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birdwrong's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book definitely subverted my expectations built up in the first half. I thought that the mystery was all going to just be something the protagonist had imagined!
In the end it was a pretty harrowing study into how a person can fall to their paranoia and obsessions.
I went into reading this book almost 100% blind, so I wasn't quite prepared for how seriously dark the story gets. But I enjoyed the general tone of the writing and pacing. There's something about the protagonist's devotion to his work above all else that reminded me a bit of 'The Remains of the Day's, which I enjoyed very much.
In the end it was a pretty harrowing study into how a person can fall to their paranoia and obsessions.
I went into reading this book almost 100% blind, so I wasn't quite prepared for how seriously dark the story gets. But I enjoyed the general tone of the writing and pacing. There's something about the protagonist's devotion to his work above all else that reminded me a bit of 'The Remains of the Day's, which I enjoyed very much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Violence
sarah984's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book was an interesting character study of an utterly boring middle management type who becomes obsessed with the circumstances of his wife's sudden death that occurred while he was away on a business trip.
The first half has the man spiralling into an obsession with the minutiae of events involved and coming up with this convoluted explanation for her death. This look into his psyche was fascinating but then it turned out thathe was 100% correct, which was kind of silly.
The second half kicks off when the man uses this info and makes an impulsive mistake. This part was fun, kind of read like the aftermath in Strangers on a Train, and the actual ending was great.
The first half has the man spiralling into an obsession with the minutiae of events involved and coming up with this convoluted explanation for her death. This look into his psyche was fascinating but then it turned out that
The second half kicks off when the man uses this info and makes an impulsive mistake. This part was fun, kind of read like the aftermath in Strangers on a Train, and the actual ending was great.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Blood, Gore, Infidelity, Medical content, Misogyny, Stalking, and Violence
Minor: Chronic illness, Terminal illness, and Suicide
Descriptions of earthquakes
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