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aseleener's review against another edition
2.0
I listened to the audio book, but for some reason it wasn't listed. I had to check this out from the library 3 times to finish it. Ugh. Too long. Too detailed. I often didn't get what was going on. And hated the ending.
drewjameson's review against another edition
Excellent book, especially the beginning and the very end. Review to come.
laurenbdavis's review against another edition
5.0
Terrific book -- quite Southern Gothic, although set in the northern landscape of ice and wind and snow. It's bleak. It's realistic. Shadows of Cormac McCarthy and Flannery O'Connor cannot be ignored. I swept through the book, barely able to put it down from its violent, grab-you-by-the-throat opening. A fine review in The Rumpus says this:
"Although the material is bracingly grotesque, The Kept has a current of artistry running beneath. Scott’s technique is to interlace the macabre with lyrical images, an approach that has two effects. The first is that we are simultaneously horrified and captivated by the events. The second is that we never become fully inured to their savagery. Instead, each eruption of violence retains its poignancy, the unique vividness of a lived experience. Consider the following example: Before leaving on their hunt, Caleb decides to burn his dead relatives in a funeral pyre, only to accidentally ignite the family home when the wind changes course, redirecting the flames along a tributary of spilled kerosene. As the house becomes an inferno, a pair of owls burst forth from the attic, one of them unlucky enough to have its feathers set alight by the blaze. It flaps furiously through the night sky until the flames consume it, at which point it plunges to the snow-covered earth with a hiss. The book is filled with such moments. Half beautiful, half disturbing, they decorate The Kept like frescoes in a crumbling cathedral."
I know some readers have found the ending a bit baffling. I didn't, although I won't give it away. I thought it was the perfect ending, although perhaps not the one Hollywood will choose if ever they make a film out of it (pray a European filmmaker does instead!)
If you're like me and find value in such themes as the nature of evil, us vs them, what it means to belong, to confront our deepest fears and what the meaning of redemption is... well, this book is for you.
Read the entire Rumpus review here. https://therumpus.net/2014/01/the-kept-by-james-scott/
"Although the material is bracingly grotesque, The Kept has a current of artistry running beneath. Scott’s technique is to interlace the macabre with lyrical images, an approach that has two effects. The first is that we are simultaneously horrified and captivated by the events. The second is that we never become fully inured to their savagery. Instead, each eruption of violence retains its poignancy, the unique vividness of a lived experience. Consider the following example: Before leaving on their hunt, Caleb decides to burn his dead relatives in a funeral pyre, only to accidentally ignite the family home when the wind changes course, redirecting the flames along a tributary of spilled kerosene. As the house becomes an inferno, a pair of owls burst forth from the attic, one of them unlucky enough to have its feathers set alight by the blaze. It flaps furiously through the night sky until the flames consume it, at which point it plunges to the snow-covered earth with a hiss. The book is filled with such moments. Half beautiful, half disturbing, they decorate The Kept like frescoes in a crumbling cathedral."
I know some readers have found the ending a bit baffling. I didn't, although I won't give it away. I thought it was the perfect ending, although perhaps not the one Hollywood will choose if ever they make a film out of it (pray a European filmmaker does instead!)
If you're like me and find value in such themes as the nature of evil, us vs them, what it means to belong, to confront our deepest fears and what the meaning of redemption is... well, this book is for you.
Read the entire Rumpus review here. https://therumpus.net/2014/01/the-kept-by-james-scott/
atschakfoert's review against another edition
3.0
This novel was bleak and depressing, the ending was super rushed. After 300 pages of searching for the killers I was disappointed at the conclusion. It was an okay read.
abeanbg's review against another edition
4.0
This is a frustrating novel to rate and review. The base narrative is quite compelling and the opening hundred pages are spellbinding. But the 2nd act is...not a complete mess, but it takes a turn I don't think works. It turns from a quiet and harrowing revenge and survival story into a messy melodrama involving whorehouses, cross-dressing, and a suddenly exploding cast of characters. Books I and III are excellent. Book I is...not a coherent part of their story. Good outweighs the bad, but this is closer to 3 stars than 5.
mctmama's review against another edition
3.0
Well - I was really looking forward to this book, and maybe that is where I went wrong. It was good, but really depressing. I enjoyed the time period, and the fact that it was set in Upstate NY. A lot of violence, bad choices, and vengeance. I guess with the circumstances )(I don't want to spoil the plot) there is not a happy ending in store for Caleb and his mother, but I still very flat at the ending.
pqlibrarian's review against another edition
3.0
Too many characters. If I need a notebook to keep track of who is who, it's too many. Not a fan of the ending, either. The main character, Elspeth, is pretty detestable, too. I don't think I'd read another of his books based on this one.
mjanemartin's review against another edition
3.0
What a weird book. If I recapped the plot for you, you would never believe it (and you can get that from the jacket). There are many parts that simply aren't believable. The character of Elspeth didn't seem to be the same person by the end of the book, but a reason for her transformation wasn't really given. Other reviewers have said it's "well written." I would say it's "simply written" (which isn't necessarily bad). It's an easy read. It's not verbose, even remotely. It's in the style of the Nordic crime books, lot's of cold and snow. The writing matched the setting and plot of the book perfectly...stark and grim. It's soooooo bleak. It reminded me of Cormac McCarthy's The Road. Every word I read plunged me into an abyss of awful, unhappy people making bad decisions who were filled with shame and regret. And if they didn't fall into that category, then they were just mean. There is no redemption in this book.
Despite wanting to shoot myself while I was reading this, I kept reading. It was a page turner. And because I'm an avid reader, there aren't many books I can't predict the ending of. This is definitely one of them. And, because I've been on a run of 6 and 700 page books, this quick and fast-moving read (under 400 pages)was welcome. There's lots of murder and not the clean kind. If you're struggling with depression of any degree, make sure your Prozac prescription is filled, when you start.
Despite wanting to shoot myself while I was reading this, I kept reading. It was a page turner. And because I'm an avid reader, there aren't many books I can't predict the ending of. This is definitely one of them. And, because I've been on a run of 6 and 700 page books, this quick and fast-moving read (under 400 pages)was welcome. There's lots of murder and not the clean kind. If you're struggling with depression of any degree, make sure your Prozac prescription is filled, when you start.
belili_strega's review against another edition
4.0
Scott's, The Kept, was extraordinary and disappointing. Set near Rochester, NY in earlier times, the novel weaves the tale of a family coming apart at the seams. Tragedy sets the stage for the unraveling layers of obsessions, sins and deep maternal yearnings. The pace of the novel is slow winding and upward, with an ending that will leave you thinking for days.
ariereads's review against another edition
3.0
3.5
James Scott’s writing clearly evokes the bleak landscape and equally stark, isolated characters of The Kept, but there is a tendency towards unnecessary detail and the third person narrative is a little too detached from the story. It’s almost like watching a documentary in which the camera is off panning over a frozen lake or icy field, while the action is taking place just out of shot.
Full review here
*Advanced review copy received from Random House through Nz Booklovers
James Scott’s writing clearly evokes the bleak landscape and equally stark, isolated characters of The Kept, but there is a tendency towards unnecessary detail and the third person narrative is a little too detached from the story. It’s almost like watching a documentary in which the camera is off panning over a frozen lake or icy field, while the action is taking place just out of shot.
Full review here
*Advanced review copy received from Random House through Nz Booklovers