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pierceinverarity's review
5.0
"Big Machine" tops my list of the best books I've read in many months.
Lavalle's work brings to mind "The Intuitionsit," if only based on the fact that he is a young African-American novelist whose crafted a genre-bending work with a most compelling and likable narrator.
Ricky Rice is a smart, funny, ne'er-do-well with a little heroin problem. His plot is launched when he is summoned from his job cleaning bus station restrooms in upstate NY. Ricky travels to the Burnham Library, outside of Burlington VT, to become a member of the "Unlikely Scholars" -- a group of small-time junkies and thieves who have been enlisted in a nebulous campaign to ... well, um, just read the book.
Lavalle's work brings to mind "The Intuitionsit," if only based on the fact that he is a young African-American novelist whose crafted a genre-bending work with a most compelling and likable narrator.
Ricky Rice is a smart, funny, ne'er-do-well with a little heroin problem. His plot is launched when he is summoned from his job cleaning bus station restrooms in upstate NY. Ricky travels to the Burnham Library, outside of Burlington VT, to become a member of the "Unlikely Scholars" -- a group of small-time junkies and thieves who have been enlisted in a nebulous campaign to ... well, um, just read the book.
spinstah's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of those books where I left it and wasn’t sure how I felt about it. Looking forward to the book club discussion.
audaciaray's review
4.0
Great, inventive, sharp, and funny read, with interesting stuff about race, class, and religion thrown in for good measure.
One bit toward the end of the book really bugged me though - in a flashback, the main character accompanies his girlfriend to a clinic for an abortion, and he is in the room with her during the procedure. No abortion clinic that I know of allows this. It's a consent thing - the staff wants to make sure the woman is 100% sure of her decision, and they can't get informed, un-influenced consent with the woman's partner in the room. I mean, I know there are angels and soul-eating cats and stuff in the book and all, but the un-reality of the abortion scene really bugged me.
One bit toward the end of the book really bugged me though - in a flashback, the main character accompanies his girlfriend to a clinic for an abortion, and he is in the room with her during the procedure. No abortion clinic that I know of allows this. It's a consent thing - the staff wants to make sure the woman is 100% sure of her decision, and they can't get informed, un-influenced consent with the woman's partner in the room. I mean, I know there are angels and soul-eating cats and stuff in the book and all, but the un-reality of the abortion scene really bugged me.
rocketiza's review against another edition
2.0
This just did not come together for me at all. The story was flickering between past and present which I found more disorienting than well told, and the character development lead to a climax that felt like LaValle expected the reader to be a lot more excited over.
acrigger's review
5.0
Incredible story and worth listening to the audio. The narrator, Sean Crisden, is great. It kinda reminds me of Mr. Penumbra’s 24-hour bookstore, but it’s better. I have a feeling this one will be added to my reread list.
cristian_m's review
3.0
- intriguing plot and ideas mired by bad pacing
- quite funny at places, based on characterization and absurd contrasts
- underwhelming ending
- quite funny at places, based on characterization and absurd contrasts
- underwhelming ending
jdsousa's review
4.0
What a bizarre book... but really good. It certainly doesn't fit into any genre I know and I think it works because of it. At some point you simply give up on trying to predict or categorize the plot and just go with it because it's fun and inventive and well-written.
emilybryk's review
3.0
The first 200 pages are spectacular. Mr. LaValle, what were you thinking with the supernatural ending?