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_ardis's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
reba_reads_books's review against another edition
1.0
I just couldn't get into the story and characters, and no matter how hard I tried I couldn't picture the setting as well as I wanted to.
luisasm's review against another edition
5.0
A great mystery, with a truly sympathetic protagonist in his complete pitifulness. The characters are pretty complex. They stroll along the pages as if they are right there with you. Crumley of course is great, and the classic slightly insane detective and his bewildered sidekick manages to seem new. There is no author I've read as excellent in description as Ray Bradbury. His settings come to life. The plot twists and turns, drags you down and pushes you back up. Suspenseful and creepy, while also being entertaining and sad.
ylshelflove's review against another edition
3.0
The best part of this book, in my opinion, is the unreliable nature of the narrator. The character himself is not really questionable, but what he chooses to reveal and what he doesn't explain adds to the mystery of the whole novel. The dynamic between the characters, including bits and pieces of their pasts, is unveiled chapter by chapter. For this book, that was the best way to do it, since technically it's a mystery book. The other interesting factor of this story was that the narrator was a writer. His personified interaction with his typewriter was fun to read, but also added one more layer of uncertainty. What's real? What's imagined? Is this a metaphor?
I rated this book 3 stars, however, partly because I felt that there were a few loose ends that were given too much mention to be ignored. Namely, The main reason I didn't rate the book higher was that the ending was far too anti-climatic. The whole book was structured to build up suspicion for each and every character, yet the final reveal was sudden and over much too quickly.
I rated this book 3 stars, however, partly because I felt that there were a few loose ends that were given too much mention to be ignored. Namely,
Spoiler
the eyes across the street.allimae's review against another edition
2.0
I’m a huge fan of Bradbury, but this book is really weird. I knew what was happening the whole time, because he is an excellent writer, but I was confused about why it was happening. It was almost like he drew a topic out of a hat and said, “okay, now they will find a dead body in a lion cage in a river.” Maybe I’m not sophisticated enough to understand the hidden meanings in this story, and I would enjoy it better if I did. I did have an overarching thought throughout that maybe the whole thing is a metaphor for mental illness, because the main character is certainly suffering and making the kind of strange choices that pain drives you to. I liked it more when I thought of it that way, not because suffering is good, but because the storyline made more sense and the purpose seemed more clear.
nadiia_ost's review against another edition
slow-paced
Для мене було занадто нудно. Плавні розлогі описи ні про що, хоч і стильно написані. Автор талановитий, але розповідь не зачепила, а розв'язка була дещо слабкою, хоча можна було дуже цікаво обіграти психологічний аспект