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joeygirl1030's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Murder
thereadingiris's review against another edition
2.0
3,5/5 - Bonne lecture, mais l’écriture parfois ironique de l’auteur est un peu dérangeante. Les faits souvent barbares sont décrits de manière « romancée » et il y a un manque d’aspect psychologique des personnages.
jaimebav's review against another edition
4.0
I'm really not sure how to rate this one because I'm not completely sure how I felt about it. First of all, it took me months to get through it (it was my go-to when getting my nails done or having to wait somewhere, but not part of my normal reading lineup).
And the first 3rd and last 3rd were good and kept me engage, but the middle felt very flat, almost boring.
But it's sort of a classic, and dark and creepy enough for my liking =) So I gave it a shot.
I think I'd recommend it to others, but again, my thoughts seem so fuzzy to me regarding my full feelings towards it.
Sorry - I know, not much help lol
And the first 3rd and last 3rd were good and kept me engage, but the middle felt very flat, almost boring.
But it's sort of a classic, and dark and creepy enough for my liking =) So I gave it a shot.
I think I'd recommend it to others, but again, my thoughts seem so fuzzy to me regarding my full feelings towards it.
Sorry - I know, not much help lol
hiyomage's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
hattiereadssomanybooks_x's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
tardigrade_in_retrograde's review against another edition
4.0
So well written, as expected from Jack Vance. But the subject and antagonist were SO awful I almost couldn’t finish it. Don’t read if you don’t have a strong stomach or have r*pe triggers.
the_bookubus's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
Teenager Ronald is an outcast and spends much of his time creating fantasy worlds rather than studying to become a doctor as his mother wishes. After confessing his involvement in a crime to his doting mother she puts a plan into motion to make sure the police don’t find him.
The writing is very easy to get into and there is a dark and wry humour to parts of the story that worked well. There are some dark and disturbing elements but nothing too graphic. I felt that the story was a bit too drawn out and repetitive for me to enjoy it any more than I did but I’m still glad I read it and I liked the way it ended.
Teenager Ronald is an outcast and spends much of his time creating fantasy worlds rather than studying to become a doctor as his mother wishes. After confessing his involvement in a crime to his doting mother she puts a plan into motion to make sure the police don’t find him.
The writing is very easy to get into and there is a dark and wry humour to parts of the story that worked well. There are some dark and disturbing elements but nothing too graphic. I felt that the story was a bit too drawn out and repetitive for me to enjoy it any more than I did but I’m still glad I read it and I liked the way it ended.
snood's review against another edition
4.0
This is a hard one to review because it's a very well-written and gripping novel, but I would never read it again and I can't imagine myself recommending it to anyone. It's similar to Nabokov's Lolita in that regard as well as in subject matter. Almost all of the story being told from the perspective of a sexual predator/murderer, especially one from Ronald's vantage point, makes for very unsettling reading and kind of makes me want to take a shower. It never gets to the point of feeling exploitative but if you're at all sensitive to this sort of material, I would recommend steering well clear of this.
readingwithadi's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
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