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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
A genuinely haunting read, and another book revolving around a traumatic incident from the protagonist's past, details of which are saved for a third act Big Reveal. The difference here is that facile cause-effect explanations are elusive, bringing to mind the chilling line from King Lear, "as flies to wanton boys are we to th' gods. They kill us for their sport." It's creepy as sin to see the material culture of my early adolescence - 70s/80s-era fantasy/science fiction fan cultures, role playing games, magazine classifieds & mail-order - get remixed in such a startling way. I assumed I knew where this novel was heading, and was proven wrong every step of the way.
i was fascinated by this book, because it is a strange tale where nothing happens yet the nothing feels concentrated enough that the emptiness in the plot still feels indicative of something greater. very hauntological, if that makes sense. i think if you go into this book blind, you'll get more out of it.
medium-paced
I read this book after hearing the author interviewed on NPR/Fresh Air. It was a wonderful interview, which made me like the author, and I wanted to like this book more than I did. I found the narrative structure confusing at the beginning--too much was held back early on, and the long descriptions of Trace Italian moves felt a little like filler, or an incomplete concept not fully fleshed out, doing little to advance the story. As the book progressed, the moves felt more entwined with the narrator, but early on there was too much held back for the game/moves to feel significant, and I found it to be as boring as watching strangers play a board game.
The prose, however, was wonderful, and I enjoyed the wistful nostalgia mixed with resigned melancholy.
The prose, however, was wonderful, and I enjoyed the wistful nostalgia mixed with resigned melancholy.
Although brief and glum, there is beauty in Darnielle's work. Much of it is found in the skillful writing and, to quote Goodreads here, the book's "brilliant construction." Darnielle creates a compelling, dark exploration of lives and the breachable, unbreachable boundaries between reality and inner fantasy worlds.
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 / 5. Good, but I felt like it never really got going, and ended a little too soon.
I devoured this book in one sitting. A maze unto itself, it unfolds, redirects, and compels its reader forward, searching for an end you're not sure exists. I loved the protagonist in the way that I love to love protagonists-- not love/hate so much as love/disgusted, love/frustrated, love/identify. He is hard to look at, both his face and his soul. We are left with questions upon questions, leading me to want to mail in my own "next move" to the author, to reach some safe haven in the narrative, where all things are known and resolved. One of the best novels I've read in a year of disappointing debuts. Five stars.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes