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3.19 AVERAGE
3.19 AVERAGE
Not sure which book I liked more of his. Wolf in White Van kept me wanting more but Universal Harvester kept me reading faster to discover the truth. Both are great in there own sense. a modern horror novel set in Iowa that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Huh??
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I bought this book expecting horror and it's not that. I can only describe the book as kind. It's a book about loss, love, and memory. About people in transitional points in their lives and the connections they make and lose. This one is going to stay with me a while.
I originally gave this book 3-stars, meaning interesting and glad to have read it, but ultimately not a book I'd go back to.
Then a few weeks went by and I found myself thinking about the book more and more. I read some ideas people had regarding the title and the ending and I thought, "Hey, that's actually pretty smart".
And then a few weeks more went by and I'm still thinking about the book. The title pulls me in. The creepiness at the beginning acting as a segue to the sadness throughout stays with me. Thinking about how grief and despair changes people's behaviors is easily relatable.
I understand why this book has lower reviews than average, but a book that has me reflecting on it months after I read it when I originally thought it was just ok means it left an impression. I hope to go back and reread it.
Then a few weeks went by and I found myself thinking about the book more and more. I read some ideas people had regarding the title and the ending and I thought, "Hey, that's actually pretty smart".
And then a few weeks more went by and I'm still thinking about the book. The title pulls me in. The creepiness at the beginning acting as a segue to the sadness throughout stays with me. Thinking about how grief and despair changes people's behaviors is easily relatable.
I understand why this book has lower reviews than average, but a book that has me reflecting on it months after I read it when I originally thought it was just ok means it left an impression. I hope to go back and reread it.
A good narration for an audiobook can make or break a story. This is the case for Universal Harvester. [a:John Darnielle|1029937|John Darnielle|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1337946622p2/1029937.jpg] narrates again, same as he did for [b:Wolf in White Van|20575425|Wolf in White Van|John Darnielle|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1393646533s/20575425.jpg|39843433], which allows the book's original interpretation to be felt. I can see how some readers might not like his style of writing; however, I enjoyed it. Also, I think that this book was advertised as more horror/thriller/mystery than what it actually is- a slow burn mystery with shades of grief and stories of loss. Surely that turned a lot of readers off once they got further into the book and found themselves bored. I was fortunate enough to know what to expect and found myself drawn into the stories of the characters and this situation binding them, rather than being disappointed with the lack of action and suspense.
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
There’s some kind of meta commentary built into this book about a tantalizing mystery with a sad and disappointing reveal. It’s the topic and the experience. I liked the concept but I’m worn out on stories that use disjointed timelines to obscure a simple storyline and then spool out scenes until the reader has enough to piece them together as the “ta-da” moment.
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
this was literally so boring and so hard to follow the beginning was rly spooky but the rest was not it
Interesting premise, but way too vague to be a compelling read.
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
In the same way that the game Night In The Woods isn't really about a cult, neither is this story. Night In The Woods is ultimately about the melancholic rural landscapes of America and the things people try to do to bring back prosperity. Universal Harvester is similar, the prose is a quiet, desaturated portrait of the rural midwest. I read this while visiting a small town rural midwest, the dreariness within the pages existed right before my eyes.
I enjoyed the narration of this novel, the POV change from third person to a brief but effective first person worked for me, it was ominous, threw me off a bit when I first encountered it. When I learned that I was being told a story in that particular way it felt almost more intimate, a little surreal.
Grief is a difficult, fickle thing I guess. I struggle to understand why Lisa did what she did, how she thought splicing bizarre recreated scenarios into VHS tapes of rental movies would lead to her mother.
While I enjoyed the parts with James and Abby, I wish there has been more done with how VHS tapes are obsolete, Video Hut has been shut down, how Lisa can't continue her work, the changes in technology and how tech rots overtime just like the rural midwest. But I think at the same time that Darnielle did everything he could.
I enjoyed the narration of this novel, the POV change from third person to a brief but effective first person worked for me, it was ominous, threw me off a bit when I first encountered it. When I learned that I was being told a story in that particular way it felt almost more intimate, a little surreal.
Grief is a difficult, fickle thing I guess. I struggle to understand why Lisa did what she did, how she thought splicing bizarre recreated scenarios into VHS tapes of rental movies would lead to her mother.
While I enjoyed the parts with James and Abby, I wish there has been more done with how VHS tapes are obsolete, Video Hut has been shut down, how Lisa can't continue her work, the changes in technology and how tech rots overtime just like the rural midwest. But I think at the same time that Darnielle did everything he could.