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mdumler's review
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
_ottavia_'s review against another edition
2.0
C'era il potenziale. C'era la scrittura. Ma è tutto piuttosto piatto.
Però venisse tradotto altro dell'autrice lo leggerei sicuramente.
Però venisse tradotto altro dell'autrice lo leggerei sicuramente.
katykelly's review against another edition
3.0
Sprawling literary world-hopping adventure.
Great prospect - book characters coming out of their source novels, interacting with people. And I did love that aspect of this. Books about books always appeal. And there was a good story at the heart of this.
Rob is roped into helping his brother Charley. Again. A prodigy, his younger brother, English professor, calls Rob up in the middle of the night when he accidentally lets loose Uriah Heep from a Dickens novel he's reading, and needs help returning him to the literary world of David Copperfield. And this isn't the first time.
Since Charley was a small boy, lawyer Rob has looked out for him and his secret complication. Charley, reading Dickens as a toddler, off to University overseas at 13, relies on his brother to help him out of these scrapes, though both are out of their depth when characters from books began causing problems in the real world, and it seems that there is someone else out there with a similar ability to Charley, putting more than one world in danger.
This started well, it piqued my interest, and I loved meeting various literary characters - Matilda popped up, more than one Darcy - but it did feel overlong and protracted. A fairly simple story, with a couple of twists (that I liked, actually), it took a long time to cover relatively little ground.
Literary references were well-integrated (there were a couple of characters I was unfamiliar with though), I didn't really take to Charley. Rob as narrator was of course the most likeable and sympathetic but I was more interested in the books and characters than the real world. That might just be me, as librarian/book lover.
Slightly disappointed I must say, that it wasn't tighter, though I did relish the literary aspects of this. I'd have moved faster through this on paper perhaps, not stopped so often.
A long audiobook, but well narrated. I wanted to like this more than I did, though I did appreciate the author's efforts at including realistic characters from famous books that represented and expanded their literary sources.
With thanks to Nudge Books for providing a sample Audible copy.
Great prospect - book characters coming out of their source novels, interacting with people. And I did love that aspect of this. Books about books always appeal. And there was a good story at the heart of this.
Rob is roped into helping his brother Charley. Again. A prodigy, his younger brother, English professor, calls Rob up in the middle of the night when he accidentally lets loose Uriah Heep from a Dickens novel he's reading, and needs help returning him to the literary world of David Copperfield. And this isn't the first time.
Since Charley was a small boy, lawyer Rob has looked out for him and his secret complication. Charley, reading Dickens as a toddler, off to University overseas at 13, relies on his brother to help him out of these scrapes, though both are out of their depth when characters from books began causing problems in the real world, and it seems that there is someone else out there with a similar ability to Charley, putting more than one world in danger.
This started well, it piqued my interest, and I loved meeting various literary characters - Matilda popped up, more than one Darcy - but it did feel overlong and protracted. A fairly simple story, with a couple of twists (that I liked, actually), it took a long time to cover relatively little ground.
Literary references were well-integrated (there were a couple of characters I was unfamiliar with though), I didn't really take to Charley. Rob as narrator was of course the most likeable and sympathetic but I was more interested in the books and characters than the real world. That might just be me, as librarian/book lover.
Slightly disappointed I must say, that it wasn't tighter, though I did relish the literary aspects of this. I'd have moved faster through this on paper perhaps, not stopped so often.
A long audiobook, but well narrated. I wanted to like this more than I did, though I did appreciate the author's efforts at including realistic characters from famous books that represented and expanded their literary sources.
With thanks to Nudge Books for providing a sample Audible copy.
crtney's review against another edition
4.25
I really just loved this book—I loved the fictional characters coming to life, I loved the relationship between the brothers, and I loved the audio version. It was just fun with a turn towards the serious.
tsharrison93's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
justlynn_andbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
angorarabbit's review
4.0
I am still waiting for Red Side Story so thought I'd try this. Apparently I am a fan of the get people in and out of books genre, who knew.
TW: non-graphic death and violence, discrimination, family relationships stillbirth. Triggers are not discussed in this review.
After being so violently disappointed by Just One Damned Thing After Another, I am leary of authors being compared to Jasper Fforde. While in the same genre as Fforde, Parry focuses on a family's relationships. It makes for an endearing story admist all the fictional characters running amok. There also is not as much word play and comedy as FFord's novels. I was chuffed at guessing a secret identity despite how long it's been since I've read the relevant books.
All in all a good, fun, clean read with heart.
Now the nitpicking criticisms. Too many climaxes. the first less than 1/2 through the novel. Climaxes are fun to write and this was the author's first published novel so forgivable. Also while I felt that meeting the final boss was a little weak the last chapter was a perfect ending.
Second: Where is Trollope? Uriah Heep, the Artful Dodger, David Copperfield, Fagin, and Scrooge, Nancy, Charles Dickens himself, but no Obadiah Slope (played by Alan Rickman in the Barchester Chronicles mini series), George Vavasor, or the fabulous Glencora. I understand keeping the cast of characters to a manageable level but this was very Dickens heavy.At least Kipling only received a rude mention.
To make matters worse Trollope only gets a mention in the June 2023 version of the Wikipedia article about Victorian Literature. Humph.
Never mind. The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep is a good read.
TW: non-graphic death and violence, discrimination, family relationships stillbirth. Triggers are not discussed in this review.
After being so violently disappointed by Just One Damned Thing After Another, I am leary of authors being compared to Jasper Fforde. While in the same genre as Fforde, Parry focuses on a family's relationships. It makes for an endearing story admist all the fictional characters running amok. There also is not as much word play and comedy as FFord's novels. I was chuffed at guessing a secret identity despite how long it's been since I've read the relevant books.
All in all a good, fun, clean read with heart.
Now the nitpicking criticisms. Too many climaxes. the first less than 1/2 through the novel. Climaxes are fun to write and this was the author's first published novel so forgivable. Also while I felt that meeting the final boss was a little weak the last chapter was a perfect ending.
Second: Where is Trollope? Uriah Heep, the Artful Dodger, David Copperfield, Fagin, and Scrooge, Nancy, Charles Dickens himself, but no Obadiah Slope (played by Alan Rickman in the Barchester Chronicles mini series), George Vavasor, or the fabulous Glencora. I understand keeping the cast of characters to a manageable level but this was very Dickens heavy.At least Kipling only received a rude mention.
To make matters worse Trollope only gets a mention in the June 2023 version of the Wikipedia article about Victorian Literature. Humph.
Never mind. The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep is a good read.
noemigaravaglia's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
drakoulis's review
4.0
Short review since I read this book 2 years ago, before I had started my Goodreads account.
It is a tribute to Dickens and Victorian era book characters taking place in New Zealand, combining the supernatural with a troubled family background and stakes which grow higher and higher.
A pleasant read which will be valued even more by fans of classic British literature.
It is a tribute to Dickens and Victorian era book characters taking place in New Zealand, combining the supernatural with a troubled family background and stakes which grow higher and higher.
A pleasant read which will be valued even more by fans of classic British literature.
jessln23's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75