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oaybcjan's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
rollotreadway's review
1.0
I'd have thought Neil Jordan was successful enough that he could afford a keyboard with quotation marks. Maybe he just doesn't know how to make them appear. It's usually shift+2, Neil. Hope that helps.
Beyond that, oh, I don't know. The story didn't grab me, the characters seemed unending and unreal. I'm not sure what the point was, it seemed to be neither one thing nor the other, never quite to make its mind to on what it was going to be.
But, heavens, struggling through that whilst trying to keep tabs on what was narrative and what was dialogue, and if dialogue said by whom, or thought it written... it was exhausting and annoying. Quotation marks are pretty useful, it turns out. I can do without the needless affectation of dropping them.
Beyond that, oh, I don't know. The story didn't grab me, the characters seemed unending and unreal. I'm not sure what the point was, it seemed to be neither one thing nor the other, never quite to make its mind to on what it was going to be.
But, heavens, struggling through that whilst trying to keep tabs on what was narrative and what was dialogue, and if dialogue said by whom, or thought it written... it was exhausting and annoying. Quotation marks are pretty useful, it turns out. I can do without the needless affectation of dropping them.
daynpitseleh's review against another edition
3.0
I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Probably 3 1/2 stars
It can be a bit hard to connect to this book at first. The writing style is disconnected, it's hard to describe, as if a writing style could be smoke wisps that float through. It's often not clear who is speaking, and all of it has a certain dreamlike quality. However, I became really interested in about a third of the way through, and really came to enjoy the writing and characters. It's more than just a detective novel; it raises some interesting ideas about love and death. Unfortunately, I didn't care for the ending of the book, which felt like a bit of a letdown. Overall, I enjoyed this novel.
Probably 3 1/2 stars
It can be a bit hard to connect to this book at first. The writing style is disconnected, it's hard to describe, as if a writing style could be smoke wisps that float through. It's often not clear who is speaking, and all of it has a certain dreamlike quality. However, I became really interested in about a third of the way through, and really came to enjoy the writing and characters. It's more than just a detective novel; it raises some interesting ideas about love and death. Unfortunately, I didn't care for the ending of the book, which felt like a bit of a letdown. Overall, I enjoyed this novel.
becraynor's review against another edition
3.0
I won this book through a goodreads giveaway, so first off, a thank you to the publishers for sending me this book.
There's a few things I want to discuss. Let's start with the writing style. I found it really jarring at first, mainly because of the lack of quotation marks for the dialogue. Normally, I can't stand the lack of punctuation, but for this book, I don't think the story would have worked without it. Having said that, I think I would have enjoyed this book more if the characters were more likable. I couldn't relate to Sarah and found her repulsive. I felt Jonathan should have been more unreliable as a narrator and instead found him aimless. His work ethic made me want to punch a wall. Gertrude was the most interesting character, and yet somehow, I still found her quite boring.
The premise itself was really interesting. The upheaval of the city, the work associated with Sarah and Jonathan, and the relationships between everyone should have made for a compelling story, but I couldn't care less about the characters. And though the writing style worked for telling the story, it almost felt lazy, because the reader was pushed away and made to stand on the sidelines rather than right in the action of the upheaval of both the city and Sarah and Jonathan's marriage.
There's a few things I want to discuss. Let's start with the writing style. I found it really jarring at first, mainly because of the lack of quotation marks for the dialogue. Normally, I can't stand the lack of punctuation, but for this book, I don't think the story would have worked without it. Having said that, I think I would have enjoyed this book more if the characters were more likable. I couldn't relate to Sarah and found her repulsive. I felt Jonathan should have been more unreliable as a narrator and instead found him aimless. His work ethic made me want to punch a wall. Gertrude was the most interesting character, and yet somehow, I still found her quite boring.
The premise itself was really interesting. The upheaval of the city, the work associated with Sarah and Jonathan, and the relationships between everyone should have made for a compelling story, but I couldn't care less about the characters. And though the writing style worked for telling the story, it almost felt lazy, because the reader was pushed away and made to stand on the sidelines rather than right in the action of the upheaval of both the city and Sarah and Jonathan's marriage.
padraic_'s review against another edition
3.0
I read the audio version read by Mark Meadows. It's only the second audio book I've tried. The first, Call of the Wild, is about a dog and doesn't feature much dialogue.
This book felt clunky, the characters overly stereotypical, the dialogue in places made me groan aloud. I don't know if it was the quality of the writing or the nature of the reading but the overall effect wasn't great. That said the story was compelling enough to finish the book and though I have some doubts about it I would try another by the same author.
This book felt clunky, the characters overly stereotypical, the dialogue in places made me groan aloud. I don't know if it was the quality of the writing or the nature of the reading but the overall effect wasn't great. That said the story was compelling enough to finish the book and though I have some doubts about it I would try another by the same author.
zzzrevel's review against another edition
2.0
Sorry, I did not get this book at all. Too much symbolism
or whatever. Paradoxically, I was entertained reading
it and wanted to (hoped to) find out if there was
something I would understand in the conclusion.
...
Did not happen. The book remains a puzzle in
my head even given other reviews and interpretations.
or whatever. Paradoxically, I was entertained reading
it and wanted to (hoped to) find out if there was
something I would understand in the conclusion.
...
Did not happen. The book remains a puzzle in
my head even given other reviews and interpretations.
holycrapihatepeople's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
even with the plot twist at the end i didn't like the book
smellbelle's review
2.0
I feel bad having given this such a low rating, but it just wasn't my thing. I was perpetually annoyed with the lack of talking marks when people were speaking and I found the whole thing a little hard to follow. Having said that I think the concept is original and the whole Eastern European setting was perfect for the whole situation.
abookishtype's review
3.0
Why is it that literary fiction authors are so tempted to dabble in the mystery genre? Is it because the protagonists, the detectives, are already keen observers of detail and nuance? Or because detectives are always prying the lids off of seemingly ordinary lives to see what lies beneath? Whatever it is, Neil Jordan’s The Drowned Detective is a curious mix of the two genres, with a dollop of the supernatural to further complicate things. Jonathan, an Englishman who finds missing people in an unnamed eastern European city, takes a case to find a young woman who has been missing for years as the city, his marriage, and possibly his grip on sanity grow increasingly unstable...
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.
shawna_reads's review
mysterious
medium-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
2.0