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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
Not sure what to think. Definitely didn’t understand everything. Read mostly without looking at the notes. Will likely reread again with footnotes. Would very much like to find a review of this book with some explanations/theories.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I stumbled on Esc&Ctrl by chance—first the cover, then the blurb, and finally the wild foreword. The author, Steve Hollyman, had his typewritten manuscript stolen years ago. When it resurfaced, it had new chapters added by an anonymous co-writer who even created social media profiles for the characters. Steve and Ike, the finder, work to uncover the mystery through footnotes throughout the book.
With fewer than 300 Goodreads reviews, I’m always intrigued by books that seem to slip under the radar.
The story follows Vincent, who wakes up in NYC with no memory while his girlfriend Emily is murdered in the UK. He gets cryptic calls from “The Voice,” leading him to clues. Meanwhile, an earlier timeline reveals Emily chatting online with “Davidson,” a fake persona trying to trick her into sharing explicit videos.
The footnotes, alternating between critical analysis and clues about the mystery author, often felt too long and overwhelming. I only managed to read about half before losing motivation, finding them more essay-like than engaging.
By the time I was 3/4 through, I had so many unanswered questions I resorted to Google and realized this was part of a PhD project—information published online. But I wasn’t about to read a 350-page dissertation to make sense of it.
The tone of Esc&Ctrl feels cold, and while the backstory intrigued me more than the story itself, the sterile writing wasn’t engaging. Written long before its 2022 publication, it does offer interesting insights into online identity and catfishing when the concept was still fresh. VERY meta—for fans of quirky, experimental stories or psychology students.
It’s hard to sum up this book without giving too much away, as it builds layers of deception. Post-read research feels almost mandatory, and honestly, I wonder if it was just too clever for me. Still, it left me annoyed that I’d spent so much time on it.
With fewer than 300 Goodreads reviews, I’m always intrigued by books that seem to slip under the radar.
The story follows Vincent, who wakes up in NYC with no memory while his girlfriend Emily is murdered in the UK. He gets cryptic calls from “The Voice,” leading him to clues. Meanwhile, an earlier timeline reveals Emily chatting online with “Davidson,” a fake persona trying to trick her into sharing explicit videos.
The footnotes, alternating between critical analysis and clues about the mystery author, often felt too long and overwhelming. I only managed to read about half before losing motivation, finding them more essay-like than engaging.
By the time I was 3/4 through, I had so many unanswered questions I resorted to Google and realized this was part of a PhD project—information published online. But I wasn’t about to read a 350-page dissertation to make sense of it.
The tone of Esc&Ctrl feels cold, and while the backstory intrigued me more than the story itself, the sterile writing wasn’t engaging. Written long before its 2022 publication, it does offer interesting insights into online identity and catfishing when the concept was still fresh. VERY meta—for fans of quirky, experimental stories or psychology students.
It’s hard to sum up this book without giving too much away, as it builds layers of deception. Post-read research feels almost mandatory, and honestly, I wonder if it was just too clever for me. Still, it left me annoyed that I’d spent so much time on it.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
As an avid fan of Influx Press, I went straight for this when I saw it in my library. I wasn’t expecting the twisting turns and formatting genius that I was to encounter in these pages, and I was overjoyed to experience it.
What I loved the most about this was its unflinching use of intertextual references. As an enjoyer of this in my own writing, seeing it implemented in the most unapologetic way for multiple chapters was great. I especially loved the first call to Martin Amis’ Money, a book that I’ve loved for a long time. For the rest of the novel, the narrative was framed by this reference (and others) and fortified my investment in the story and the different ‘authors’ within them.
As for narration, I adored the footnotes that interrupted the prose, almost like a director’s commentary of a film that pauses on a scene to give a watcher some insider information.Ike’s steady deterioration as Steve’s footnote collaborator was fascinating and added to this blend of reality and fiction. The reveals for wach anagram and hidden message were really nicely done, essentially banking on a reader to skim his scholarly hints. It poses a lot of questions about how to interact with the novel as an object and what it means for the 21st century, in this supposed “death of the novel” era. Hollyman makes sure to subvert the form, them subvert it again, just to keep us on our toes.
There is so much more to this novel that deserves analysis. It’ll surely be one for a reread and a recommend, if only to see how other people experience the narrative. I loved practically everything about this, and maybe on a 2nd read it’ll be a perfect 5 stars.
What I loved the most about this was its unflinching use of intertextual references. As an enjoyer of this in my own writing, seeing it implemented in the most unapologetic way for multiple chapters was great. I especially loved the first call to Martin Amis’ Money, a book that I’ve loved for a long time. For the rest of the novel, the narrative was framed by this reference (and others) and fortified my investment in the story and the different ‘authors’ within them.
As for narration, I adored the footnotes that interrupted the prose, almost like a director’s commentary of a film that pauses on a scene to give a watcher some insider information.
There is so much more to this novel that deserves analysis. It’ll surely be one for a reread and a recommend, if only to see how other people experience the narrative. I loved practically everything about this, and maybe on a 2nd read it’ll be a perfect 5 stars.
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
plot fucking twist. Takeaways: nobody is real, I don’t exist, I’m also deleting all social media and throwing my phone off a bridge.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes