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sheemsinbk's review against another edition
4.0
Fascinating. Some of the dialogue is stiff and seems contrived but that may have been deliberate. Make sure you read the New Yorker article about the book by Tad Friend AFTER you finish it. It pulls everything (almost) together. The paperback version of the book I read had a copy of the article in the back.
marthareads's review against another edition
4.0
Very well done psychological novel. I appreciated the way the plot moved--there were no surprise twists and what a lesser author might have made the shocker became part of the evolution of Gabriel. I also appreciated the end--the tension, ultimately, is unresolved and we have to decide for ourselves what we think "really" happened. Were there jewels on the elephants?
kirstymorrison's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
4.0
booknerd44's review against another edition
4.0
I almost didn't pick this up at the library, since I had seen the movie (which I normally don't do), but I am glad I did. It's so thought-provoking and incandescent. I wanted more, but was satisfied with how it ended. I will be reading more of Mr. Maupin in the future; better late than never!
mr_emmet's review against another edition
2.0
Three stars seems oddly too high for this book, so take my 2 stars to mean 2.5ish. I really couldn't say it was in the slightest bit believeable nor particularly gripping. The only thing keeping me reading at points was an inability to sleep on my part.
Firstly, speaking as someone with some knowledge of the profession of psychologists and someone also aware of child protection protocols, there's a whole lot of suspension of disbelief required for this story.
I have to admit it's pretty passable as some "thrillers" go, but nothing I'd whole or even half-heartedly endorse.
Firstly, speaking as someone with some knowledge of the profession of psychologists and someone also aware of child protection protocols, there's a whole lot of suspension of disbelief required for this story.
I have to admit it's pretty passable as some "thrillers" go, but nothing I'd whole or even half-heartedly endorse.
scottish_kat's review against another edition
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is an exceptional book and a real masterclass in story telling.
The characters are fantastically written, every single one of them is clearly defined with their own voice and personality.
The plot is superb, it keeps you on your toes from the first page to the last.
If you have any interest in good story telling then you need to read this.
The characters are fantastically written, every single one of them is clearly defined with their own voice and personality.
The plot is superb, it keeps you on your toes from the first page to the last.
If you have any interest in good story telling then you need to read this.
twitchyredpen's review against another edition
4.0
Intriguing enough to make me stay up a few hours late to finish because I wanted to be sure of the ending. Well researched, though of course with it being quasi-autobiographical some of it would be experience instead. Feelings are had, which can be rare in books by/about men. There's a very good line at the end, something like (mild spoiler) the reality of the kid didn't matter, because it was the reality of the feelings that affected him that I think was important and tied it together.
I bought this book, for a dollar, based on title and cover alone, and then it sat on my shelf for years with all the other books I impulse-bought for a dollar based on title and/or cover. Then I heard/read the name Armistead Maupin somewhere -- NPR? Newspaper list of famous birthdays? -- and figured I'd finally get around to reading it.
"Ergh," I said, "'A Novel'." That's usually not my kind of book.
"Nooo not an unreliable narrator," I sighed early on as he described himself as such.
"Ughhh this is going to be a dead kid sobfest," I said, "I dunwanna read that."
But I kept going! And it was not a dead kid sobfest, and it was not "I am riddled w ennui shall I cheat on my wife perhaps" like many "A Novel" books. And "unreliable" in this case meant "tells a story" and not "is hallucinating" as it sometimes does. So if you're balking based on any of those, you're clear.
I bought this book, for a dollar, based on title and cover alone, and then it sat on my shelf for years with all the other books I impulse-bought for a dollar based on title and/or cover. Then I heard/read the name Armistead Maupin somewhere -- NPR? Newspaper list of famous birthdays? -- and figured I'd finally get around to reading it.
"Ergh," I said, "'A Novel'." That's usually not my kind of book.
"Nooo not an unreliable narrator," I sighed early on as he described himself as such.
"Ughhh this is going to be a dead kid sobfest," I said, "I dunwanna read that."
But I kept going! And it was not a dead kid sobfest, and it was not "I am riddled w ennui shall I cheat on my wife perhaps" like many "A Novel" books. And "unreliable" in this case meant "tells a story" and not "is hallucinating" as it sometimes does. So if you're balking based on any of those, you're clear.
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