Scan barcode
adam_tries_books's review
4.0
Grim, gritty and graphic!
That’s exactly how I’d sum up this book. It gave me vibes of Trainspotting mixed with The Wasp Factory.
The book definitely lulls you into a false sense of security at the beginning when you first meet Rob. To be honest I quite liked him at the start, one of element in particular I enjoyed was the banter between him and the other janitors.
But as the story goes on you realise that this is really the story of one man’s rapid descent into madness! I’m not sure I’ve ever had such a big change in opinion on a character than I did with Rob. He truly becomes a deplorable person! But the author had me totally hooked and I had to know where this descent would lead to.
This is one of those books that will really divide people and I can understand why, it’s just full of awful things but, as I’ve already said, I was completely drawn into the story. Overall an interesting read, not sure I could recommend it to everyone though!
That’s exactly how I’d sum up this book. It gave me vibes of Trainspotting mixed with The Wasp Factory.
The book definitely lulls you into a false sense of security at the beginning when you first meet Rob. To be honest I quite liked him at the start, one of element in particular I enjoyed was the banter between him and the other janitors.
But as the story goes on you realise that this is really the story of one man’s rapid descent into madness! I’m not sure I’ve ever had such a big change in opinion on a character than I did with Rob. He truly becomes a deplorable person! But the author had me totally hooked and I had to know where this descent would lead to.
This is one of those books that will really divide people and I can understand why, it’s just full of awful things but, as I’ve already said, I was completely drawn into the story. Overall an interesting read, not sure I could recommend it to everyone though!
lelllo's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The horror story Bunker Man was Duncan McLean's debut novel after having published the short story collection Bucket of Tongues, which won the Somerset Maugham Award.
McLean uses the inner monologue of Rob as the voice of narration, which makes the whole story even more nightmarish since we follow the events from the view of a man who is becoming more and more mentally unstable.
The dialogue in Bunker Man is very well written. It is a skill that Duncan McLean had already used very successfully in Bucket of Tongues. The conversations between his characters feel very real and are often the parts where the wit and humor is used most effectively. But the explicitly pornographic and violent parts in Bunker Man are certainly not for everyone. It is a tense and dark book.
I felt that towards the end Duncan McLean, ironically, was losing control of Rob, just like Rob was losing control of himself. The story had driven itself into a cul-de-sac of more sordid sex and violence, leading up to its horrific grand finale.
McLean uses the inner monologue of Rob as the voice of narration, which makes the whole story even more nightmarish since we follow the events from the view of a man who is becoming more and more mentally unstable.
The dialogue in Bunker Man is very well written. It is a skill that Duncan McLean had already used very successfully in Bucket of Tongues. The conversations between his characters feel very real and are often the parts where the wit and humor is used most effectively. But the explicitly pornographic and violent parts in Bunker Man are certainly not for everyone. It is a tense and dark book.
I felt that towards the end Duncan McLean, ironically, was losing control of Rob, just like Rob was losing control of himself. The story had driven itself into a cul-de-sac of more sordid sex and violence, leading up to its horrific grand finale.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
More...