Reviews

The Eighth Circle by Stanley Ellin

kathleenitpdx's review against another edition

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mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

sixdaysago's review

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3.0

I think I like Ellin's work when it is shorter. Both Dreadful Summit and his short story collection The Specialty of the House are fantastic but this detective novel from him is above average for its genre but below my expectations for his work.

The characters didn't seem especialy interesting and the mystery itself was fairly dull. Ellin's prose is the drawcard, the dialogue is pretty snappy and often funny.

efbeckett's review

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3.0

Well-written, and ultimately I'm glad I read it, but had I not known of its reputation I'm not sure I would have finished it. It's not exactly a page-turner, and not especially deep to compensate.
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