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sebtheoiv's review
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
storybookvisitor's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
rebelmorrow's review
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? It's complicated
1.0
aldean's review
2.0
Beautifully crafted in parts, but uneven as a whole; the book falls apart into a (to me) rather disappointing anti-climax at the end. An interesting tale, told with some skill, but not one I would pick up again soon.
bethadele's review
4.0
A good example of not judging a book by the movie adaptation.
Having seen the movie, I approached this book with more trepidation and prejudice than it deserved.
I actually enjoyed the second half of the book more than the first, probably because the way in which our dancer deals with his ordeal is what drew me to the story in the first place. Though I must admit a slight disappointment, had Thomson actually approached his subject matter with the depth I would have liked to see, he would have run the risk of writing a very tedious and perhaps boorish kind of story.
Instead he wrote it with the right balance of humanism and egocentrism, drawing you in, making you share the frustration, the anger and the hopelessness of the situation. Nothing seemed tied up or really finished.
The whole point of which was to make you ask questions and force you to draw your own conclusions, because Thomson isn't giving anything away.
Having seen the movie, I approached this book with more trepidation and prejudice than it deserved.
I actually enjoyed the second half of the book more than the first, probably because the way in which our dancer deals with his ordeal is what drew me to the story in the first place. Though I must admit a slight disappointment, had Thomson actually approached his subject matter with the depth I would have liked to see, he would have run the risk of writing a very tedious and perhaps boorish kind of story.
Instead he wrote it with the right balance of humanism and egocentrism, drawing you in, making you share the frustration, the anger and the hopelessness of the situation. Nothing seemed tied up or really finished.
The whole point of which was to make you ask questions and force you to draw your own conclusions, because Thomson isn't giving anything away.
jakewritesbooks's review
4.0
CN: rape, sexual assault, kidnapping. Seriously, this book is very triggering.
I remember picking this book up randomly one day in a book store, thinking it was about religion. I cringed when I saw the subject matter: an attractive man kidnapped and held against his will, subject to torture and sexual menace at the hands of women. I looked it up on Goodreads and found it wasn’t considered grindhouse shock shlock, but a literary meditation on gender and power dynamics.
I wasn’t confident to buy it that day, nor did I do so in the future but it’s been on my wish list for a long time. I checked out from the library twice but each time, returned it unread.
For my local library bingo, I was tasked with reading a “book outside of my comfort zone.” Hoo boy, does this one meet the description. So I decided it was finally time.
I’m glad I did. This is indeed a literary take on the subject. Thomson doesn’t shy away from sadistic acts but he also doesn’t describe them in graphic detail like, say, Stieg Larsson. This is more a meditation on what happens AND the long lasting effects, which move the reader to the last page.
Thomson has a great command of language. His prose is sparse but his descriptions are rich, both of atmosphere and of the mind of the main character. It’s a psychological examination in the Halloween costume of a crime novel.
The ending might not be for everyone but I felt like it worked. I won’t spoil it but having worked with enough rape survivors, I know that there are not easy answers. Recovery is not a straight line.
Will say it one more time: if you are a survivor or have a hard time stomaching rape, this is not the book for you. Even if it’s not a graphic as it could be, it’s still tough.
I remember picking this book up randomly one day in a book store, thinking it was about religion. I cringed when I saw the subject matter: an attractive man kidnapped and held against his will, subject to torture and sexual menace at the hands of women. I looked it up on Goodreads and found it wasn’t considered grindhouse shock shlock, but a literary meditation on gender and power dynamics.
I wasn’t confident to buy it that day, nor did I do so in the future but it’s been on my wish list for a long time. I checked out from the library twice but each time, returned it unread.
For my local library bingo, I was tasked with reading a “book outside of my comfort zone.” Hoo boy, does this one meet the description. So I decided it was finally time.
I’m glad I did. This is indeed a literary take on the subject. Thomson doesn’t shy away from sadistic acts but he also doesn’t describe them in graphic detail like, say, Stieg Larsson. This is more a meditation on what happens AND the long lasting effects, which move the reader to the last page.
Thomson has a great command of language. His prose is sparse but his descriptions are rich, both of atmosphere and of the mind of the main character. It’s a psychological examination in the Halloween costume of a crime novel.
The ending might not be for everyone but I felt like it worked. I won’t spoil it but having worked with enough rape survivors, I know that there are not easy answers. Recovery is not a straight line.
Will say it one more time: if you are a survivor or have a hard time stomaching rape, this is not the book for you. Even if it’s not a graphic as it could be, it’s still tough.
jesstherese's review
5.0
I love this book. The morbid detail of the dancer's abduction, his subsequent confusion and reactionary behaviour, right through to a chance of redemption - fascinating.
lizziekam's review
2.0
I read this in anticipation of a trip to Amsterdam. It's a quick read but the first part is very tough to get through and frankly, sexual torture (not a spoiler - it's on the flap) is something I particularly dislike reading about. The second part of the story held more appeal for me and I found his description of the Netherlands and Amsterdam to be evocative.
boseags's review
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
suzanlemont's review
4.0
Another thrift store find fro man author I had never heard of. I would like to give it 4 1/2 stars because of its originality, and the absolutely stunning descriptions of the aftermath of the protagonist's horrific experiences which take place in the first part of the book (the less interesting part for me, not only because the topic is icky/upsetting but because a lot of it didn't make sense, such as why wasn't he searched for at all/treated as a missing person, not even perfunctorily?). I found it riveting most of the way through and stayed up into the night to finish. I underlined a few passages to quote/ponder later and that's always a sign of a good book for me (that something struck me deep enough to do it). Am now curious to read this author's other works. One other little caveat was that there were some minor but annoying discrepancies in his descriptions of Amsterdam/Dutch idiosyncrasies that my obsessive kind of mind had to work hard to ignore. Not enough to put me off of reading, but along with the other unexplained/slightly unrealistic elements made for a not 100% smooth and perfect reading experience. But overall really good.
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