Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - Universal Harvester

Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Universal Harvester by John Darnielle

18 reviews

julianship's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

3.5 stars, but I would still recommend it for fans of found fiction or people who really loved reading creepypastas back in the day.

Anyone who's listened to a Mountain Goats song knows Darnielle is masterful at evoking an emotional landscape in very little room, and Universal Harvester doesn't disappoint on that front! It's full of quiet moments of character and deeply unsettling images. The whole book has an ache to it, and the relationship between Jeremy and his dad is particularly evocative.

That being said, the plot and structure don't deliver on the premise (mysteriously edited video tapes show up in the VHS rental store of a small town) and writing's initial promise, which is a shame. I don't mind a nontraditional narrative - in fact I often really love them! But parts of this feel rambling, and the switch to first person at the end doesn't pay off the way I really would like it to.

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mr_cain's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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frimpton's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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quackshit's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

The book was alright, I liked it but I don't think I would recommend. Darnielle is good at setting a vibe, but I found the plot a bit difficult to follow, partially because I was a bit confused by the characters and their motivations to go do a particular thing, and partially because the time flip flopping confused me. I may have also been confused because I put the book down halfway done for a few months, which I must say attests to how much it grabbed me. Solid 3/5

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carrionkid's review against another edition

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5.0

I'll admit, I picked this book up because I was familiar with Darnielle as a singer-songwriter, but it was WELL WORTH IT. A non-linear narrative is hard to pull off, but this one is crafted masterfully. The slow building dread is perfectly executed and the mystery surrounding the events happening in the small, sleepy towns of the Midwest is one created with great narrative care. Overall, a very stressful and cathartic book.

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