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lc_mitchell's review against another edition
4.0
The Armageddon Rag is a darn good story, it's really as simple as that. Sandy Blair is a former music-journalist, tasked with writing an article about a band he covered in his glory days, brought about by the murder of the band's promoter. The build-up in tension was very well-done, as was the pacing which made this a very easy book to get lost in.
The pacing and the tension being so good ultimately lead to where it fell down, as it built the book up to a point where it couldn't deliver on its promises. I was disappointed in the ending, and thought the plot twist at the end was a little predictable. Also the female characters were very flat, and told you more about the protagonist than about themselves as autonomous people.
However, I did procrastinate on Things-That-Need-Doing in order to finish this book, which is why (including the strength of the plot) I have given it 4 stars.
The pacing and the tension being so good ultimately lead to where it fell down, as it built the book up to a point where it couldn't deliver on its promises. I was disappointed in the ending, and thought the plot twist at the end was a little predictable. Also the female characters were very flat, and told you more about the protagonist than about themselves as autonomous people.
However, I did procrastinate on Things-That-Need-Doing in order to finish this book, which is why (including the strength of the plot) I have given it 4 stars.
ipehalena's review against another edition
Novel ini justru membuat saya seakan melihat perjalanan Band The Nazgul. Seperti melihat lebih dalam apa yang para personilnya pikirkan dan rasakan. Mungkin seperti film yang mengangkat behind the scene para super star yang sering ada di bioskop. Seperti itu. Dengan wawancara yang memang dilakukan oleh tokoh utamanya, Sandy Blair.
Juga bagaimana pada akhirnya ternyata drugs, bukan digunakan untuk berfoya-foya atau kesenangan sesaat saja. Tapi, digunakan untuk mengendalikan orang. Belum lagi, keretakan antara personil yang terlihat erat saat di panggung, namun tidak di balik panggung.
http://bacaanipeh.tumblr.com/post/114120465730/tbu-armageddon-rag
Juga bagaimana pada akhirnya ternyata drugs, bukan digunakan untuk berfoya-foya atau kesenangan sesaat saja. Tapi, digunakan untuk mengendalikan orang. Belum lagi, keretakan antara personil yang terlihat erat saat di panggung, namun tidak di balik panggung.
http://bacaanipeh.tumblr.com/post/114120465730/tbu-armageddon-rag
ally_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
rsilvery's review against another edition
1.0
I was really disappointed and didn't even finish it. I love George RR Martin, but this book sucked. It was like one of those cheesy James Patterson mystery novels but even cheesier.
paulabellman's review against another edition
2.0
This book was too bloated. It movedpretty slow and was so boring until the 1/4 if the story. The majority of the book was reminiscing of those wild and crazy late 60s.
This book was too dated for today's time. Is there anyone who still rages against the man like they did in the 60s?
This book was too dated for today's time. Is there anyone who still rages against the man like they did in the 60s?
jayshay's review against another edition
3.0
So yeah, an interesting book that (mostly) overcomes its boomer nostaligia, but gets a little too bogged down in mystical visions and dreams for my taste. As a fantasy reader I thought the grounded parts where the ones that gave the kick to the narrative.
The eventual villian reveal was thumpingly obvious and the wait for the penny to drop for Sandy, the writer-protagonist, was frustrating. Sandy really did think with his dick.
Martin pulls off an amazing 60s rock band, the Nasgul, in print which is impressive and gives the book its main strength. If they hadn't worked, if the lyrics hadn't been great (with an assist from W.B. Yeats) this book would have sucked.
In the end I felt like the author was too insistent on giving his characters a happy ending - which is a bizzarre thing to acuse the author of A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE of - the dude was a softie!
[Oh, he also feels it necessary, at the very, very end of the book, to backfill the villian's life history, to explain him or her away with trauma which felt very, very weak. Perhaps it was to pop the bubble of mystery and mysticism that had come before, but it felt strangely disrespectful - a dismissal rather than an exploration.]
The eventual villian reveal was thumpingly obvious and the wait for the penny to drop for Sandy, the writer-protagonist, was frustrating. Sandy really did think with his dick.
Martin pulls off an amazing 60s rock band, the Nasgul, in print which is impressive and gives the book its main strength. If they hadn't worked, if the lyrics hadn't been great (with an assist from W.B. Yeats) this book would have sucked.
In the end I felt like the author was too insistent on giving his characters a happy ending - which is a bizzarre thing to acuse the author of A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE of - the dude was a softie!
[Oh, he also feels it necessary, at the very, very end of the book, to backfill the villian's life history, to explain him or her away with trauma which felt very, very weak. Perhaps it was to pop the bubble of mystery and mysticism that had come before, but it felt strangely disrespectful - a dismissal rather than an exploration.]
kathodus's review against another edition
3.0
I've been reading Martin's "A Song of Fire and Ice" series, and decided to check out his earlier material, as I've heard it's more interesting. I love the Fire and Ice series, partly because it's such a quick and dirty read.
"Armageddon Rag" is a bit slow moving, and not the most convincing rock 'n roll narrative, but it's still decent.
"Armageddon Rag" is a bit slow moving, and not the most convincing rock 'n roll narrative, but it's still decent.