Scan barcode
michaelyuen's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book. Overall it was solid, with a good story, interesting themes, and compelling characters. I think it's a great read for someone like me; in it for the enjoyment and not too caught up on every little detail or advanced literary thangs.
The beginning of the story was the most slow going, leading the reader through events taking place somewhere in the South American rainforest. I don't remember the specific tribe or region. I found it difficult because there were many foreign words (the tribal language) and a general focus on the tribal activities that didn't exactly interest me or seem related to the "murder mystery" I was expecting. Of course, all this exposition does become relevant but still some persistence was required initially.
This book is seemingly presented as something of a murder mystery / detective / crime-thriller themed novel. I don't think that's true and I wonder if it's an intentional guise. A means of using a more accessible format to introduce and explore more esoteric ideas. That's not to say there were no elements of such themes because there certainly were. The protagonist, Jimmy Paz, is a retired detective, after all. And the plot is centered around a murder mystery that seemingly only he can solve.
Digging deeper, I think the ideas presented were primarily those of religious beliefs and how they don't necessarily exist in direct opposition to scientific ideology. In terms of religious beliefs, there are the separate but seemingly related religions of the South American tribe (I don't remember) and Sateria. Oh yeah, Jimmy Paz is a Cuban-American whose mother happens to be a significant figure among the local practitioners of Santeria. The murder mystery in question conveniently laid out a perfect set of circumstances in which logical, scientific deductions found no satisfactory answer and thus beg the question "just because something can't be explained by science doesn't preclude it from being possible". I found all of the parts focused around such topics to be interesting, thought provoking, and most of all entertaining!
The characters felt a little lacking to me. Not necessarily one dimensional, but I suppose they just didn't feel entirely real as much as they seemed to exist in service of the plot or the discussion of scientific or religious ideas. All the same, I didn't find this to detract from my ability to generally suspend disbelief and enjoy the overall package. The characters were fun and did their part.
Lastly, some words about the ending. Hm, was that it? I felt pretty worked up leading to the finale but unfortunately was underwhelmed.
The beginning of the story was the most slow going, leading the reader through events taking place somewhere in the South American rainforest. I don't remember the specific tribe or region. I found it difficult because there were many foreign words (the tribal language) and a general focus on the tribal activities that didn't exactly interest me or seem related to the "murder mystery" I was expecting. Of course, all this exposition does become relevant but still some persistence was required initially.
This book is seemingly presented as something of a murder mystery / detective / crime-thriller themed novel. I don't think that's true and I wonder if it's an intentional guise. A means of using a more accessible format to introduce and explore more esoteric ideas. That's not to say there were no elements of such themes because there certainly were. The protagonist, Jimmy Paz, is a retired detective, after all. And the plot is centered around a murder mystery that seemingly only he can solve.
Digging deeper, I think the ideas presented were primarily those of religious beliefs and how they don't necessarily exist in direct opposition to scientific ideology. In terms of religious beliefs, there are the separate but seemingly related religions of the South American tribe (I don't remember) and Sateria. Oh yeah, Jimmy Paz is a Cuban-American whose mother happens to be a significant figure among the local practitioners of Santeria. The murder mystery in question conveniently laid out a perfect set of circumstances in which logical, scientific deductions found no satisfactory answer and thus beg the question "just because something can't be explained by science doesn't preclude it from being possible". I found all of the parts focused around such topics to be interesting, thought provoking, and most of all entertaining!
The characters felt a little lacking to me. Not necessarily one dimensional, but I suppose they just didn't feel entirely real as much as they seemed to exist in service of the plot or the discussion of scientific or religious ideas. All the same, I didn't find this to detract from my ability to generally suspend disbelief and enjoy the overall package. The characters were fun and did their part.
Lastly, some words about the ending. Hm, was that it? I felt pretty worked up leading to the finale but unfortunately was underwhelmed.
walford's review against another edition
4.0
Oh boy. Gruber is just in a class by himself. I mean, is anyone else writing in this genre at this level? If so, I'd love to hear about them.
It's made me realize how much of the fiction I read, in comparison, is Just Not Very Good. Gotta rethink my priorities, because life is short.
It's made me realize how much of the fiction I read, in comparison, is Just Not Very Good. Gotta rethink my priorities, because life is short.
More...