lordcafeine's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Was it an easy read? Totally not
Was it good? I don't know
Will it stick with me forever? Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

ivana's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark mysterious
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

The reading experience of this was like nothing I've ever read and probably will ever read again. I loved how it mirrored what was happening in the story. I actually enjoyed Johnny's footnotes and the rambling nonsensical tone a lot more than most seem to have and I had a harder time with the pretentious fake analytical tangents from The Navidson Record

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

smittinkittin's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark informative mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Someone on YT described this book as you get what you put into it. It was truly a unique experience and any flaws found are justifiably part of the experience and deserve to exist. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

entityj's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

noimjace's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

bungo_books's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Really great read. Very dense, much of the reading is very purposefully complex and confusing. Hell, even describing the main topics of the book is a complicated matter when you're constantly expected to question the author of the text.

In short, it's a book with zero reliable narrators, written like it's a profound literary research paper. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

singrequiem's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I normally DEVOUR books. Especially dark, challenging, flawed, experimental books. This book, no joke, took me literal YEARS to finish, primarily just because of how much Jonny Truant sucks. He sucks hard. I went on forums to ask people to convince me not to just skip all of his notes and story. I’m glad I’m finally through it. I can appreciate the mastery that Danielewski has over the intricacies of his manuscript, the attention to detail, the world building, the control of tone (especially when switching between academic and informal writing styles) but this book was just a slog. I could rant for paragraphs, but I will try and boil it down to: it’s really not that creepy, and the most interesting parts are buried in jargon and presented dryly. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

stungobungo's review

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Hundreds of pages of pseudo intellectual bullcrap
Out of nowhere
a dagger slips between my ribs
Someone pushed it into my heart
It is Mark Z. Danielewski!
And he has written the most beautiful constellation of words i've ever had the pleasure of reading.
And he put them right here, in this book!

Absolute rollercoaster and i do think this book deserves the hype. Maybe it even deserves more hype. I thought the "wacky" layouts would be overused but they were used very appropriately and bore thematic relevance. And as a sad "academic" the "pseudo intellectual" aspect was fun and rewarding for my taste. Also loved the fact that Truant gives you hints and tricks on how to read the book, maybe they're too subtle to be picked up as actual advice, maybe it's just words i assigned meaning they never bore in the first place. I don't know, i'm loopy, emotionally distraught and i will need to revisit this review for a more distanced star rating and making sure i don't make an absolute fool of myself.

i rate this book:

3 "i'm afraid to go to bed"
1
"i'm pretty sure the wall behind me just disappeared. And i am too afraid to look"

1 Secret message found
3 Cries (Good ones)

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

haileyhardcover's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

It’s just a normal book. 🙂

It’s just a normal book. 

It’s just a normal book. 

It’s JUST a normal book.



      It’s just a NORMAL book.






It’s just a normal BOOK. 



It’s just a normal

book.


It’s
            just a normal



                                                           book. 


.koob lamron a tsuj s’tI


It


                                     ‘s



just a nor 







mal







book. 






Is telling’ songs justifiably unusual sometimes trying about nothing or relatively more after loss both other or kind.
 


               
It’s just  | It’s just a normal book. It’s j | a 
normal  | ust a normal book. It’s just  | book. 
It’s just  | a normal book. It’s just a n  | a 
normal  | ormal book. It’s just a norm | book. 
It’s just  | al book. It’s just a normal b | a 
normal  | ook. It’s just a normal book | book. 
It’s just  | . It’s just a normal book. It’  | a 
normal  | s just a normal book. It’s ju  | book. 
It’s just  | st a normal book. It’s just a | a 
normal  | normal book. It’s just a nor  | book. 
It’s just  | mal book. It’s just a normal | a 
normal  | book. It’s just a normal boo | book. 
It’s just  | k. It’s just a normal book. It | a 
normal  | ‘s just a normal book. It’s ju | book. 
It’s just  | st a normal book. It’s just a | a 
normal  | normal book……………………. | book.


It’s 
      just
             a
                normal
                             book
                                       .

               
It’s just a normal book. 🙃

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

britt_blank_'s review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings