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ambrette's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
limited_release's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
lionessramping's review against another edition
2.0
Mieville will forever be a favorite of mine thanks to The Scar and Perdido Street Station, but this book fell short. It was slow to read, and for a book that is almost more thriller than fantasy, I would expect to be turning pages eagerly, not slogging from one to the next. I'm afraid that Mieville is headed more towards the crime/thriller genre, as I read his The City & The City earlier this year and found it to be much the same style (but that book had one clear setting and one clear plot and didn't introduce main players half way through the story). Kraken attacks everything from magic to mystery to a city to gods to new important characters to hey another new important character to the end of the world, and it lost this reader along the way.
mediaevalmuse's review against another edition
3.0
I picked up this book on recommendation from a friend - although I have a lot of Mieville’s books, this is the first time I’ve actually gotten around to reading one of them. In a lot of ways, it was right up my alley: urban fantasy with TENTACLES. I love weird stuff like that, and I did enjoy this book as a whole. I think my main problems lie in some technical aspects, but I’m picky, so it may not be bothersome for a lot of people.
Things I Liked
1. Premise: I’m a sucker (heh) for psudo-Lovecraftian weirdness, especially things focused on the deep sea or octopi/squid. That a missing squid was in the center of this story and some big players were a cult of kraken-worshipers made me unbelievably happy.
2. Imagination: Mieville’s imagination is superb, drawing together a bunch of images and ideas that had me in awe of the expansive world of magic and fantasy that he cooked up for this book. There was a character who could only manifest in statues, a character who was a sentient tattoo, “witches,” summoners, and all kinds of people belonging to strange religions and cults that could only exist in a fantasy world. A lot of the fantastical aspects reminded me of some of Neil Gaiman’s books, and it was delightful to be kept guessing at what kind of figure I’d encounter next.
3. Prose: Mieville is very good at stringing together phrases that paint a vivid picture of his fantasy world while also combining imagery that readers might not expect to go together. His similes and metaphors are also well-chosen and not cliche, which added to the fantastical or weird feeling of the narrative. His prose is also great at bringing London to life in a way that makes it feel brimming with underground cults and secret lives.
4. Wati: Wati had to be my favorite character, since he’s a strike organizer for magical familiars and he could only manifest in statues, which meant he bounced around from body to body (often with comedic results). I also loved that he cared about the familiars and was committed to helping the main characters in any way he could.
Things I Didn’t Like
1. Narrative: While I really liked the world of the novel, I wasn’t too crazy about the overall plot. End-of-the-world is all well and good, but the way the novel was laid out, I didn’t feel like it was building towards the climax - just bouncing from one weird image to the next. There weren’t kernels of information that the reader could easily follow to help unravel the mystery of the plot (perhaps because there was just SO MUCH going on and yet also not anything at times) and that was a bit frustrating for me.
2. Character Development: As much as I liked the characters on an individual basis, I never felt like they developed much or had enough to do. There was not really any interiority to the characters, which meant that I didn’t feel much of a connection to them. Marge and the FSRC seemed to not do anything significant until the very end - just chase after info that sometimes felt fruitless. Billy also felt like he was just along for the ride, even though he was a central character.
3. Grisamentum: I never really felt like this character was set up enough to make his involvement in anything feel real. He seemed to pop in when needed, which was frustrating given his role in the plot.
Recommendations: I would recommend this book if you’re interested in urban fantasy, fantasy novels set in London, cults, strange religions, apocalypses, and squid/kraken.
Things I Liked
1. Premise: I’m a sucker (heh) for psudo-Lovecraftian weirdness, especially things focused on the deep sea or octopi/squid. That a missing squid was in the center of this story and some big players were a cult of kraken-worshipers made me unbelievably happy.
2. Imagination: Mieville’s imagination is superb, drawing together a bunch of images and ideas that had me in awe of the expansive world of magic and fantasy that he cooked up for this book. There was a character who could only manifest in statues, a character who was a sentient tattoo, “witches,” summoners, and all kinds of people belonging to strange religions and cults that could only exist in a fantasy world. A lot of the fantastical aspects reminded me of some of Neil Gaiman’s books, and it was delightful to be kept guessing at what kind of figure I’d encounter next.
3. Prose: Mieville is very good at stringing together phrases that paint a vivid picture of his fantasy world while also combining imagery that readers might not expect to go together. His similes and metaphors are also well-chosen and not cliche, which added to the fantastical or weird feeling of the narrative. His prose is also great at bringing London to life in a way that makes it feel brimming with underground cults and secret lives.
4. Wati: Wati had to be my favorite character, since he’s a strike organizer for magical familiars and he could only manifest in statues, which meant he bounced around from body to body (often with comedic results). I also loved that he cared about the familiars and was committed to helping the main characters in any way he could.
Things I Didn’t Like
1. Narrative: While I really liked the world of the novel, I wasn’t too crazy about the overall plot. End-of-the-world is all well and good, but the way the novel was laid out, I didn’t feel like it was building towards the climax - just bouncing from one weird image to the next. There weren’t kernels of information that the reader could easily follow to help unravel the mystery of the plot (perhaps because there was just SO MUCH going on and yet also not anything at times) and that was a bit frustrating for me.
2. Character Development: As much as I liked the characters on an individual basis, I never felt like they developed much or had enough to do. There was not really any interiority to the characters, which meant that I didn’t feel much of a connection to them. Marge and the FSRC seemed to not do anything significant until the very end - just chase after info that sometimes felt fruitless. Billy also felt like he was just along for the ride, even though he was a central character.
3. Grisamentum: I never really felt like this character was set up enough to make his involvement in anything feel real. He seemed to pop in when needed, which was frustrating given his role in the plot.
Recommendations: I would recommend this book if you’re interested in urban fantasy, fantasy novels set in London, cults, strange religions, apocalypses, and squid/kraken.
gene_poole's review against another edition
4.0
I needed to get away for a few days, from reality that is, so I dove into the supernatural underworld of London. Just the place for peace and quiet and oh, the end of the world. If you like Pegg and Frost, the Deathly Hallows, Neil Gaiman, and Grytpype-Thynne and Moriarty come back as malevolent, remorseless killers, you may want to book this vacation, too.
kikiandarrowsfishshelf's review against another edition
1.0
Dear Mr. Mieville,
I don't why I couldn't finish this book, maybe because I'm reading it at the wrong time, you know how that is, don't you?
I loved [b:The City & The City|4703581|The City & The City|China Miéville|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266894982s/4703581.jpg|4767909]. I think that book is one of the greatest books ever.
This one, not so much. It started at really well. I think Collingwood is wonderful. I like her pig thingy. All the references were cool.
Sadly, I can't bring myself to really care what happens. Everything seems to slow down, like you are trying to impress and forgetting the soul. I know it doesn't make sense, but I don't know how else to describe it. I don't feel for any of the characters really, and I don't really get an overwhelming sense of danger for any of the main ones.
So, can we chalk this one up to a miss, and still agree to get along?
Thank you,
Chris
I don't why I couldn't finish this book, maybe because I'm reading it at the wrong time, you know how that is, don't you?
I loved [b:The City & The City|4703581|The City & The City|China Miéville|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266894982s/4703581.jpg|4767909]. I think that book is one of the greatest books ever.
This one, not so much. It started at really well. I think Collingwood is wonderful. I like her pig thingy. All the references were cool.
Sadly, I can't bring myself to really care what happens. Everything seems to slow down, like you are trying to impress and forgetting the soul. I know it doesn't make sense, but I don't know how else to describe it. I don't feel for any of the characters really, and I don't really get an overwhelming sense of danger for any of the main ones.
So, can we chalk this one up to a miss, and still agree to get along?
Thank you,
Chris
jenibo's review against another edition
3.0
Mieville never fails to impress me with his vocabulary and imagination; but this latest (that I've read) foray into new territory was ultimately uninteresting, I found. After a while, I was just tired of the endless machinations of the fantastical plot and the special talents of the myriad of characters.
As I read, I was sometimes comparing Mieville to Murakami, the Japanese master, and both have the same limitations, I begin to think: unbelievability seems to foster disengagement.
He's certainly prodigiously talented, but sometimes Mieville is just a bridge too far over into his own world. I found this to be true of The Last Days of New Paris, too. Very clever, but just a bit overwrought, the castles in the sky that he builds just a bit overdone.
As I read, I was sometimes comparing Mieville to Murakami, the Japanese master, and both have the same limitations, I begin to think: unbelievability seems to foster disengagement.
He's certainly prodigiously talented, but sometimes Mieville is just a bridge too far over into his own world. I found this to be true of The Last Days of New Paris, too. Very clever, but just a bit overwrought, the castles in the sky that he builds just a bit overdone.
jeannierose80's review against another edition
3.0
This is kind of in the vein of Tom Robbins and Christopher Moore. I enjoy they quirky premise but there were A LOT of people/groups to keep track of and I got a bit lost a few times.
mizfidd's review against another edition
3.0
Not my usual cup of tea, but it was definitely entertaining as an audio book. Really liked several of the main characters, but found there was less character development and more plot propulsion. This is the author's strength, and it DID keep me read--... listening.