Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
Cómo buena Jalisquilla, en cuanto supe del nuevo libro de Guillermo del Toro lo tuve que tener, aunque iba con cautela por las malas calificaciones.
Creo que la idea es buena se nota la mano de Del Toro en los monstruos y los capítulos narrados por ellos, aunque son muy pocos y breves. Fue lo que más me gustó.
Sin embargo creo que le hizo falta pulirlo mucho más. Creo que es el 4 libro de ellos 2 en conjunto, sino fuera porque ya leí su trilogía anterior creería que este es su primer libro como dúo.
Otro punto a favor se lee en una sentada, ni sientes que son más de 300 páginas.
Creo que la idea es buena se nota la mano de Del Toro en los monstruos y los capítulos narrados por ellos, aunque son muy pocos y breves. Fue lo que más me gustó.
Sin embargo creo que le hizo falta pulirlo mucho más. Creo que es el 4 libro de ellos 2 en conjunto, sino fuera porque ya leí su trilogía anterior creería que este es su primer libro como dúo.
Otro punto a favor se lee en una sentada, ni sientes que son más de 300 páginas.
This is undoubtedly a 2-star book. It is also a fascinating read for just how many places it tries and fails, how many seams are on such full display. This is a bounding, bullheaded golden retriever of a book - Its heart is in the right place, it legitimately seems to want to present an anti-racist message while creating an iconic character while providing a satisfying horror experience while making a taut thriller. It fails on all counts, but it really tries!
Before any of its other flaws - This book was published in 2020. African diaspora religions, including the ones referred to in this book are not only extremely played out in horror, but information about them and about African diaspora experiences in the Americas since the Transatlantic slave trade began is so abundant and easily accessed that, if they are to be used at all in a horror setting, it really should be with more thought, consideration, and understanding than this book provides. The original Child's Play film has a more nuanced depiction of , for goodness sake!
What holds it back most is the simplicity of its prose - Simple prose can benefit a book, allowing the reader to inhabit the world more easily by making them as unaware as possible of the artifice of the writer. Here, though, the simplicity only calls attention to the artifice because these people all speak and think in ways which do not feel in the least bit real. Whether it is the main character who speaks as if she is terminally online circa 2010, the other main character who provides the lens for extremely simplified 1960s-era discussion of racism and civil rights, or the figure that this book so clearly wants to be iconic who falls into the trap of characters out of their own time who end up just sounding like a robotic encyclopaedia, absolutely no one speaks or is described in ways which allow the reader to settle into their points of view.
The book comes alive more in its brief chapters which veer fully into horror, though these will be too gory for many, and indeed the sudden shift into well-described brutality in a book which fails so significantly at so many of its other, more well-meaning goals left me with the feeling that it had not earned its brutality - It came across as nasty more than shocking.
And that really was the biggest surprise of the book. I have neglected to mention the authors thus far, but Chuck Hogan and Guillermo del Toro's TV series of The Strain is a horror masterpiece - Uncomplicated in plot, perhaps, but great at setting and maintaining tone, and with enough of GDT's brilliant imagination, direction, and control of colour and image to make up for any issues with writing. It is unfortunate that this incredible creative skill does not transpose to novel writing.
Before any of its other flaws - This book was published in 2020. African diaspora religions, including the ones referred to in this book
Spoiler
Voodoo, Hoodoo, and PaloSpoiler
VoodooWhat holds it back most is the simplicity of its prose - Simple prose can benefit a book, allowing the reader to inhabit the world more easily by making them as unaware as possible of the artifice of the writer. Here, though, the simplicity only calls attention to the artifice because these people all speak and think in ways which do not feel in the least bit real. Whether it is the main character who speaks as if she is terminally online circa 2010, the other main character who provides the lens for extremely simplified 1960s-era discussion of racism and civil rights, or the figure that this book so clearly wants to be iconic who falls into the trap of characters out of their own time who end up just sounding like a robotic encyclopaedia, absolutely no one speaks or is described in ways which allow the reader to settle into their points of view.
The book comes alive more in its brief chapters which veer fully into horror, though these will be too gory for many, and indeed the sudden shift into well-described brutality in a book which fails so significantly at so many of its other, more well-meaning goals left me with the feeling that it had not earned its brutality - It came across as nasty more than shocking.
And that really was the biggest surprise of the book. I have neglected to mention the authors thus far, but Chuck Hogan and Guillermo del Toro's TV series of The Strain is a horror masterpiece - Uncomplicated in plot, perhaps, but great at setting and maintaining tone, and with enough of GDT's brilliant imagination, direction, and control of colour and image to make up for any issues with writing. It is unfortunate that this incredible creative skill does not transpose to novel writing.
This book was mediocre, with the biggest problem being that it felt rushed and incomplete. There are three interwoven stories in this novel (Odessa, Solomon, and Hugo) and none of them particularly shine.
Solomon had the clearest narrative arc and what happens to him in the end is sad, but loses its punch because the story speeds past it so quickly. Odessa was fine, her motivations were pretty unclear to me throughout and really needed more exploration. Hugo Blackwood is a couple of tropes slapped together, but not very well, and overall was pretty boring imo.
This probably could have used another 100 pages to better cover the characters and worldbuilding. When you reach ending, it just falls flat. There’s no narrative tension at all.
Maybe this would translate better on film, but as a book it’s pretty ehhhh
Solomon had the clearest narrative arc and what happens to him in the end is sad, but loses its punch because the story speeds past it so quickly. Odessa was fine, her motivations were pretty unclear to me throughout and really needed more exploration. Hugo Blackwood is a couple of tropes slapped together, but not very well, and overall was pretty boring imo.
This probably could have used another 100 pages to better cover the characters and worldbuilding. When you reach ending, it just falls flat. There’s no narrative tension at all.
Maybe this would translate better on film, but as a book it’s pretty ehhhh
This book would make an awesome film. As something to read, however, I think it fell short. The actual "mystery" of what was happening sort of rang hollow and boring, the paranormal detective never really compelled me, and most of the characters seemed very flat. I appreciated some of the descriptive scenes but overall it was a bit of a slog to finish.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A funny aspect of writing about this partnership is how much I have thought about the fame and success of the team writing this book. Guillermo Del Toro is one of the greatest living filmmakers and thus I consider him to be one of the greatest living storytellers period. He is a great director but one thing I have really loved about GDT from my first introduction to him (Devil's Backbone) is that he is a serious writer. Writing is not just a step towards the movie he is a serious storyteller who takes writing seriously.
Chuck Hogan is no slouch a great writer who writes in a different genre, but wildly successful as well. Prince of Thieves is an incredible work of crime fiction. There is a misunderstanding by many that GDT hired Hogan to write these books. There is no doubt that this partnership does work that way. In the Strain trilogy, there were certain parts that felt more Hogan and GDT. As that trilogy went on the blending of voices got more seamless. That blending continues to get smoother.
The Strain trilogy is probably been a little overshadowed by the TV show based on it, but I much more prefer the novels. The show tried to follow the story but it extended the grey area between books one and two for too long and never reached the epic scope of the novels. It appears that this is the first book and I thought maybe the authors were using a similar set structure.
As book one of the Strain, The Hollow Ones is a mystery but unlike that book, I think more of the stage is set here. From the author note, we know that Hogan and GDT wanted to use the name of Hugo Blackwood as a tribute to the influential author Algernon Blackwood who is one of the authors who is considered to be an ingredient in the development of Lovecraft. This is a trick this team has used before when the master in the strain's name was a tip of the hate to PKD Eldritch Palmer.
The Hollow Ones follows a few characters, while our main point of view is Odessa Hardwicke. As the novel progresses a partnership develops with Hugo Blackwood who is not exactly eternal but he has lived a long life and we get flashbacks to the 16th century and the 1960s with Blackwood. From a narrative angle, it is important that we start with Odessa who like the reader is confused by the inciting incident of the book.
Her partner Walt Leppo who she knows as a good man suddenly snaps and Odessa is forced to shoot him in self-defense. The concept he is temporary insanity, what if there was a ghost or unseen monster that was lurking and causing all these incidents of mass murder that seem unexplainable?
I don't personally feel there is anything groundbreaking or mind-bendingly amazing here. This is a good and very solid dark fantasy/horror novel. The thing is this is a year of masterpieces. I am glad I read this, I think serious Guillermo Del Toro fans should read this. I just personally think this year has produced at least 5 horror novels already this year I would make a priority first.
If there is a weakness in this novel it is that Blackwood is a character that we just got a glimpse of. That seems to be on purpose. I assume in later books those details will get filled in. This novel does everything the story needs but I feel the crimes the Hollow Ones create needed more set-up and pay-off to give them more depth. The novel is perfectly 330 pages which are publishing standard these days but it felt this book needed a few more pages to add a little depth to the crimes.
Even though Guillermo Del Toro has won best director he has a mountain of unmade projects and I for one am super glad he is giving us novels as well as films. My only real sadness is that we don't get any of his concept art. You know he has done some. I am down for more Guillermo Del Toro novels with Chuck Hogan or on his own.
They clearly make a good team. I have lots of questions about how they write together and the process. Overall I liked this book. I think Guillermo Del Toro has shown in films like Shape of Water and Devil's Backbone that he can bring the emotional depth. The thing is he also made Pacific Rim as well. That is a movie I like, but it doesn't reach the level of awesomeness we know he is capable of. I like this book but suspect that book two will be more powerful. That is reason enough to read it.
Chuck Hogan is no slouch a great writer who writes in a different genre, but wildly successful as well. Prince of Thieves is an incredible work of crime fiction. There is a misunderstanding by many that GDT hired Hogan to write these books. There is no doubt that this partnership does work that way. In the Strain trilogy, there were certain parts that felt more Hogan and GDT. As that trilogy went on the blending of voices got more seamless. That blending continues to get smoother.
The Strain trilogy is probably been a little overshadowed by the TV show based on it, but I much more prefer the novels. The show tried to follow the story but it extended the grey area between books one and two for too long and never reached the epic scope of the novels. It appears that this is the first book and I thought maybe the authors were using a similar set structure.
As book one of the Strain, The Hollow Ones is a mystery but unlike that book, I think more of the stage is set here. From the author note, we know that Hogan and GDT wanted to use the name of Hugo Blackwood as a tribute to the influential author Algernon Blackwood who is one of the authors who is considered to be an ingredient in the development of Lovecraft. This is a trick this team has used before when the master in the strain's name was a tip of the hate to PKD Eldritch Palmer.
The Hollow Ones follows a few characters, while our main point of view is Odessa Hardwicke. As the novel progresses a partnership develops with Hugo Blackwood who is not exactly eternal but he has lived a long life and we get flashbacks to the 16th century and the 1960s with Blackwood. From a narrative angle, it is important that we start with Odessa who like the reader is confused by the inciting incident of the book.
Her partner Walt Leppo who she knows as a good man suddenly snaps and Odessa is forced to shoot him in self-defense. The concept he is temporary insanity, what if there was a ghost or unseen monster that was lurking and causing all these incidents of mass murder that seem unexplainable?
I don't personally feel there is anything groundbreaking or mind-bendingly amazing here. This is a good and very solid dark fantasy/horror novel. The thing is this is a year of masterpieces. I am glad I read this, I think serious Guillermo Del Toro fans should read this. I just personally think this year has produced at least 5 horror novels already this year I would make a priority first.
If there is a weakness in this novel it is that Blackwood is a character that we just got a glimpse of. That seems to be on purpose. I assume in later books those details will get filled in. This novel does everything the story needs but I feel the crimes the Hollow Ones create needed more set-up and pay-off to give them more depth. The novel is perfectly 330 pages which are publishing standard these days but it felt this book needed a few more pages to add a little depth to the crimes.
Even though Guillermo Del Toro has won best director he has a mountain of unmade projects and I for one am super glad he is giving us novels as well as films. My only real sadness is that we don't get any of his concept art. You know he has done some. I am down for more Guillermo Del Toro novels with Chuck Hogan or on his own.
They clearly make a good team. I have lots of questions about how they write together and the process. Overall I liked this book. I think Guillermo Del Toro has shown in films like Shape of Water and Devil's Backbone that he can bring the emotional depth. The thing is he also made Pacific Rim as well. That is a movie I like, but it doesn't reach the level of awesomeness we know he is capable of. I like this book but suspect that book two will be more powerful. That is reason enough to read it.
More of a mystery book than horror/thriller but still enjoyed the book
Thank you to Hachette Book Group for the ARC. I did enjoy this story but I have to say that it felt like it needed more fleshing out - I felt like I was racing through but it was because the story jumped without the good meaty stuff in between the action points. I thoroughly enjoyed the character of John Silence and the interaction between Odessa and him however the relationship I'd rather explore is that between Solomon and Silence. The plot itself is interesting - pursuit of an unspeakable evil being - but there's not enough detail or background to find the evil believable or to truly enjoy getting to know the characters. The book never answers the questions I found myself asking about the evil being, its origins (well there's kind of an explanation), why are there times when it's not active.... lots more questions too. My assumption is that this is the first of a planned series. If that is the case I hope the plan is that this is the "end" of the series - that the following books will all be about Solomon and Silence pursuing and capturing the other beasts.