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kxleyb's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-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? It's complicated
5.0
tdavidovsky's review against another edition
5.0
Set in an incredibly original world, The Spear Cuts through Water is about two men who help a goddess escape captivity. It might sound like a straightforward fantasy quest, but nothing can be further from the truth. The adventures feature a whole lot of deeply weird magic and rituals, including giggling telepathic tortoises, the consummation of divine flesh, monkeys who smoke joints, animals possessed by deities, and more. There is also a puzzling and dreamy framing narrative that seems to involve time travel. To add even more confusion, the book is written in a mix of first, second, and third person, but not divided by chapter or anything. All three grammatical persons can appear within a single sentence, interrupting each other, competing for page time, and it's not immediately obvious if there is a point to it.
Unsurprisingly it takes some effort to grow accustomed to Simon Jimenez's literary experimentation, but it's very much worth it. About one hundred pages in, it becomes impossible to stop reading this book. The flowery writing is lovely and impactful, forcing readers to cling onto every word as Jimenez tells a tale of love, loss, identity, and revolution. While it might be a total fever dream from start to finish, it's one that is breathtakingly beautiful.
Unsurprisingly it takes some effort to grow accustomed to Simon Jimenez's literary experimentation, but it's very much worth it. About one hundred pages in, it becomes impossible to stop reading this book. The flowery writing is lovely and impactful, forcing readers to cling onto every word as Jimenez tells a tale of love, loss, identity, and revolution. While it might be a total fever dream from start to finish, it's one that is breathtakingly beautiful.
teenytinytina's review against another edition
slow-paced
2.5
I can appreciate what the author was trying to accomplish with the book, but I couldn’t really enjoy it. I can’t imagine trying to listen to this in audiobook form, since the story was already difficult to keep track of in book form. The flowery prose reminds me a bit of The Starless Sea and The Night Circus, except at least Spear was less repetitive and less inane, so it straddled the line of enjoyable instead of being unreadable.
There also wasn’t a lot of love for a love story.
I think I’m just done with magical realism in general. I much prefer sci fi or fantasy or general fiction.
There also wasn’t a lot of love for a love story.
I think I’m just done with magical realism in general. I much prefer sci fi or fantasy or general fiction.
cinchona's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
jesshaleth's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? Yes
4.75
A dream about a play of a folk tale your grandmother used to tell you. And yet it doesn't feel distant and alien, like an abstract telling might, it just feels mythic and beautiful. ...okay well no some of it was quite graphic and I couldn't call it all beautiful, check the content warnings, but like it fit into the themes and vibes somehow.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Cursing, Violence, Murder, Ableism, Confinement, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Excrement, Animal death, Blood, Cannibalism, and Vomit
Moderate: Child death, Mental illness, Abandonment, Alcohol, Rape, Torture, Child abuse, Sexual assault, War, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, and Physical abuse
vexonan's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
linda_likes_reading's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
jka0102's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
connora795's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Oh shit this book has got me in my FEELINGS
This is a great book if you want a TRUE slow burn enemies to lovers that doesn’t focus on the romance too heavily. There are a lot of difficult topics discussed in this book so I would check the content/trigger warnings.
This is a great book if you want a TRUE slow burn enemies to lovers that doesn’t focus on the romance too heavily. There are a lot of difficult topics discussed in this book so I would check the content/trigger warnings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Minor: Child death