't find their way back and a finite number did. 2. How did Jason2 ensure that Jason ended up in the world with the lab...My only guess here is Jason2 invented the box. He knew exactly how it worked. He didn't have to perform the guess work of knowing how to get to the world he wanted. 3. How did Jason get out of the box?He was injected with whatever the shit was to do whatever to their brain and then a sleeping agent. So he basically knocked him out and stuffed him in the box (corridor). Then the brain thing wore off and he was just in the box.
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Risscaboobs
Sapphire
Fuck is by far my favorite F word.
Posts: 2,971 Likes: 10,175
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Post by Risscaboobs on Jul 28, 2017 18:47:50 GMT -6
I also found it hard to believe the wife and son noticed the differences. Sure, calling me a different name I'd notice. But if DH put this shoes on first or last, or wore new pajamas... Probably not. I really disagree with this... if my husband suddenly started dressing differently, humping all the time like we had just started dating, and talking about completely different things I would definitely notice. It seemed to me from the book the changes were pretty noticeable. Absolutely. I would definitely notice.
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Risscaboobs
Sapphire
Fuck is by far my favorite F word.
Posts: 2,971 Likes: 10,175
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Post by Risscaboobs on Jul 28, 2017 18:49:08 GMT -6
Generally I liked this book but I couldn't get over that Jason2 basically destroyed the universe and it's kinda broken forever. Even if you can forgive what he did to himself (which was super fucked up) he basically ruined that entire world which is becoming over run with Jason's. And with infinite possibilities/choices/chances it's going to continue to happen. Then other Jason's I'm sure will leave too and basically it just kinda seems like bad news all around. That box needs to die. This comment makes me realize a plot fail. Why isn't the world at the end (Jason1's original world, with the "real" Daniela and Charlie) being overrun with Jason2s as well? Like...Jason2 had 100 vials of that drug thing when he first went into the box, and wouldn't an infinite number of Jason2s also ultimately have found their way to the "ideal" world of Jason1? Esp since Jason2 basically went into the box wanting to find the ideal version of himself, had he not left Daniela 15 years prior? I just don't like this infinite Jasons thing...I wish that angle hadn't been in there. I touched on this above, but I can only guess (suspending my disbelief here a lot), that Jason2 knew how the box worked, before he ever opened a single door, he thought very clearly about the world he was looking for. And just stayed in the first world he reached which happened to be Jason1's. That was what I went with, anyway, to keep from getting a headache lol.
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Risscaboobs
Sapphire
Fuck is by far my favorite F word.
Posts: 2,971 Likes: 10,175
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Post by Risscaboobs on Jul 28, 2017 18:53:49 GMT -6
1. For you, what was the biggest surprise as you followed Jason through the many twists laid out in Dark Matter? Oh, the multiple Jason1s at the end. Didn't expect that at all.
2. What makes Jason 1 a standout amongst the others? Is our allegiance to him a matter of perspective? Or is there something fundamental to him that is more deserving of Daniela and Charlie than the others? I definitely think our allegiance to him is a matter of perspective. I did like Daniela's line at the end though, that he is the one who got to them first, out of all the Jason1s, so maybe that makes him more deserving.
3. When the novel switches to Daniela’s point of view for the first time, were you surprised by the scene that takes place? Confused? What did you think was happening? No. I had already figured it out.
4. At its heart, Dark Matter is a love story. Yet we see Daniela in many different worlds and in situations where she is not with Jason and happy. Do you think they are supposed to be together? Do you believe that they would have been just as happy pursuing their career-driven dreams? I think they both could have been happy, but not just as happy. She teared up in the lab world when he described to that Daniela about their son. I think they both were happier together with Charlie.
5. Many of the decisions in Dark Matter center around the notion of career and family. If you had to choose, would you rather live Jason 1 or Jason 2’s life? Why? Jason1. Because family is what matters to me.
8. What kind of world do you imagine Jason, Daniela, and Charlie entered at the end of the book? I like to imagine that it's beautiful. Like the world that Amanda and Jason went to when she was able to open a door.
9. What did you think of the science and technology in the book? If this kind of advancement in science was possible, would you want it to exist? Absolutely not.
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