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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Genuinely, what the hell.
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Fagan takes no prisoners: this novel is brutally coloured in garish reds and horrific greys, and its characters take no exception to this rule. What would the meeting between individual entrepreneurialism and plague-borne devastation look like? Gory, gutsy, brilliant.
Having read about Nobber and then spending some time to find a copy prior to a transition to paperback, I had a lot of time to build this up in my head. By the time I delved in, I had almost impossible expectations.
Not all is lost, though.
I felt that it took a chapter or two for the novel to really settle into its voice. While the town of Nobber being infected with plague is the central plot of the story, characters come and go almost in something of a short story collection format. Some characters are more engaging others, and some get the fate they deserve while others go on. Similarly, the novel has moments of incredible beauty, but also moments of profound disgust. Funny, serious, dull, surreal—Nobber is a novel that hits every extreme, and this is why there is nothing quite like it (and why reviews are often quite polarizing).
I’m interested to see what Oisin Fagan will write next. While Nobber had misses for me, the hits kept me reading. Considering the Black Plague hitting Nobber, it seems all the more relevant in 2020.
There’s dense imagery that invites rereading as well as a heck of a lot of nihilism. Without spoiling anything, I do think there are disappointments, loose threads left undone, some chapters that drag, and a bit of a male-centric focus. Still, this is a wild novel that has extremes of highs and lows. To the right reader, I recommend it. Oisin Fagan is on to something.
Not all is lost, though.
I felt that it took a chapter or two for the novel to really settle into its voice. While the town of Nobber being infected with plague is the central plot of the story, characters come and go almost in something of a short story collection format. Some characters are more engaging others, and some get the fate they deserve while others go on. Similarly, the novel has moments of incredible beauty, but also moments of profound disgust. Funny, serious, dull, surreal—Nobber is a novel that hits every extreme, and this is why there is nothing quite like it (and why reviews are often quite polarizing).
I’m interested to see what Oisin Fagan will write next. While Nobber had misses for me, the hits kept me reading. Considering the Black Plague hitting Nobber, it seems all the more relevant in 2020.
There’s dense imagery that invites rereading as well as a heck of a lot of nihilism. Without spoiling anything, I do think there are disappointments, loose threads left undone, some chapters that drag, and a bit of a male-centric focus. Still, this is a wild novel that has extremes of highs and lows. To the right reader, I recommend it. Oisin Fagan is on to something.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Fab. I really loved this. And unlike Company of Liars, this provided me with the ignorance I am looking for in medieval settings.
big fan, good to get back into the swing of reading. a bit mental but in a good way! enjoyed it so as always 4*
Maybe I'll come back to her but I'm just arguably not reading it
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes