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mattwiley's review against another edition
3.0
Definitely a good read. But it felt guilty of a lot of the pretentiousness it tried to occasionally put down. Equal parts creepy, horrifying, and funny, but a little too existential for my tastes. A cosmic, body horror that felt a little like a therapy session.
aglaia0001's review against another edition
1.0
I very rarely give one-star book ratings, and I’m surprised I am to this book. The Cipher (or The Funhole) by Kathe Koja was a book I fully expected to enjoy. As an award winning novel and with content that sounded both edgy and thoughtful, this seemed like a near perfect match for me. Unfortunately, I found myself bogged down in characters that, aside from being only vaguely likable, really seemed more like caricatures of extremes. Nicholas, the main character and narrator, is ostensibly an Everyman navigating the monotony of his daily work and his one-sided and destructive love for his sometimes-girlfriend, Nakota. Nakota is the poster girl for a self-hating, self-destructive addict who will do anything and destroy anyone for her next fix. They are joined by a small cast of other characters including inflated artists and intellectual-wannabe groupies. The only reasonable characters are Randy, a tow truck driver with aspirations of artistic greatness, and his girlfriend Vanese who stands in as the nurturer.
These characters converge on a strange phenomenon in Nicholas’s apartment building that marks Nicholas with an ever-growing hole in his hand. Slowly, this hole dominates his life and thoughts as events spiral into destructive encounters. Nakota sees the “funhole” as a metamorphosis, an opportunity to be transformed. And indeed, by halfway through this book, I really felt like I was reading a modern retelling of Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis.”
Ultimately, I found myself skimming portions of this book. While I appreciate the effort to comment on the dangers of all-consuming love (a risk that includes destroying the beloved even) and of self-alienation in the pursuit of living, I found little new or challenging in the book despite its overall “edginess” in tone (with crude behaviors described in blunt terms, demystification of sex, and general griminess of setting). Perhaps at its publication in the late 80s when fears of postmodernism and deconstruction were firmly taking hold, this novel would have had more impact. Unfortunately, for me, in 2022, I just did not find it terribly insightful.
These characters converge on a strange phenomenon in Nicholas’s apartment building that marks Nicholas with an ever-growing hole in his hand. Slowly, this hole dominates his life and thoughts as events spiral into destructive encounters. Nakota sees the “funhole” as a metamorphosis, an opportunity to be transformed. And indeed, by halfway through this book, I really felt like I was reading a modern retelling of Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis.”
Ultimately, I found myself skimming portions of this book. While I appreciate the effort to comment on the dangers of all-consuming love (a risk that includes destroying the beloved even) and of self-alienation in the pursuit of living, I found little new or challenging in the book despite its overall “edginess” in tone (with crude behaviors described in blunt terms, demystification of sex, and general griminess of setting). Perhaps at its publication in the late 80s when fears of postmodernism and deconstruction were firmly taking hold, this novel would have had more impact. Unfortunately, for me, in 2022, I just did not find it terribly insightful.
brian_garbage's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
marypickfords's review against another edition
5.0
"What if somehow I'm crawling blind and headfirst into my own sick heart, the void made manifest and disguised as hellhole, to roil in the aching stink of my own emptiness forever?"
adammaid's review against another edition
4.0
Cronenberg-level body horror + drunken Gen X art trash + dark cosmic mystery = some pretty great reading
adamsfall's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to love this classic cult novel of horror so so much, but it just didn’t land for me. It’s another case of an incredible premise, a fantastic 40 pages, and then the idea just fizzles our slowly along the way. A cast of increasingly annoying characters are introduced and the deeper part of Nicholas and Nakota’s relationship takes a backseat; overall I just was left wanting more. The writing was fantastic and disorienting. Well worth the read.
fruitcd's review against another edition
4.0
Literally the nastiest book I’ve ever read. There’s so many fluids in this novel!!!!
mboyette252's review against another edition
5.0
What a ride this book was. The tension stays constant and keeps the reader intrigued with what will happen next. I loved every part of this book and look forward to a reread in the future.