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3.26 AVERAGE
3.26 AVERAGE
This was an easy read and it was one of those books that you are hoping everything turns out well for the characters, but up until the end I was kind of thinking, "is this writer going to kill everyone instead?"
The setting is kind of hard to pin down because there are outlaws, gunslingers, and people only ride horses, but on the other hand, society seems to accept homosexuality to a degree. It seemed like maybe if society progressed with limited technology? There was a lot of mystery and magic threaded throughout the book too. It's usually not the kind of book I look for, but I really loved [b:Bird Box|18498558|Bird Box|Josh Malerman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1383949470s/18498558.jpg|26186624], and this book, while not as memorable, still left me glad I read it.
The setting is kind of hard to pin down because there are outlaws, gunslingers, and people only ride horses, but on the other hand, society seems to accept homosexuality to a degree. It seemed like maybe if society progressed with limited technology? There was a lot of mystery and magic threaded throughout the book too. It's usually not the kind of book I look for, but I really loved [b:Bird Box|18498558|Bird Box|Josh Malerman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1383949470s/18498558.jpg|26186624], and this book, while not as memorable, still left me glad I read it.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The dialogue was so stilted and purple that I couldn't get past it, so I dnf'd.
I honestly don't know why I kept reading this novel. I knew it wasn't going to be for me not even thirty pages in, when Malerman decides to refer to one of the characters as a 'digger'––a term that has negative connotations (to keep it polite) towards indigenous peoples, particularly during the 1800s (around the time period I'd place this novel within). Now, you might say, 'oh well the novel refers to grave diggers as diggers,' which is true. But, this character is a maid, not a grave digger, and there's absolutely no indication as to why this character would be referred to as such. Especially considering the fact that we're supposed to believe the maid and the main character, Carol, are close (which is never shown to us in the novel, but I'll get to that).
Now, I'm going to rant a bit, but in case you don't want to be spoiled, my main concerns are: pacing (this book drags and then the ending is basically told to us, not shown, and it concludes so fast––seriously, the showdown between Moxie and Smoke? So boring; there's no character development––their motivations are surface level, at best; and the plot is suitable for a novella, not for an almost four hundred page novel. There just wasn't enough to keep the story engaging.
Why do I need to be told over and over that Smoke doesn't have legs? I know. I get it. I also get the fact that Moxie is an outlaw––no need to tell me over and over and over again. I haven't forgotten.
Why, when this novel is about a woman's illness, is so much of the novel told from male perspectives? Carol is barely a character, and the book is named after her.
This novel relies way too much on telling, instead of showing, which is lazy writing.
Why did Reinaldo come back? How did he come back? I don't just want to be told 'oh it was magic.' That's lazy writing, and holy deux ex machina, batman.
And, lastly, WAY TO MAKE THE ENTIRE NOVEL POINTLESS BY REVEALING THE FACT THAT CAROL KNEW HER MOTHER HAD BUILT HER A SPECIAL CASKET TO BE DELIVERED AT HER FUNERAL IN CASE SHE WAS BURIED ALIVE. WHAT WAS THE POINT OF THIS NOVEL THEN? WHY? WHAT? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
So. Yeah. Don't read this book.
Now, I'm going to rant a bit, but in case you don't want to be spoiled, my main concerns are: pacing (this book drags and then the ending is basically told to us, not shown, and it concludes so fast––seriously, the showdown between Moxie and Smoke? So boring; there's no character development––their motivations are surface level, at best; and the plot is suitable for a novella, not for an almost four hundred page novel. There just wasn't enough to keep the story engaging.
Spoiler
I didn't understand a lot of this novel, because the writing is (in no way worthy of being compared to Cormac McCarthy) vague and repetitive. Like, who is Rot? What is Rot? Is it a monster? A metaphor? What is Rot's motivation? Why does it decide to target Carol now, when she's lived for forty years? What am I supposed to do with this ambiguous 'character'?Why do I need to be told over and over that Smoke doesn't have legs? I know. I get it. I also get the fact that Moxie is an outlaw––no need to tell me over and over and over again. I haven't forgotten.
Why, when this novel is about a woman's illness, is so much of the novel told from male perspectives? Carol is barely a character, and the book is named after her.
This novel relies way too much on telling, instead of showing, which is lazy writing.
Why did Reinaldo come back? How did he come back? I don't just want to be told 'oh it was magic.' That's lazy writing, and holy deux ex machina, batman.
And, lastly, WAY TO MAKE THE ENTIRE NOVEL POINTLESS BY REVEALING THE FACT THAT CAROL KNEW HER MOTHER HAD BUILT HER A SPECIAL CASKET TO BE DELIVERED AT HER FUNERAL IN CASE SHE WAS BURIED ALIVE. WHAT WAS THE POINT OF THIS NOVEL THEN? WHY? WHAT? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
So. Yeah. Don't read this book.
The concept of this book was excellent. The execution of the idea was not. I managed to get about 60% through the book and I just couldn't finish it. It was dull. The book could have been condensed into just a few chapters. Nothing really substantial happens through the whole book. I really loved Josh Malerman's Bird Box... but this just disappointed.
Carol Evers suffers from a bizarre condition: at times of stress, she lapses into a coma that closely resembles death, only she can hear what's going on around her. Now she's in one of her comas and her husband is planning on burying alive. The only man that can save her is a notorious outlaw that ran from her and her condition years ago, James Moxie...
Josh Malerman is all the rage these days. What better way to give him a shot than a Netgalley ARC of his upcoming book!
Unbury Carol takes place in a period not unlike the 1890s. It has a distinctively western feel but I don't think any of the places are real. Carol suffers from a weird condition that makes me think that if he doesn't suffer from sleep paralysis, Josh Malerman has at least read up on it. As someone who suffers the occasional bout of sleep paralysis, that's sure what it reminded me of. Carol calls the dark place she goes to Howltown, since she can only hear the hoarse sound of her own breathing. Creepy, huh?
The story is a race against time, with James Moxie hauling ass from Mackatoon to save his long lost love from being buried alive in Harrows, all the while with a hitman on his trail. It started a little slow but things got pretty hectic. The writing was good but nothing earth-shattering. I'd say the ever-building suspense was the star of the Wild West show.
Dwight Evers was a worm and Smoke was a psychotic arsonist, making for a pair of villains whose hash I couldn't wait to see settled. Moxie was a driven man seeking to put things right before it was too late. Still, Carol was the most interesting character, even though she just laid there, comatose but listening, for most of the book. Carol being helpless but aware made me feel claustrophobic at times. The ending was extremely satisfying. I would have done a "Yes!" with a fist pump but I had a couple sleeping cats to consider.
Unbury Carol was one hell of a gripping read. I'll be reading more Josh Malerman in the future. Four out of five stars.
Josh Malerman is all the rage these days. What better way to give him a shot than a Netgalley ARC of his upcoming book!
Unbury Carol takes place in a period not unlike the 1890s. It has a distinctively western feel but I don't think any of the places are real. Carol suffers from a weird condition that makes me think that if he doesn't suffer from sleep paralysis, Josh Malerman has at least read up on it. As someone who suffers the occasional bout of sleep paralysis, that's sure what it reminded me of. Carol calls the dark place she goes to Howltown, since she can only hear the hoarse sound of her own breathing. Creepy, huh?
The story is a race against time, with James Moxie hauling ass from Mackatoon to save his long lost love from being buried alive in Harrows, all the while with a hitman on his trail. It started a little slow but things got pretty hectic. The writing was good but nothing earth-shattering. I'd say the ever-building suspense was the star of the Wild West show.
Dwight Evers was a worm and Smoke was a psychotic arsonist, making for a pair of villains whose hash I couldn't wait to see settled. Moxie was a driven man seeking to put things right before it was too late. Still, Carol was the most interesting character, even though she just laid there, comatose but listening, for most of the book. Carol being helpless but aware made me feel claustrophobic at times. The ending was extremely satisfying. I would have done a "Yes!" with a fist pump but I had a couple sleeping cats to consider.
Unbury Carol was one hell of a gripping read. I'll be reading more Josh Malerman in the future. Four out of five stars.
Джош Малерман е в книжното ми полезрение (разбирайте „предизвиква интерес у мен“) още с излизането на „Кутия за птици“, но до този момент, по неизвестни причини, не бях посягала към негова книга. Бях се наканила първо да прочета „Гоблин“, но щом се появи „Ковчегът на Керъл“ дилемата беше решена на бърза ръка и не останаха съмнения, че тъкмо с нея ще започна. Така и стана – грабнах я малко след като излезе, преди да се е появило нещо друго, което по-силно искам да прочета и… Керъл да си остане в ковчега.
Керъл Евърс от дете страда от необяснимо заболяване, заради което на различни интервали от време изпада в състояние на кома, благодарение на което тя изглежда като мъртва. Пулсът й се забавя дотолкова, че е неуловим, а дишането й е толкова рядко и леко, че огледалцето трябва да се задържи доста дълго над устните й, за да се появи леко изпотяване по него. Никой не знае каква е причината за тези пристъпи. Нито майка й, Хети, е успяла да разбере, нито Джон Боуи, нейният добър приятел, въпреки че и двамата са размишлявали усилено по въпроса. Сега обаче и двамата са мъртви, а Керъл вече е спряла да размишлява върху причините за състоянието й. Има обаче нещо, което я притеснява.
Единствените останали хора, който знаят за състоянието й, след смъртта на Джон Боуи, са нейният съпруг Дуайт Евърс… и бившият й любовник Джеймс Мокси, когото тя не е виждала от 20 години и въобще дори не й хрумва, че той е някакъв вариант за спасение. Така че на практика смята, че има само един човек, който знае, че тя не е мъртва, а само в кома. Керъл трябва да каже на още някого за състоянието си, в случай, че нещо се случи на Дуайт, докато тя е в кома… но преди да успее да го стори, състоянието й я поваля за пореден път и тя започва да пропада в онова място, което сама е кръстила Стонтаун. Когато е там постоянно има усещането, че пропада и няма никакъв контрол над тялото си. Но чува. О, чува всичко.
Това се оказва много удобен момент за съпруга й Дуайт, който се е оженил за нея единствено заради богатството й. И той измисля пъкления план как да погребе Керъл жива и да се сдобие с това богатство. За всички останали в градчето Хероус тя ще изглежда доста убедително като мъртва. Но има неща, които не може да предвиди и хора, за които не е помислял, че може да се намесят в тези планове. До Джеймс Мокси достига телеграма, заради която той започва да се надпреварва с времето и всички обстоятелства, за да изкупи вината си.
„Кочегът на Керъл“ е приключенски уестърн, в който героите постоянно се надпреварват с времето и всеки си има основателна причина за това. Една стара любов стои в основата на всичко, но в историята са намесени също алчността, желанието за мъст и преплетените взаимоотношения, които могат да съществуват по Заселническия маршрут.
Керъл Евърс от дете страда от необяснимо заболяване, заради което на различни интервали от време изпада в състояние на кома, благодарение на което тя изглежда като мъртва. Пулсът й се забавя дотолкова, че е неуловим, а дишането й е толкова рядко и леко, че огледалцето трябва да се задържи доста дълго над устните й, за да се появи леко изпотяване по него. Никой не знае каква е причината за тези пристъпи. Нито майка й, Хети, е успяла да разбере, нито Джон Боуи, нейният добър приятел, въпреки че и двамата са размишлявали усилено по въпроса. Сега обаче и двамата са мъртви, а Керъл вече е спряла да размишлява върху причините за състоянието й. Има обаче нещо, което я притеснява.
Единствените останали хора, който знаят за състоянието й, след смъртта на Джон Боуи, са нейният съпруг Дуайт Евърс… и бившият й любовник Джеймс Мокси, когото тя не е виждала от 20 години и въобще дори не й хрумва, че той е някакъв вариант за спасение. Така че на практика смята, че има само един човек, който знае, че тя не е мъртва, а само в кома. Керъл трябва да каже на още някого за състоянието си, в случай, че нещо се случи на Дуайт, докато тя е в кома… но преди да успее да го стори, състоянието й я поваля за пореден път и тя започва да пропада в онова място, което сама е кръстила Стонтаун. Когато е там постоянно има усещането, че пропада и няма никакъв контрол над тялото си. Но чува. О, чува всичко.
Това се оказва много удобен момент за съпруга й Дуайт, който се е оженил за нея единствено заради богатството й. И той измисля пъкления план как да погребе Керъл жива и да се сдобие с това богатство. За всички останали в градчето Хероус тя ще изглежда доста убедително като мъртва. Но има неща, които не може да предвиди и хора, за които не е помислял, че може да се намесят в тези планове. До Джеймс Мокси достига телеграма, заради която той започва да се надпреварва с времето и всички обстоятелства, за да изкупи вината си.
„Кочегът на Керъл“ е приключенски уестърн, в който героите постоянно се надпреварват с времето и всеки си има основателна причина за това. Една стара любов стои в основата на всичко, но в историята са намесени също алчността, желанието за мъст и преплетените взаимоотношения, които могат да съществуват по Заселническия маршрут.
Uhhh
I’m confused and also it was really boring ?? And nothing happened AT ALL
I’m confused and also it was really boring ?? And nothing happened AT ALL
