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3.46 AVERAGE

adventurous challenging lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
m4riareads's profile picture

m4riareads's review

3.0

Es más bien un 3.5

I have previously really enjoyed Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera, so when I got the recommendation to read this book by none other than dear M. Poirot (he praises this book as 'a classic' and 'a masterpiece' in Christie's The Clocks), I couldn't resist.

What a clever locked room puzzle mystery! Except for some passages that were dragging around the middle of the book, it was engaging, fast-paced and the resolution is extremely clever.
I couldn't help but notice some similarities between our amateur sleuth and journalist Joseph Rouletabille and Hercule Poirot, they are both geniuses, but also annoying smart-asses sometimes. A few key clues and elements of the mystery (which I won't spoil for you) obviously inspired Agatha Christie in her own work as well.

Overall, a wonderful reading experience!
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: N/A
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A

Fuck this book and this pretentious ass detective
challenging funny lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced
tattu's profile picture

tattu's review

4.0

4.5 estrellitas

No me atrapó tanto como los libros de mi querida Agatha Christie, pero igual me gustó mucho.
Pronto la reseña completa en mi blog :)
lighthearted mysterious

While I not generally a mystery reader, this French novel is one of the classics and I really enjoyed it. Written in 1907, this is the first story about the French detective Joseph Rouletabille a clever young journalist. In this case Rouletabille is investigating the attack on a prominent scientist's daughter, occuring in her locked bedroom with no clear way for the villian to escape. It reminded me a lot of Sherlock Holmes stories because Rouletabille is a bit eccentric and also uses logic to make conclusions that baffle the average person. I vaguely suspected the novel's eventually outcome, but I had no idea why and was still very surprised by what Rouletabille's investigation uncovered.

I would recommend this to traditional mystery lovers (lovers of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle or Agatha Christie) as well as reluctant mystery readers like myself who generally don't read mysteries but like to read the occasional classic in the genre.
adventurous funny mysterious reflective fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Puede que esté enamorada de la mente de Gastón Leroux. Esperaba muchísimo de esta novela por la forma en que una amiga mía me la describió, pero suele pasar que mis estándares están demasiado elevados. Este no fue el caso para nada, de principio a fin la novela te engancha y no te suelta, pasamos de un misterio a otro, y de un enriedo que termina donde empezaba el hilo de la historia. Los personajes están bien construidos y Joseph Rouletabille es graciosísimo y egocéntrico en cuánto a su intelecto (como a mí me gustan (los detectives)). Una obra de arte la sucesión de los acontecimientos, 100% invested. Posible relectura <3
mysterious slow-paced