User Profile

Automatic Noodle is a very comforting book offering very little that is new, but it does not have to. A heartwarming story in itself is nice, as long as you don't expect anything more. The metaphors and themes are very heavy-handed and there is very little to figure out for yourself. However, this gave me more room to imagine the world for myself and get lost in the semi-dystopian future California. I find the author to be very good at describing nice things, be it food, closeness or comradery. This is the main appeal of the book and is reflected very well in its gorgeous cover.

Before you buy: Do not read any synopsis, it will spoiler everything (but the story is very predictable anyway). Would I recommend buying it? Maybe, it's not really worth its price (but few books are imo) Would I lend it to a friend? Yes and I'm sure they will have a good time.

Had to wait weeks for the book to arrive, but I'm glad I had the patience not to cancel the order. A very non-demanding read but quite comfortable.

Sry for grammar, this was written on mobile.

The book is at its strongest when building a world and describing the atmosphere and mindset of the 'star rush'. This works quite well and I never got bored, even though most of the time nothing happens. And even during the peaks of the story, I found myself disappointed at what had been left out.

Sadly, the book suffers from some issues. The sections between the story - where the protagonist goes to therapy - don't have much going for them. The tension between Sigfried (therapist) and Rob (protagonist) is uninteresting and not very complex either. It is, however, fun to see the story unfold from two points in time. Furthernore, the only interesting character in the book is the protagonist. The other characters are flat and provide little challenge to his perspective. Even his lover whom he beats up comes back for no reason.

The depiction of women in this book is questionable. The general flatness of the characters combined with the characterisation of women mostly through intimacy with the protagonist makes for a weird aftertaste. (Add to that the aforementioned violence and the book shows its age)

The final revelation the book builds up to would be very interesting if characters felt real. But the only realistic character is the narrator and protagonist himself. This puts the sotlight on the inner workings of Rob which are kept from the viewer most of the time and - when revealed - not that big of a deal for the story imo.

I can somewhat recommend this book. It is not a demanding read and does have some nice world-building ideas. Its not a must-read.