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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The Book of Elsewhere is a story that had me intrigued from the beginning with its mysterious premise and quirky, fantastical elements. The world-building is vivid, and the writing kept me engaged for most of the book. However, while I enjoyed much of the journey, I have to say I was disappointed by the ending.
It’s not uncommon for a series to leave the main mystery unresolved until later books, but it doesn’t always sit well with me, especially when so much of the plot hinges on that mystery. In this case, the entire story was built around the question of who or what “B” is, and after all the buildup, we’re left still guessing. That left me feeling like the narrative lost some of its creative energy, especially with all the fantastical elements that were never fully explained.
One recurring theme was the protagonist’s inability to have children, and yet by the end, there’s no real explanation for why this was important or why it kept coming up. It felt like another loose end, leaving me more frustrated than satisfied as a reader.
I ended up giving it 3 stars, but that’s only because I’m holding out hope for a follow-up novel that wraps things up. Otherwise, I’d probably drop it down to a 2. The potential is there, but the execution, especially toward the end, just didn’t fully deliver for me.
It’s not uncommon for a series to leave the main mystery unresolved until later books, but it doesn’t always sit well with me, especially when so much of the plot hinges on that mystery. In this case, the entire story was built around the question of who or what “B” is, and after all the buildup, we’re left still guessing. That left me feeling like the narrative lost some of its creative energy, especially with all the fantastical elements that were never fully explained.
One recurring theme was the protagonist’s inability to have children, and yet by the end, there’s no real explanation for why this was important or why it kept coming up. It felt like another loose end, leaving me more frustrated than satisfied as a reader.
I ended up giving it 3 stars, but that’s only because I’m holding out hope for a follow-up novel that wraps things up. Otherwise, I’d probably drop it down to a 2. The potential is there, but the execution, especially toward the end, just didn’t fully deliver for me.
Un roman d'une créativité remarquable, même s'il présente des défauts assez évidents! La conception de rassembler les idées préconçues et la force tranquille de Keanu Reeves mélangé avec la prose très descriptive et étrange de China Miéville est un pari de haut calibre…et pour beaucoup de raisons, cela a marché! L’histoire, scindé en 3 couches narratives, n’a pas manqué de violence brute, inspiré par la bande dessinée BRZRKR, ce qui en fait des scènes d’actions avec beaucoup de panache extravagant, alliant une science-fiction militaire très crédible.
The Book of Elsewhere sait également se poser au travers de différentes interludes et points de vue pour illustrer une résonance très métaphorique et philosophique sur le concept de la mortalité. Malgré quelques ratés au niveau de l’exécution et descendant de plus en plus dans l’étrangeté du récit qui se renforce à vue d’œil, The Book of Elsewhere saura cependant récompenser le lectorat dans ses derniers milles, à condition qu’il reste accru et prêt à toute éventualité.
Un roman qui n’est pas parfait, mais qu’on se doit de respecter le processus de création de deux artistes diamétralement opposés qui dans le meilleur de leurs moyens, ont su faire de cette collaboration un exercice très honorable et divertissant!
The Book of Elsewhere sait également se poser au travers de différentes interludes et points de vue pour illustrer une résonance très métaphorique et philosophique sur le concept de la mortalité. Malgré quelques ratés au niveau de l’exécution et descendant de plus en plus dans l’étrangeté du récit qui se renforce à vue d’œil, The Book of Elsewhere saura cependant récompenser le lectorat dans ses derniers milles, à condition qu’il reste accru et prêt à toute éventualité.
Un roman qui n’est pas parfait, mais qu’on se doit de respecter le processus de création de deux artistes diamétralement opposés qui dans le meilleur de leurs moyens, ont su faire de cette collaboration un exercice très honorable et divertissant!
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Kind of slow at times, was hard to get into but I really liked the time/perspective shifts of other people talking about their interactions with Unute over the millennia. Left with a lot of questions that i feel like might be resolved in another book? Definitely felt like they were setting up a sequel.
Overall really like China Meivilles writing style and I think it married well with the creativity of Keanu Reeves.
Overall really like China Meivilles writing style and I think it married well with the creativity of Keanu Reeves.
I'm sorry Keanu 😞 I switched to audiobook after 10%, which helped, but in the end it just felt like it trudged through the plot with flat characters.
Beginning super slow and confusing, book gets better, then worse. I am in awe that Keanu Reeves and China Mieville wrote a book together but plot-wise it's annoyingly vague, esoteric and violent. B cannot die, has been alive for millennia & works for a secret unit of the military. Mysterious things happen, B cannot die, but people come back from the dead. I'm really underwhelmed. 3 stars max because parts were cool, I also liked Diana.
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
I am so confused at what I just spent days reading...
It ended up being a good and thought provoking read. The issue is nothing happens for the first 200 pages, and at only 330 pages long it means you spend longer waiting for the enjoyable part than you do living it.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes