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guppyur's review against another edition
4.0
Harkaway's sophomore effort, a follow-up to The Gone-Away World. It is possessed of similar literary flair, but was rather slower to get started; it picks up dramatically and is very much worth the wait. I didn't love it the way I loved The Gone-Away World, which would have been quite the feat, but I loved it all the same. An excellent effort by Harkaway.
photojeff's review against another edition
5.0
Gangsters, Victorian super-spies, shadowy government agencies, a protagonist coming to terms with his father's legacy and a clockwork doomsday machine. Dark and very funny. I loved it.
canaanmerchant's review against another edition
5.0
Here is a book that tries to have it all and largely succeeds. It's a spy novel, crime caper, historical fiction, steam punk and dry humor british novel all in one. It's got characters and sets that would make Indiana Jones think that "this is all a bit much" and it is able to expose a number of weaknesses in how society/government is run today without being gloomy or heavy handed about it. This novel celebrates doing things the old school way but with a refreshing new voice. The con is that a think book with lots of plot points can lead to a dense web developing quickly and I would lose track over some characters and whether they had been introduced yet. Moreover, in Joe Spork's life he knows a lot of people and stays in the same social circles so characters that are new to the reader are incredibly familiar to Joe which confused me somewhat as to whether I had missed a section. Combine that with some hefty prose and I struggled a bit at the beginning to keep track of what was happening. But that is a minor complaint compared to one of the funner stories I've read lately.
candacesiegle_greedyreader's review against another edition
3.0
Nick Harkaway’s new novel is a brew of fantasy, steampunk, adventure, and Dickensian plotting. There’s a good-natured wink to the writing along with the verve of a boy’s-own tale with violence added.
The dilemma is how to explain the plot without giving away any of the fun. Joe Spork is the son of a mobster and the grandson of a clockmaker and master of automata repair. Even though he is always welcome at the Night Market—the mysterious, roving, criminals’ evening out—with great effort he chooses to follow is granddad’s profession. The appearance of a baffling object (charmingly called a hoodad or similar Victorian expression throughout) sets Joe on a wild ride that includes veiled monks, glorious machines, a nonagenarian spy and her gruesome/heroic blind pug, and the deepest loyalties of the Market.
The plot is spirited and fun, and Harkaway loves to write, which he does with enormous dash. He loves the working of machines, which are lovingly explained. But why is this punkish fantasy being marketed as a spy thriller? Readers who pick it up for that reason will thrust it aside with annoyance at its cartoonishness. Those in search of nothing more--or less--than a funk fantasy will have a good time.
The dilemma is how to explain the plot without giving away any of the fun. Joe Spork is the son of a mobster and the grandson of a clockmaker and master of automata repair. Even though he is always welcome at the Night Market—the mysterious, roving, criminals’ evening out—with great effort he chooses to follow is granddad’s profession. The appearance of a baffling object (charmingly called a hoodad or similar Victorian expression throughout) sets Joe on a wild ride that includes veiled monks, glorious machines, a nonagenarian spy and her gruesome/heroic blind pug, and the deepest loyalties of the Market.
The plot is spirited and fun, and Harkaway loves to write, which he does with enormous dash. He loves the working of machines, which are lovingly explained. But why is this punkish fantasy being marketed as a spy thriller? Readers who pick it up for that reason will thrust it aside with annoyance at its cartoonishness. Those in search of nothing more--or less--than a funk fantasy will have a good time.
colinjclements19's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
eubie's review against another edition
4.0
about 60% in. It took about 100 pages of slow-paced scene setting but then it caught a head of steam to be a super fun page turner with spies and tech and charming characters.
travisclau's review against another edition
4.0
Indescribably brilliant -- cinematic, yet almost Dickensian. What a trip.
shadowsmoon's review against another edition
4.0
Love Mr H. There were parts of this book that I adored but have to say it confused me somewhat! I put this down to my own lack of intelligence and continuity of reading. Tis a book one should be absorbed in and have plenty of time time to look things up that one doesn't quite understand. It is definitely brilliance though! X
breakthesystem's review against another edition
4.0
Twisty, loopy, really confusing. An awesome brainfuck.