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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My second read-through was just as weird and unsettling as the first. Still aghast by that revelation in the end.
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
This is a tough one.
On one hand, I loved the characters, the plot, the themes, you name it.
On the other, the book felt really dense and I had trouble reading more than a few pages at a time. This might be due to the old-fashioned (or even made-up) vocabulary that the author uses deliberately throughout the book, or perhaps the detailed descriptions of the fascinating world. Or maybe it's because the plot takes a while to pick up, or because the setting is just a bit too decadent and depressing. Yeah, the book is long, but I've definitely read longer in a shorter period of time. Even with all the action sequences, a page turner this is not.
So what is this about? Imagine if Bukowski was a scientist, lived in humorless Ankh-Morpork and got mixed in really weird stuff, which I'm not going to describe because the plot doesn't really start until a third into the novel and I don't want to spoil anything important. That said, think Lovecraft and monster hunting and you won't be too far off.
At the end of the day, I have to admit that the book was really well written, and I really liked some of the scenes, which felt very vivid. From the strange, unstoppable god-like spider to the most surprising (aerial) dog walk I've ever encountered to the host of races that inhabit New Crobuzon, the story is overflowing with imagination.
In paper (heh), it's the perfect book for me, and I do have mad respect for the author, but I felt I was plowing through it at times. The ending felt a bit too grim as well, as if the author was punishing all the characters gratuitously and systematically.
All in all, I think it's a great book, but not for everyone.
On one hand, I loved the characters, the plot, the themes, you name it.
On the other, the book felt really dense and I had trouble reading more than a few pages at a time. This might be due to the old-fashioned (or even made-up) vocabulary that the author uses deliberately throughout the book, or perhaps the detailed descriptions of the fascinating world. Or maybe it's because the plot takes a while to pick up, or because the setting is just a bit too decadent and depressing. Yeah, the book is long, but I've definitely read longer in a shorter period of time. Even with all the action sequences, a page turner this is not.
So what is this about? Imagine if Bukowski was a scientist, lived in humorless Ankh-Morpork and got mixed in really weird stuff, which I'm not going to describe because the plot doesn't really start until a third into the novel and I don't want to spoil anything important. That said, think Lovecraft and monster hunting and you won't be too far off.
At the end of the day, I have to admit that the book was really well written, and I really liked some of the scenes, which felt very vivid. From the strange, unstoppable god-like spider to the most surprising (aerial) dog walk I've ever encountered to the host of races that inhabit New Crobuzon, the story is overflowing with imagination.
In paper (heh), it's the perfect book for me, and I do have mad respect for the author, but I felt I was plowing through it at times. The ending felt a bit too grim as well, as if the author was punishing all the characters gratuitously and systematically.
All in all, I think it's a great book, but not for everyone.
challenging
dark
inspiring
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
a dense slog through way too many syllables. china seems to have a gift for describing cool shit in a very uncool way.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
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:
Complicated
This book is truly phenomenal. It's exactly up my alley and perfectly captures what I want out of dark fantasy/sci-fi/fiction: it has an endlessly compelling world with unique, mysterious new facets that turn up frequently and unexpectedly, and it strikes the balance of explaining some while leaving others for you to ponder. The prose is strange and fascinating. The characters are profoundly varied and complex, and you'd be hard-pressed to find one that the other doesn't give their due. And the plot and world are both wonderfully realized.
adventurous
dark
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix