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vortimer's review against another edition
4.0
Very different from the other couple of books I've read from the same author, a mildly fantastic black comedy.
nelinkakalinka's review
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
jennynie's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
mildemakrel's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
juliwi's review against another edition
4.0
The first thing that drew me to this novel was its spectacular cover, but it was nothing compared to the curiosity that hit me when I read the first few lines of the synopsis. I knew I wanted to read it and skipped over the rest of the synopsis which I now consider a good thing because everything was a surprise.
There is something spectacularly absurd about this novel. Absurdist fiction explores human behaviour by placing the characters in circumstances that seem utterly without purpose and empty. Look at Waiting for Godot, a play in which two characters do nothing but wait, for both acts. There is no clear moral to Absurdist narratives, there seems to be no overarching theme, but rather there is just life and behaviour. Raphael's life, which is just one chapter after the other, one murder after the other, allows Sussman to show the reader a person who simply lives. He doesn't seem to really react to what happens, but rather he just acts while the world reacts around him. Partially this makes Raphael a very unlikable person because he seems to be so completely unnatural. It also makes him absolutely fascinating however because through him you're able to simply look at humans. There are a lot of amazing moments in this novel that are so incredibly human, in which people behave so naturally and everything they do is so recognizable. This allows for the novel to be an amazing read.
I really enjoyed reading this novel. It was a very quick read and a lot of fun. The narrative constantly draws you in with its high-pace story telling and beautiful writing style. Despite the potentially gruesome subject, the novel isn't too dark thanks to its humour. I would recommend it to fans of Vonnegut, but also more generally to fans of Absurdist fiction.
For full review: http://universeinwords.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/review-final-testimony-of-raphael.html
There is something spectacularly absurd about this novel. Absurdist fiction explores human behaviour by placing the characters in circumstances that seem utterly without purpose and empty. Look at Waiting for Godot, a play in which two characters do nothing but wait, for both acts. There is no clear moral to Absurdist narratives, there seems to be no overarching theme, but rather there is just life and behaviour. Raphael's life, which is just one chapter after the other, one murder after the other, allows Sussman to show the reader a person who simply lives. He doesn't seem to really react to what happens, but rather he just acts while the world reacts around him. Partially this makes Raphael a very unlikable person because he seems to be so completely unnatural. It also makes him absolutely fascinating however because through him you're able to simply look at humans. There are a lot of amazing moments in this novel that are so incredibly human, in which people behave so naturally and everything they do is so recognizable. This allows for the novel to be an amazing read.
I really enjoyed reading this novel. It was a very quick read and a lot of fun. The narrative constantly draws you in with its high-pace story telling and beautiful writing style. Despite the potentially gruesome subject, the novel isn't too dark thanks to its humour. I would recommend it to fans of Vonnegut, but also more generally to fans of Absurdist fiction.
For full review: http://universeinwords.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/review-final-testimony-of-raphael.html
alexandra_alexandridou's review against another edition
5.0
When I started this book I thought that maybe I'm not going to like surrealism. At the end I was wrong. Paul Sussman is a talented writter and he has his own (magic?) way of making you enjoy each chapter. The end was amazing.
As I was reading through pages, the one thought that came to my mind was that "You must be a cleaver person to write (and think) something like this".
As I was reading through pages, the one thought that came to my mind was that "You must be a cleaver person to write (and think) something like this".
kittybarcs's review
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
keirashepherd's review against another edition
3.0
Firstly I would like to say that I am very proud of myself for making it through this book, not to say that it was bad because it was really good, but the chapters were approximately 40 minutes long which was brutal. I can however understand why they are so long as each event is grouped within a single chapter.
The story itself is very good. It’s unlike anything I’ve read before as the entire book is a suicide note that re-lives the life of Raphael.
Raphael is a very strange character, who almost seems psychopathic; however, I think a lot of this has to do with his early life and how he is treated by the people who surround him.
Emily is even stranger and although she is not psychopathic, homicidal or suicidal there is something about her that throughout the book never seems to be quite right, leaving the reader both a little confused and intrigued.
Obviously the story is quite depressing as this is a man who has decided to end his life; however, it is also very good. I am not sure if ‘enjoy’ is the correct word as it is a rather depressing story, but I very much liked reading it and would definitely recommend it as it is an incredibly cleverly written book.
The story itself is very good. It’s unlike anything I’ve read before as the entire book is a suicide note that re-lives the life of Raphael.
Raphael is a very strange character, who almost seems psychopathic; however, I think a lot of this has to do with his early life and how he is treated by the people who surround him.
Emily is even stranger and although she is not psychopathic, homicidal or suicidal there is something about her that throughout the book never seems to be quite right, leaving the reader both a little confused and intrigued.
Obviously the story is quite depressing as this is a man who has decided to end his life; however, it is also very good. I am not sure if ‘enjoy’ is the correct word as it is a rather depressing story, but I very much liked reading it and would definitely recommend it as it is an incredibly cleverly written book.
ljbentley27's review
3.0
The Final Testimony of Raphael Ignatius Phoenix by Paul Sussman is a fantastical tale of one man and it chronicles his 100 years of life. It does so in a very unusual fashion. The story is told in reverse and the non linear story is made up of the main character – Raphael Ignatius Phoenix’s autobiographical writings on the walls of his final home.
Raphael Ignatius Phoenix plans to kill himself throughout the book and reminds you of that fact at every juncture. He has a very precise suicide plan mapped out but before that he unburdens all his ill deeds – in the most case a plethora of murders – as a kind of cathartic experiment before he eventually offs himself.
This is a very intriguing story and could be likened to both Forrest Gump and The Life and Times of Walter Mitty in that Raphael Ignatius Phoenix’s actions have an effect on real world events or indeed are placed within real time activities – e.g. the Second World War, Hollywood Heyday etc. Overall, it is a love story that transcends time and place.
There are some very admirable things about this book. It is magical in parts along with being quirky and funny. However, I can’t help but feel that due to the book being published posthumously that the story didn’t get the full editorial benefits it would have done if Paul Sussman had been alive. Some chapters felt dragged out and a lot of the times I would struggle to maintain interest. The frustrating thing is that the story has so much potential, however, I can fully appreciate that those who released The Final Testimony of Raphael Ignatius Phoenix wanted to maintain the integrity of the author’s work and to also celebrate his voice. Therefore, this is not something I can hold against the book.
This is an interesting story but to me it does not feel polished. I would encourage people to read it to see if they share my opinion.
The Final Testimony of Raphael Ignatius Phoenix by Paul Sussman is available now.
Raphael Ignatius Phoenix plans to kill himself throughout the book and reminds you of that fact at every juncture. He has a very precise suicide plan mapped out but before that he unburdens all his ill deeds – in the most case a plethora of murders – as a kind of cathartic experiment before he eventually offs himself.
This is a very intriguing story and could be likened to both Forrest Gump and The Life and Times of Walter Mitty in that Raphael Ignatius Phoenix’s actions have an effect on real world events or indeed are placed within real time activities – e.g. the Second World War, Hollywood Heyday etc. Overall, it is a love story that transcends time and place.
There are some very admirable things about this book. It is magical in parts along with being quirky and funny. However, I can’t help but feel that due to the book being published posthumously that the story didn’t get the full editorial benefits it would have done if Paul Sussman had been alive. Some chapters felt dragged out and a lot of the times I would struggle to maintain interest. The frustrating thing is that the story has so much potential, however, I can fully appreciate that those who released The Final Testimony of Raphael Ignatius Phoenix wanted to maintain the integrity of the author’s work and to also celebrate his voice. Therefore, this is not something I can hold against the book.
This is an interesting story but to me it does not feel polished. I would encourage people to read it to see if they share my opinion.
The Final Testimony of Raphael Ignatius Phoenix by Paul Sussman is available now.
karlou's review
5.0
I was lucky enough to win The Final Testimony of Raphael Ignatius Phoenix when Doubleday were hosts of #bookadayuk on Twitter. As soon as it arrived, with its gorgeous cover illustration by Lynn Hatzius I decided the people at Doubleday are either genius or psychic because it's exactly the sort of book I'm drawn to!
On the face of it Raphael isn't a sympathetic character, he is after all a serial killer and an unrepentant one at that. Yet this darkly humorous novel had me cheering for our unlikely anti-hero. It's wholly unbelievable of course, this man who spent years living on the streets who also spent time as a Hollywood star and was at various times a prisoner of war, a butler and and member of a successful rock band, The Executioners when in his sixties, with the whole sex, drugs and rock n roll lifestyle that came with it. However, rather like The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared it's the sort of book that delights in its sheer incredulous nonsense. The story is told by the elderly Raphael who has a suicide pill ready to end his life on his hundredth birthday (Raphael Ignatius Phoenix - RIP) but has decided to document his extraordinary life before the time arrives for him to end it. He decides to write his memoir on the walls of the castle he now lives in, describing his murders and the events leading to them in reverse chronological order. This in itself creates moments of drama and humour, will his ageing body be up to the task? Will he be able to write his words on the damp and musty castle walls? And has he bought enough pens?
It's not the done thing of course to sympathise with a murderer and yet as each story unfolds it's Raphael who the reader is cheering for. He is often a man driven to the brink of exasperation by others and finally flips. His methods of dispatching his victims are as unique as the man himself and shouldn't be given away here. You'll need to read the book to see why cream cakes, pumpkins, teddy bears and alligators are involved.
It's probably not a book to everybody's tastes but it's one of the most memorable books I've read this year with a surprisingly touching ending and I loved it. I was saddened to read that the author, Paul Sussman died suddenly in 2012 without ever seeing its publication, having consigned it to a drawer while he wrote other books. His wife thankfully managed to have it published posthumously and it's a fitting legacy, an absolute treat to read.
On the face of it Raphael isn't a sympathetic character, he is after all a serial killer and an unrepentant one at that. Yet this darkly humorous novel had me cheering for our unlikely anti-hero. It's wholly unbelievable of course, this man who spent years living on the streets who also spent time as a Hollywood star and was at various times a prisoner of war, a butler and and member of a successful rock band, The Executioners when in his sixties, with the whole sex, drugs and rock n roll lifestyle that came with it. However, rather like The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared it's the sort of book that delights in its sheer incredulous nonsense. The story is told by the elderly Raphael who has a suicide pill ready to end his life on his hundredth birthday (Raphael Ignatius Phoenix - RIP) but has decided to document his extraordinary life before the time arrives for him to end it. He decides to write his memoir on the walls of the castle he now lives in, describing his murders and the events leading to them in reverse chronological order. This in itself creates moments of drama and humour, will his ageing body be up to the task? Will he be able to write his words on the damp and musty castle walls? And has he bought enough pens?
It's not the done thing of course to sympathise with a murderer and yet as each story unfolds it's Raphael who the reader is cheering for. He is often a man driven to the brink of exasperation by others and finally flips. His methods of dispatching his victims are as unique as the man himself and shouldn't be given away here. You'll need to read the book to see why cream cakes, pumpkins, teddy bears and alligators are involved.
It's probably not a book to everybody's tastes but it's one of the most memorable books I've read this year with a surprisingly touching ending and I loved it. I was saddened to read that the author, Paul Sussman died suddenly in 2012 without ever seeing its publication, having consigned it to a drawer while he wrote other books. His wife thankfully managed to have it published posthumously and it's a fitting legacy, an absolute treat to read.