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tancrni's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
Potenzialmente un grandissimo libro, se non fosse per il finale che non ha affatto concluso il libro e se anche si può dire che ci abbia provato, l'ha fatto in maniera terribile e completamente inaspettata (in senso negativo, si capisce). Tuttavia, a me è piaciuto molto come si è svolto il tutto ed è proprio per questo che il finale mi ha così deluso. Inoltre, l'atmosfera generale così dannatamente inglese che si respirava durante il corso del libro mi è sembrata davvero magica, così come i riferimenti musicali (sarà che rappresentano anche uno degli elementi che cerco di più in un libro di Coe) che tra le altre cose hanno allargato molto i miei orizzonti e finalmente anche fatto apprezzare gli Smiths, band che non ero mai riuscito a digerire fino ad ora.
caramels's review against another edition
5.0
If reading feels like travelling, reading Jonathan Coe feels like coming back home. Warm, comforting and reassuring in a way or another, and that’s what I felt once again all throughout the book. It’s a love story (but not quite), a thriller (but not only) and a mystery (in more than one way) where - as always when it comes down to Jonathan Coe - every character feels like a living person that you expect walking right in front of you any minute, and even the one character that’s supposed to be flat and boring, is so well constructed that she comes off as the exact opposite, like a girl with her own personality, even somewhat funny, and very much alive (whereas other authors may have the opposite problem). I’m not really into music but the story never felt boring at all, even if music is one of the main themes (besides Jonathan Coe can take a mere scene like waiting for the bus and transform it into an emotional tragicomic experience. Seriously the man could talk about the weather for pages and I still would be as interested as ever). I loved the dialogues, the plot twists and the interconnections. This story was a real gem. I don’t understand the average of 3.07 stars and think it deserves a lot more.
dajna's review against another edition
3.0
Britons love music. William is a pretty decent keyboard player, stuck with a debatable band. He met Madelaine while playing solo and fell in love with her, but her appreciation for Andrew Lloyd Webber is the starting point for their breakup.
I didn't like Madelaine, I didn't understand her. She seems spoiled somehow (the rich kid for a Pulp song who want to experiment with common people) and she doesn't love him at all. He, on the other hand, is not better. A little too lost in his own world, made of obscured punk bands from the 70s.
William witnesses a murder, escape, feel attracted by another woman, who will be involved with an attempted murder of William's roommate's boyfriends. London is not so big after all. I enjoyed the way William morph the world to fix his expectations somehow. I do that too, sometimes, and we both know we're just playing dumb. But it helps coping with stupid human beings, so I guess it's ok, as long as we don't abuse it
I didn't like Madelaine, I didn't understand her. She seems spoiled somehow (the rich kid for a Pulp song who want to experiment with common people) and she doesn't love him at all. He, on the other hand, is not better. A little too lost in his own world, made of obscured punk bands from the 70s.
William witnesses a murder, escape, feel attracted by another woman, who will be involved with an attempted murder of William's roommate's boyfriends. London is not so big after all. I enjoyed the way William morph the world to fix his expectations somehow. I do that too, sometimes, and we both know we're just playing dumb. But it helps coping with stupid human beings, so I guess it's ok, as long as we don't abuse it
blevins's review against another edition
2.0
Early work by Coe that is pretty disappointing as it feels like an early book all too often as Coe delivers an uneven tale about a unknown musician in the late 1980s in London who gets entangled in a murder by a pair of dwarves beat a guy to death. Considering that is at the very start of the book and then we wind our way to how that night came about, there is very little tension in THE DWARVES OF DEATH. Also, Coe introduces topics or ideas and then goes nowhere with them, unsure if that it is something worth exploring later in the book. All too often, it isn't. The rock stuff in the book is pretty thinly constructed, as are most of the characters, so Coe is kind of lucky I don't stamp him w/ a rare 1 star!
guemjalee's review against another edition
4.0
That is my first Coe book, and I can’t say whether it’s a good experience so far. I felt like I’ve missed something. The plot is developing so uneven, the end of it feels like a slap in the face after a long nice date.
alisonannk's review against another edition
2.0
I absolutely loved the House of Sleep so I approached this Jonathan Coe novel eagerly. I was so disappointed. William is dull and weak, his relationship with Madeleine was boring and dragged on and on. Even the weird event with the murder didn’t do much to liven up the book. I get the feeling that I should have been on edge wondering why the murder had happened and who had done it. However, I just didn’t care. I have another Jonathan Coe lined up to read soon and I hope it is more House of Sleep than Dwarves of Death.
shenema's review against another edition
2.0
Ho avuto i flashback di Alta Fedeltà come se fossi un traumatizzato reduce del Vietnam (anche se Alta Fedeltà è stato scritto dopo, io l'ho letto prima): agli scrittori inglesi piace davvero un mucchio parlare di uomini che non sono in contatto con i propri sentimenti e dunque non riescono a concepire le donne che frequentano come vere persone, eh?
Comunque la parte musicale del libro mi è piaciuta, conosco musicisti che sono così davvero e mi sono divertita a rivederli su carta. Ma la parte thriller? E il finale??? WTF.
Comunque la parte musicale del libro mi è piaciuta, conosco musicisti che sono così davvero e mi sono divertita a rivederli su carta. Ma la parte thriller? E il finale??? WTF.
lbast's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
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? Yes
3.0