Reviews

Termush by Sven Holm

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charreadsalot's review against another edition

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3.0

The whole question of human morality in 100 pages

dingakaa's review against another edition

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dark emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

This book was a recommendation and so I was excited to be taken out of my comfort zone and into a genre I would never sample on my own.

Unfortunately, the foreword by Jeff Vandermeer does a disservice by fawning over detail, sophistication, and intrigue that just aren't there. I was ready for subtle social commentary given Holm's history as a writer; what I got was writing that was instead over-simplified and bland. The reliance on contrasting the wealthy Termush guests from "strangers" was overwrought. It was akin to painting "Capitalism is bad" on the side of a truck; true enough but without artistry.

I expected a Lovecraftian reckoning with the "invisible horrors" of a nuclear disaster (albeit, without the racism). Unfortunately, there is no plot and so the inexorable advance of doom didn't seize me emotionally. Users of StoryGraph will know they are asked to assess whether each read is based on plot, character development, or both. "Termush" ticks none of those boxes; it is about an idea, and that idea is so poorly developed that I'm not sure what I came away with after finishing this book.

Even allowing for atrophy due to translation, or an under-appreciation of linguistic norms of the day, the prose lacks strength. I admire the attempt by FSG with this one, but they missed the mark.

kpcrossy's review against another edition

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3.0

3/5 ⭐️: subtle and slow moving. I liked the concept - a post-apocalyptic hotel for rich survivors of a nuclear disaster. Despite being a small book, the plot drags a little, and the ending felt abrupt and unsatisfying. Very subtle (too subtle?) for a dystopian novella.