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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Absolutely stunning. Breathtaking worldbuilding. The man is not afraid of the dictionary.
Disgusting and beautiful.
Miéville was asked in Q&A once "which of your book's universes would you live in if you had to?" to which he answered 'Bas-Lag' (the world of Perdido Street Station and many of his other works). I cannot fathom giving this as an answer though.
In Perdido Street Station, we are introduced to the rancid, foetid city of New Crobuzon. It is a polluted urban swell constructed around the bleached ribs of a dead behemoth creature. Not once did I think it'd be a nice place to live. Still, the worldbuilding is incredible. Miéville builds such a lifelike world that I was both enthralled and repulsed while reading. You get a sense of the different factions, races, and neighborhoods of New Crobuzon as well as what they want and how they interact with each other.
It's a long book, but with more than enough to keep you invested. I became really attached to the characters, half because they're your allies against the horror, but also because they're just that compelling. I got the feeling that I was researching alongside Isaac or creating spit-art alongside Lin. It's no doubt very easy to become invested the struggles and journeys of Derkhan and Yagherak as well.
It's among the bleaker of Miéville's works. so know that going in. There's no victories for our heroes, only lessened defeats. I would absolutely recommend this though. It's a great horror novel absolutely dripping with detail. Guaranteed to make your skin crawl at least at a few points.
Miéville was asked in Q&A once "which of your book's universes would you live in if you had to?" to which he answered 'Bas-Lag' (the world of Perdido Street Station and many of his other works). I cannot fathom giving this as an answer though.
In Perdido Street Station, we are introduced to the rancid, foetid city of New Crobuzon. It is a polluted urban swell constructed around the bleached ribs of a dead behemoth creature. Not once did I think it'd be a nice place to live. Still, the worldbuilding is incredible. Miéville builds such a lifelike world that I was both enthralled and repulsed while reading. You get a sense of the different factions, races, and neighborhoods of New Crobuzon as well as what they want and how they interact with each other.
It's a long book, but with more than enough to keep you invested. I became really attached to the characters, half because they're your allies against the horror, but also because they're just that compelling. I got the feeling that I was researching alongside Isaac or creating spit-art alongside Lin. It's no doubt very easy to become invested the struggles and journeys of Derkhan and Yagherak as well.
Spoiler
The ending is absolutely crushing though. You want it to work out for the main characters even though so much has gone wrong already, and it just doesn't. I am still torn by how Yagharek's story resolved. I suppose that's the intention though.It's among the bleaker of Miéville's works. so know that going in. There's no victories for our heroes, only lessened defeats. I would absolutely recommend this though. It's a great horror novel absolutely dripping with detail. Guaranteed to make your skin crawl at least at a few points.
Whenever I have no energy at the gym, I just think of what Isaac did to Yagharek at the end and I'm fueled with anger. I can then do clean up presses easily.
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If you like incomprehensible suffering and haunting descriptions have I got a book for you
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
4.5
Perdido Street Station was my first foray into the "New Weird" subgenre of SFF, and I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure. China Miéville's writing has an almost dreamlike feel to it, which really enhanced the reading experience for me. I have minor gripes about the large (like several pages) info-dumps, which I felt could have been dispersed a little better, but it didn't from the overall story.
This book is unlike anything I've ever read before, and probably will never encounter again. I can never look at cacti the same way, or spiders for that matter.
PS: The ending made me so hollow. I haven't felt that empty because of a book in a long time.
Perdido Street Station was my first foray into the "New Weird" subgenre of SFF, and I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure. China Miéville's writing has an almost dreamlike feel to it, which really enhanced the reading experience for me. I have minor gripes about the large (like several pages) info-dumps, which I felt could have been dispersed a little better, but it didn't from the overall story.
This book is unlike anything I've ever read before, and probably will never encounter again. I can never look at cacti the same way, or spiders for that matter.
Spoiler
Concerning Lin's storyline: This was probably my favorite aspect of the book, despite not particularly caring for insects. Her partial lack of sentient consciousness was foreshadowed nicely, especially with the story of her childhood neighborhood. Like I always say, if you don't see the body, the character doesn't have to be dead! :)PS: The ending made me so hollow. I haven't felt that empty because of a book in a long time.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
it takes too long to get the ball rolling, so the first third was a slog. but because the world that gets built is so imaginative, I gave it a chance. and I’m glad that I did! the plot really comes through in the latter half of the book.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No