Well, I have thought about this a lot over the last two days. In light of my last review, I wanted to be fair and yet, not over compensate. I vacillated between three and four stars for a while, but due to the fact that the book actually caused me to give up sleep (I stayed up until midnight reading the last few chapters, I had to see how it ended), I felt that it deserved the upgrade. Those of you who know how important my sleep is to me will understand that!

On my first attempt at this book I quickly became confused and frustrated at where it was coming from. This was mainly due to two factors as far as I can ascertain. One of my issues I am convinced was the fact that I started reading the book in an environment that was less than conducive to concentration and this was exacerbated by the fact that the first few chapters give you a lot of information that makes sense later. It's all a lot of, "you'll see" in the beginning. There are so many twists and turns in the plot that at times you will feel as though "you don't know who you can trust", but that is part of the charm and engagement of the story. I would say that by the end of chapter six he had me hooked. At that point I thought I knew where the story was going...I was wrong...but it had captured me anyway.

I loved the author's use of mentioning various works that make the reader think, "Oh, I loved that!", or "Hmmmm, I'll have to read that now!" From Lovecraft to Bronte, there are many such references within the story. His mention of Mr. Rochester especially touched a warm place in my heart, that being my all time favorite novel. Make no mistake, those of you who are no fan of Jane, this book is absolutely nothing like a Bronte novel! It is a dark thriller with a sci-fi feel and a "green" touch. I definitely recommend it, and plan to share my copy (Dash, you're next). I am very glad that I gave Vacation another chance! ( )

I'm not sure exactly what I expected when I started Vacation, but suffice to say that it managed to both meet and confound all of those expectations.

For many, a novel of ideas is an excuse to be preachy and a novel that uses surreal images and dream-like prose is all flash and no substance.

Nothing could be further from the truth in Shipp's book.

Oh, there are ideas aplenty here: thought-provoking,history-laden, Big Time ideas about the nature of self and the nature of the universe. And surreality abounds, sometimes clever, sometimes heart-breaking. The combination is truly stunning, and great fun to read. ( )

Well, I have thought about this a lot over the last two days. In light of my last review, I wanted to be fair and yet, not over compensate. I vacillated between three and four stars for a while, but due to the fact that the book actually caused me to give up sleep (I stayed up until midnight reading the last few chapters, I had to see how it ended), I felt that it deserved the upgrade. Those of you who know how important my sleep is to me will understand that!

On my first attempt at this book I quickly became confused and frustrated at where it was coming from. This was mainly due to two factors as far as I can ascertain. One of my issues I am convinced was the fact that I started reading the book in an environment that was less than conducive to concentration and this was exacerbated by the fact that the first few chapters give you a lot of information that makes sense later. It's all a lot of, "you'll see" in the beginning. There are so many twists and turns in the plot that at times you will feel as though "you don't know who you can trust", but that is part of the charm and engagement of the story. I would say that by the end of chapter six he had me hooked. At that point I thought I knew where the story was going...I was wrong...but it had captured me anyway.

I loved the author's use of mentioning various works that make the reader think, "Oh, I loved that!", or "Hmmmm, I'll have to read that now!" From Lovecraft to Bronte, there are many such references within the story. His mention of Mr. Rochester especially touched a warm place in my heart, that being my all time favorite novel. Make no mistake, those of you who are no fan of Jane, this book is absolutely nothing like a Bronte novel! It is a dark thriller with a sci-fi feel and a "green" touch. I definitely recommend it, and plan to share my copy (Dash, you're next luv). I am very glad that I gave Vacation another chance! ( )

Bizarro fiction (that's actually a sub-genre, not me just being snarky) offering that lives up to its genre. Lots of dreams, musings, mind control through devices, and societal dialogue. I enjoyed a few parts but mostly I was simply trying to sort out what was going on where/when/how. ( )

Vacation was my first foray into the bizarro fiction genre. I wasn't sure what to expect when starting this book, but soon realized that all expectations simply fly out the window anyway. Bernard Johnson, a 35-year-old English teacher decides (in an early-mid-life-crisis kind of way) to spend the next year of his life "finding himself" during a government sponsored world Vacation. On this Vacation, Bernie meets up with a beautiful woman who used to be one of his male students; is visited by his dead sister; and finds himself dumped into an alternate reality where the ultimate battle for truth and freedom is unfolding. Hold on for the ride of your life, the twists and turns never end and constantly leave the reader having to reshuffle what they think is real and what is a dream. This expertly crafted story manages to be both phenomenally deep and highly entertaining all at the same time. ( )