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candacesiegle_greedyreader's review against another edition
3.0
3.5
If I had to choose one word to describe this novel, I guess it would be "madcap." That choice brings a lot along with it--it can mean funny and picaresque, or just unhinged and out of control. All of those apply to this novel, which is really nutty and surprising but goes on too long.
"Goes on too long" is what both the archaeologists and the film makers would say about this experience, when they spend years in a standoff about who's going to do have access to these Mayan ruins to complete their projects. A sort of communal madness ensues, where people who should certainly know better buckle down for the long run, deteriorating to the point they almost become the jungle themselves.
I'm glad Ned Beauman is out there writing, because he is certainly fearless. Next tome, maybe I'll enjoy the outing more.
If I had to choose one word to describe this novel, I guess it would be "madcap." That choice brings a lot along with it--it can mean funny and picaresque, or just unhinged and out of control. All of those apply to this novel, which is really nutty and surprising but goes on too long.
"Goes on too long" is what both the archaeologists and the film makers would say about this experience, when they spend years in a standoff about who's going to do have access to these Mayan ruins to complete their projects. A sort of communal madness ensues, where people who should certainly know better buckle down for the long run, deteriorating to the point they almost become the jungle themselves.
I'm glad Ned Beauman is out there writing, because he is certainly fearless. Next tome, maybe I'll enjoy the outing more.
siaeme12's review against another edition
2.0
I can see how some people would love this book, but the writing style was not for me personally. I couldn't get into it at all, and had to abandon the book about halfway in.
richardwells's review against another edition
2.0
Two groups of Americans, one from Hollywood intent on making a movie, one from NYC on an extravagant souvenir expedition, descend on a newly discovered Mayan temple in Honduras. They each occupy one half of the temple for 20 years. The CIA gets involved.
The book is long, very clever, intricately plotted, ultimately boring, and goes down (our maybe up) in the flames of its own genius long before its conclusion. It's a surreal vaudeville, showbiz, family drama, adventure story. It's wildly inventive, and it's too much. My thought while reading: I don't know how this is going to end, I don't really care how it's going to end, I just wish it _would_ end.
It ends.
I am no better a human being for having read it, but Ned Beauman remains a clever writer.
The book is long, very clever, intricately plotted, ultimately boring, and goes down (our maybe up) in the flames of its own genius long before its conclusion. It's a surreal vaudeville, showbiz, family drama, adventure story. It's wildly inventive, and it's too much. My thought while reading: I don't know how this is going to end, I don't really care how it's going to end, I just wish it _would_ end.
It ends.
I am no better a human being for having read it, but Ned Beauman remains a clever writer.
humpledoodle's review against another edition
3.0
Beauman's returns to his some of his favourite tropes. Nazi's, hallucinogens and the encroachment of strange Other's. He's again very very funny, its a book filled with paradoxes about the lunacy of normalcy. But book doesn't quite share the same extraordinary high's of The Teleportation Accident: still my favourite of his writings.
Well worth a read. Good time 👌🏻
Well worth a read. Good time 👌🏻
philibin's review against another edition
2.0
(2.25 Stars)
I started this book and when I got to 20% was completely lost... I figured I must have zoned out and not paid attention to something, so I started from the very beginning again. It didn't help, I felt like that upon the second read-through. I won't say that I didn't enjoy the book, but I will say that I didn't love the book. I really liked Boxer, Beetle and was hoping to like this one as much, but it just never really clicked for me. With that being said, I will read this Author again.
The Author seems very intelligent and clever, but maybe too vague in some parts and too wordy in others. The thoughts of the characters go off in tangents and you're not quite sure where one ends and the next begins, or if it is a tangent inside of a tangent. The story is about a hidden temple, that after being discovered wants to be dismantled and moved by one faction while also being used as a movie set by another. Only the factions use shared resources and the leaders are indiscernible from insane.
Readers of the Johannes Cabal series would like this book, also readers of Warren Ellis, and maybe even Donald Barthelme.
I started this book and when I got to 20% was completely lost... I figured I must have zoned out and not paid attention to something, so I started from the very beginning again. It didn't help, I felt like that upon the second read-through. I won't say that I didn't enjoy the book, but I will say that I didn't love the book. I really liked Boxer, Beetle and was hoping to like this one as much, but it just never really clicked for me. With that being said, I will read this Author again.
The Author seems very intelligent and clever, but maybe too vague in some parts and too wordy in others. The thoughts of the characters go off in tangents and you're not quite sure where one ends and the next begins, or if it is a tangent inside of a tangent. The story is about a hidden temple, that after being discovered wants to be dismantled and moved by one faction while also being used as a movie set by another. Only the factions use shared resources and the leaders are indiscernible from insane.
Readers of the Johannes Cabal series would like this book, also readers of Warren Ellis, and maybe even Donald Barthelme.
halibut's review against another edition
2.0
Of Beauman's previous books, I thought Boxer, Beetle was good and The Teleportation Accident great. I didn't enjoy Madness is Better Than Defeat though. The core plot is relatively arcane semi-mystical conspiracy circling around the relationship of corporations and intelligence agencies to a temple in Honduras. Elements which are maybe meant to sound transgressive come off as crass, often seemingly deployed for little purpose (as someone dies we get informed their sperm also died - okay, thanks). There's something in the shifting of tone, and the sprawling structure of the narrative, that feels like it's aiming for a Pynchon-like collision of high and low culture, but ended up feeling to me more as a messy plot where there was also a lot of sex or drugs mentioned. The latter half becomes a bit more sober, and brings in some metafictive elements - characters making fun of how long or hard to follow the narrative was - along with some commentary on narrative structure. I'm not convinced this was much of a payoff, or there was much interesting exploration done with it though.
copusb's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
jessetrex's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
gemmaaaar's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
annabella82's review against another edition
5.0
This was an interesting one…I really enjoyed it but I needed the time to read it so I could get into the story and understand all of the plots. In the end it was worth it.
Beauman always does such a great job at making his novels fun and quirky, this one is no different.
Beauman always does such a great job at making his novels fun and quirky, this one is no different.