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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
I would be lying if I said this impulse buy was for any reason other than KEANU REEVES in huge pink letters at the top.
I wouldn’t recommend this to a first-time sci-fi reader. I have dabbled, and I still struggled occasionally. Did I like it? Sure! Would I read it again? Probably not. Some nice pockets of insight and commentary on humanity but it felt…gluggy to read.
I wouldn’t recommend this to a first-time sci-fi reader. I have dabbled, and I still struggled occasionally. Did I like it? Sure! Would I read it again? Probably not. Some nice pockets of insight and commentary on humanity but it felt…gluggy to read.
Better than it has any right to be. Quite fascinating and just a lot of great stories about a immortal man and an immortal pig. Mieville (who wrote it all, the character.amd idea came from Reeves and a comic book author) really wrings out something very interesting from that set up. It's a lesser Mieville but that still puts it above most books.
I do sort of agree that the start is harder because it seems like you are reading disconnected short stories about this character They aren't bad at all but without the momentum of knowing it's a novel and it does seem disjointed. But pretty much as soon as a character returns you realise these are individual threads in an intertwined narrative. The book could have maybe made that clearer.from.the get go.
I've also read some of the other reviews. It's not dry or hard to read and anyone who struggles with this is, thinks it's overly verboseI or pretentious going to struggle with anything vaguely interesting and maybe I wouldn't trust them. I can understand why people wouldn't like this for various reasons, I can't understand why anyone would think it in any way difficult.
I do sort of agree that the start is harder because it seems like you are reading disconnected short stories about this character They aren't bad at all but without the momentum of knowing it's a novel and it does seem disjointed. But pretty much as soon as a character returns you realise these are individual threads in an intertwined narrative. The book could have maybe made that clearer.from.the get go.
I've also read some of the other reviews. It's not dry or hard to read and anyone who struggles with this is, thinks it's overly verboseI or pretentious going to struggle with anything vaguely interesting and maybe I wouldn't trust them. I can understand why people wouldn't like this for various reasons, I can't understand why anyone would think it in any way difficult.
I had to buy this immediately because Keanu. For those not familiar with China, his writing style and genre is "weird" and his odd turns of phrase and quirky vocabulary are part of the journey. This one is a bit of a slog in the beginning. If you are not already familiar with the BRZRKR character, it takes a beat to figure out what the heck is going on, but once you get the patterns of the shifting point of view and timeline, it won't feel like such an uphill battle. It's wonderfully complex and human and fantastical.
My thanks to Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for a free DRC of "The Book of Elsewhere" by Keanu Reeves and China Miéville.
As someone who loved some works by China Miéville I was excited about this collaboration.
Not only is the narrative confusing, grim and violent, but the dialog sounded so pretentious in many occasions. No matter how many notes I took, or how hard I tried to see the story in a better light, it just gave me a depressing feel.
Maybe fans of Grimdark Fantasy will love this work, but unfortunately it did not work for me.
As someone who loved some works by China Miéville I was excited about this collaboration.
Not only is the narrative confusing, grim and violent, but the dialog sounded so pretentious in many occasions. No matter how many notes I took, or how hard I tried to see the story in a better light, it just gave me a depressing feel.
Maybe fans of Grimdark Fantasy will love this work, but unfortunately it did not work for me.
Keanu Reeves and China Miéville collaborate on a book inspired by the BRZRKR comic books. The story of 'The Book of Elsewhere' centers on B, an immortal warrior who has witnessed countless civilizations' rise and fall and now yearns for death. In modern times, a U.S. black-ops team promises to fulfill his wish if he assists them. However, the resurrection of a mortal soldier hints at a mysterious and powerful new force with its own agenda.
This book was confusing in the exact same way that 'Harrow the Ninth' from Tamsyn Muir's The Locked Tomb series is confusing. I've come to the conclusion that while a lot of readers enjoy this complex, cerebral style of book that you have to reread several times to really understand, I prefer something more accessible and easy to understand the first time through. I can't have an emotional connection to the plot or the characters if I can't follow what's happening and unfortunately that's what happened here.
Having not read the 'BRZRKR' comics or anything by China Miéville before, maybe this just wasn't a good entry point for me. At least with 'Harrow the Ninth', I'd built a connection with the main character as part of the first book, 'Gideon the Ninth' so I was already invested and had a reason to persevere even though I was confused. Unfortunately here, I didn't have chance to build an emotional connection to any characters because I was instantly confused, so I didn't have that encouragement to stay engaged in the story.
I think this will be a very divisive book - there'll be readers who love it and find it wildly creative and original and there'll be readers like me who just find it too much like hard work to read. I might have had a different experience if I'd read the comics first but I think the logic-puzzle nature of it would have still taken me out of the story.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC from NetGalley but this is my voluntary and honest review.
This book was confusing in the exact same way that 'Harrow the Ninth' from Tamsyn Muir's The Locked Tomb series is confusing. I've come to the conclusion that while a lot of readers enjoy this complex, cerebral style of book that you have to reread several times to really understand, I prefer something more accessible and easy to understand the first time through. I can't have an emotional connection to the plot or the characters if I can't follow what's happening and unfortunately that's what happened here.
Having not read the 'BRZRKR' comics or anything by China Miéville before, maybe this just wasn't a good entry point for me. At least with 'Harrow the Ninth', I'd built a connection with the main character as part of the first book, 'Gideon the Ninth' so I was already invested and had a reason to persevere even though I was confused. Unfortunately here, I didn't have chance to build an emotional connection to any characters because I was instantly confused, so I didn't have that encouragement to stay engaged in the story.
I think this will be a very divisive book - there'll be readers who love it and find it wildly creative and original and there'll be readers like me who just find it too much like hard work to read. I might have had a different experience if I'd read the comics first but I think the logic-puzzle nature of it would have still taken me out of the story.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC from NetGalley but this is my voluntary and honest review.
I wasn’t sure what to expect with a ghost writer attached to a movie stars book. It could have been very bad, like some other ones out there but this was a surprise.
I know it’s not for everyone but I love the deep world building dialogue that doesn’t hold your hand and tell you what is happening right away. I love being lost and bewildered where a story is going and picking up all the pieces on the way. It reminded my first time reading William Gibson and being thrown into a world where you have to accept you are just along for the ride.
There are times where the dialogue gets a little circly and muddled but there also times where the prose are beautiful and long winded in a good way.
This is unique and fun sci-fi.
Thank you netgalley for this arc review copy and a chance to read this adventure.
I know it’s not for everyone but I love the deep world building dialogue that doesn’t hold your hand and tell you what is happening right away. I love being lost and bewildered where a story is going and picking up all the pieces on the way. It reminded my first time reading William Gibson and being thrown into a world where you have to accept you are just along for the ride.
There are times where the dialogue gets a little circly and muddled but there also times where the prose are beautiful and long winded in a good way.
This is unique and fun sci-fi.
Thank you netgalley for this arc review copy and a chance to read this adventure.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Not my cup of tea. This book left me feeling disoriented and unclear where the story was going. I might enjoy it more on a second read. The usage of the English language was phenomenal but the punctuation was…interesting. Breaks all the punctuation rules which was very descriptive in the long run but disorienting in the moment. An entire paragraph with no punctuation is - woah!
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes