Reviews

This is the story of Russian Geometer in the UK working in the bogland in the 50s. Although this novel is short, it was very dense and packed with lots of information. There is a lot of technical descriptions as well as depictions of nature. These are not usually my taste, but I liked the undercurrent of this man on the run from his past. There is definitely an emotional depth that brims throughout the tale. I give this one a 4/5.

als_adventures's review

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reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

I really wanted to like this book- it sounds like an interesting and specific set of circumstances. Unfortunately, I found it a bit too slow, with sprawling multi-clause sentences not helping matters. I found it hard to engage with much of the story. There were good, interesting moments that did make me feel for the characters and give an insight into a rural way of life. I think much of the description was that of an architect, but not the art or architecture, more the science and maths of architecture.

anxiousbookclub's review

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challenging dark emotional informative medium-paced

3.75

avatherose's review against another edition

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4.0

deeply strange & moving

isabeldotml's review

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challenging mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

I really enjoyed the descriptions of the Irish landscape and the characters felt particular to their setting and rang true (not necessarily predictably though). The discussion of the Irish language was a particular highlight and I thought the changing of the way the narrator spells names was a clever device. The author seems to like
long sentences, which I'm not necessarily against (clearly); but occasionally it seemed a bit overwritten, especially in terms of word choice. I was kind of disappointed there wasn't more maths, but I wasn't entirely convinced by what was there (e.g. sometimes he'd use a random maths word in a description that just felt out of place). Definitely did enjoy it overall.

johnpaulgatenby's review

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dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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