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morganjanedavis's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not going to include a synopsis with this one because I feel like the immersive experience that is Toplin is better to blindly jump into.
This was by far the strangest thing I've ever read (maybe ever BUT) by McDowell. The nameless narrator's paranoia made me uneasy to the point to where I had to read this ~20-40 pages at a time and then take a break. The way McDowell lets you peer into his mind is fun but his thought processes make me....truly terrified to coexist with strangers in the world. The gang aspect and the (kooky???) characters like Annie and Howard were what kept the book truly interesting to me but, I wish that there was more going on plot-wise throughout, as most of the events didn't take place until the last 10 pages. Living inside the narrator's mind and going through his day-to-day ritualistic activities began to become monotonous after a while BUT I did like that the monotony was always shaken up with some "what in the actual fuck is this guy thinking/doing?!" *spice* added in. This made me feel like I do after looking at those creepy backrooms pictures, looking at anything that's pale yellow for too long, and gave me major The Number 23 w/ Jim Carrey vibes. O D D.
This was by far the strangest thing I've ever read (maybe ever BUT) by McDowell. The nameless narrator's paranoia made me uneasy to the point to where I had to read this ~20-40 pages at a time and then take a break. The way McDowell lets you peer into his mind is fun but his thought processes make me....truly terrified to coexist with strangers in the world. The gang aspect and the (kooky???) characters like Annie and Howard were what kept the book truly interesting to me but, I wish that there was more going on plot-wise throughout, as most of the events didn't take place until the last 10 pages. Living inside the narrator's mind and going through his day-to-day ritualistic activities began to become monotonous after a while BUT I did like that the monotony was always shaken up with some "what in the actual fuck is this guy thinking/doing?!" *spice* added in. This made me feel like I do after looking at those creepy backrooms pictures, looking at anything that's pale yellow for too long, and gave me major The Number 23 w/ Jim Carrey vibes. O D D.
verkisto's review against another edition
4.0
Toplin is not a horror novel. It elicits a wide swath of emotions -- sadness, pity, disgust, and despair, to name a few -- but it doesn't quite horrify. It's dark, but to call it horror suggests it's something it's not. Horror is a genre for people who like to embrace the darkness; Toplin is for the kinds of readers who like to confront it.
The book is a look into the mind of a deranged man where nothing can be taken at face value. He's the most unreliable narrator, convinced of his own perfection in a story where everything is wrong. We follow his manias for a few days when his perfectly ordered world is thrown into disarray, all thanks to a simple sign in a store window.
Toplin is a book that can't be trusted. It's weird and surreal, a result of insanity that barely touches on reality. Its imagery is disturbing and disquieting, its conclusions vague and inconclusive. It succeeds at what it wants to do, which is take us into a disordered mind, and its intimacy brings us closer to the darkness that most of us would like. It reminds me somewhat of American Psycho, especially in the attention to and obsession with detail our narrator brings to the story.
McDowell has done something noteworthy with Toplin, and those who can stomach the ride and follow the twists and turns of its narrator will find an unusual but effective story. It doesn't attempt to reassure the reader, nor does it provide a simple way for readers to decipher what's real and what's not. This is a book for readers who like a challenge, and for readers who want to stare into the darkness without flinching.
The book is a look into the mind of a deranged man where nothing can be taken at face value. He's the most unreliable narrator, convinced of his own perfection in a story where everything is wrong. We follow his manias for a few days when his perfectly ordered world is thrown into disarray, all thanks to a simple sign in a store window.
Toplin is a book that can't be trusted. It's weird and surreal, a result of insanity that barely touches on reality. Its imagery is disturbing and disquieting, its conclusions vague and inconclusive. It succeeds at what it wants to do, which is take us into a disordered mind, and its intimacy brings us closer to the darkness that most of us would like. It reminds me somewhat of American Psycho, especially in the attention to and obsession with detail our narrator brings to the story.
McDowell has done something noteworthy with Toplin, and those who can stomach the ride and follow the twists and turns of its narrator will find an unusual but effective story. It doesn't attempt to reassure the reader, nor does it provide a simple way for readers to decipher what's real and what's not. This is a book for readers who like a challenge, and for readers who want to stare into the darkness without flinching.
shopgirl's review
1.0
Relentlessly repulsive. That's the point of it but maybe sometimes art shouldn't have a point.
charshorrorcorner's review
5.0
Toplin is weird. I enjoyed it, a lot, in fact-but I'll be damned if I can put my finger on why.
Part of the reason, for sure, is because it's different. Yes, there is an unreliable narrator but he's so far away from the usual unreliable narrator, they're not even in the same ball park. There is a sense I had while reading of being off balance, of not quite "getting it"; I'm sure it was done on purpose and I enjoyed that feeling. There was also a terrible sense of bleakness and isolation-they were both almost suffocating, yet I couldn't tear myself away.
After having read this, I think I know why there isn't a lot written about this story. It's hard to get across how it made me feel and why I liked it. It's certainly not for everyone and it's not your average, every day horror story either. In a way, I question whether it's even a horror story at all. It's certainly horrific at times, but is that enough to make it "horror"? I often felt bad for a lot of the characters and then I wondered if I was supposed to feel bad for them? Am I supposed to be ashamed of or for them? Should I feel afraid of them or do I pity them? Is this guy mentally ill or is he a fucking psycho? Or both?
If anything, this book makes you come to terms with how YOU are feeling and if you're comfortable feeling it. And that right there-a book that makes you examine yourself and your feelings, usually rates pretty high in MY book, and this one is no exception.
*I received an ecopy of Toplin from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This is it.*
Part of the reason, for sure, is because it's different. Yes, there is an unreliable narrator but he's so far away from the usual unreliable narrator, they're not even in the same ball park. There is a sense I had while reading of being off balance, of not quite "getting it"; I'm sure it was done on purpose and I enjoyed that feeling. There was also a terrible sense of bleakness and isolation-they were both almost suffocating, yet I couldn't tear myself away.
After having read this, I think I know why there isn't a lot written about this story. It's hard to get across how it made me feel and why I liked it. It's certainly not for everyone and it's not your average, every day horror story either. In a way, I question whether it's even a horror story at all. It's certainly horrific at times, but is that enough to make it "horror"? I often felt bad for a lot of the characters and then I wondered if I was supposed to feel bad for them? Am I supposed to be ashamed of or for them? Should I feel afraid of them or do I pity them? Is this guy mentally ill or is he a fucking psycho? Or both?
If anything, this book makes you come to terms with how YOU are feeling and if you're comfortable feeling it. And that right there-a book that makes you examine yourself and your feelings, usually rates pretty high in MY book, and this one is no exception.
*I received an ecopy of Toplin from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This is it.*
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