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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
This is an excellent science fiction novel, one of the best examples of the steampunk subgenre. It is exceptionally well-written, and has shades of Lovecraft and horror, but ultimately the plot and setting mark it off as science fiction. I also found it to be somewhat philosophically minded, with strains of post-modern and marxist thought permeating it's characters and storylines. It IS ultimately a genre novel, but a great example. As a genre novel, it becomes a bit predictable, particularly as the main storyline reaches it's conclusion. Altogether, though, I think it does transcend it's genre to some degree, and I suppose people who don't like science fiction may enjoy it.
This is a long book, and for the first quarter or so of the book it felt like an incredibly long book. I came close to putting it down on several occasions. Once the action finally took off, I found it fairly captivating. The fictional world of the book and the aesthetic sensibility of the writer are quite strong and engaging. The characters, major and minor, are quite strong and distinctive. For a book with so many characters spread across so many subplots, the fact that I never really forgot who anyone was is no small feat. The core story is actually quite simple and marvelously well-told. Recommended.
This is a long book, and for the first quarter or so of the book it felt like an incredibly long book. I came close to putting it down on several occasions. Once the action finally took off, I found it fairly captivating. The fictional world of the book and the aesthetic sensibility of the writer are quite strong and engaging. The characters, major and minor, are quite strong and distinctive. For a book with so many characters spread across so many subplots, the fact that I never really forgot who anyone was is no small feat. The core story is actually quite simple and marvelously well-told. Recommended.
It took me the entire summer of 2019 to finish this gigantic fantasy book. A slog but a well written one.
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Kraken was much better. This started off kind of interesting and weird, but it soon became longwinded and tedious.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
inspiring
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a hard book to rate. On the one hand, the characters were great and the setting was fantastic, but the plot was dark and, well...weird.
Perdido Street Station is definitely not your typical fantasy story, with a shining white city on a hill, populated by knights on horseback in gleaming armor. Instead, the city is putrid, choked with pollution, and is populated by corrupt bureaucrats and strange creatures of all kinds.
The characters and their decisions left no easy answers. Often in Perdido Street Station characters who are otherwise good make small, selfish decisions that end up having a larger impact on themselves and the people around them. Sometimes they make foolish decisions that are well-intentioned, but end up causing pain and suffering. So even the choices exist in shades of gray in this smog-covered city.
The darkness and violence of Peridido Street Station made it difficult for me to love, but I did enjoy this book and I look forward to reading more books by China Mieville.
Perdido Street Station is definitely not your typical fantasy story, with a shining white city on a hill, populated by knights on horseback in gleaming armor. Instead, the city is putrid, choked with pollution, and is populated by corrupt bureaucrats and strange creatures of all kinds.
The characters and their decisions left no easy answers. Often in Perdido Street Station characters who are otherwise good make small, selfish decisions that end up having a larger impact on themselves and the people around them. Sometimes they make foolish decisions that are well-intentioned, but end up causing pain and suffering. So even the choices exist in shades of gray in this smog-covered city.
The darkness and violence of Peridido Street Station made it difficult for me to love, but I did enjoy this book and I look forward to reading more books by China Mieville.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
I really enjoyed it until the final act when they fridged and unfridged and fridged again the most interesting character. And then made the tragic characters complex past ghastly... I dunno man, practice writing more women I reckon. A great read but flawed
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Torture