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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
The book was awesome until the end, which was the exact opposite of how I felt about her first book Special Topics in Calamity Physics.
dark
mysterious
slow-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:
No
I first read this book back in 2017, for a class in high school. I remember thinking this book was incredible and it being on my mind for days. After rereading it, it makes me sad to say this book lost that effect on me the second time around.
The writing is pretentious and aims to create a feel to the book that it’s some literary masterpiece. But, this style almost ruins it. It draws out scenes and details way longer than they need to be, and almost loses you sometimes.
At the end of the book, things really do pick up and I found myself more drawn in than before. It is the ending and the questions it leaves us with that makes the book, in my opinion. However, I think it would’ve hit home a lot more forcefully if the characters had a bit more depth. They fell flat for me and I failed to really find myself invested in them at all.
Night Film is a plot heavy book, and one that is a really interesting plot at that. However, the style and the lack of depth hinder it from being all that it could have been. I would love to see this produced as a short series one day, as it may be better suited for that.
The writing is pretentious and aims to create a feel to the book that it’s some literary masterpiece. But, this style almost ruins it. It draws out scenes and details way longer than they need to be, and almost loses you sometimes.
At the end of the book, things really do pick up and I found myself more drawn in than before. It is the ending and the questions it leaves us with that makes the book, in my opinion. However, I think it would’ve hit home a lot more forcefully if the characters had a bit more depth. They fell flat for me and I failed to really find myself invested in them at all.
Night Film is a plot heavy book, and one that is a really interesting plot at that. However, the style and the lack of depth hinder it from being all that it could have been. I would love to see this produced as a short series one day, as it may be better suited for that.
I puzzled that this book is being described as literary. I suppose it's because her previous book was. The book is entertaining and the plot is good, but the writing is only average. I enjoyed the book overall but was distracted by her overuse of italics. I never could figure out what she was trying to do with that.
Being kinda racist, sexist, and homophobic isn’t edgy
I can't finish this. I just can't. There were enough moments of evocative creepiness toward the beginning that I decided to stick it out, but even though I think I'm nearly at the end (the boring yet grating main character is about to go to Chile or something) I just. don't. care.
Though I can sometimes be a little bit of a snob when it comes to my reading choices, I love me some good pulp. Based on just the premise I would have thought this would be right up my alley, I was envisioning the filmmaker as some parallel universe Dario Argento type. In execution though, there is nothing intriguing here.
Oh, this is such bad writing.
Though I can sometimes be a little bit of a snob when it comes to my reading choices, I love me some good pulp. Based on just the premise I would have thought this would be right up my alley, I was envisioning the filmmaker as some parallel universe Dario Argento type. In execution though, there is nothing intriguing here.
Oh, this is such bad writing.
I really enjoyed this novel - it's a highly imaginative page-turner. However, it didn't quite do "it" for me, mostly because it didn't move me in the way that "Special Topics in Calamity Physics" did. Perhaps this is just a result of personal preference - I like ambiguity and loose ends, and Pessl ties everything up perfectly. The (over)use of italics also bothered me. It's the small things!
I do like the way in which the novel raises questions about the fine line between the real and the imaginary. Pessl also writes beautifully (I love her analogies) and is very creative in terms of plot and details. Yet, somehow, I kept waiting for something else to happen, something darker, something more extraordinary...and it never did. In any case, this book was fun and very fast-paced, but I doubt it will stick with me forever.
I do like the way in which the novel raises questions about the fine line between the real and the imaginary. Pessl also writes beautifully (I love her analogies) and is very creative in terms of plot and details. Yet, somehow, I kept waiting for something else to happen, something darker, something more extraordinary...and it never did. In any case, this book was fun and very fast-paced, but I doubt it will stick with me forever.
Okay, well I didn't really finish this book --- but I gave it more than a fair try! I got 285 pages in before throwing in the towel. I wanted to like this book, I really, really did. It had a great premise but terrible follow-through. This has got to be the least thrilling "thriller" I have come across thus far. I kept waiting for some major breakthrough to happen to get the story moving. Then I waited, and waited, and waited some more but if you haven't got it going 1/3 of the way through, I'm done giving you the benefit of the doubt. (Yes, you read that correctly - I read 285 pages and was only a third of the way through.) I think Pessl could have easily cut out 150 pages and still have plenty of time to tell this tale. I didn't HATE it, I just didn't like it very well. Off to read Gillian Flynn's "Dark Places" --- and one chapter in I am already much more intrigued!
I'd give this a 4.5 if I could. Felt totally caught up in the story. Looking back, I'm not sure if it really went anywhere for me. I would recommend this for someone who likes a slightly darker, scarier read.
