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jackievr's review
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
patchworkbunny's review against another edition
4.0
Written by 36 different authors, it is not, as you may be thinking, a collection of short stories but a surprisingly coherent novel written live on stage!
Yes you read that right. Hotel Angeline: A Novel In 36 Voices is the product of The Novel: Live! Each writer wrote a chapter in two hours and the whole novel was completed in just six days! Now I'll forgive you for thinking, that's great entertainment but surely the book is a bit hit and miss? No, no, no. It turned out a wonderful story about a girl called Alexis who has an absent mother and is trying to keep a residence hotel running whilst there's a terrorist plot afoot and a body in the basement.
There are of course changes in style but, with a handful of exceptions, you can barely notice the changes unless you're looking for them. I was too absorbed in the plot which is how it should be. I may be tempted to go back through the chapters and match up the writers at a later date. I'm not familiar with the majority of them but this book will definitely make me look out for their work.
It's a bittersweet, sometimes darkly comic, charming, coming of age story and I had a teary-eyed moment towards the end.
Yes you read that right. Hotel Angeline: A Novel In 36 Voices is the product of The Novel: Live! Each writer wrote a chapter in two hours and the whole novel was completed in just six days! Now I'll forgive you for thinking, that's great entertainment but surely the book is a bit hit and miss? No, no, no. It turned out a wonderful story about a girl called Alexis who has an absent mother and is trying to keep a residence hotel running whilst there's a terrorist plot afoot and a body in the basement.
There are of course changes in style but, with a handful of exceptions, you can barely notice the changes unless you're looking for them. I was too absorbed in the plot which is how it should be. I may be tempted to go back through the chapters and match up the writers at a later date. I'm not familiar with the majority of them but this book will definitely make me look out for their work.
It's a bittersweet, sometimes darkly comic, charming, coming of age story and I had a teary-eyed moment towards the end.
judyward's review against another edition
4.0
I would give this novel a five for concept and a three for story--hence the four rating. The concept of the novel is pure genius. As part of The Novel: Live! project, this novel was written in six days, with 36 authors writing for two hours each, for 12 hours a day. Did I mention that each author wrote on stage with an audience and the project was being recorded and beamed out on the Web? There was also a chat room function and the project was used to raise money for a variety of causes. Before each author went on stage for their two hours, they had a chance to read what had already been written and consult with an editor. Prior to the project, there had been an editorial committee composed of Elizabeth George, Robert Dugoni, Jennie Shortridge, Maria Semple, and Garth Stein who brainstormed the idea for the novel and outlined a basic plot. Then it was showtime. The Hotel Angeline is a decaying hotel (formerly a mortuary) that houses a colorful cast of residents to say the least. There is an aging counter-culture hippie who has adopted a crow, a peg-legged woman, Deaf Donald, etc. And overseeing this community is 14 year old Alexis Austin who serves the afternoon tea, fixes the plumbing, and tries to deal with the myriad problems plaguing the hotel. And where is her mother? She hasn't been seen for days? And how will the hotel stay afloat? Each author writes in their own voice which makes the experience of reading the novel even more unique. I read the book, then went back to see who had written each chapter. A singular reading experience that paid off in the end.
shrutigeorge's review
2.0
Disjointed - the threads of the book started, went nowhere and then got muddled up. Some tripped the next author up.
Pity. There was so much promise here and it was all wasted. I wonder if Peter Clines' 14 would not have been a better fit for a story of this kind (a sentient building, i.e.)
Pity. There was so much promise here and it was all wasted. I wonder if Peter Clines' 14 would not have been a better fit for a story of this kind (a sentient building, i.e.)
margaretann84's review against another edition
3.0
There's a lot of suspension of disbelief that goes into this book. It had its moments (mostly when the best authors took over). As a writing experiment, I think it's really neat. The story itself didn't grab me, and I didn't really care about the characters. However, it's far from the worst I've read, and there were definitely some good chapters and authors.
librarianguish's review
1.0
Well... this book was a bit of a disappointment. It felt disjointed, which I suppose is expected when you have 36 different people writing the book. But the constant referrals to Seattle landmarks and history felt contrived, and there just wasn't enough depth to enough of the characters. I didn't feel very sympathetic, nor did I ultimately care what happened to them.
Couldn't finish it, had to move on.
Couldn't finish it, had to move on.
3dotsforme's review against another edition
2.0
Recommended by a book club member. Any interesting concept as it was written over a week by 36 authors each taking a chapter under their wings.
Not the most compelling story but all the loose ends were tied up nicely by the time the novel was done.
Not the most compelling story but all the loose ends were tied up nicely by the time the novel was done.