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3.19 AVERAGE
3.19 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
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:
Complicated
The Margin notes are distracting and the story was not interesting.
4.5/5
This is definitely a slow burn but god i really enjoyed it.
The audiobook made the experience so much better.
Missing some horror to be a 5/5
This is definitely a slow burn but god i really enjoyed it.
The audiobook made the experience so much better.
Missing some horror to be a 5/5
dark
mysterious
slow-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
Paul Tremblay gambles on telling a Rashomony vampire story with dueling, unreliable narrators and it pays off.
The Pallbearers Club is styled as the memoir of “Art Barbara” (and Tremblay reveals is very loosely inspired by his time growing up in Boston). It contains frequent marginalia from “Mercy Brown”, a friend of Art’s writing sometime after the memoir was finished. The physical style of the annotations is very similar to “S.” by J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst, although in TPC the annotations are all “one way”, just Mercy commenting on Art’s story. Art grows up in New England, a high school loser into punk, and meets Mercy through his college Hail Mary club “The Pallbearers Club”. Mercy also might be some kind of energy vampire.
Let’s talk about “story” for just a moment. Art and Mercy relentlessly duel with each other until the very last sentence over what really happened. Tremblay expertly weaves the two perspectives together, and elevates the story by never allowing one to get the upper hand. Is Mercy actually a vampire? Is Art merely strung out on booze and painkillers? At the end, does it matter? It’s up to you to decide what matters.
Tremblay indicates that this is his most personal story, and that means we need to take it warts and all. How much of “Art” is Paul and vice versa? Does it matter? It’s up to you to decide. Oh, and “The Pallbearers Club”: Paul Bearers? Get it?
The Pallbearers Club is styled as the memoir of “Art Barbara” (and Tremblay reveals is very loosely inspired by his time growing up in Boston). It contains frequent marginalia from “Mercy Brown”, a friend of Art’s writing sometime after the memoir was finished. The physical style of the annotations is very similar to “S.” by J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst, although in TPC the annotations are all “one way”, just Mercy commenting on Art’s story. Art grows up in New England, a high school loser into punk, and meets Mercy through his college Hail Mary club “The Pallbearers Club”. Mercy also might be some kind of energy vampire.
Let’s talk about “story” for just a moment. Art and Mercy relentlessly duel with each other until the very last sentence over what really happened. Tremblay expertly weaves the two perspectives together, and elevates the story by never allowing one to get the upper hand. Is Mercy actually a vampire? Is Art merely strung out on booze and painkillers? At the end, does it matter? It’s up to you to decide what matters.
Tremblay indicates that this is his most personal story, and that means we need to take it warts and all. How much of “Art” is Paul and vice versa? Does it matter? It’s up to you to decide. Oh, and “The Pallbearers Club”: Paul Bearers? Get it?
dark
mysterious
slow-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
Some of the concepts in this novel are really fun and unique. Overall the story was very slow and nothing much happens until the end. I did like the ending but it was a bit of a drag to ge there. The characters are not lovable but also purposely underdeveloped as to mysterious so I couldn't really appreciate who they were. I think this book is trying to recreate some of what A Headfull of Ghosts did really well, but unfortunately fell short.
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-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
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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’m feeling lukewarm about this book. I liked the 80s and 90s references, that it revolves around a friendship, and that this weird punk kid found actual meaning in working at funeral homes. And I did enjoy the ending, although getting there was a slog at times. But I didn’t find the story thrilling, horrifying, psychological, or any of the other marketing and genre words used to describe it. Even when the narrator was feeling scared and horrified, I didn’t feel that way. It’s actually quite a slow and introspective narrative, and is very light on plot.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Death of parent
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
This book manages to go nowhere for almost a quarter of the book. I see what he was trying to do by having the “friend” mark little notes into the MC’s memoir but it ultimately fell short. This is marketed as a thriller but is loosely discusses any sort of foreshadowing that would keep the reader intrigued. I lost interest