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bookish_whispers's review against another edition
3.0
What the hell was this book?! Okay. Okay, I knew when I picked this up that it was going to be weird. In fact, I was really excited because this sounded like a great idea for a B Horror movie. The kind you don't take seriously because it's making fun of so many tropes. So, I knew going into this to not take it seriously. I know it was going to be over the top. Death Thing not only delivered but things went the extra couple of miles.
All of this starts with Gilbert, don't call me Gil, who is sick of people breaking into his car. He is at his wit's end. The cops are lazy, understaffed, and underpaid. So he decides to take matters into his own hands by turning his car into a Death Thing. Sounds like a movie you'd keep just watching to see how things go downhill from there. And they do, like a snowball down a mountainside. From start to finish of this Death Thing bad things happen to, and around Gilbert.
Enough that you'd think he'd stop, only he doesn't.
If you think the car is the craziest part of this book, you'd be wrong. That's only the jumping-off point. This car causes more death and destruction that the criminals breaking into Gil's car. Just when you think it can't get weirder, it does.
This was a wild ride. Though I did like that not everything is told from Gilbert's point of view. The first two-thirds of the book is told through Gilbert, but the last few pages are split between two other points of view. Through George, we see how the police use Gilbert's invention of the Death thing, and through Joey, we see how it all sort of falls apart.
The writing is solid and the story moves quickly enough. It's gruesome in places, especially with Gilbert's face and a couple of the deaths are gnarly. I liked the book and it held my attention. I'm super glad the cover caught my attention, and I'll definitely pick up other books by this author. It was a fun little after-work read.
All of this starts with Gilbert, don't call me Gil, who is sick of people breaking into his car. He is at his wit's end. The cops are lazy, understaffed, and underpaid. So he decides to take matters into his own hands by turning his car into a Death Thing. Sounds like a movie you'd keep just watching to see how things go downhill from there. And they do, like a snowball down a mountainside. From start to finish of this Death Thing bad things happen to, and around Gilbert.
Enough that you'd think he'd stop, only he doesn't.
If you think the car is the craziest part of this book, you'd be wrong. That's only the jumping-off point. This car causes more death and destruction that the criminals breaking into Gil's car. Just when you think it can't get weirder, it does.
This was a wild ride. Though I did like that not everything is told from Gilbert's point of view. The first two-thirds of the book is told through Gilbert, but the last few pages are split between two other points of view. Through George, we see how the police use Gilbert's invention of the Death thing, and through Joey, we see how it all sort of falls apart.
The writing is solid and the story moves quickly enough. It's gruesome in places, especially with Gilbert's face and a couple of the deaths are gnarly. I liked the book and it held my attention. I'm super glad the cover caught my attention, and I'll definitely pick up other books by this author. It was a fun little after-work read.
kaiju_poet's review against another edition
5.0
Death Thing is a bizarre trip through a surreal moment in time. It follows a man whose anger turns into an obsession. Detailing loss, mania and the progression from self centered to complete madness.
There were several moments that felt like I was reading a Slasher Story. And at one point Gilbert states that he only cares about himself and others in relation to himself.
Is that a statement on the self destructive nature of narcissism? Is it a window through which we can view our own oncoming dementia and demise? Or does Hilbert just enjoy writing some fucked up stuff?
Either way, I enjoyed the book immensely.
There were several moments that felt like I was reading a Slasher Story. And at one point Gilbert states that he only cares about himself and others in relation to himself.
Is that a statement on the self destructive nature of narcissism? Is it a window through which we can view our own oncoming dementia and demise? Or does Hilbert just enjoy writing some fucked up stuff?
Either way, I enjoyed the book immensely.
thomaswjoyce's review against another edition
4.0
Mental!
Mental.
I'd like to just leave the review as that one word. Am I referring to the story? The characters? The author?
Yes.
But I like the sound of my keys clacking too much to just leave it at that. I enjoy Hilbert's style, equally funny as it is horrific. He can write some crazy-ass characters (see Invasion of the Weirdos), but Gil takes the biscuit. Frustrated by the repeated break-ins of his car, he sets up some amateur booby-traps that should see him sent to prison. But this is the bizarre version of America that serves Hilbert's funny imagination well and allows us to watch the insane and entertaining events play out to their extreme resolutions.
It makes for a fast read and, if you zoom through this, go check out Invasion of the Weirdos. I love Hilbert's thoroughly entertaining characters and dialogue and off-the-wall scenarios. More please!
Mental.
I'd like to just leave the review as that one word. Am I referring to the story? The characters? The author?
Yes.
But I like the sound of my keys clacking too much to just leave it at that. I enjoy Hilbert's style, equally funny as it is horrific. He can write some crazy-ass characters (see Invasion of the Weirdos), but Gil takes the biscuit. Frustrated by the repeated break-ins of his car, he sets up some amateur booby-traps that should see him sent to prison. But this is the bizarre version of America that serves Hilbert's funny imagination well and allows us to watch the insane and entertaining events play out to their extreme resolutions.
It makes for a fast read and, if you zoom through this, go check out Invasion of the Weirdos. I love Hilbert's thoroughly entertaining characters and dialogue and off-the-wall scenarios. More please!
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