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tch0's review against another edition
Just didn't hold my interest. Stated strong enough, but waned greatly. By the greyhounds, it felt like a chore.
freckleduck's review against another edition
1.0
Too gruff and grotesque for my interest. Interesting storyline but I did not like the style of writing and the length of the chapters. I also felt like aside from one or two nice quotes this book was not for me.
sofiamarielg's review against another edition
4.0
Craig Davidson just does not disappoint. Many moments in this novel echoed the inventive, disgustingly realistic descriptions and metaphors he employed in [b:Rust and Bone: Stories|87015|Rust and Bone Stories|Craig Davidson|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1355086108s/87015.jpg|83988], to great effect. Davidson has proved himself a master at creating unabashedly violent and gritty scenes, plucking the reader from their seat and placing them in the midst of the action, right behind the character's eyes. Want to know what it'd be like to shatter all the bones in your hand, or to nearly starve to death in the Canadian not-quite-wilderness? Just pick up one of Davidson's books.
Although the novel ostensibly follows the lives of its two male protagonists as they face the three central conflicts (man vs. self, man vs. man, man vs. nature), Niagara Falls plays a substantial role, becoming a larger, ambiguous third character. Davidson portrays the city as grimy, hopeless, churning out as many lowlifes as it does cookies and baked goods at the factory where all of its residents seem to work. For the protagonists, the city is the cause of their problems, but it is also familiar and warm, and it ultimately has a Stockholm syndrome hold on them. It is fascinating to see the protagonists' lives unfold with them being fully aware of this, down to where they'd be able to provide specific details of their lives in 10, 20 years were they to succumb to the city's grasp.
What Cataract City has, in addition to its probing into larger, universal human issues, is a really great story. The narrative weaves the past and present seamlessly, juggling between the protagonists' points of view in order to paint a full picture. It has a ton of action, plenty of heartbreak, and also small, fleeting moments of hopefulness. It feels spontaneous, but upon completion, the underlying unity to the work makes itself known.
It's basically a dark, twisted, very "human" story with just enough graphic gory flashes to make it a page-turner. (So it's definitely not a beach read. Unless you take your relaxation time with a handful of heart-stopping literature.)
Although the novel ostensibly follows the lives of its two male protagonists as they face the three central conflicts (man vs. self, man vs. man, man vs. nature), Niagara Falls plays a substantial role, becoming a larger, ambiguous third character. Davidson portrays the city as grimy, hopeless, churning out as many lowlifes as it does cookies and baked goods at the factory where all of its residents seem to work. For the protagonists, the city is the cause of their problems, but it is also familiar and warm, and it ultimately has a Stockholm syndrome hold on them. It is fascinating to see the protagonists' lives unfold with them being fully aware of this, down to where they'd be able to provide specific details of their lives in 10, 20 years were they to succumb to the city's grasp.
What Cataract City has, in addition to its probing into larger, universal human issues, is a really great story. The narrative weaves the past and present seamlessly, juggling between the protagonists' points of view in order to paint a full picture. It has a ton of action, plenty of heartbreak, and also small, fleeting moments of hopefulness. It feels spontaneous, but upon completion, the underlying unity to the work makes itself known.
It's basically a dark, twisted, very "human" story with just enough graphic gory flashes to make it a page-turner. (So it's definitely not a beach read. Unless you take your relaxation time with a handful of heart-stopping literature.)
peyton_'s review against another edition
2.0
This book has no plot, thus no conclusion and no pull. It is all about suffering and sorrows that the characters experience. The writing drags on and is very slow. I read to escape reality, but reading this I just wanted to escape the book.
eososray's review against another edition
1.0
I made it about 50% into this book but could not get interested. A story about prison, biscuits, a wrestler, getting lost and racing dogs; it was confused and strange and I was bored. So I quit.
bunnieslikediamonds's review against another edition
5.0
I think it's safe to cross out Niagara Falls from your travel wish list. It appears to be a dreary hellhole where nothing good ever happens, if Craig Davidson's novel is any indication. Unless you're a super outdoorsy type and really into greyhound racing, illegal dog fights and boxing, you have no business there. The men are mean and the dogs do not cuddle. Smelling of cookies is not a good thing in this book.
Technically I guess it's correct to describe this as grim and gritty, as some blurbs do, but that's not exactly how I think about it. Yes, it's brutal and dark, but it's so much more than that. The writing is stunning. A critic called it "a punch to the chin", which made me think it might be the kind of writing people used to call "muscular", which is a creepy way to describe prose and makes me think of oily body builders getting stabby with a pen, but it wasn't. It was just beautiful and thoughtful and breathtaking. I had to read it in two sittings because I couldn't stop, not on account of the suspense but because the words just wouldn't stop coming at me. Enchanted, I was. How on earth did this not win the Giller prize?
Technically I guess it's correct to describe this as grim and gritty, as some blurbs do, but that's not exactly how I think about it. Yes, it's brutal and dark, but it's so much more than that. The writing is stunning. A critic called it "a punch to the chin", which made me think it might be the kind of writing people used to call "muscular", which is a creepy way to describe prose and makes me think of oily body builders getting stabby with a pen, but it wasn't. It was just beautiful and thoughtful and breathtaking. I had to read it in two sittings because I couldn't stop, not on account of the suspense but because the words just wouldn't stop coming at me. Enchanted, I was. How on earth did this not win the Giller prize?
edud5's review against another edition
4.0
This was chosen by our local library as the book to read this year; I enjoyed it. Wonderful, lively connections to so many arenas - amateur fighting, being a kid on your own, dog racing, and urgh! just needing to get out of this town. Uses plot well, an easy read. I found the specific textual references to "Cataract City" within the book a little heavy handed; although the city figures prominently in the story, it stands alone well and doesn't require the explanation. It wasn't too regional, which I had worried a bit about initially.
mkaminski34's review against another edition
4.0
Beautifully written if slightly flawed. I was not expecting all of the directions this book went in after going into it expecting a straightforward coming of age story. Highly recommended and I can’t wait to dive into this author’s other works
sjj169's review against another edition
4.0
[a:Craig Davidson|49903|Craig Davidson|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1300783703p2/49903.jpg] aka [a:Nick Cutter|6984661|Nick Cutter|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1373913431p2/6984661.jpg] makes me wonder why he changed to writing horror after reading this book. It's honestly the best of his books that I've read.
Don't get me wrong though, it's one of those dark, head in the oven books. Two friends named Owen and Duncan are the two main characters in this book, and Davidson makes you care about both these characters.
They share a bond that developed when they both ended up stranded in the woods and have to survive with the help of each other. (Never trust a wrestler)
I thought that bond would carry them through life, but life happens. They grow apart as Owen has a chance at being a star on the basketball court and Duncan tries to make it out of the life sucking Bisk (cookie factory) future.
Then they both end up wanting the same girl.
Ed had some hellion in her, too, a wildness that reminded me of comic book vixens" Red Sonja, the Black Widow. Her long, dark hair fell straight down and when the sun hit it right, it shone like a curved mirror.
It's not a love triangle book so don't get your panties in a wad. It's about as far from it as you can get.
The two boys do come back together later on in the story as Duncan finds two greyhounds in a garbage dumpster.
There is dog racing, bare knuckle fighting and just grimness in this book. The boys end up on the different sides of the law and a test to their friendship.
You can't hate your best friend for taking the opportunities he'd been given. That would be the worst sort of hate, wouldn't it? Because it would mean you hate yourself, too.
You have to understand this: Cataract City is possessive. The city has a steel-trap memory, and it holds a grudge.
Don't get me wrong though, it's one of those dark, head in the oven books. Two friends named Owen and Duncan are the two main characters in this book, and Davidson makes you care about both these characters.
They share a bond that developed when they both ended up stranded in the woods and have to survive with the help of each other. (Never trust a wrestler)
I thought that bond would carry them through life, but life happens. They grow apart as Owen has a chance at being a star on the basketball court and Duncan tries to make it out of the life sucking Bisk (cookie factory) future.
Then they both end up wanting the same girl.
Ed had some hellion in her, too, a wildness that reminded me of comic book vixens" Red Sonja, the Black Widow. Her long, dark hair fell straight down and when the sun hit it right, it shone like a curved mirror.
It's not a love triangle book so don't get your panties in a wad. It's about as far from it as you can get.
The two boys do come back together later on in the story as Duncan finds two greyhounds in a garbage dumpster.
There is dog racing, bare knuckle fighting and just grimness in this book. The boys end up on the different sides of the law and a test to their friendship.
You can't hate your best friend for taking the opportunities he'd been given. That would be the worst sort of hate, wouldn't it? Because it would mean you hate yourself, too.
You have to understand this: Cataract City is possessive. The city has a steel-trap memory, and it holds a grudge.