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nitsabean's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
stee0245's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
revisins's review against another edition
5.0
Courtesy and thanks to Goodreads First Reads and Soho Press for the ARC I was charmed enough to win.
Hindsight and foresight is 20/20. At least that is one of several philosophical tracts that mingle in the bubbling mixture of ideas, humor, character, and reflection Sean Ferrell stews together in Man in the Empty Suit.
Yes, it is a time travel novel that does not worry itself with the actual mechanics of time travel—which is an uplifting bonus to this particular story. The reader is dropped into the mélange of various narrators all corralled in a dilapidated and abandoned hotel in an equally empty New York City in 2071. The reason? The narrator has a standing party in celebration of his birthday—the year chosen simply because it’s the 100th anniversary of his birth. Once the reader is told that the variety of other “selves” are named by an outstanding physical appearance—you are allowed to feel comfortable in experiencing the story as the central narrator does—at least until The Body appears at the party.
One part murder mystery, one part thriller, one part meditation on the flexibility of character and the ability to truly learn from one’s mistakes—Man in the Empty Suit does quite well in side stepping plenty of genre expectations. There are plenty of tropes used for both comedic and dramatic effect—including a moment where narrator wills into being a meal set aside for him that recalls Bill n Ted’s Excellent Adventure. If there is one cliché that had to appear in the novel—the paradox—it is done in such a way that doesn’t call to mind Back to the Future or other reality erasing tales. How the central narrator almost bucks against the train of fate and plot presents readers with an enticing motivation to see how the pieces will coalesce in the salvation or damnation of the character(s) involved.
The narrative slows down after the story shifts back in time. The effect is jarring at first, but the story expectations pay off for readers who allow themselves to walk alongside the narrator. It is here where the novel blossoms as it examines what the true cost of identity and where you can find the value in a truth or lie to believe.
Man in the Empty Suit is a SF about personal examination. It’s a time travel story as much as it is an inner exploration narrative. If you prefer your SF hard and technical—this novel will not satisfy you at all. Yet, if you approach SF as a vector to experience characters you’d normally avoid—this book would give you much to ponder and experience. All the while having to remember that the characters you’re encountering are just variations on one person. It allows for a reader to examine their own growth and wonder if they’d treat their younger and older self any differently than the narrator does his own.
Highly recommended if you like to put in a little bit of mental leg work. Time travel stories are supposed to be sticky wickets of possibility and fate—it’s been awhile since that gnarled tangle has been so personal.
Hindsight and foresight is 20/20. At least that is one of several philosophical tracts that mingle in the bubbling mixture of ideas, humor, character, and reflection Sean Ferrell stews together in Man in the Empty Suit.
Yes, it is a time travel novel that does not worry itself with the actual mechanics of time travel—which is an uplifting bonus to this particular story. The reader is dropped into the mélange of various narrators all corralled in a dilapidated and abandoned hotel in an equally empty New York City in 2071. The reason? The narrator has a standing party in celebration of his birthday—the year chosen simply because it’s the 100th anniversary of his birth. Once the reader is told that the variety of other “selves” are named by an outstanding physical appearance—you are allowed to feel comfortable in experiencing the story as the central narrator does—at least until The Body appears at the party.
One part murder mystery, one part thriller, one part meditation on the flexibility of character and the ability to truly learn from one’s mistakes—Man in the Empty Suit does quite well in side stepping plenty of genre expectations. There are plenty of tropes used for both comedic and dramatic effect—including a moment where narrator wills into being a meal set aside for him that recalls Bill n Ted’s Excellent Adventure. If there is one cliché that had to appear in the novel—the paradox—it is done in such a way that doesn’t call to mind Back to the Future or other reality erasing tales. How the central narrator almost bucks against the train of fate and plot presents readers with an enticing motivation to see how the pieces will coalesce in the salvation or damnation of the character(s) involved.
The narrative slows down after the story shifts back in time. The effect is jarring at first, but the story expectations pay off for readers who allow themselves to walk alongside the narrator. It is here where the novel blossoms as it examines what the true cost of identity and where you can find the value in a truth or lie to believe.
Man in the Empty Suit is a SF about personal examination. It’s a time travel story as much as it is an inner exploration narrative. If you prefer your SF hard and technical—this novel will not satisfy you at all. Yet, if you approach SF as a vector to experience characters you’d normally avoid—this book would give you much to ponder and experience. All the while having to remember that the characters you’re encountering are just variations on one person. It allows for a reader to examine their own growth and wonder if they’d treat their younger and older self any differently than the narrator does his own.
Highly recommended if you like to put in a little bit of mental leg work. Time travel stories are supposed to be sticky wickets of possibility and fate—it’s been awhile since that gnarled tangle has been so personal.
aberdeenwaters's review against another edition
3.0
Very cool premise. Starts out strong then gets a little wobbly. And the ending wasn’t bad. It’d make a good movie.
geekwayne's review against another edition
5.0
An arrogant time traveler spends every birthday in an abandoned hotel in an future version of an abandoned New York. At this year's party, he discovers a murdered version of his not too future self, and must attempt to solve the crime before his demise. Complicating matters is a strange woman who shows up at the party that he's never seen before. Convoluted rules to avoid paradox are presented at the beginning of the book, which are worth re-reading once you've finished the book.
The first act finds our protagonist arriving at the party in a famous suit that his younger selves remember seeing at the party. Once he stumbles upon the murder, he is sent careening through the hotel. The younger versions of himself are uncaring. The older versions are bound by his own rules not to give any information. Things quickly unravel to an event that causes the narrator to leave the party and attempt to change events.
Act two finds him in a dying New York. No explanation is given for the demise of the city, but it's a wheezing, gasping death. Power works, or it doesn't. Food is available, but not reliably. There is some semblance of order by the remaining citizens who seem content to watch the city slowly fade away (strangely enough, inter-library loans still work in a convoluted way). It's a slowly unwinding dystopia, and all the more heart-rendingly real for it's depiction, and the characters that inhabit this once great city.
Act three finds him back at the birthday party and viewing events from a shifted perspective. I really enjoyed this section, for it's different angles and motives. Are we bound by our pasts or futures? Are we tethered to the events that shape us? I leave this to you to find out.
Saying that this is reminiscent of the works of Paul Auster, Philip K. Dick and Charles Yu's 'How To Live Safely In A Science Fictional Universe' should give the reader of this review a sense of the kind of mind blowing head trip they are in for, and show how very much I enjoyed this book. This is definitely my first great read of 2013.
The first act finds our protagonist arriving at the party in a famous suit that his younger selves remember seeing at the party. Once he stumbles upon the murder, he is sent careening through the hotel. The younger versions of himself are uncaring. The older versions are bound by his own rules not to give any information. Things quickly unravel to an event that causes the narrator to leave the party and attempt to change events.
Act two finds him in a dying New York. No explanation is given for the demise of the city, but it's a wheezing, gasping death. Power works, or it doesn't. Food is available, but not reliably. There is some semblance of order by the remaining citizens who seem content to watch the city slowly fade away (strangely enough, inter-library loans still work in a convoluted way). It's a slowly unwinding dystopia, and all the more heart-rendingly real for it's depiction, and the characters that inhabit this once great city.
Act three finds him back at the birthday party and viewing events from a shifted perspective. I really enjoyed this section, for it's different angles and motives. Are we bound by our pasts or futures? Are we tethered to the events that shape us? I leave this to you to find out.
Saying that this is reminiscent of the works of Paul Auster, Philip K. Dick and Charles Yu's 'How To Live Safely In A Science Fictional Universe' should give the reader of this review a sense of the kind of mind blowing head trip they are in for, and show how very much I enjoyed this book. This is definitely my first great read of 2013.
charty1313's review
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Liked the concept not the execution. Say this because I loved the first half of the book, did stick with it, but really wasn't into it anymore by the end.
unphair's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
It sucked
calmcelebration9888's review
At this point in the book there are too many unknowns. No versions of himself seem to know anything about what is going on and the story just seems to be more and more layers of the same. It would be nice if the story progressed past this party but it seems forever stuck there. I’m not so interested in reading another 100 pages of a protagonist that hates himself and all other versions of himself as well.
sarahjane888's review against another edition
2.0
I was pretty disappointed in this book. The concept sounded so interesting and exciting but I couldn't wrap my mind around the logistics of the time travel and multiple versions of one person being 'tethered and untethered'. I liked the writing style though and I wasn't bored reading it, I was just waiting for that "ah-ha" moment where everything clicks and my mind is blown - and it never came.
shirlee2024's review against another edition
3.0
Maybe a 3.5. I'm not clever enough to figure out if all the time travel intricacies had internal logic, but I found the story compelling.