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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
Un excellent thriller, haletant de bout en bout et difficile à reposer. La figure du vampire telle que l'envisage Del Toro est précise, à la fois ancrée dans des traditions de la vieille Europe et adapté à une vraisemblance médicale et épidémiologique qui la rendent unique et alien malgré la surexploitation du genre. L'intrigue constitue le point fort du livre, ainsi que le "lore" construit autour des créatures, et ce premier volume fournit quelques rebondissement inattendus qui laissent présager de bonnes surprises pour la suite.
MOINS POSITIF
- Un certain manichéisme dans l'écriture des personnages : aucun figurant voué à succomber à courte ou moyenne échéance n'est attachant, ce qui une fois remarqué permet de prédire le sort de tout individu traversant l'intrigue.
- Le personnage de Nora : intérêt romantique du héros totalement anecdotique, plus inexistante que le pire des sidekick dans 90% du livre, ne servant qu'à porter du matériel, donner la réplique au protagoniste, tellement effacée qu'elle échoue à servir de support émotionnel fiable. Elle redevient une entité à part entière à l'extrême fin du livre, quand il s'agit de trouver quelqu'un pour rester en arrière afin de veiller sur un enfant. La confrontation finale sera donc assurée par trois hommes, dont un venant de rejoindre le groupe juste à temps pour évincer la figurante qui -pourtant- se trouvait là depuis le début.
- Tous les personnages féminins (nommés) du livre ne sont au final définis que par leur rôle de femme mariée ou de mère -surtout de mère. Chaque segment consacré à l'une d'elle ne constitue qu'une variation d'instinct maternel cherchant désespérément à protéger les enfants à sa charge. Mention spéciale au seul personnage féminin carriériste qui -coïncidence- est également un monstre d'égoïsme et de vénalité haïssant ses propres enfants. Grosse déception donc côté traitement de ces personnages, qui s'en tirent beaucoup mieux dans les œuvres cinématographiques de Del Toro.
MOINS POSITIF
- Un certain manichéisme dans l'écriture des personnages : aucun figurant voué à succomber à courte ou moyenne échéance n'est attachant, ce qui une fois remarqué permet de prédire le sort de tout individu traversant l'intrigue.
- Le personnage de Nora : intérêt romantique du héros totalement anecdotique, plus inexistante que le pire des sidekick dans 90% du livre, ne servant qu'à porter du matériel, donner la réplique au protagoniste, tellement effacée qu'elle échoue à servir de support émotionnel fiable. Elle redevient une entité à part entière à l'extrême fin du livre, quand il s'agit de trouver quelqu'un pour rester en arrière afin de veiller sur un enfant. La confrontation finale sera donc assurée par trois hommes, dont un venant de rejoindre le groupe juste à temps pour évincer la figurante qui -pourtant- se trouvait là depuis le début.
- Tous les personnages féminins (nommés) du livre ne sont au final définis que par leur rôle de femme mariée ou de mère -surtout de mère. Chaque segment consacré à l'une d'elle ne constitue qu'une variation d'instinct maternel cherchant désespérément à protéger les enfants à sa charge. Mention spéciale au seul personnage féminin carriériste qui -coïncidence- est également un monstre d'égoïsme et de vénalité haïssant ses propres enfants. Grosse déception donc côté traitement de ces personnages, qui s'en tirent beaucoup mieux dans les œuvres cinématographiques de Del Toro.
The novel starts promisingly enough with a mystery about an airplane, but it quickly proves to be derivative and melodramatic. Part Blade II and part Salem's Lot, but poorly written, including some truly terrible lines, such as a metaphor near the end that relates vampires to divorce.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I officially give up! I am only 21% of the way through and it's taken me forever to get there :)
I enjoyed the beginning and won't give it away. That's about where I'm giving up. It's taking TOO LONG for something to happen. Maybe it's because I'm not reading fast enough but clearly there's a reason I'm not doing so.
I gave it my best effort. Now, I'm off to read something light and fun that I will actually spend time reading. My reading time has gone down. I blamed tv. That's part of it but this book just doesn't have a hold on me and I've realized it's not worth trying to make it.
I'm GLAD I tried. I thank the people who encouraged me to try it! So, onto the next :)
I enjoyed the beginning and won't give it away. That's about where I'm giving up. It's taking TOO LONG for something to happen. Maybe it's because I'm not reading fast enough but clearly there's a reason I'm not doing so.
I gave it my best effort. Now, I'm off to read something light and fun that I will actually spend time reading. My reading time has gone down. I blamed tv. That's part of it but this book just doesn't have a hold on me and I've realized it's not worth trying to make it.
I'm GLAD I tried. I thank the people who encouraged me to try it! So, onto the next :)
Pulpy rubbish, presenting a truly unlikable protagonist. However it is a page turner, with fun monster prose.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
La trama es buena, me gusta mucho esta versión de los vampiros. El libro es entretenido, lleno de acción y gore, tiene sus momentos de autentico terror y eso es genial. El único pero que le pongo es que en momentos se nota demasiado que lo escribió un director de cine, hay algunos errores de gramática que no se si son de la traducción y el flujo es algo confuso por la misma razón, fuera de eso, bastante recomendable, solo por la trama vale la pena.
I'd give it two-and-a-half if I could.
The Good
The first few sections of the book set a fantastic mood. The authors are great at establishing a sense of foreboding and general unease. Before the "science" behind the vampires is discovered, there's lots of tension, and the plot runs quickly.
The Bad
After the characters realize what's going on, the book devolves into a series of vignettes depicting the vampires winning. The multiple plot threads devolve into one, which is left unresolved so we'll all buy the sequel next summer.
The Good
The first few sections of the book set a fantastic mood. The authors are great at establishing a sense of foreboding and general unease. Before the "science" behind the vampires is discovered, there's lots of tension, and the plot runs quickly.
The Bad
After the characters realize what's going on, the book devolves into a series of vignettes depicting the vampires winning. The multiple plot threads devolve into one, which is left unresolved so we'll all buy the sequel next summer.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I really enjoyed the first half or so of this novel but as you go from the more mystery part of the story to the more vampiric virus apocalypse part of the story, I found myself less interested. A story needs more than just action to stay interesting for me and I felt like the end didn't have much to offer besides that. I would have preferred if there had been more emotional character interaction but the character relations tend to feel sidelined. There was so much potential for extra tension. I feel like the son's role was too small and should have been better utilized.
The vampires in this are definitely different from what you usually see in vampire media and I think it's an interesting take, though not my favourite as it leans too much into the usual overdone zombie apocalypse stuff.
Also this series is written in a way that I feel would work better in film rather than book form. You get to see a lot of perspectives of random people who get caught up innthe events and in a movie this makes sense, but as a book I feel like it just took me out of it when the pov changed so much.
The Fall suffers from the same issues. Not gonna read The Night Eternal for now but may pick up this series again later just to see how it ends and if they explain some of the very questionable story choices made in The Fall.
The vampires in this are definitely different from what you usually see in vampire media and I think it's an interesting take, though not my favourite as it leans too much into the usual overdone zombie apocalypse stuff.
Also this series is written in a way that I feel would work better in film rather than book form. You get to see a lot of perspectives of random people who get caught up innthe events and in a movie this makes sense, but as a book I feel like it just took me out of it when the pov changed so much.
The Fall suffers from the same issues. Not gonna read The Night Eternal for now but may pick up this series again later just to see how it ends and if they explain some of the very questionable story choices made in The Fall.
I thought the beginning was a typical movie script set up of characters and setting and so on ... but had enough tension to not bore me. Middle was fantastic. End was .. no spoilers, but it was fast and tidy and set up for the trilogy. Cynical me thinks it is one big movie plan.
That said, I liked the characters and premise. Don't read at night on your iphone. Too scary.
That said, I liked the characters and premise. Don't read at night on your iphone. Too scary.