Scan barcode
christajls's review against another edition
4.0
This review originally posted at More Than Just Magic
Caught first hit my radar when it was nominated for the 2013 Giller prize and if I was one of the judges it would have won.
The novel centres about David Slaney. He is a fabulous complex character. He’s an escaped prison convict and an international drug smuggler yet he’s extremely personable and his story is quite engrossing. You almost find yourself wanting him to succeed in breaking a ton of laws. On the other side of the coin, however, is Patterson, the cop assigned to Slaney’s case. Though the novel spends less time on Patterson, he feels no less developed than Slaney. A testament to Moore’s eye for detail. As the narrative switches back and forth between them you find yourself rooting for each one to succeed, even though they have such opposing goals.
Lisa Moore’s writing is quick, clever and insightful. You could almost miss how brilliant it is because it flows so smoothly. For example: “He could feel luck like an animal presence, feral and watchful. He would have to coax it into the open. Grab it by the throat.” Her descriptions were spot on and conjured up incredibly detailed scenes in my mind while reading. Strong characters, great writing, Caught is yet another example of why Canadian literature rocks.
Caught first hit my radar when it was nominated for the 2013 Giller prize and if I was one of the judges it would have won.
The novel centres about David Slaney. He is a fabulous complex character. He’s an escaped prison convict and an international drug smuggler yet he’s extremely personable and his story is quite engrossing. You almost find yourself wanting him to succeed in breaking a ton of laws. On the other side of the coin, however, is Patterson, the cop assigned to Slaney’s case. Though the novel spends less time on Patterson, he feels no less developed than Slaney. A testament to Moore’s eye for detail. As the narrative switches back and forth between them you find yourself rooting for each one to succeed, even though they have such opposing goals.
Lisa Moore’s writing is quick, clever and insightful. You could almost miss how brilliant it is because it flows so smoothly. For example: “He could feel luck like an animal presence, feral and watchful. He would have to coax it into the open. Grab it by the throat.” Her descriptions were spot on and conjured up incredibly detailed scenes in my mind while reading. Strong characters, great writing, Caught is yet another example of why Canadian literature rocks.
laurabenny's review against another edition
4.0
I don't think this is the genre for her but the writing was spectacular. The way she catches the tiniest details and intimate moments is unlike any other!
lisalikesdogs's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this but was disappointed mainly because I loved the CBC series but the book was almost nothing at all like it!
amn028's review against another edition
4.0
The writing style took a bit to get used to but the story was able to grab right away. The characters are well developed and I couldn't decide if I was cheering for the anti-hero escaped con, who is the main character of the book, or the earnest cop trying his hardest to get the big fish. The secondary characters add to the plot with their own flaws and motives.
I enjoyed this book enough that I will now check out the other novels Lisa Moore has written, and hope they are as interesting, exciting and attention grabbing.
I enjoyed this book enough that I will now check out the other novels Lisa Moore has written, and hope they are as interesting, exciting and attention grabbing.
ldv's review against another edition
3.0
Why is the conclusion given away in the title???
Perhaps because of this give-away, perhaps because of the time period or the style of writing, I felt like I was removed from the action. Not just a fly on the wall -- farther away than that. I felt like emotion was removed from the story. It was eventful, perhaps even adventurous, but detached. I suppose this is some of the genious of the narrative? Or it's just a quirk. I was compelled to continue reading, but I never felt like I enjoyed the story, never connected with any character. That sounds like a poor rating, but it's a confused endorsement, I think. I liked [b:February|6486765|February|Lisa Moore|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1328027313s/6486765.jpg|6678127] better.
Perhaps because of this give-away, perhaps because of the time period or the style of writing, I felt like I was removed from the action. Not just a fly on the wall -- farther away than that. I felt like emotion was removed from the story. It was eventful, perhaps even adventurous, but detached. I suppose this is some of the genious of the narrative? Or it's just a quirk. I was compelled to continue reading, but I never felt like I enjoyed the story, never connected with any character. That sounds like a poor rating, but it's a confused endorsement, I think. I liked [b:February|6486765|February|Lisa Moore|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1328027313s/6486765.jpg|6678127] better.
eososray's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this book, mostly because of the writing style. The story is told in small pieces, a few sentences that tell a short portion of the story and then the next few sentences tell another portion. Rather like you're reading the story in photographs rather than video. It worked extremely well.
I am highly skeptical of trying to smuggle Marijuana from Columbia to Vancouver though, even in the 70s. The West Coast of Canada were, and still are, famous for their Pot, I doubt it would get imported when the local stuff is so well regarded and prolific. So, the actual story was a bit of a stretch for me.
I am highly skeptical of trying to smuggle Marijuana from Columbia to Vancouver though, even in the 70s. The West Coast of Canada were, and still are, famous for their Pot, I doubt it would get imported when the local stuff is so well regarded and prolific. So, the actual story was a bit of a stretch for me.
kketelaar's review against another edition
3.0
I am torn as to how to rate this book. Parts of this book were a five for me, while other parts were a one - hence the three! Some sections were just too slow and bogged down in repetitive imagery. There were also some instances where her revelations about characters didn't ring true to her previously painted picture of them.
megan_prairierose's review against another edition
2.0
This book was clunky and dragged. I expected better.