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by Matthew
Blade diameter: 4 3/8 inches
No-load speed: 11,000 rpm
Cutting width, 90/45 degrees: 15/8 1/2
Cutting height: 3/4 inch
Miter range: 0° to 47° Miter
stops: 0°, 22.5°,
Weight: 25 pounds
Street price: $160
Robert Bosch Tool Corp.
877/754-5999 skiltools.com
I started doing my own hardwood-floor installations almost
20 years ago. My biggest hassle on these jobs has been finding
a suitable space to set up a table saw and a chop saw; more
often than not, I end up in the driveway, which means I spend a
lot of time going back and forth between my outdoor cutting
station and indoor workspace.
With the Skil 3600 Flooring Saw, all that running around is
unnecessary. At 25 pounds, with a 27-inch-by-18-inch footprint,
the tool is light and compact enough to be carried from room to
room. And you can use it to crosscut, miter, and rip any type
of flooring - solid, engineered, laminate - as long as it's no
thicker than 3/4 inch.
Weighing only 25 pounds - and with a convenient handle milled
into the table - the Skil 3600 is easy to pick up and carry
from task to task.
I gave the 3600 a try on a recent job that required installing
1,100 square feet of solid cherry flooring in an occupied
house. Here's how it performed.
The 3600 is essentially a compact sliding miter saw mounted on
a table-saw top. Its unique feature is a removable rotating
fence that can be positioned in front of the saw blade to
perform miter cuts, or alongside the blade to serve as a rip
fence. Thanks in part to the tool's straightforward
instructions, setup was easy. Getting the saw ready for work
required only a few minor adjustments to properly align the
fence for ripping (and for miter cuts, as I was to discover;
more on that later).
For miter cuts, the fence pivots from 0 to 47 degrees (left). A
spring-loaded ball bearing is captured by slots that correspond
to settings at 0, 22.5, and 45 degrees (right).
For common miter cuts, the bottom of the fence is fitted with a
roller ball that mates with slots on the table to position the
fence at 0, 22.5, and 45 degrees. The tabletop is inscribed
with a miter scale that allows the user to approximate less
common angles.
To switch to rip mode, you unscrew the locking knob and flop
the fence around to the other side of the table. The locking
knob attaches to a sliding bushing that rides in a groove
beneath the tabletop. At first, aligning the knob with the
threaded bushing was a hassle, but after a while I got the hang
of sliding the fence to the edge of the table before unscrewing
the knob and removing it.
Safe ripping. I still have nightmares about attempting
rip cuts on a radial arm saw, so I was relieved to discover how
safe and easy it was to perform this operation with the Skil.
After engaging a lock pin that secures the saw in the middle of
the rail assembly, you start the motor with a "bump" switch
conveniently located on the front of the handle. This switch
also lets you to stop the machine with a fingertip. The blade
guard and anti-kickback features were effective and
Although a conventional trigger switch controls the motor for
miter cuts, an oversize "bump" switch is used for
Nice touches. The table top includes mounting holes so
you can bolt it to a workbench or sheet of plywood. But I
suspect that most users will simply work off the floor, as I
did. Conveniently, the table top is exactly 1 1/2 inches thick,
which means that two pieces of 3/4-inch flooring or any scrap
2-by can serve as a work support. Other notable features
include a 11/4-inch sawdust port, a built-in cord wrap, a
plastic push stick and hex wrench stored on the underside of
the table, and a built-in carry handle.
A push stick and hex wrench are housed beneath the
Despite its small size, the Skil flooring saw easily ripped and
mitered its way through a huge pile of solid cherry flooring.
I'm sure it would be equally effective with other hardwood
species or laminates. The standard 4 3/8-inch (40T)
carbide-tipped blade made clean cuts and didn't begin to show
signs of wear until I was nearly finished (a 36T carbide-tipped
blade specially designed to stay sharp when cutting laminate
flooring is an optional accessory). The dust collection was
adequate, but I'd still recommend putting up plastic when
working in an occupied space.
Beefs. I do have a couple of complaints. For one, I
discovered that the detents were about 1 degree out of
alignment when I made miter cuts. Although the owner's manual
included precise instructions for aligning the rip fence, it
made no mention of any procedure for fine-tuning the miter
settings. I thought I was out of luck until I tried loosening
the screws that secure the roller ball and the miter pin (which
the fence pivots on). This gave me the wiggle room I needed to
fix the problem, but it was a pain having to figure this out on
my own.
I was also disappointed to discover that the rip fence cannot
be set up to cut a strip narrower than 1 inch - though I could
have drilled and tapped the milled aluminum face to accommodate
an auxiliary fence.
For small tasks like flooring repairs and for working in tight
spaces, the 3600's compact all-in-one design offers distinct
advantages. And its mitering and ripping performance is
perfectly acceptable for most flooring work. Contractors who do
a lot of floor jobs in occupied spaces may find the saw well
worth its $160 price. As for me, though, I disliked having to
relocate the fence every time I needed to switch between modes,
and I found myself missing the solidity of my chop saw and
table saw. Truth be told, I'll probably stick with my old tools
- even if they are out in the driveway.
Matthew Lukovsky is a contractor in New Milford,
Power Tools
A complaint by a Mexican-owned company in Missouri prompted a world-wide investigation...
Makita's X2 Series saw cuts like a corded tool.
See how sockets and ratchets are made at the SK Hand Tool plant in Sycamore, Illinois.
Risinger's recent video sparks a debate about Tyvek, and a reader takes issue with...
Please read our Content Guidelines before posting.
Copyright ©
2014 Hanley Wood Media, Inc. All rights reserved.


text:
investing in gold
1,600 Reasons to Buy Gold Now
Gold fell by 28% in 2013. That's a huge reversal of a decade-plus trend.
Between 2001 and 2012, gold managed positive gains every single year, a track record unmatched by any major asset.
The precious metal went from a low of $255 in April 2001 to a high of $1,900 in September 2011, for a peak return of 745%.
Since then, gold has given back 35% from its $1,900 high, leading many to call the end of the gold bull market.
But is it really finished?
By looking at history and numerous indicators, I've found a different story.One that will jumpstart your 2014 profits...
Gold Prices Today Flat After "Flash Crash"
Gold prices were little changed at $1,238.80 in early trading today (Tuesday) after falling $30 an ounce Monday in mere minutes.
Trading in February Comex gold futures was halted for 10 seconds Monday when a suspected "fat-fingered" (aka erroneous) trade sent the contract tumbling more than $30 an ounce in just minutes.Find out why here...
Newmont Mining (NYSE: NEM) Stock Will Shine Again
Owning some gold has long been a part of the Money Morning investing philosophy. After all, gold offers some insurance against the dollar-debasing policies of the U.S. Federal Reserve.
One of the easiest ways to acquire the yellow metal is to buy a gold mining stock such as Newmont Mining Corp. (NYSE: NEM).
At first glance, investing in any gold mining stock looks like a lousy idea. Over the past year, nearly all gold mining stocks have plummeted along with the gold prices - but much further.See how gold mining stocks will rebound here...
Why Gold Is Up Today and What's Ahead for 2014
Why gold is up today: Gold prices on Tuesday morning staged the biggest advance since mid-October. Gold prices ended Tuesday's session sharply higher, hitting a three-week high. February gold gained $28, or 1.5%, at $1,262.20 an ounce. Spot gold added $22.70 to reach $1,263.50 an ounce.To continue reading, please click here...
- Why the Fed's 100th Birthday Could Be Its Last On December 23rd, the Federal Reserve will turn 100 years old. We can look back on its few successes... but its many failures far outweigh any positives it may have achieved. What's at stake now is the Fed's future. And it looks bleak. In fact, the Fed won't even exist in 100 years...
Gold Prices Down This Week, But Big Money Stays Invested
It's been another painful week for the precious metal amid what's been one tough year for gold bulls.
Gold futures ticked up Friday, following a two-day dip that left gold prices at levels not seen since early summer.To continue reading, please click here...
- How to Prepare for the 17% "Supertax" "You never let a serious crisis go to waste… It's an opportunity to do things you could not do before." –Rahm Emanuel The once unthinkable is quickly becoming probable. At some point in the next few years, your assets could well become the target of a "Supertax" as high as 17%. Last week, we talked about the need to buy "out of print" assets to protect our wealth from brazen government seizures. I explained that quantitative easing (QE) was likely to get bigger, not smaller, and that you needed to become your own central bank. The truth is, the writing's already on the wall. We've seen it happen. Cyprus's "bail-in" cost numerous bank depositors more than 47% of their capital. Poland's "pension reform" saw private pensions raided to help lower the government's debt-to-GDP ratio. And Spain plundered its Social Security Reserve Fund to keep buying its own risky debt, when no one else would. Dangerous precedents are being set, with chilling regularity. More than ever, you need to be prepared… Read More...
- Why Gold Prices Are Down Right Now Inflation and crisis – of which we've had plenty – historically drive gold prices up, and yet the London spot price has fallen 24% since Jan. 2. Like the infamous honey badger, gold prices just don't care. But the reasons for gold's continued fall, in spite of the apparent decay of the world, just might surprise you. Here's what's been dragging gold down...
Time to Buy These "Out of Print" Assets
From the Editor: We've been tracking this threat for years, ever since Keith Fitz-Gerald brought it to your attention back in January 2010. Today, Resources Specialist Peter Krauth weighs in on some recent developments in this story, because three of the commodities he covers can protect you. The Fed can't print these things... Here's Peter:
Central banks may have foolish policies, but central bankers are no dummies.
They know exactly what they're doing. They even comprehend a few of the implications, too.
Which is why it's interesting that some American central bankers have suggested doing away with the debt ceiling altogether.
Famed investor Marc Faber recently said, "The question is not tapering. The question is at what point will they increase the asset purchases to say $150 [billion], $200 [billion], a trillion dollars a month."
Faber expects the Fed's current QE4 to become "QE4-ever."
That could mean years of money printing and ultra-low rates.
Even bond king Bill Gross recently chimed in his latest monthly outlook that "The United States (and global economy) may have to get used to financially repressive - and therefore low policy rates - for decades to come."
Either way, don't depend on the Fed to save you. You can save yourself
And now you'll need to...
Higher Gold Prices in 2014
Gold prices today continue to bounce up and down based on speculative headlines.
A possible U.S. attack on Syria, a possible quantitative easing (QE) taper by the U.S. Federal Reserve - these possibilities have meant daily volatility in the price of gold.
To continue reading, please click here...Read More...

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Message: Could not establish connection
|User, date
Written by Blacksmith
7 years ago
Category: Creating a connection
2 posts since Tue, 01 May 07
I'm trying to open over the internet a database located at my ISP's server. I entered all connection details into HeidiSQL, but as soon as click <Connect> I'll get the following Error:
wrote: Could not establish connection! Details:
Any ideas?
Written by ansgar
7 years ago
5045 posts since Fri, 07 Apr 06
|Sounds like an error we had with some pre 3.0 version. Are you using the latest 3.0 ?
Written by Blacksmith
7 years ago
2 posts since Tue, 01 May 07
I'm using Version 3.0 Rev 572.
I was able to solve part of the problem: my ISP changed something in the resolution of the domain name. So I had the wrong Hostname: 'http://www.mydomain.ch' instead of 'mydomain.ch'. After correction of this, I was able to connect without the errormessage. However I think, this is not a clever errormessage...
By the way: I think the user interface for the connection dialog is not very intuitive. Either I would expect
- the Connect button to execute always <Save+Connect> (I don't see any reason to connect and not to save)
or I would expect the
- Connection Paramters to be in a separate window that can be left either by <Cancel> or <Save>. There could be a <Test>-Button as well.
Written by siMKin
7 years ago
104 posts since Sun, 01 Apr 07
Blacksmith wrote:
For me it is very intuitive. My FTP program works in the same way actually.
It is logical to me, because a number of problems can cause connection errors and only one of them is a wrong user/pass combination. Usually, once i set a username + password combination i forget it two seconds later. This way, when a connection problem occurs, i can change the settings unlimited without loosing the original ones that i would not be able to remember
Written by ansgar
7 years ago
5045 posts since Fri, 07 Apr 06
Blacksmith wrote: So I had the wrong Hostname: 'http://www.mydomain.ch' instead of 'mydomain.ch'. After correction of this, I was able to connect without the errormessage. However I think, this is not a clever errormessage...
I agree totally. But I have absolutely no clue why you get this error while trying to connect to a not existing hostname. I will have a look if there are any string to integer conversions which may fail at startup. I thought we nuked these cases for 3.0, but anyway.
And I agree with Simkin when he says that "Connect" is the better default button rather than "Save+Connect". The procedure of saving your connection parameters should always be some kind of manual click. I think it's too dumb to always overwrite sessions when you connect. When you're editing some Word document you also don't want to auto-save when you close it, do you? Think of something went wrong while editing, some accidently deleting of lines or so. The same goes for our session parameters which shouldn't be auto-saved. At least that should be an option which can be set in preferences: "Automatically save/overwrite (!) session parameters on connect"
Please login to leave a reply, or register at first.


text:
CLEVELAND (AP) - The Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission has signed off on $930 million for 10 projects in the turnpike's first round of funding highway and bridge work outside of its corridor.
The financing change is meant to speed along road projects that might have been delayed for years because of funding problems. Turnpike toll increases over the next decade will be used to pay off $1 billion in bonds issued by the commission to help with projects outside of the toll road's route across northern Ohio.
The agreements finalized Monday include $340 million for a new eastbound bridge on Interstate 90 in Cleveland. The bid for that project came in lower, at $273 million. The Ohio Department of Transportation is expected to make recommendations for spending the $67 million difference.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
7 steps you must follow to reduce your study abroad budget
Posted almost 3 years ago by M. verma
Planning to study abroad? Then be ready to spend a good amount of money on travelling. It is always good to plan your travelling budget in advance. In most cases, foreign students forget to include travelling expense in their budget. Travelling in foreign country is much more expensive as compared to travelling in your own country. Apart from travelling, there are many other things which can help to reduce your study abroad budget. There are many useful steps and measures by which you can reduce your actual travelling amount and save money-:
Apply top University across the world
- Assess your entrance test preparation before booking a test date: If you want to apply in a foreign university then you need to take some entrance test. Before booking a test date for GRE, GMAT, IELTS, TOFEL or SAT, it is always advisable if you take some online test to evaluate your preparation. It will save your money if you have not prepared well for the exam and unable to score well. Rather than applying for retest it is always good if you take some assessment tests first.
- Plan in advance: There will be different visa rules and procedures for every country and the cost associated with visa processing will be different too. So if you want to take admission in spring semester, you should apply for visa at least three to four months before to save last minute hurdle and save extra cost. If you know in advance at which time you will travel then you will be able to reduce your travelling cost. So it is always good if you plan things in advance to save the fine and last minute extra charges.
- Book your air tickets in advance: There are many airlines which offer heavy discount to those travellers who book their tickets in advance. If you know your traveling dates in advance, it is always good that you book your tickets in advance to save money. You can also contact some travelling agents to get good discounts or to avail special offers on your travelling cost.
- Buy Medical insurance in advance: In all study abroad destination it is mandatory that students must buy some medical insurance. It is always best if you buy a medical insurance in advance, a plan which suits your budget and gives you maximum coverage. If you buy medical plan in your own country it will be less expensive as compared to buying a medical insurance in that particular university.
- Try to get accommodation in hostel: If you are planning to study in foreign university it is always good if you get accommodation in college hostel itself. Hostel accommodation is always economical as compared to living in private accommodation. Seats in every hostel are limited. Hence, it is always good if you apply to hostel well in advance to increase the chances of getting accommodation there. Incase if you do not get accommodation in hostel, you can search out options for twin sharing and homestay near the campus.
- Look around for best deals to buy books: If you are studying in a foreign university it is not necessary that you should buy all the books. You can search for best buy options or some special discounts on books. You can also buy second hand books. In foreign universities, there are many bookstores inside the campus and outside the campus which provide many best buy offers on second hand books. So you can reduce your cost and can buy second hand books instead of going for new books.
- Do not spend money on shopping: It is always good if you avoid shopping in foreign countries. Try to carry all necessary stuff with you so that you will not spend money on shopping. Most of the things must be many times expensive as compared to in your home country. Try to carry woolens, pair of shoes, and other necessary stuff with you rather than buying them from there.


text:
The dog was stolen and taken more than 1600 km away
Pollen Forecast
3 Day Pollen Outlook
Updated: Saturday, September 20, 2014, 7:00 AM
Reported at: Vancouver,BC Data provided by Aerobiology Research
Sat. Sep. 20Low
Plantain - Low
True Grasses - Low
Sun. Sep. 21Low
True Grasses - Low
Plantain - Low
Mon. Sep. 22Low
|Low 0-20 grains/m³
|Moderate 21-80 grains/m³
|High 80+ grains/m³
Latest News
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Baby cheetahs steal hearts in San Diego
Weakened Odile floods southern US
Record amount of retardant used in US fire
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text:
Independent Designers
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Marlene Sigel's patterns
A lifelong knitter, designer, and teacher, Marlene Sigel's passion lies in creating patterns for newer, as well as more experienced knitters. She loves playing with texture stitches and color and developing designs that appear to be more complex than they actually are. A New England native, Marlene lives in the New Mexico high desert with a giant Alaskan Malamute and a partner as obsessed with model airplanes as she is with yarn. She can be found on Ravelry as mkarylknits.
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text:
J.T. Thomas
Preseason primer: Jaguars look to take step forward in Year 2 under Bradley
coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars . Good thing ..... Blackmon, linebacker J . T . Thomas or tight ..... the non- football injury list ..... interceptions. LB Telvin Smith ..... all three linebacker spots a year ..... play much football until high
Maurice Jones-Drew back in lineup for Jaguars
Fla. (AP) -- Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice ..... loss to Buffalo. Linebacker Geno Hayes (knee ..... been questionable. Linebacker J . T . Thomas and defensive tackle ..... cornerback Khalid Wooten, linebacker Zaviar Gooden, offensive


text:
For the second time in six months, hundreds of women seeking ordination to the Mormon priesthood were turned away Saturday when they sought tickets to an all-male priesthood session.
Their goal, several said, was to get the attention of the First Presidency and other leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
|Join the Discussion
|Post a Comment
Apparently they did.
An LDS Church statement indicated patience is wearing thin with the Ordain Women group's efforts.
"Despite polite and respectful requests from church leaders not to make Temple Square a place of protest, a mixed group of men and women ignored that request and staged a demonstration outside the Tabernacle on General Conference weekend, refusing to accept ushers' directions and refusing to leave when asked," church spokesman Cody Craynor wrote in an email Saturday evening.
"While not all the protesters were members of the church, such divisive actions are not the kind of behavior that is expected from Latter-day Saints and will be as disappointing to our members as it is to church leaders."
Ordain Women organizers have said the attempt to gain access to the general priesthood meeting won't be repeated — at least for a few years. But efforts to persuade Mormon leaders that the Utah-based faith is hurting itself by treating men and women unequally will continue, they said Saturday.
"I have no right to remain silent when gender inequality causes so many people to leave the church," Ordain Women organizer Kate Kelly told the throngs of women and men when they met in City Creek Park before marching to downtown Salt Lake City's Temple Square.
The women and men sang "Come, Come, Ye Saints," and prayed that God "would soften the hearts" of those who met them at the gate of Temple Square, in the words of Nancy Ross, who offered the prayer.
"There are hundreds, there are thousands of people who think like me," Kelly told the crowd.
Several young women who joined in the march said they felt led to attend.
"I love this church and I have always felt there was an inequality in the church," said Sandy resident Amanda Hechler, a third-year medical student at the University of Utah.
As a child, she was bothered when her aspirations to be a doctor were minimized by people who said she should instead be a mother. "I wanted to be both," she said.
Clinton resident Julliana Lund said she is following the prescribed path for Mormon women: She has three children and "never met a craft I didn't like." She had knitting in her bag Saturday evening.
But Lund, born in Brazil, said she remembers crying as a child because she knew she could not hold the LDS priesthood. "I had to pretend it doesn't matter."
Rachel Toth, a doctoral candidate in molecular biology at the U., said she doesn't worry that other Mormons may be put off by the women's activism.
"Our audience is the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve," she said. "That's who we want to be heard by."
Ordain Women organizers said they carefully logged Saturday's turnout, putting it at 510. Journalists at the park pegged it at closer to 200, which still would be twice as many as took part in a similar event at last October's semiannual LDS conference. Marchers also carried proxy cards with the names of 300 people who would have attended if they could have.
The women hoped their "action," as they labeled it, would "call attention to the need for the ordination of Mormon women to the priesthood and ask our leaders to prayerfully consider women's ordination," according to Ordain Women's website.
The LDS Church, however, tried to curb publicity for the group, banning news photographers and reporters during the two-day conference from Temple Square. The Tabernacle, where standby tickets to the all-male priesthood meeting are distributed, is on the square. The priesthood session itself took place across the street in the Conference Center.
Last fall, news photographers captured pictures of a church worker turning away the women, one by one, from the ticket line.Next Page >
Copyright 2014 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
Widget and Gadgets Support
Port Salerno, FL 34992
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All you have to do is fill out the online request form located at http://weather.weatherbug.com/desktop-weather/web-widgets.html?region=8®ion_name=North+America&country=US&country_name=USA&state_code=FL&state_name=Florida&dma=548&zip=34992&city_name=Port+Salerno&units=0&stat=MCEOP.
- After completing the online sticker request form, how long before I receive the information necessary to display the web widget on my web site?
The instructions will be provided immediately after you complete the online form; for your convenience we will also email the instructions to you.
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text:
Best Books of 2012
Published on Monday, January 21, 2013 - 4:07pm
Check it out!
Expand your knowledge of contemporary fiction and brush up on current events with the Best Books of 2012. A shelf with the Best Books of 2012 is now in the Sight & Sound room (first floor, west wing). Discover what The Washington Post, the New York Times, and GoodReads recommend. Happy reading!
The Washington Post
by Lauren Groff
|Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk
by Ben Fountain
|Bring Up the Bodies
by Hilary Mantel
|Broken Harbor
by Tana French
by Richard Ford
|Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity
by Katherine Boo
|House of Stone: A Memoir of Home, Family, and a Lost Middle East
by Anthony Shadid
|Iron Curtain: The Crushing of Eastern Europe, 1944-1956
by Anne Applebaum
|Marigold: The Lost Chance for Peace in Vietnam
by James G. Hershberg
|Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty
by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson
The New York Times
|Bring Up the Bodies
by Hilary Mantel
|Building Stories
by Chris Ware
|A Hologram for the King
by Dave Eggers
by Zadie Smith
|The Yellow Birds
by Kevin Powers
|Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity
by Katherine Boo
|Far from the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity
by Andrew Solomon
|The Passage of Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson
by Robert A. Caro
|The Patriarch: The Remarkable Life and Turbulent Times of Joseph P. Kennedy
by David Nasaw
|Why Does the World Exist?: An Existential Detective Story
by Jim Holt


text:
Book your room at Hampton Inn & Suites Ontario
One king bed non smokingMax Occupancy: 3 guests (up to 2 children, 2 infants)
Two queen beds non smokingMax Occupancy: 5 guests (up to 4 children, 4 infants)
Two queens studio suite non smokingMax Occupancy: 5 guests (up to 4 children, 4 infants)
One king studio suite non smokingMax Occupancy: 3 guests (up to 2 children, 2 infants)
Hotel in Ontario near Ontario Mills Shopping Mall
Situated near the airport, in Ontario, this hotel is close to Ontario Mills Shopping Mall, Citizens Business Bank Arena, and Scandia Amusement Park. Local attractions also include Victoria Gardens.
Hotel Features
Recreational amenities at Hampton Inn & Suites Ontario include an outdoor pool and a spa tub. Other amenities include complimentary wireless Internet access and laundry facilities.
Room Amenities
Guestrooms have complimentary wireless Internet access, complimentary high-speed (wired) Internet access, and air conditioning; rooms also include coffee/tea makers and hair dryers.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!
At your hotel
At your hotel
In addition to an outdoor pool, Hampton Inn & Suites Ontario provides a spa tub and a 24-hour fitness center. Public areas are equipped with complimentary high-speed wireless Internet access. Business-related amenities consist of a business center and meeting rooms. A complimentary breakfast is offered. This Ontario hotel also offers gift shops/newsstands, a fireplace in the lobby, and laundry facilities. Complimentary self parking is available on site.
Hampton Inn & Suites Ontario is a smoke-free property.
- Business center
- Total number of rooms - 91
- Number of floors - 3
- Free breakfast
- Elevator/lift
- Express check-out
- Fireplace in lobby
- 24-hour fitness facilities
- Gift shops or newsstand
- Laundry facilities
- ATM/banking
- Meeting rooms
- Luggage storage
- Free self parking
- Smoke-free property
- Spa tub
- Outdoor pool
- Television in lobby
- Free Wi-Fi
Stay connected
Available in all rooms: Free Wi-Fi , Free wired high-speed Internet
Available in some public areas: Free Wi-Fi
Park your car
Free self parking
In your room
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Guests are offered a complimentary hot/cold buffet breakfast.
An outdoor pool and a spa tub are on site. Other recreational amenities include a 24-hour fitness center.
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(Spoilers ahead)
Woo hoo! I did it! I have finally watched a Hindi movie on the weekend it released. Which, if you know me, is quite an achievement, and so I shall commemorate this historic event by doing a movie review. But before we proceed, an important reminder. If you are one of those people who go to a Hindi movie expecting unpredictability and surprises, then first, you really need to have your head examined. But secondly, please to not read this post any further. Spoilers galore and all that.
Fanaa. Such a beautiful word. To destroy yourself in someone's love is such an incredibly powerful and intense emotion. Not only the literal dying, but the willingness to annihilate oneself and unite with the one you love (or with God, thus attaining salvation, to take the Sufi interpretation of the word) is a very sublime thought. And when a movie name refers to a thought like that, one hopes for it to reflect in the film itself. But does it? Naaah.
The story — Tour guide boy meets blind girl. Boy flirts. Sings song. Girl falls in love. Boy tells girl he is not cut out for love-shove. Girl tells him — too bad, deal with it. Girl recites poetry. Boy cannot resist girl reciting poetry. They sing another song. Top it off with sex. Girl leaves content with memories of time spent. But boy realizes he's in love too so he stops her from going. Wants to marry girl. Finds eye-doctor to restore girl's eyesight. But at key 'I can see!' moment, boy missing. Bomb blasts rock the city and boy dies in it. Boo hoo. Sniffle sniffle. Blasts are investigated. Seem like handiwork of dreaded terrorist of international repute who also sings songs. Who be he? Camera zooms in on boy. Freeze frame. Intermission. Heh, yes, we're only half-done, imagine.
Okay, so I am being a bit unfair. The movie starts out as a love story. But somewhere along the way it changes its mind and decides to jump on the terrorism bandwagon, probably in a bid to be original. And in doing so, it sticks its fingers into too many pies and leaves a mess on your hands. Why does Aamir get Kajol from the train, if he anyway intended to ditch her three days later? Why the rush to get her eyesight restored? We are told, post-interval, that Aamir's character desires Kashmir's freedom. He is supposedly part of an international terrorist organization, yet all his missions hinge on him alone? The rest just sit in the background doing target practice? And what really drives Aamir? Does his ruthlessness come from a belief in his mission? Or just a fear of his grandfather? Is he really a man torn between the meaning of his life (his love) and the purpose of his life (his mission)? Or is he just confused, much like the movie is?
And about the whole fanaa business. Kajol didn't fanaa-ofy, cos she survives. And Aamir didn't really give up his life willingly either. He chose not to kill Kajol, yes, but it seemed like he was counting on her to not kill him too. (Tough break, dude.) So who went all heavy-duty fanaa-ing in whose ishq? Unless the change of Aamir from womanizer and ruthless terrorist to a scared man who just wants to protect his wife and child is the fanaa ho jaana they are trying to refer to. Which seems a stretch, if you ask me.
It is not that the movie doesn't deliver at all. It keeps you entertained and has plenty of good moments. Kajol looks refreshing, is many pounds lighter than we last saw her, and has great screen presence. She deftly shifts from Zooni's love for the man, to confusion about his intentions, to fear of him, all without saying too much. But then again, this is Kajol, so we wouldn't have expected anything less. Aamir is reliable, but age is starting to show (and a bit of a paunch too). Also, Aamir just seems Aamir and not so much Rehan. Now SRK usually suffers from this problem, where the star overwhelmes the character he plays, but I hoped better of Aamir.
Of course, Aamir and Kajol have chemistry and one wishes they had been paired together sooner. (Horrors like Mister lova lova, notwithstanding.) The entire first half — the romance, the sher-o-shayari on the bus, the chaand sifaarish song sequence, their falling in love, the rain song dekho na .. they all breeze by, and one never notices the time.
Another thing I liked was how Kajol's blindness was pretty incidental to her character. There wasn't any of the 'awww, she can never experience what we can, so let's pity her instead' mellow-drama. Instead she is shown to have a sense of humor about it. When meeting Aamir the first time, she mistakenly offers her hand in the wrong direction and he asks her brusquely — Are you blind? Pat comes the reply — Of course. Can't you see that I am blind? Why, are you blind or what? Nicely done. Amongst other things to like is the kid. Very cute, both sulky and smiley versions, and the haldi-doodh scene is aww-inspiring. Fatty and Bobo are cute, but Vrajesh Hirjee and Satish Shah are wasted. And blink-and-you-miss-her Lara Dutta. Did she lose her way onto the set or something? And for the love of God, whoever kills Jaspal Bhatti in a movie?! Tchah! It is just not done, I say!
Ooh! Special mention needs to be made of Tabu for what is perhaps the most ludicrous bit of miscasting ever — playing the head of the Anti Terrorism Unit. And don't miss the unintentionally hilarious scene where Kajol fears for her life and radios for help and Tabu picks up the call —
Kajol: My husband is a terrorist. He is going to kill me and my son. Help!
Tabu: Okay, be careful. We will come to your house some time tomorrow.
Hello? Some time tomorrow?! We'll take a detour and do some sightseeing before we come over? Or maybe this is like my cable TV guys — We will be over at your place sometime tomorrow, between 8am and 5pm, ma'am. No, I am sorry, we cannot be more specific. Seriously, can I have some of whatever it is they were smoking when they wrote those lines?
The music of the movie is quite lovely (a pity that it is Jatin-Lalit's last together) and the picturizations enhance the songs. Of notable mention are the two Sonu Nigam-Sunidhi Chauhan duets — mere haath mein and dekho naa. The former has lovely use of color against the pristine snow (of Poland) and the raindrops are nicely lit up in the latter. And of course how can we forget chaand sifaarish. We have always had a soft corner for Shaan, and he sure delivers in this. But is it just me or does anyone else see some similarity in melody to Asha's do lafzon ki hai dil ki kahaani from The Great Gambler (1979)?
(Sidenote — When heroes are drenched in rain and thus presented in clingy shirts, one is always compelled to realize that even the bestest-looking Bollywood men look plain dorky when wet. The only man who has ever flouted this rule, making us sit up and notice, is Hrithik while singing ik pal ka jeene .. aye mere dil to gaaye jaa from Kaho Na Pyaar Hai (2000). Hubb-ba! Oh and speaking of Hrithik — going by the previews, if Popeye starred in The Matrix (1999), it would probably result in Krrish? Talk about muskull-wuskull!)
Kunal Kohli hit the jackpot with Hum Tum (2004). Heck, he even got himself the Filmfare Best Director award from right under his mentor's nose. (Yash Chopra was in the running for Veer Zaara (2004).) And deservedly so. Hum Tum was a good movie. Admittedly not an original story, but nicely Indian-ized. One of my favorite moments in it was towards the end, when Saif and Rani end up having sex and the next morning he asks her to marry him because it is the 'right thing to do'. Rani refuses. Marry me for love, not because you had sex with me, she says. Otherwise we'll have made two mistakes instead of one. I remember I was ready to stand up and do a jig. Not too often that a Hindi film heroine is shown with such convictions.
Sadly, there was no such memorable moment in the three hours of Fanaa. But there was one line that Kajol's mum says while giving her relationship fundas, that I quite liked. Loosely translates to something like this — Give your heart to someone who loves you .. but give your self-respect only to someone who'll willingly be destroyed in your love. Worthy of a thought.
And now you know why we don't write movie reviews. Yep. They last longer than the movies themselves.


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By Raphael Warnock
Finally, politicians on both sides of the aisle have decided that it makes sense to at least talk about wealth inequality. Those who are serious about this problem, and its complicated relationship to the thorny issue of race, would do well to remember that in the last three years of his life, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was focused sharply on poverty.
Ironically, just five days after President Lyndon Johnson signed the voting rights bill into law, the Watts ghetto of Los Angeles exploded into an urban inferno fueled by hopelessness and despair. Dr. King shortened his vacation in San Juan, Puerto Rico to come to Los Angeles and stand with the jobless poor and with those who were poor because their jobs did not provide adequate benefits or a living wage. Brought face to face with the tragic limits of his movement's influence, Dr. King confided to one of his trusted advisors, Bayard Rustin, "You know, Bayard, I worked to get these people the right to eat hamburgers, and now I've got to do something …to help them get the money to buy them."
To be sure, the young Nobel laureate had already won a few epoch-making victories that would change America forever. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 ended Jim Crow laws and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 provided voter protections that have literally changed the complexion of the American electorate and elected officials. But while the removal of these overt barriers of legal segregation was significant, it did not eliminate the abiding structural inequality that would lead the Kerner Commission to conclude two years later that the nation was actually "moving toward two societies, one black, one white- separate and unequal."
Nearly fifty years later, the question is in what direction are we moving now?
In the decades since Dr. King's death, wages for all but the top 2% of income earners have been stagnant and wealth inequality has sharply increased. The top 1% now owns about 40% of the nation's wealth. Meanwhile, in recent years social mobility for children born in poverty has decreased in much of the country, but particularly in the South and the Midwest, areas with high concentrations of African-Americans and entrenched patterns of residential segregation.
But we can correct this if we would learn to tune out the well-financed ideological noise that calls every effort to give people a fair chance "socialism" and every voice for basic fairness, including the Pope, a socialist.
We honor Dr. King and the kind of commitment that he and others represent by boldly embracing what he called "a revolution in values." We can begin this week by telling Congress to extend unemployment benefits to millions of Americans and raise the minimum wage. Not only would it help workers, it would actually help the economy in the short term so that we can at last have a serious conversation about wealth inequality and the kind of nation we intend to be.
Dr. King said it best: "We are called upon to help the discouraged beggars in life's market place. But one day we must come to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring."
Raphael Warnock is senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.
January 18th, 2014
8:56 am
I think that the kind of "answers" offered by those on the right (e.g.tell people to stop having babies they can't afford) don't really give us much direction. Either we should not do anything for the innocent children already here or we should have government interfere in people's personal decision to become parents (maybe by forcing sterilization?). How can we implement policies based on such scenarios?
January 18th, 2014
7:03 am
Extending unemployment benefits will not work until and unless the corporations sitting on their cash, making fewer workers do more so their bottom line looks good to the shareholders, start hiring. And they need to pay a living wages. And do we really care what MLK thought? He never created a job. You cannot have a smaller and smaller percentage of this nation working and paying to support an every growing percentage of non-producers. I don't buy the theory that everyone on welfare and unemployment are lazy takers, but there ARE many who do game the system and steal benefits. I also believe the root of all of the problems in this country is that people need to stop having so many children. Decades ago, Paul Erlich sounded a warning that unless we had zero population growth, we would run out of jobs and resources like water. And, slowly but surely it is happening. Instead of rewarding anyone to have babies, we should make it onerous. If you cannot afford a baby, don't have a baby. Even if you can afford to have five babies, curb your enthusiasm and have two. Those welfare babies grow up to drain more resources and have more welfare babies. In south GA, in some of those dying towns, over 50% of the population is on fourth and fifth generations of welfare babies–teens having babies, producing more teens that have more babies, and so it goes.The towns have raised taxes so high, most producers are leaving. Eventually the parasites will either have to leave or die. So, corporations need to hire, and we need to change the tax code to stop rewarding baby production (every sperm is NOT sacred!). Extending unemployment benefits is like putting a band-aid on a traumatic wound.


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Sausage Tree Camp stands beside a channel of the Zambezi River.
Kigelia HouseKigelia House is very similar in build and style to the Honeymoon Suites, however it is much larger in order to fit in a further bedroom.
The house is set under one large canvas ceiling – within which are two separate and enclosed rooms with reed walls. One room is the master bedroom with a huge double bed and the second room has twin beds which can be made into a double on request.
The rooms within the Kigelia House are bright and spacious, with hanging space for clothes made out of molded stone and a comfortable leather armchair. Both rooms also have their own private bathrooms.
Situated between the rooms, under the white canvas roof but totally open at the front, is the shared lounge. This is furnished with a huge leather sofa, a stunning curved coffee table and there is also a bar which guests can help themselves to. In front of the lounge is a large deck where the private plunge pool is found.
Toiletries are provided and your own private butler is on hand to assist.
Honeymoon suite | Kigelia House | Signature Tent |


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Thursdays at 9/8c
Peach Carr Blog
Category: "episode 5"
There's No "Bert" in "Team"
A review of last week:
Nina: bored
Heidi: not impressed
Michael: hilarious
Joanna: more hilarious
Kerry: sweet
Julie: OUT
There's No Place Like Home
Morning finds the designers waking up to a gift of running attire and an invitation to join Heidi and Tim at the New Balance Armory. Cecilia drags her carcass out of bed in what one would assume is a hypoglycemic death spiral. She is done. Done. At the track, Cecilia tells Heidi and Tim that she would like to quit and go home … and she does. The rest of the designers must race around the track to determine the team leaders for the next challenge: to make three looks for Heidi's New Balance sneaker collection.
Poor Olivier does a face plant about 30 steps into it, Josh leaves the pack in his dust (without ruining his makeup), and Bryce, Anthony Ryan and Viktor finish next. The top four are to be the team leaders. Bert is so far behind that Heidi runs the last portion with him in her five-inch heels. She beats him. No surprise.
New Balance or No Balance???
The designers choose teams. No one wants Bert, and he doesn't want them. Lucky Josh C. is brought back to replace Cecilia. Off they all go to Mood.
Back in the
boiler room workroom the designers are all either sharing ideas or eating each other. Josh M. is treating Becky like an 11-year-old sweatshop worker, and Bert is abusing his teammates ... and everyone else in his path. Bert, who couldn't be bothered to learn his castmates' names, is parading around with his nose in the air like Marie Antoinette at a discount shoe store. Every show needs a villain, but I think Bert is trying too hard to leave his mark. Meanwhile, Josh M. throws the "dowdy" insult at Becky, causing a tear-filled confrontation in a stall in the ladies' can. Josh apologizes, and all is well.
Enter Heidi and Tim ... Heidi is underwhelmed, and there isn't enough Botox to un-furrow Tim's brow over what he sees. High point: Laura tries to diplomatically describe her model's ample posterior and Ms. Klum decides to get technical it is not a "wide grade-out," it is a large "badonk-a-donk." Am relieved about the clarification.
General MacArthur Never Had It So Easy
The designers are seating at the runway and are greeted by a sequined-jumpsuit-and-black-sneaker-wearing Heidi you heard me. Erin Wasson (did you catch my genuflect?) Is introduced as the guest judge ... let the show begin!
There were a few good looks sandwiched in between a whole pile of yawn. Josh M. was praised not as much for his look as for choosing a good team and directing them well. Anya had the favorite look of his team, and I am officially taking a sip of the Anya Kool-Aid (just a small one). The orange stripe down the front of her maxi dress, though, was unfortunate. Viktor's team was praised for a cohesive collection, with Viktor's motorcycle jacket as the star. Olivier's "Auntie Em" skirt, however, was a disaster. Ewwwwww.
Same Stuff, Different Day
Danielle is on the hot seat for yet another '80s-colored (what do you call that dismal shade?) chiffon top, which Michael dubs a "soufflé that flopped." Ouch. Anthony Ryan is called out for his camel-toe-baggy-jumpsuit-disaster. Really bad. While the judges throw rocks at Anthony and Laura, Bert adds his own snarky remarks to those of the judges, even going so far as to cheer when his teammates are flinching. It's like he is trying to be hated. Mission accomplished. This guy is going to get some serious hate mail.
Everyone on the hot seat takes a turn pointing fingers, and the judges are sitting there laughing. The deliberations begin, and, once again, Nina and Heidi are at odds: Heidi wants the ax to fall on the designer who did the worst on THIS challenge, and Nina wants to consider the track record (really, no pun here) of the entire competition thus far.
In the Winner's Circle and Put Out to Pasture
Viktor and Josh are declared CO-winners. Viktor's dress and jacket are going to be produced by New Balance and sold by Amazon.com, as will Anya's maxi dress.
Anthony Ryan is sent to safety, but only after being informed by Heidi that she was overruled and would have put him out to pasture if it had been completely up to her. Danielle is sent home for being "chiffon-addicted."
Until next week ....


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Easton Corbin
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Artist BioEaston Corbin (born April 12, 1982) is an American country music singer. He signed to Mercury Records Nashville in 2009 and released his self-titled debut album in March 2010, featuring the two Number One hits "A Little More Country Than That" and "Roll With It", as well as the top 15 hit "I Can't Love You Back". Corbin's second album, All Over the Road, was released on September 18, 2012. Its first single, "Lovin' You Is Fun", was released in February. The album's second single, "All Over the Road", was released in January 2013. As of 2013, Corbin has sold over 470,000 albums and over 2 million singles.c6ada25c-8590-4b75-8013-883a8df55882


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From the Atwood Service Team - For Our Valued Customers
Engine will not start, starting motor not cranking or cranking very slow: Check - 1. Is the battery voltage 12 volts or higher. 2. Are battery lugs tight and clean. 3. Is the control lever in neutral.
Engine cranks fine but will not start: Check - 1. Is the lanyard stop clip in place. 2. Is fuel connected on the engine. 3. Is there fuel in the tank.
Engine suddenly stops running: Check the fuel tank vent to make sure it aspirates properly.
Extending the life of your battery: To eliminate an unexpected drain on your battery, disconnect one of the cables from the top of your battery before you leave the dock. Batteries will self discharge faster in high temperatures. During hot, summer months, monitor the voltage more frequently (approximately every 2-4 weeks). Suggestion - every 2 weeks or at least once a month take your battery home and place it on trickle charge. Next, avoid locations where freezing temperatures are expected. Batteries can freeze. If unavoidable and they are sitting outside during cold winter months, it is critical that they are kept fully charged. Suggestion - take the battery home for the winter and place it on trickle charge once every month. The life of a battery is difficult to predict but taking the time to keep it charged will save you down time and money.
Two stroke break in schedule - 10 hours
For the first 10 minutes: Run engine at lowest possible speed, a fast idle in gear is best.
For the next 50 minutes: Do not exceed half throttle or 3000 rpm. Vary engine speed occasionally.
For the 2nd hour: Accelerate onto plane then reduce to 3/4 throttle and vary engine speed occasionally.
For the 3rd through 10th hour: Avoid operating at full throttle for more than 5 minutes at a time. Let the engine cool between full throttle runs. Vary engine speed occasionally.
After the first 10 hours: Operate engine normally.
Four stroke break in schedule - 10 hours in length.
For the 1st hour: Run @ 2,000 rpm or no more than half throttle.
For the 2nd hour: Increase speed to put boat on plane but avoid full throttle, then back off throttle while keeping boat at a planing speed.
For the next 8 hours of operation: Avoid continuous full throttle for more than 5 minutes at a time.
After the first 10 hours: Operate engine normally.
Basics for winterizing your outboard engine:
1. Flush the engine - Use clean water and let all the water drain from the engine. Next wash the engine with soap and water and rinse thoroughly.
2. Disconnect the fuel hose - Run the engine until it stops and then spray fogging oil in the cylinders to lubricate the cylinder walls and pistons.
3. Change gearcase lube - Apply water-resistant grease to the propeller shaft and threads and lightly lubricate the exterior of the engine.
***Fall Tune-up Special*** At this time each year we offer a popular discount for outboard engine tune-ups. Tune-ups for engines of 2 to 60 horsepower are normally $249.00 and now available for $189.00 not including shop supplies and tax. This critical service should be completed every three or four years "if water pump housing parts are needed, we will notify you of potential additional fees." This offer is only available for repair orders placed prior to December 1st 2008. Actual work will be completed after the first of the new year. Call 330-364-4703 and place your order.
Ethanol "E-10" Fuel:
As of June 2008, Atwood Lake Boats began utilizing and distributing this new fuel. Although Ethanol blended gasoline benefits the enviroment it may "without precautions" cause problems for boat engines. This new fuel without proper stabilization has an estimated shelf life (before degradation begins) of 30 days. Heat, humidity and longer periods of non-use are usually not a problem in our vehicles but could pose a problem for those who infrequently use their boats.
A. Ethanol is a strong cleaner "solvent."
B. Ethanol has a strong attraction to water.
C. Ethanol fuel does have a usable life span that is less than normal when considering off season boat storage.
E10's solvent properties will break down varnish deposits and surface corrosion from any service it contacts in existing fuel systems. It may also dissolve plastic resins used to make some fiberglass fuel tanks. The varnish, corrosion and resins can quickly exceed the filtering capacity of fuel system filters untimately reducing engine performance and potentially causing engine damage.
Vehicles "cars & trucks" have a closed fuel system but boats have open "vented" systems which increases the possibility of water contamination from humidity and other sources. Ethanol's attraction to water can lead to a reduction of the gasoline's octane level "phase separation" which can not be reversed. Once the fuel is bad, it can not be used and should be discarded. Adding stabilizer, dry gas or fuel additives will not improve E10 fuel that is already old or bad.
If you can not burn a full tank of fuel within 30 plus days, you must add fuel stablizer each time you purchase fresh fuel. This will retard the aging of the E10 fuel.
Last, although not always practical, it is recommended that when it comes to fuel storage, best case scenario - the tank should be completely empty or have the tank 7/8 full, stabilized and placed in a cool, dry location.


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4,103 Reviews
Average Customer Review
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104 of 134 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous Read!
The Maze Runner kept me up to the wee hours of the morning as I raced to the finish. I loved it in every way: the pacing, the characters, the plot. Thomas wakes up to find himself in a box that opens up to the glade, the central part of an elaborate maze where monsters dwell. From the moment of Thomas's entrance into the glade, he works to try and recover any part of his...
Published on July 23, 2009 by Julie Wright
428 of 488 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Decent Read Though Not Very Thought Provoking
I first heard about this book at an SCWBWI conference where its editor from Delacorte spoke highly of how it grabbed her attention right away.
I have to agree. The one thing that Dashner does right from start to finish is barely provide enough information to answer the questions that form in the reader's mind BUT what information he gives does promote one to...
Published on August 26, 2009 by Jarucia Jaycox
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428 of 488 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Decent Read Though Not Very Thought Provoking,
Jarucia Jaycox (Seattle, WA, USA) - See all my reviews
Vine Customer Review of Free Product (What's this?)
I first heard about this book at an SCWBWI conference where its editor from Delacorte spoke highly of how it grabbed her attention right away.
I have to agree. The one thing that Dashner does right from start to finish is barely provide enough information to answer the questions that form in the reader's mind BUT what information he gives does promote one to keep reading.
Curiosity drove me to read this book straight through...that and the fact that the writing wasn't all that challenging.
I'm not trying to bag on Dashner, but I was a little surprised at the many passed-on opportunities he had to draw me further into the story or even care more about the characters' fates .
I felt consistently disappointed with what I was offered of Thomas's character -- far too sulky and desirous of screaming at people who can hardly offer him the answers, etc. he's so desperate for. And Teresa, for as important as she's made out to be, is so flat. I think it was well within the author's scope to improve the depth of these characters considering the decent job he did on secondary characters like Chuck and Minho.
By the time I reached the end, I all but rolled my eyes. I felt roughly the same as I did when I finished watching 'The Cube'...interesting story, but what was the point of putting the characters through all that? Especially when the characters themselves hardly spend any real time trying to understand their situation. And this latter part actually seems quite critical to the purpose of the situation they're in.
Okay, I know this is meant to be YA but it certainly had room to grow in the 'thought provoking' department. It's a decent and entertaining story, but will it become the topic of critical academic discussion? Not likely.
It's far too light in depth and development as it stands. Perhaps the eventual trilogy as a whole will provide something 'more'.
126 of 149 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars An author more lost than his characters? (Spoiler Alert),
This review is from: The Maze Runner (Book 1) (Paperback)
After completing the Hunger Games trilogy, I was eager for another great YA dystopian read but did not find it in The Maze Runner. I was initially intrigued by the book's description. I knew there would be boys caught in a maze, with their memories wiped and little hope for escape, and I knew that the appearance of a girl on the scene would change everything. Mazes, games, riddles, and other sorts of non-traditional mysteries attract me, but Dashner's execution of his book did not.
The plot was ill-paced. At times it felt slow, because Dashner introduced the reader to the maze in the same way the main character, Thomas, was introduced to it: both the reader and Thomas learn almost everything through numerous secondary explanations by characters. In more skilled hands, this might be an effective way of immersing a reader in a fictional world. Dashner's exposition, however, felt cumbersome. As a reader, if I'm going to be told about a world rather than shown it, I'd better be told well. When I wasn't slogging through Dashner's writing, I was tumbling head-over-heels down its textual cliffs. Parts of the novel simply moved too quickly for any real character or plot development to occur. Readers are barely introduced to the main protagonist before being introduced to Teresa, the girl who supposedly changes everything. We really have very little sense for what's changing, because this inciting action comes so shortly after our encounter with Thomas.
The plot also felt as if it had been constructed with little forethought. Each step or twist in the plot seemed as if it were generated on the spot as the author wrote his way linearly through this novel. Shazam! Such and such happens out of the blue. A quick patch-up of missing explanation ensues. Shazam! The next twist happens, followed by some explanation. And so on, until one of the biggest Shazams!: The crew exits the maze and suddenly, for no apparent reason, one of their members is killed. Subtle build-up of suspense and intricately interwoven plots do not exist in this novel. It's almost entirely composed of sudden action followed by explanatory reaction.
All this might not matter so much, if I'd felt in any way connected to the characters. But I didn't. Most of the boys meshed together in my brain, particularly since so many of them end up acting "out of character" anyway. As for Teresa and Thomas, readers know little about their back-story (until the peritextual "Exclusive Wicked Correspondence" at the end), and I didn't find their characters all that complex, deep, relatable, or quirky (aside from their obvious telepathic skill). Character "complexity" in this novel was little more than character "unpredictability."
In short, I was disappointed. The reason I gave the book 2 stars instead of 1, though, is because I did at least finish it. I've no intention of reading the sequel, however.
171 of 211 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Great idea, weak characters,
Laurel (California) - See all my reviews
Vine Customer Review of Free Product (What's this?)
A hundred or so teenage boys, their memories wiped, are trapped in the center of a gigantic shifting maze, many miles across. As the book begins, Thomas arrives in the "Glade" -- the center of the maze, where they all live. The next day the first girl ever shows up too. And everything begins to change.
While living in the center of a giant ever-changing maze full of monsters is an extremely odd way to live, the boys have made do. After two years, they have a ruling council, they grow food, raise animals, and look after any sick or injured. They also send out trained runners to map the maze every day, in search of an exit, or a pattern, or some clue as to what they're doing here.
With the arrival of Thomas and the girl, the Gladers' carefully-crafted order begins to break down. Now solving and escaping the maze is immediately necessary. Fortunately, Thomas isn't quite like all the other Gladers, and is able to help.
The premise is great, and the plot moves well. There's a lot of action and the tension constantly builds. Unfortunately, the story failed in two important aspects for me.
First, the the maze itself is so absurd, the final explanation had better be pretty impressive for the story to hang together. And at least for me, the explanation was not plausible. Though, at least there *is* an explanation, which is more than can be said for some stories I've encountered!
The second weakness was the characters. I'd be okay with a somewhat implausible scenario if the characters were likable enough. But, Thomas is bland and whiny, and his only moments of greatness arise from his forgotten past. The other boys are mostly hostile and uninteresting. Not, mind you, that I expect deep, sophisticated personalities from amnesiac teenage boys! They were all believable, but they weren't compelling enough to carry the story. Neither was the new girl very interesting. Thomas is attracted to her, but again, that's an artifact of his past, not a real live reaction that we get to watch develop.
Overall, it was a fun read, and I don't regret the time spent, but I won't look for the sequels.
103 of 132 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars A Poorly Written Mess,
I know there are a lot of positive reviews for this book -- so maybe I'm the one up in the night -- but this book was, by and large, VERY poorly written.
Reading The Maze Runner by James Dashner is actually a somewhat strange experience. What I mean by that is usually when an author can't write well, the book -- as a product of that writing -- is simply bad. Period. But in this case, Dashner's story is actually a bit intriguing (though it's the same story device -- "Who am I?" -- found in countless videos games), and his plotting is serviceable (though he uses some weasel techniques in the plotting, especially at first, like having characters deliberately withhold information from the protagonist for no story-driven reason). So in spite of how poorly this book is written, I stuck it out to the end (only to find it's the first book in a series <sigh> -- alas, I won't be able to force myself through a second book).
One of the main problems (but by no means the only problem) is that Dashner is constantly "telling" instead of "showing," which is a violation of one of the first rules of good writing. Indeed, even when he "shows" something, he usually feels compelled to "tell" the reader too (often at the very same time).
The characters are inconsistent. In fact they are almost schizophrenic at times (though it's not character development, just poor writing). They don't feel remotely like "real" people. Even in a fantasy -- perhaps ESPECIALLY in a fantasy -- the principle of verisimilitude is an absolute must. Unfortunately, there is a severe lack of the application of that principle in this book.
Along those lines, the "voice" of the protagonist is downright awful. It's not so much stream-of-consciousness (which at least is a real technique, if an unpleasant one) but the fact that the character's thoughts are simply a jumble (though this is also mostly not character development). His emotions bounce around in odd ways. And he repeats himself, well, repeatedly.
Perhaps the problems with this book can be summed by saying the writing itself constantly gets in the way of the storytelling, which is never a good thing.
The "idea" of The Maze Runner is okay, but unlike -- say -- an Isaac Asimov, who was an "idea" writer, and whose characters are -- by and large -- cardboard, this whole mangled mess of writing makes the characters just feel like they are the product of someone who doesn't yet know how to write very well. Almost like a bright high school kid (though Dashner is not) who has yet to come up against a skilled teacher/editor (and thus get schooled in proper technique).
Which brings up another point. In his acknowledgments Dashner mentions how one particular editor really helped him and should have co-credit on the cover of the book. Well, I don't know what exactly she did to help (or how bad the manuscript was to begin with), but I kept thinking the whole time I was reading (before I even read the acknowledgments) that what this book really needed was a strong editor to basically teach Dashner how to write competently.
This is a book from a New York publisher (and Dashner is a best-selling author of the 13th Reality Series, which I have not read). Has the skill level of those working in the publishing business truly fallen so far?
A strong editor could have done a lot with this book and with this writer. It's not that Dashner doesn't have potential. But in the end, reading The Maze Runner was a painful experience and a waste of time.
104 of 134 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous Read!,
The Maze Runner kept me up to the wee hours of the morning as I raced to the finish. I loved it in every way: the pacing, the characters, the plot. Thomas wakes up to find himself in a box that opens up to the glade, the central part of an elaborate maze where monsters dwell. From the moment of Thomas's entrance into the glade, he works to try and recover any part of his memory while also trying to solve the maze and stop the deaths of the boys who live in the Maze with him. I would say this book is a cross between Ender's Game and Lord of the Flies. It's a tale that is expertly woven, true to the target audience of teen boys, and filled with enough action to keep me up all night. The only downfall of the book was realizing I have to wait for the sequel. I look forward to reading more of Dashner's work.
70 of 90 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars My high hopes have been broken....,
A. Boston (Winchester, CT) - See all my reviews
Lately, I've been really into the YA dystopian books. I blindly picked up The Hunger Games last summer and loved it. I've since read Forest of Hands and Teeth, Birthmarked, Adoration of Jenna Fox, The Host, and a few others, all of which I enjoyed. I like stories that are not noticeably YA, except maybe for the absence of vulgarities and sex. It was very obvious to me that The Maze Runner was a YA book, which for some, may not matter. But for me, it lacked the depth and intricacies that make or breaks a story.
I was absolutely excited for The Maze Runner after reading the Amazon reviews, but this is the very first time I've been so sorely disappointed when picking up a book due to other reviewers' enthusiasm. I had a hard time getting through The Maze Runner. There were a few times it interested me to keep reading, but for the most part I could only read it for a 1/2 hour at a time, when usually I could read for hours on end. Towards the middle I started skimming and reading dialogue to push myself through the bland writing.
I wasn't emotionally invested in any of the characters, and had a really tough time picturing a lot of it, especially the grievers, which I blame on the writing. The new words to substitute for swears were annoying, and the characters very flat. I thought the ending was predictable and lackluster. This book might really work for some but I really, really didn't like it at all.
24 of 30 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars Maze Runner made a lot of generic mistakes and on-the-fly plot twists that resulted in a confusing, dull story with no answers.,
This review is from: The Maze Runner (Book 1) (Paperback)
This is a full analysis of the book, full spoilers included. You have been warned.
[ALSO, if you choose to downvote my review saying it wasn't helpful, please tell me why in the comments. I welcome everyone's thoughts and opinions, but if you downvote a review of this size without commenting I will be under the assumption you simply downvote all negative reviews.]
The story itself was interesting enough for the most part, but the pace was painfully slow and Dashner committed a few things you are not supposed to do in fictional writing, ever. I'm talking newbie mistakes here.
The second largest thing that Dashner violated was the Show, Don't Tell rule. He almost assuredly does not understand this, as a lot of his descriptions are flatly told instead of explained. "Thomas felt sad." "Thomas snapped." Dashner does not do a good job showing us his world or his characters, instead just telling us how things are. This interweaves with my next points a bit and is explained in greater detail later.
For my second point, marking the biggest mistake Dashner did with this story, he began the book with the White Room Syndrome. Much like the Show, Don't Tell rule, this is one thing that almost all writers know very deeply - do not start your story off with the white room syndrome.
The white room syndrome is where your character suddenly wakes up in a completely unfamiliar setting and knows nothing about anything - his past, his name, people he knew, etc... This is cheap because it allows you to dodge any sort of actual development in the world, its characters or the relationships that the characters have. This book in particular suffered a lot because Dashner decided to go this way.
One particular area it suffered deeply was with character development. Partially since he had no past to develop from, Thomas was a weak protagonist with nearly no original or interesting characteristics. He seems brave at times, but everybody in this book is. He seems smart at times, but so is everybody else. To me, he is almost a blank slate designed to move the story forward. I cannot list one original characteristic about him - other characters say he is interesting, but that is not the conclusion I came to - if the story didn't follow him, he would blend in with the rest of the characters.
The other characters were also an issue. Other than Minho and Chuck, I had a hard time picturing any of them or even telling them apart. Alby was the typical reckless group leader. Newt was the typical nicer more rational second-in-command. Teresa was a typical plain-Jane female side character designed to make the plot actually go somewhere. Minho was interesting, but Dashner could have developed him further than he did. And Chuck was a potentially interesting character, but Dashner killed him off for no reason.
It would have been very difficult to develop any of these characters to a great extent, though, since none of them have histories or memories outside of the maze. Because they all have heavy amnesia, they don't even remember who they are - thus, they cannot be deeply developed. They are just a bunch of people trying to get out. I have to wonder if Dashner himself had fleshed his characters out any deeper than this by this point of the story.
Another way the whole `no past' thing effects the plot is the relationship between Teresa and Tom. It was possibly one of the weakest romances I have ever read in a novel. They loved each other because they did `before it happened', not because they have actual chemistry. There was no development or movement in their relationship whatsoever - it just started off that they were in love just because they were, and that's where the book left off as well. They loved each other because it's what Dashner wanted for the story, not because it made sense for the characters.
Let's put this in contrast to the last book series I read - Divergent. In the first Divergent book, it takes almost 250 pages to fully develop the relationship between Tris and Tobias. Tobias starts off as her superior, and slowly their relationship develops and morphs into something tangible, which is why you were truly able to feel it in that series. It logically progressed into a relationship where you could really believe they had feelings for each other. In Maze Runner, the only reason I felt they loved each other was because I was told to think that. I had no real reason to assume they had feelings for each other besides that, since there was no chemistry, development, getting to know each other or even any conversations that didn't have directly to do with the plot. It was utterly emotionless and monotone and had no effect on me whatsoever - that is not how romance is supposed to be! That's not even how a mundane friendship is supposed to be! What he had with Chuck had more feeling than what he had with Teresa.
Then there were several gaping plot holes. One that I was particularly annoyed with was how long it took them to figure out that the Griever Hole was the only way out. I mean, seriously... I figured that out the second they introduced it and tossed the rock in. I twas utterly predictable. Just think. They have been running around this big maze for two years and have not found any exit of any sort, but in this one spot there appears to be a hole you can toss thing into to make them disappear. It took them an extra 200 pages to figure out that that was, just maybe, an exit of sorts.
Then, it surprised me to notice that Minho has noticed all of those WORLD IN CATASTROPHE: KILLZONE EXPERIMENT DEPARTMENT things all over the walls and never came to the conclusion that this was, oh, I don't know, some sort of experiment or something. It didn't even occur to the characters until the end of the book when Thomas brought it up that this might, just maybe be some sort of experiment.
Minho was a pretty intelligent character, and so was Newt and Alby. In fact, it was a main plot point at the end that they are all technically very intelligent people. If this is the case, how did they not figure all of this stuff out a very long time ago? (Getting back to the Telling issue, the only reason I had to believe they were smart was because I was told so. I was never shown them being particularly smart, especially considering the things I mentioned above.)
Then there is the scene where the sky disappears. I have several issues with this scene. First, why was the first conclusion Thomas came to that the sky was artificial? I was figuring that something covered up the sky at first, but the very first thing he figured was that it absolutely must be that the sky is fake, with no chance of another option whatsoever. There was no guesswork or figuring out to be done here - he just knew, just because he knew.
And at that, where did this even come from? To me, it seems like Dashner literally came up with that on the spot. There was absolutely nothing in this book beforehand to hint that the sky was fake - nothing. If Thomas had thought to himself that this or that looks or seem fabricated or a bit off, it would have made some sense why he came to the conclusion he did so ridiculously quickly when the sky disappeared. But there was nothing. It just happened. Something like this should have been foreshadowed.
This is something I feel he does a lot - or, forgets to do a lot. He does not develop a lot of things beforehand that eventually become important, nor does he give clarification afterwards. For an example, the telepathic talking that Teresa and Tom have. To me, this was clearly used so Teresa could move the story forward no matter where Tom was at the time being, but I would have been okay with that if there was another relevant and in-story reason why she could talk to him like that. Sure, he might answer that in the next book, but he should have answers that in this book, since it was a vital part of this story. As far as I am concerned, since he gave no good reason why that is the way it is, I am convinced the only reason why it is there is for a cheap and easy way to move the plot forward. If there is another relevant in-story reason why it exists, he probably could have come up with it in the second book.
That all might not be true, but if he either developed it beforehand or clarified it afterwards, there would be no confusion. By the end of this story, I am convinced it existed for no other reason than to easily move the story forward when it needed to, just like the sky suddenly disappearing. It felt like a random event he came up with on the spot so he could get un-stuck in his story.
Then, at the end, there is almost no resolution to the story whatsoever. They meet a woman who explains to them that this all happened for some sort of good reason (which I logically assumed), but then proceeded to say that that was certainly enough for them to understand and they should just accept it. She could have elaborated on just a bit more to explain a little bit of the context this story takes place in, but does not in any way mostly because she didn't feel they would want to know, or something. It seems to confuse her why making 40 people go through a maze for 2 years for less than 20 of them to survive with no context whatsoever might confused them or make then want answers of some sort.
Then a bunch of people come in and kill her, take the main characters to a safe place (while of course explaining nothing about anything, because there's no time to explain) and the book ends. Well, sort of, anyway. The bus driver rushing them to safety explains something about sun flares and a sickness that has ravaged the world and how the maze was all some sort of mental test, but it all seemed non sequitur to the rest of the story. This, again, reflects back to the issue he has with foreshadowing. There was absolutely nothing in this book to hint towards any of this, and it all comes across as being random and on-the-spot. I was unable to correlate anything that happened throughout the book to anything relevant to the sun flares.
There were very few answers to anything. Why could Tom and Teresa talk telepathically? What were the Grievers and why were they there? What was the test supposed to do, anyway? How was anything of the story relevant to the last few chapters at all?
Those are the sort of things I should not have had to wait for book 2 to have answered, since they were all relevant to this story. Sure, you need to leave some questions for the next book, but the way that he answered absolutely none of them leaves me to assume he might not have had it all figured out by this point. One could argue that Dashner was clever not to reveal anything, but that is just not the case since he did that at the expense of this story not having an actual conclusion. Because of this laziness to answer anything at all, I simply have no desire to find out what happens next. I don't care what he comes up with, since he has not shown me that even he knew where he was going with the story by that point. I'm finding it hard to believe he actually had a big grand plan to reveal to us by this point.
Take into consideration how the first Hunger Games ends. (Hunger Games 1 spoilers for those who have not read the book or seen the movie by this point. Skip this paragraph if so.) Katniss and Peeta make the government angry by making a joke out of them at the end of the Games, so at the end of book 1, we have to wait and see how they will politically fight against the government and how they can pretend to be in love when they're not. There was something truly tangible to look forward to in the sequel, and that is what drove me to pick up the next book. This was all done while making the first book a complete story with some resolution. That is how a book 1 is supposed to be done.
Now let's go back to the ending of Maze Runner. They escape the maze to learn that it existed for some sort of reason, and the book ends with the promise that you will learn what that reason was later. There is no resolution to any questions raised in the story, there is no other major hook to make you read the next book - there is just no real reason to continue. The one and only hook that the end of this book had was that you will learn what the first book was about in the second book. That's it. Instead of building up new scenarios and conflicts to transfer over, his only hook is that he withheld vital information that should have been at the end of this book that he will give in the second one. In comparison to the Hunger Games, it's quite pathetic and lazy.
I am not entirely certain how people can compare this book to the Hunger Games or Divergent. It's just not on the same level of storytelling in any area. The writing is full of telling, the story is riddled with plot holes and plot devices, the character development is lacking, the romance and relationships are boring and there is no real conclusion to the story. I am not certain why people put this book up there with some of the other major titles right now.
21 of 26 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars Too much hype, not even close to being worthy of any of it,
This review is from: The Maze Runner (Book 1) (Paperback)
I did not enjoy this book at all. I had ignored all the hype for a long time yet still had it in my reading list. Finally I decided to give it a shot. Now I wish there had been enough true reviews to let me know not to bother. Maybe this will help someone not to fall into the hype-trap all those faulty good reviews have built for this book series.
First of all, people who say this is like The Hunger Games are completely wrong. This book is not in any way, like the Hunger Games. The theme of this story, and most importantly the quality and depth of the story are completely different. Sure, there are kids trapped together in a maze here, though not to fight each other (which is the ENTIRE story, nothing else), and there are kids who are occasionally trapped in an arena to fight each other in The Hunger Games. Other than that, there are no similarities of any kind between the two series.
The most important differences are these: In the Hunger Games, the author tells us what we need to know to believe in the situation and go along with it. She gives us interesting characters of depth that we like (or don't like, as intended), and situations that make perfect sense, within the bounds of the given world and it's rules. A good author will tell you what you need to know, as you need to know it to keep the story moving and alive. A good book with well built characters will rarely leave you scratching your head wondering why people are doing & saying things that don't make sense. The Hunger Games excels at this.
Dashner does none of those things in the Maze Runner books.
Instead he leaves you with very little to like about anything or anyone in the books. There are very few named characters, and all but 2-3 tend to blend together into the background. Also, you don't know anything about these kids, and you really don't care, because they are written so blandly. They are all generic and relatively lifeless to the reader. Also, the entire book is basically one long scene. Nothing really happens in the events or dialogue to move the story along. Sure, there are 1 or 2 things that happen to a few characters along the way, but nothing that feels monumental or even vaguely important. Nothing ever happens that feels like it advances the overall story in any way. Then there are all of the constant reminders built in to the book that point out how faulty the story really is. More on those later.
The things I liked about this book are few. The idea of the maze itself is interesting.
That's it. Nothing else.
The things I did *not* like about this book? Everything else.
1 - The writing style is very juvenile, as though it were written by a 10yr old boy, and possibly for 10yr old boys. The language throughout the book is completely full of jargon that is the relative equivalent of kids constantly calling each other "doodie-head". To clarify, Dashner makes up a lot of terms that the kids in the book use constantly. There's no escape from our torment in this area. It just never ends.
2 - too many things throughout this book just don't make any sense, and there are never any satisfactory explanations. Not just for the obvious, "why are these boys in this maze?", but mainly for all the other constant things that pop into your head while you try to get thru this book. You are constantly wondering things such as....
- Why are these kids acting like that?
- Why are they not doing the obvious things, like climbing up to the top of the wall to get a wonderful overview?
- If the Grievers can climb the wall, then why don't they come in every night when the wall closes?
- If the kids are supposed to be literal geniuses, then why do they act so inanely dumb?
- Why did the people who built the maze put these supposed uber-geniuses in there at all? It can't be for the stated purpose given in the book, because that given reason is sincerely stupid and nonsensical.
Really, the entire premise given in the book for the kids being in the maze is is so off as to make the book completely un-enjoyable.
The main thing I did not like about this book is this: There's really just nothing to the book, no actual content, or at least very little. If you've read the synopsis, you've essentially read the book. By the time you reach the end, you hardly know more than when you started. OK, to be fair, you learn all there is to know by say, 20% into the book. After that, there's just nothing. I went into this book with very low expectations mainly due to the ludicrous amount of hype. It's ridiculous. Still, even expecting that this book was probably not going to live up to it's reputation, I was still greatly disappointed.
I hear they are making a movie from this. Hopefully the screenwriters will be able to create an actual story that makes sense, because there is very little to work with here. Even the "facts" given as to why things are the way they are just don't work on a rational level. Of course Hollywood will probably just rely on visual effects to keep people from realizing there was no story. After all, who needs a story when you have a visually stunning CGI wall and killer biorobots? Maybe those were the two things the author was relying on for us not to notice the glaring deficiencies of the book.
In my opinion, The Maze Runner was a flop as far as entertaining well-written books go. I truly don't understand why people have built this up so much with so many good reviews.
15 of 18 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars James Dashner is great, but the Maze Runner isn't.,
This review is from: The Maze Runner (Book 1) (Paperback)
I really wanted to love this book. I met James Dashner at a writing conference once. He seemed like a really amiable guy, with a good sense of humor. I read the first book in the 13th Reality series and didn't love it, but I was quite willing to give him another shot. Especially because the premise of the Maze Runner is fascinating. Sadly, while this review does make me feel rather traitorous, I have to say that the execution of the concept failed on many levels. There are a lot of good things about the book, but they don't quite make up for the flaws.
1. The idea is fantastic.
2. The ending of the book is a total slap in the face (in a good way).
3. Chuck, Minho, Newt, and Alby were likeable enough.
4. The mystery of the book is enough to stop readers from putting the book down until the very end, and it is suspenseful to keep you on edge throughout the duration.
5. James Dashner has created a very vivid well written dystopian world that's really quite fascinating.
1. James Dashner has a horrible habit of treating fairly obvious things like they are mysteries. He tends to foreshadow and suspensefully lead up to these big reveals toward the end of the novel that sound like they're going to be a major turning point, and then the main character is like 'I've figured it out! We have to throw the ring into Mount Doom!' and then all of the characters react to this like it's mind blowing, all while the reader is thinking... "Well of course you have to throw the ring into Mount Doom. Gandalf said that was the only way to destroy the ring....In like the first chapter, and there hasn't been a single alternate option given" while they bury their faces in their palms. The 13th Reality had the same problem. It's condescending and rather ridiculous to assume that readers won't even come to obvious conclusions on their own, and ruined the book.
2. The lead characters are very one dimensional. Thomas is completely atypical young adult lead, and I quickly began to care more about what happened to his friends than what happened to him. I thought that his amnesia would make him interesting, but that wasn't really explored as much as it should have been Sure he was given other special privileges that none of the other characters were, but that doesn't do anything for his likeability or do anything to help round him out better. Honestly, Thomas could have died at the end, and I probably wouldn't have cared much.
3. It didn't feel like the author fulfilled every promise the book made. The book seemed to promise that the maze was fascinating, and intricate, and filled with all kinds of horrifying creatures. I was quite disappointed by how simple the maze turned out to be. The puzzle was interesting, but the overall maze with only moving walls and one horrifying creature didn't live up to my expectations.
4. The slang was over-emphasized, crude, and wince worthy. The few 9 year old boys that it would appeal to are usually too busy frying insects and making up underwear knock knock jokes to read.
Overall, I'd say skip this one, but read the Wikipedia synopsis. That will give you all of the good content in less time than you spent reading this review.
53 of 69 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional writing for a middle school student,
This review is from: The Maze Runner (Book 1) (Paperback)
The book is very poorly written - plain and simple. One of the worst I've ever read. Dashner seems to operate on the assumption that the liberal use adjectives and simile tantamount to good writing. Some choice phrasing from the first 10 pages:
"Strangely enough, he felt his fear whisked away like a swarm of gnats in the wind..."
"He groaned in frustration; his echo amplified through the air, like the haunted moan of death."
"The haunted moan of death"? We all know what that's like.
The book alternates between this kind of flowery word choice and unimaginative teenaged colloquial speak. Take for instance, this dramatic exchange:
"Don't get all humbly bumbly on us-what you did was freaking unbelievable..."
Thomas tossed the empty salad plate on the ground, suddenly angry. "Then why do I feel so crappy, Chuck? You wanna answer me that?"
Crappy! The depth of the protagonist's feeling is clear.
Beyond that, the narrator puts little effort in to plotting or character development. Characters engage in an unsubtle withholding of information in what seems to be an attempt to keep the book from ending too quickly. This is best demonstrated in the first half of the book, which is spent with Thomas expressing his seemingly burning (and whiney) desire to ask questions only to be met with a dismissive "Shut up Greenie. You'll learn eventually" from the Gladers. The appearance of Teresa seems completely unnecessary, as her character adds no dimension to the story, nor is there any exploration of the fact that she's the only girl.
There are also some plot holes that I feel compelled to mention.
- Do you need to be stung by a Griever in order to take the grief serum and go through the changing? Why did no one think of trying that?
- Why did no one attempt to kill the grievers with weapons?
- What does being telepathic have to do with designing a maze?
- Why does Gally show up at the end, and why is he equipped with a knife he can use to kill Thomas? The death that ensues seems to occur for no other reason than to create a somber tone.
The truly interesting thing about "The Maze Runner" is that the premise is actually really engaging, which was my reason for finishing the book. Despite the amateur plotting, I was genuinely curious as to what was going to happen, and what was behind the maze. In the hands of an adept writer, this could have been a truly fascinating read. Sadly, Dashner's subpar abilities ruin whatever promise it might have had.
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The Maze Runner (Book 1) by James Dashner (Paperback - August 24, 2010)
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