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sramey's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
wiltingnightshade's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
0.5
currentlyreading_'s review against another edition
5.0
DO I DARE?
Well this book is a roller coaster. Kudos to Marisha Pessl for taking the story to the next level. It was amazing. It messes with your mind. Read it people. I learned something from this book, and boy did it just come just in time.
Well this book is a roller coaster. Kudos to Marisha Pessl for taking the story to the next level. It was amazing. It messes with your mind. Read it people. I learned something from this book, and boy did it just come just in time.
maliatabs's review against another edition
3.0
I don't know whether I loved or hated this book, whether I enjoyed or despised the ending.
This book is one of the rarest times I am just left awestruck. The ending, if there even is one, is so confusing, but also that's the point of the book? Everything is confusing, there is no answer.
When I was reading the book, there were moments where I absolutely loved it and was so deep into it, and there were moments where I was like, "Why the fuck did I spend nearly 700 pages reading this?"
If in the ending it was all Ashley's cancer, I would have been mad, if it was dark magic, I would have been, well, disappointed? I genuinely do not know what I expected from this book.
I am very confused at the moment, you know? I really have no idea about my opinion on this book. I didn't really "enjoy" enjoy it, also didn't hate it?
Well this is my review. I just typed whatever I could out of my confused brain. And I feel like that was Marisha's, or, Cordova's films intention, to leave you completely confused, not knowing anything, because after all, is anything even real, or just an illusion?
Okay better not get too philosophical here. I feel like I would understand this book much more better if I re read it, but I have no idea if I actually ever want to re read it or not. Again, I am confused, you understand?
This book is one of the rarest times I am just left awestruck. The ending, if there even is one, is so confusing, but also that's the point of the book? Everything is confusing, there is no answer.
When I was reading the book, there were moments where I absolutely loved it and was so deep into it, and there were moments where I was like, "Why the fuck did I spend nearly 700 pages reading this?"
If in the ending it was all Ashley's cancer, I would have been mad, if it was dark magic, I would have been, well, disappointed? I genuinely do not know what I expected from this book.
I am very confused at the moment, you know? I really have no idea about my opinion on this book. I didn't really "enjoy" enjoy it, also didn't hate it?
Well this is my review. I just typed whatever I could out of my confused brain. And I feel like that was Marisha's, or, Cordova's films intention, to leave you completely confused, not knowing anything, because after all, is anything even real, or just an illusion?
Okay better not get too philosophical here. I feel like I would understand this book much more better if I re read it, but I have no idea if I actually ever want to re read it or not. Again, I am confused, you understand?
mandysbooknook's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
crhogan's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
revisins's review against another edition
5.0
This has been, for me, “The Summer of Goodreads Firstreads.” I have been inordinately lucky in winning ARCs of many books that I might not normally have picked up in perusing the selves of a brick and mortar store or flipping through the selections of the many electronic vendors. I have been even more fortunate to discover authors that I will take great pleasure in obtaining copies of their past and future work. There have been stories that unnerved me (The Wicked Girls). There have been novels that showed me how to take genre expectations and elevate them (Gruber’s The Return). Then there has been a novel that did both to unnerve and show how an author can have fun playing with the stylistics inherent in novels—Night Film by Marisha Pessl.
Defined as a literary thriller, I was curious as to what that would actually mean. Having read Michael Gruber’s The Return (highly recommended, by the way) earlier this summer, I had an idea in my head as to what a literary thriller read like. Night Film is Pessl’s second novel. I’ll come clean and admit I have not read her first novel (something that will be rectified sooner than later), but one can tell from the craft and the handling of language on display in Night Film that an unskilled author might make a hash of the plot.
The plot is as simple as this: a disgraced investigative journalist examines the probable causes of the possible suicide of a young woman. What Pessl does with that premise is what elevates this novel to an entire different level. How she contextualizes the plot with an enigmatic film director and the cult of personality built around him, black/white magic, family dynamics, and the tenuous boundary of reality and the imagined—takes a seemingly simple plot and changes it into something far greater than that.
A note on the fictional auteur in the novel—the various films that are mentioned, described, used a plot pieces agonizingly teased out that I wanted to see them in order to gain a greater appreciation of the story.
It is that yearning that the emotional and thematic elements of the story pivot. The story is a less a whodunit and more a whydidit. In that search for the why, Pessl works her own magic. Having the fictional movies described in such a way where you want them all released in the Criterion collect—you are reminded with the notion that most times—the movies in your head look and play a lot better in your head. It is the notions of mysteries are sometimes better left unexplained and unseen, lest they lose their power.
Night Film is a great read and I would recommend to any and all that like a good scare, a squirming read, a gripping mystery, a tantalizing search for truth or an all-in-all ripping yarn. There is much in the novel I have not quite unpacked yet. I will turn over how the plot points were laid out in plain sight like a Hitchcock cameo for a reader to notice but not see. Yes, I will also replay certain scenes in order to grasp their visual and mental scope.
Once this becomes available, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy.
If the blurbs do not grab you and briefest of story descriptions do not intrigue—try to listen for word of mouth. Try to avoid reviews that lay out the plot as it will be difficult to do so without spoilers. I have a feeling that Night Film will become the next chic thriller to talk about much like Gone Girl. This is a novel best suited for discovery. Night Film works it particular brand of magic based on how much you do not know and do not expect. If you decide to wander into the mystery of Night Film—you will not regret it.
Defined as a literary thriller, I was curious as to what that would actually mean. Having read Michael Gruber’s The Return (highly recommended, by the way) earlier this summer, I had an idea in my head as to what a literary thriller read like. Night Film is Pessl’s second novel. I’ll come clean and admit I have not read her first novel (something that will be rectified sooner than later), but one can tell from the craft and the handling of language on display in Night Film that an unskilled author might make a hash of the plot.
The plot is as simple as this: a disgraced investigative journalist examines the probable causes of the possible suicide of a young woman. What Pessl does with that premise is what elevates this novel to an entire different level. How she contextualizes the plot with an enigmatic film director and the cult of personality built around him, black/white magic, family dynamics, and the tenuous boundary of reality and the imagined—takes a seemingly simple plot and changes it into something far greater than that.
A note on the fictional auteur in the novel—the various films that are mentioned, described, used a plot pieces agonizingly teased out that I wanted to see them in order to gain a greater appreciation of the story.
It is that yearning that the emotional and thematic elements of the story pivot. The story is a less a whodunit and more a whydidit. In that search for the why, Pessl works her own magic. Having the fictional movies described in such a way where you want them all released in the Criterion collect—you are reminded with the notion that most times—the movies in your head look and play a lot better in your head. It is the notions of mysteries are sometimes better left unexplained and unseen, lest they lose their power.
Night Film is a great read and I would recommend to any and all that like a good scare, a squirming read, a gripping mystery, a tantalizing search for truth or an all-in-all ripping yarn. There is much in the novel I have not quite unpacked yet. I will turn over how the plot points were laid out in plain sight like a Hitchcock cameo for a reader to notice but not see. Yes, I will also replay certain scenes in order to grasp their visual and mental scope.
Once this becomes available, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy.
If the blurbs do not grab you and briefest of story descriptions do not intrigue—try to listen for word of mouth. Try to avoid reviews that lay out the plot as it will be difficult to do so without spoilers. I have a feeling that Night Film will become the next chic thriller to talk about much like Gone Girl. This is a novel best suited for discovery. Night Film works it particular brand of magic based on how much you do not know and do not expect. If you decide to wander into the mystery of Night Film—you will not regret it.
espella's review against another edition
4.0
I couldn’t decide between 3 or 4 stars for this one. While the book is gripping, the plot is slow, you find yourself pushing forward to see if it gets better. I also didn’t love that when your questions piled up, a character would info-dump all at once. It got really weird in the middle and didn’t fully explain why, what the purpose of that was for plot purposes. And then it ended dumb.
The writing is good, so, 4 stars. I can’t say I’d recommend this, but I also wouldn’t not recommend it.
The writing is good, so, 4 stars. I can’t say I’d recommend this, but I also wouldn’t not recommend it.
ella09's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
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? Yes
4.0
fictionaddictions_amanda's review against another edition
5.0
One Sentence Review: Fantastic horror read with ALL the horror vibes.
Full review will be included in my January 2024 Wrap Up Video on my YouTube channel, @FictionAddictions https://youtu.be/LGuRHIUyl0U?si=4XAqfRqRkr2C17ks
Full review will be included in my January 2024 Wrap Up Video on my YouTube channel, @FictionAddictions https://youtu.be/LGuRHIUyl0U?si=4XAqfRqRkr2C17ks