Reviews

Death Is a Lonely Business by Ray Bradbury

regularprincess's review against another edition

3.0

it bums me out so much to give any ray bradbury novel a 3 star rating, but i just could not get into this one. he’s still ever talented, but i think i’m just not into his go at noire.

mariannak98's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

vermidian's review against another edition

3.0

This book was not as good reading it now as an adult. As a child, I could feel the chill and the horror in the words. I remember being completely taken by the story. However, now I found it to be sort of thin writing. The characters, while gorgeously flawed, are ultimately not that interesting. While I know that the main character is modeled on Bradbury himself, I found myself frustrated regularly by his naivety.

I also found myself realizing how obvious the villain was now reading this as an adult. I definitely found this book more enjoyable as a middle schooler. Conceptually, though, I could see this making a great crime drama movie or show if anyone is out looking for a good serial killer to face off against.

All in all, I’d recommend this book to Bradbury fans but I’m not sure this book would appeal to everyone.

aoutramafalda's review against another edition

3.0

3.5*

calton's review against another edition

4.0

If you're someone that enjoys the atmosphere of loneliness, void and the never-ending cold fogs, this is a book for you. Wrapped up in all of the above, this noir detective will first take you on an old train and then to a God-forsaken town where the time had stopped.
Like an old black and white movie, this unfolds before you over the course of 240 pages that you'll be able to read in just a few evenings.
Perfect for cold Novembers.

zeynepsiir's review against another edition

5.0

Exquisite writing. Bradbury is fast becoming one of my favorites.
I wasn't a huge fan of the revelation and the ending did feel a bit rushed, but neither managed to take away from the experience of reading this book.
The thing with Bradbury is that, even after the first paragraph, you develop a sense of appreciation for his mastery with words. There were audible gasps coming out of my mouth in reaction to his sentences. Simply astounding.

librosdelanoche's review against another edition

medium-paced

3.0

lanav's review against another edition

3.0

Worth the read for just his mastery at words but the story falls a bit flat. It’s enjoyable to see him try his hand at writing a noir.

deppfest's review against another edition

4.0

A Bradbury classic. He’s one of my favorite authors but somehow I’d never read this one. Well-written, kept me on the edge of my seat. Honestly, scared myself a little bit reading late at night! It’s a beautiful book to read. Unlike some murder mysteries I was not let down by the ending. Well thought out and well developed plot and characters (although to be honest I didn’t quite care for the narrator but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book).

enbyemu's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious reflective medium-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? No

3.0

I generally enjoy Bradbury's writing and there were aspects of this one I liked, but this book seems to be just a slew of character studies of miserable people tied together with a mediocre mystery.