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swivelhead's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
I went back and read this after LOVING Darnielle's most recent book Devil House, and was pretty disappointed by Universal Harvester. The premise is interesting, but I doubt I could effectively describe to another person anything about the book past that. The main through-line seems to be yearning for family and the memories of family, especially in small Midwestern communities where the lineage of everyone's movements is endlessly discussed and documented.
The saving grace for me is that the writing and prose in this can be efficiently evocative, saying a lot with a little - particularly with the scenery and the relationships between characters.
But it's disappointing that it's all in service of a muddled mystery. You start getting some answers (not all of them satisfying) near the end with a final perspective switch, and then the book just sort of abruptly ends as it finally starts to feel like it's getting somewhere. Maybe the disappointment is the takeaway?
The saving grace for me is that the writing and prose in this can be efficiently evocative, saying a lot with a little - particularly with the scenery and the relationships between characters.
But it's disappointing that it's all in service of a muddled mystery. You start getting some answers (not all of them satisfying) near the end with a final perspective switch, and then the book just sort of abruptly ends as it finally starts to feel like it's getting somewhere. Maybe the disappointment is the takeaway?
sammyisobsessed24's review
3.0
John Darnielle's writing is, as always, breathtaking. His lyricism as a musician bleeds into his prose, and his depictions of people are always so honest and frank. I adore how he writes people and relationships. But I didn't know what was happening in much of the book. A lot of stuff was unclear, and I might need to read a few summaries to understand it truly. I was a little disappointed by the vagueness and meandering of this book, but I still enjoyed it for John's charms. My feelings are mixed, but it's still a solid 3 - 3.5 from me.
dharriona's review against another edition
mysterious
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
3.25
rodriqueslaila's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
rapgamenancyreagan's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
clbonni03's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
historysworstmonster's review against another edition
3.0
An intreating premise that sucked me in and kept me reading in constant search for more details. Some of it does get answered, not in a way that I found satisfying, but that dissatisfaction also seems to be part of the point.
sydkilgore's review against another edition
3.0
More of a beautiful and haunting word-painting than a novel. The plot is scattered and unfocused, seeming unable to land on a clear theme until the very end (which hasn’t really been supported by the rest of the narrative. That being said, I did enjoy it! I know length ≠ quality, but I Universal Harvester was short enough that I didn’t feel “cheated” of a satisfying narrative (unlike another book that I just finished recently… cough cough Goldfinch… [speaking of, Donna Tartt was thanked in the acknowledgments for her help on “keeping the focus” of the book, which made me laugh]).
John Darnielle’s talent at painting such evocative scenes with a few very carefully chosen words is what I love about The Mountain Goats, and also the most redeeming aspect of this book. He is very good up at coming up with intriguing concepts—like creepy home videos spliced into rental movie tapes—, but not great at following through on a coherent plot. This is what makes him a brilliant lyricist, and but only a decent long-form prose writer.
John Darnielle’s talent at painting such evocative scenes with a few very carefully chosen words is what I love about The Mountain Goats, and also the most redeeming aspect of this book. He is very good up at coming up with intriguing concepts—like creepy home videos spliced into rental movie tapes—, but not great at following through on a coherent plot. This is what makes him a brilliant lyricist, and but only a decent long-form prose writer.
rmbolton's review against another edition
5.0
Read all the reviews before deciding whether or not to read this book. I read the book, then the 4/5 star reviews, and then the 1 star reviews, and I agreed with all of them. Is this book the thriller it’s purported to be? No. But I couldn’t put it down. Does the narrative shift perspectives just as it’s gaining steam? Yes, but I like that type of storytelling. Is it super frustrating to finish a book and not be able to explain it to anyone? Hell yes, but I’m still so happy that I read it.