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kayzie7's review against another edition
1.0
Strange and interesting novel but I became sick of the way he talks about women.
jmoses's review against another edition
3.0
At the beginning of this, I was all like "what is going on". Towards the middle, "what the hell is going on?". At the end "what the actual fuck just happened?!?"
It was not boring. It was not slow. It was not like any other book I've read in recent memory.
I still have no idea how it ended. And yes, I finished it.
It was not boring. It was not slow. It was not like any other book I've read in recent memory.
I still have no idea how it ended. And yes, I finished it.
mc_j_ho's review
5.0
A delightful read. Refreshingly unfamiliar, hilariously witty in parts, exotic, absurd. I must say I am becoming rather a fan of Suddain. Top stuff 5/5.
bumbledragonb's review against another edition
4.0
This book started out great and would have been a 5-star book for me if the focus had remained on the main character being a restaurant reviewer in space/the future. It had some truly great bits, filled with cynicism, weirdness and humour. The author is clearly a talented and imaginative writer.
However, the rest of the book became something completely different (after the boat incident). It becomes something more action oriented and full of tropes. I believe this part does go on for too long and wasn't as funny or enjoyable as the first bit, but it was still well written.
There are a few questionable rants about a man who wears dresses and the character seems not to know or care that being transgender is not the same thing as doing drag. And I still do not understand why the character makes such a big deal about man in drag in the far future where multiple universes/galaxies have been discovered...and why this is present in the book at all.
In any case, there are some excellent parts but it is ultimately weighed down by the latter half. If this was a restaurant review I would give the starter a 10 out of 10. It was truly utterly delicious, but it all goes downhill from there and I really did not enjoy the soggy, bland dessert.
However, the rest of the book became something completely different (after the boat incident). It becomes something more action oriented and full of tropes. I believe this part does go on for too long and wasn't as funny or enjoyable as the first bit, but it was still well written.
There are a few questionable rants about a man who wears dresses and the character seems not to know or care that being transgender is not the same thing as doing drag. And I still do not understand why the character makes such a big deal about man in drag in the far future where multiple universes/galaxies have been discovered...and why this is present in the book at all.
In any case, there are some excellent parts but it is ultimately weighed down by the latter half. If this was a restaurant review I would give the starter a 10 out of 10. It was truly utterly delicious, but it all goes downhill from there and I really did not enjoy the soggy, bland dessert.
micahhortonhallett's review against another edition
4.0
The back cover blurb on this book compares the Author to "Douglas Adams channeling William Burroughs channeling Ionesco, spiced with the comic brio of Vonnegut." Absolutely true, but they left out Clive Barker and Possibly P.G Wodehouse. Glorious insanity. Cannot wait to see what comes out of this guy's brain next.
rocketiza's review
5.0
An unexpected bag of insanity that never let up in how much fun it was having.
twinklinglights's review against another edition
3.0
Weird, but not my kind of weird. Reminded me of reading Phillip K Dick or Vonnegut, both authors I love, but more tedious. Maybe it was because the main character is an asshole who doesn't care that he puts others in danger, and I don't do well with characters like that. Or maybe it was that I kept reading on hoping that the bizarreness would all amount to something bigger, but it didn't.
ashleylm's review against another edition
2.0
Not for me. It's obviously been enjoyed (nay loved) by many, but for me this was a slog. The author played fair, though: I knew it would be a slog from the first page.
Books generally fall into these categories, right away:
1. I think I'm going to like it.
2. I think I'm going to love it.
3. I'm not sure, but it's interesting enought to keep going and see. (These are deadly: sometimes they pay off, e.g. Titus Groan, but so often you find yourself on page 211 of a book you don't like, but which was interesting enough, asking yourself "why am I still reading this? I don't like it.")
4. I'm pretty sure I won't like this, but there's something about it that makes me want to look a read further to be sure.
5. I know I won't like it, and it's just a question of degree: will it be vaguely annoying throughout, or actively horrible?
Hunters & Collectors landed in cateogry 5 almost right away. Cryptic, out-of-context descriptions, no clear establishment of time/place/setting/character, fragments of writing, and vastly overwritten (some would think 'arty,' but compared to Catherynne M. Valente, who also overwrites (and who I like), this was not my cup of tea.
I tend not to bail on cateogry 3 until it's too late (it either turns into something I like, or it continues to not be good in an interesting enough way). Category 4 books might get two or three chapters' worth of reading before I put them away for good. But Category 5, I love, because as soon as I realise I really won't like it (either a little, or a lot, but it's for sure in the negative side of the equation), as soon as I know that, I can stop. Phew! And move on to something more appealing, in this case Kate Atkinson's A God in Ruins—thought I should say presumably more appealing, because I haven't started yet.
Can't quite give 1 star because while this wasn't for me, it doesn't reek of ineptness or such. I just don't like this style of writing. So bonus point for proper grammar and suchlike, but yes, it certainly disappointed me.
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful.)
Books generally fall into these categories, right away:
1. I think I'm going to like it.
2. I think I'm going to love it.
3. I'm not sure, but it's interesting enought to keep going and see. (These are deadly: sometimes they pay off, e.g. Titus Groan, but so often you find yourself on page 211 of a book you don't like, but which was interesting enough, asking yourself "why am I still reading this? I don't like it.")
4. I'm pretty sure I won't like this, but there's something about it that makes me want to look a read further to be sure.
5. I know I won't like it, and it's just a question of degree: will it be vaguely annoying throughout, or actively horrible?
Hunters & Collectors landed in cateogry 5 almost right away. Cryptic, out-of-context descriptions, no clear establishment of time/place/setting/character, fragments of writing, and vastly overwritten (some would think 'arty,' but compared to Catherynne M. Valente, who also overwrites (and who I like), this was not my cup of tea.
I tend not to bail on cateogry 3 until it's too late (it either turns into something I like, or it continues to not be good in an interesting enough way). Category 4 books might get two or three chapters' worth of reading before I put them away for good. But Category 5, I love, because as soon as I realise I really won't like it (either a little, or a lot, but it's for sure in the negative side of the equation), as soon as I know that, I can stop. Phew! And move on to something more appealing, in this case Kate Atkinson's A God in Ruins—thought I should say presumably more appealing, because I haven't started yet.
Can't quite give 1 star because while this wasn't for me, it doesn't reek of ineptness or such. I just don't like this style of writing. So bonus point for proper grammar and suchlike, but yes, it certainly disappointed me.
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful.)
williamstome's review against another edition
4.0
A great book, but the pacing felt really unbalanced.