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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
A strong start and things do come together at the end, but overall too long.
I think a big reason why I loved this book is listening to it narrated by Jake Weber. He is phenomenal and really made the sometimes quite dense story come alive. I hear there is an extensive "extras" section of this book, but unfortunately, my local library doesn't provide that, so I only read the story the old-fashioned way. I was a bit disappointed by the ending but it was a really addictive listen. I really loved it.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Unfortunately, Night Film is the kind of novel that might appeal to readers who haven’t encountered many truly great books. For me, it fell far short of the hype. The writing tried very hard to be sophisticated but ultimately felt forced and ineffective. The novel reads as if it were written by a much older man rather than a 36 year old woman, which made the tone feel off-putting and out of touch.
The mixed-media approach, while a concept I usually enjoy, added little to the overall story and quickly became more gimmicky than meaningful. The articles and images didn’t enhance the experience or provide the depth I hoped for.
Most disappointing, however, was the central mystery, which lacked the intrigue and engagement needed to carry the story. The characters were flat and one-dimensional, making it impossible to invest in them or their journey. On top of that, the ending dragged on far too long, with the story continuing well past the point where it should have wrapped up.
I had high expectations based on everything I’d heard, but this book didn’t deliver. I struggle to think of any redeeming qualities and was left feeling disappointed.
In the original Resident Evil video game, there's an infamous line of dialogue-as-exposition so lacking in verisimilitude that even generations of gamers who never touched the first title know of it: "It might come in handy if you, the master of unlocking, take it with you."
That's this book. It's that line, magnified to novel length. That's the whole thing.
If you try to read it, you might be propelled forward by sheer curiosity about where it all is going, wondering which of the leads the protagonists chase down are red herrings and which actually mean something. Spoiler alert: There are no red herrings. They all mean something and none of them do. It's that kind of nonsense, yeah.
That's this book. It's that line, magnified to novel length. That's the whole thing.
If you try to read it, you might be propelled forward by sheer curiosity about where it all is going, wondering which of the leads the protagonists chase down are red herrings and which actually mean something. Spoiler alert: There are no red herrings. They all mean something and none of them do. It's that kind of nonsense, yeah.
overall i thibk i liked this? i could sit down and read quite a bit of it at a time but the main character was insufferable/misogynistic/rude to the point where i thought he had to have been written by a man before i remembered a woman wrote this book. unsure how i felt about the ending xD annoyed that the “interactive” bits weren’t introduced so they could be used while reading, after finishing i just don’t find the interest to go back and listen to them all.
3.25
3.25
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Overly long and bloated, but I enjoyed it. It's one of the few books lately that I've really plowed through quickly. Pessl's writing style is fine, if her characters are a little too generic (hyper young actress, mopy drug dealer, middle-aged investigative report/hopeless dad). I did appreciate some of the interesting creative twists used here, with the magazine clippings, internet forum screengrabs, and the way that Cordova was sort of inserted into American pop culture.
The ending was interesting.. while sort of unsatisfying in a way, it did tie directly to the themes of the book. This was a good read, enjoyable if too long, and I'd recommend to any fans of thrillers or horror films.
The ending was interesting.. while sort of unsatisfying in a way, it did tie directly to the themes of the book. This was a good read, enjoyable if too long, and I'd recommend to any fans of thrillers or horror films.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book is dark, so very dark. And, good, so good. What a masterful storyteller, she is! This world was so completely developed, the characters so richly woven that I lost myself over a long weekend. It was reminiscent of The Heart of Darkness, yet felt fresh in its telling. I enjoyed it very much and will definitely be reading her other works as well.