Reviews

The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell

cheyscia's review against another edition

2.0

The writing was good and the characters were well developed. I felt like this story didn't go anywhere, it was anti-climatic and disappointing. I liked the idea and premise of this book, most of the other reviews were very positive, but NOTHING HAPPENED. Read this book if you want to waste 600+ pages on nothing. This book left me wanting more explanation and answers, more everything...but not in a good way.

djax_tx's review against another edition

4.0

I actually listened to the audio version of this book, and the readers are superb. I was so intrigued I got a physical copy of the book to go over when I wasn't traveling and listening to the audio. There are six different narrators, each telling their own story. The stories intertwine and are told from the perspective of the main characters. The 5th one is the one that I had to just trust, go along with and plow through. Normally, I don't go for the sci-fi stuff, if that's what you'd call this, but I was hooked from the beginning and had to see it through to the end. Glad I did. Very cleverly put together. First David Mitchell book I've read and will definitely read the others. (I understand that several of his characters repeat in his other works.)

jayseewhy's review against another edition

4.0

I'm still amazed by the depth and variety of Mitchell's characters. The third novella in particular showed an author in complete mastery of his craft.

this_little_bookshelf's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional medium-paced

5.0

Following teenaged runaway Holly Sykes, this story tracks her for six decades as she unwittingly becomes embroiled in a hidden war between two mystical factions. Dipping into her life, often through the perspective of her acquaintances, we meet Holly as a rebellious teenager in the early 80s, a young woman hiding from her past, an adult travelling the world, and a retiree in a dystopian future. I loved everything about this, and Holly is one of those characters that will stick with me for a long time.

erikcd25's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.5

trilbynorton's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This was my second David Mitchell novel after Cloud Atlas, and it really suffered in comparison. It isn't as formally adventurous as Cloud Atlas and strangely, as someone who primarily reads SFF, it was the fantasy elements that I felt were the weakest part of the book. They felt unnecessarily bolted on to an already compelling jigsaw narrative about mortality and the struggle between individual and community.

avesmaria's review against another edition

4.0

The scope of this book gets a little unwieldy in its Les Mis-level of detail concerning even the characters’ lives, and drags in the middle a bit. Still, I enjoyed reading it, and was impressed with how much Mitchell wove together throughout the book. I think going back for a second read would be fun just to spot all the plot points and names buried in passing references.
This is less horror-ish than Slade House, a short novel taking place in the same universe, and more magical realism/magical psychic type stuff.

frances_the_red's review against another edition

2.0

Ich mag es sonst eigentlich, wenn Bücher in eine Murakamieske Richtung gehen, aber bei den Knochenuhren wurde es mir dann doch etwas zu skuril. Vielleicht fehlte es mir auch einfach am intellektuellen Zugang. Einen Handlungsstrang weniger hätte dem Buch vermutlich gut getan.

testaroscia's review against another edition

5.0

I am so glad many say this is not Mitchell's best as I think it was a great read and I am looking forward to his others. Mitchell is a superior writer, and I am very comfortable with the Novella format so I was not put off by the format. In fact it helped in the reading of the whole as, judging by this book, Mitchell is great at building and defining characters, and maybe a bit less so at the "esoteric" action sections. I loved many of the characters, Crispin's boorishness, and I swear I shared a house in Oxford with a young Hugo Lamb. Even the last chapter which, halfway through, I thought was totally surplus to requirements, ended up being just perfect.

jakemburgess's review against another edition

5.0

One of the most brilliant and engaging books I've ever read.