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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I loved this book! It was such a puzzle, and I feel like there is so much meaning I have yet to tease out of it. I'm not sure if that's actually true or not, but either way I love that feeling. It was amazingly written - very similar in my mind to the style of Kraken, by China Miéville, which I also loved - and it was a bit scary to learn about the world which you can see the roots of in our every day existence. A bit long, I suppose, but by the last 50 pages or so I really didn't want it to end - so much so that I stopped reading it for a couple days to let it linger.
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A long and sometimes challenging read. There are a large cast of characters that all play an important part in the overall story, so it may be helpful to have a pad of paper to make note of everyone. There are 5 interweaving narratives that take place throughout the story and they all come together nicely by the end. What starts as a somewhat simple murder/death investigation eventually becomes an investigation of government corruption and then a re-invention of the inspector’s self as she learns more about the victim and her part in the whole story.
A hard-won fight, but I finally made it through this book. It was very complex, deep and confusing but I did like it very much. I need to read it again to make sure I understood it. Seriously.
Very good premise, engagingly written. Murky patch near the end where all the narratives were collapsing on one another, but salvaged with a really touching big-idea ending.
A remarkably smart and entertaining read with a surprising and satisfying finish. It felt a bit long in places, but, oh so worth it.
An extraordinary mindfuck. I always enjoyed Nick Harkaway's stories, but with Gnomon I'm also genuinely impressed. There are four stories (or five? or maybe six?) that all make sense for themselves, and then you find how they are connected... and just when you think you understand the shape of the whole thing you learn that they are connected in another way as well. And it ends up making perfect sense, and the clues what was going on where there all along.
Gnomon is in one league with great mindfuckery like [b:The Illuminatus! Trilogy|57913|The Illuminatus! Trilogy|Robert Shea|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1386923913s/57913.jpg|813] and [b:Sewer, Gas and Electric: The Public Works Trilogy|71846|Sewer, Gas and Electric The Public Works Trilogy|Matt Ruff|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1386923711s/71846.jpg|69565]. My only regret is that I have but five stars to give.
Gnomon is in one league with great mindfuckery like [b:The Illuminatus! Trilogy|57913|The Illuminatus! Trilogy|Robert Shea|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1386923913s/57913.jpg|813] and [b:Sewer, Gas and Electric: The Public Works Trilogy|71846|Sewer, Gas and Electric The Public Works Trilogy|Matt Ruff|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1386923711s/71846.jpg|69565]. My only regret is that I have but five stars to give.
It was such an ambitious book, I'm not sure anyone could have really landed the end.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes