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tasharobinson's review against another edition
4.0
In every book I've read that channels Dante's Inferno (books like Chuck Palahniuk's Damned and Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle's Inferno), there comes a point where I'm tired of the endless detailed, heavy-handed, gross-out descriptions of the worst hell has to offer — the graphic torture, the endless sadism, the helpless misery, the fear and bafflement of people who don't know why they're being endlessly mutilated and don't have any idea how to make it stop. This retelling of the Orpheus myth in a new era dives deep into that well, and it becomes especially exhausting because there's just so much emphasis on the idea that there are innocents in hell — good people, kind people, young children — but it never offers any explanation of this cosmology, of what hell is, what it's for, and whether there's a way to escape.
The protagonist, Niko, is a junkie rock star who sold his soul to hell in exchange for stardom and an escape from his vices, but he paid when hell took the love of his life. So he bones up on his myths, grabs his trusty Dobro, and heads to hell to get her back. The book does an excellent job of conjuring up his mindset, his character, the selfishness and short-sightedness that drive him, and eventually the dogged determination that propels him through hell after her. There were just so many points where I was exhausted with the grueling trip, the constantly escalating cruelty, and the sense of helplessness Mortality Bridge lays on the entire world. I'm glad I stuck with it — the ending is an extended breathless process of wondering whether Niko, Orpheus' latest avatar, will make Orpheus' mistake, and if so, how. And the book ends in a fascinating place.
But I really felt the lack of reasons or reasoning throughout the book. In this worldview, the cosmos is cruel and random — and yet there are apparently options for a small handful of people who know the right cheat codes and have the right talents? I ended up pretty dissociated from Niko's quest by the end of the book, no matter how thrilling it is, just because saving one beloved soul from hell seemed so meaningless, in the wake of the suffering millions he had to ignore or even actively harm on his quest. In the end, I'm clear on what this book is saying about love and music, but not what it's saying about the world — which it spends a lot more time on laying out, in unremittingly gruesome detail.
The protagonist, Niko, is a junkie rock star who sold his soul to hell in exchange for stardom and an escape from his vices, but he paid when hell took the love of his life. So he bones up on his myths, grabs his trusty Dobro, and heads to hell to get her back. The book does an excellent job of conjuring up his mindset, his character, the selfishness and short-sightedness that drive him, and eventually the dogged determination that propels him through hell after her. There were just so many points where I was exhausted with the grueling trip, the constantly escalating cruelty, and the sense of helplessness Mortality Bridge lays on the entire world. I'm glad I stuck with it — the ending is an extended breathless process of wondering whether Niko, Orpheus' latest avatar, will make Orpheus' mistake, and if so, how. And the book ends in a fascinating place.
But I really felt the lack of reasons or reasoning throughout the book. In this worldview, the cosmos is cruel and random — and yet there are apparently options for a small handful of people who know the right cheat codes and have the right talents? I ended up pretty dissociated from Niko's quest by the end of the book, no matter how thrilling it is, just because saving one beloved soul from hell seemed so meaningless, in the wake of the suffering millions he had to ignore or even actively harm on his quest. In the end, I'm clear on what this book is saying about love and music, but not what it's saying about the world — which it spends a lot more time on laying out, in unremittingly gruesome detail.
skybalon's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting take on a combination of myths. The author has clearly thought a lot about what hell might be like. Maybe too much. A minor weakness of the book is there is no clear understanding of what causes a soul to end up in hell vs. heaven, just that a lot more people end up in hell.
Fairly enjoyable.
Fairly enjoyable.
buzzard's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
mjfmjfmjf's review against another edition
3.0
Fairly pretty book about yet another descent into literal hell. Quite a bit more annoying than Niven and Pournelle's Inferno (and sequel). Well written but not enjoyable.
linwearcamenel's review
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
hardscifi's review against another edition
Wonderful Read
An updated Inferno, amazingly feeling prose, and wonderful characterization. I have relad and reread Mortality Bridge many times. It is a favorite as it speaks to me deeply. Redemption and life is never about us, but about others. Once we realize this and act in that manner, we are saved.
An updated Inferno, amazingly feeling prose, and wonderful characterization. I have relad and reread Mortality Bridge many times. It is a favorite as it speaks to me deeply. Redemption and life is never about us, but about others. Once we realize this and act in that manner, we are saved.
gurudyne's review against another edition
5.0
Horrible act two, but not in terms of quality--the descriptions of hell are so vivid, that I had trouble getting through it. This thing caused me more than a few nightmares as a result. Still can't recommend it enough. Funny, brilliant and I love the ending.
survivalisinsufficient's review against another edition
2.0
Wish I'd paid more attention to the reviews before I read this. Interesting but yuck.
edsantiago's review
3.0
What motivates a demon? One problem with modern retellings of the classics is that they have to face the fact that Hell is a silly concept. An embarrassing, pathetic, shameful human idea that we really should just get over. Mortality Bridge doesn't address this. In fact it savors Hell, spending hundreds of pages describing agonies and senseless suffering. Boyett seems to relish the idea of billions of souls condemned to eternal pain merely for having had their brains wired a certain way during their mortal lives. He seems to enjoy inventing gruesome punishments and describing them in extreme detail. No reasons are given for being condemned: Niko encounters many generally-considered-as-good, none of whom know why. This Hell contains even young children. What mind other than a human one could conceive of that?
I kept reading because there were glimmers of hope: occasional signs of compassion and kindness. I hoped those were hints of a rewarding resolution of the this-has-always-just-been-in-you variety or just anything unexpected. No such luck. The finale is just yet more superstition dressed in modern clothing.
Boyett'sOrpheus Niko is tiresome. A superhero Mary Sue: guitar hero, kung-fu fighter, noble gentleman, able to walk for miles on shredded feet and no caloric intake, to outrun and outwit all challenges. Dabbed with faint tempera-paint flaws that are only shown in past tense as contrast to how friggin' awesome he is now. Convenient Deus(Diabolo?) ex Machina every chapter or two with (eventually) the shallowest of explanations.
The writing is often lovely: well tuned, vivid, meticulously crafted. It's just, well, the content. It's not worth it. At least not if you share my sensibilities.
I kept reading because there were glimmers of hope: occasional signs of compassion and kindness. I hoped those were hints of a rewarding resolution of the this-has-always-just-been-in-you variety or just anything unexpected. No such luck. The finale is just yet more superstition dressed in modern clothing.
Boyett's
The writing is often lovely: well tuned, vivid, meticulously crafted. It's just, well, the content. It's not worth it. At least not if you share my sensibilities.
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