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billymac1962 's review for:
Spares
by Michael Marshall Smith
Michael Marshall Smith totally blew me away with Only Forward, so Spares was going to be a tough act to follow. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite as great as Only Forward (few books are), but the quality of writing was right up to par.
I get the feeling that MMS' stories are an outlet for him to get a few things off his chest. His characters tend to wax philosophic during lulls in the action, and where this seems to annoy some readers, I found these lulls the best parts of the novel.
Like Stephen King, MMS has his finger adroitly placed on the pulse of the human condition. Huh...I don't think I've ever used the word adroitly before. Hm.
Anyways, everything from relationships, addiction, or just getting
through the day are explored through his hero's musings.
All that aside, we have a story that many have likened to a Blade Runner/Coma sort of thing. And it certainly has that Blade Runner feel to it: a vertiginous (ANOTHER word I've never used!) noir (and I'm not a big fan of noir, it's been done to death) action-mystery.
But, as per MMS' track record, there is much more to things than meets the eye.
Man, where does this guy get his ideas? Acid? Dreams? Whatever it is, dude, keep it up and keep writing this stuff.
Folks, this is one of the most talented guys writing today. Besides taking you on a mind trip, his pacing is excellent, you feel for his characters, and his touches on the human condition are bang-on.
There's even a laugh or two. To wit:
"He was uglier than three types of shit in a one-shit bag."
I was set on giving Spares another 5 stars. I wish to heck I could give it a strong 4.5, because as good as it was, I wish I had a better
understanding of what The Gap was. Don't let this discourage you, though. Even though it was a little foggy to me, it didn't detract from the story at all. I just accepted it for it was, and let him carry me through the story.
So...what to rate it? I liked it a lot, even loved it at times, but it wasn't Only Forward, so...
Ah, what the heck. It doesn't cost anything and this was a feat of the imagination and this guy deserves a lot of exposure.
I'm rounding up this up to a 5. So there. Read Michael Marshal Smith. You won't forget it.
I get the feeling that MMS' stories are an outlet for him to get a few things off his chest. His characters tend to wax philosophic during lulls in the action, and where this seems to annoy some readers, I found these lulls the best parts of the novel.
Like Stephen King, MMS has his finger adroitly placed on the pulse of the human condition. Huh...I don't think I've ever used the word adroitly before. Hm.
Anyways, everything from relationships, addiction, or just getting
through the day are explored through his hero's musings.
All that aside, we have a story that many have likened to a Blade Runner/Coma sort of thing. And it certainly has that Blade Runner feel to it: a vertiginous (ANOTHER word I've never used!) noir (and I'm not a big fan of noir, it's been done to death) action-mystery.
But, as per MMS' track record, there is much more to things than meets the eye.
Man, where does this guy get his ideas? Acid? Dreams? Whatever it is, dude, keep it up and keep writing this stuff.
Folks, this is one of the most talented guys writing today. Besides taking you on a mind trip, his pacing is excellent, you feel for his characters, and his touches on the human condition are bang-on.
There's even a laugh or two. To wit:
"He was uglier than three types of shit in a one-shit bag."
I was set on giving Spares another 5 stars. I wish to heck I could give it a strong 4.5, because as good as it was, I wish I had a better
understanding of what The Gap was. Don't let this discourage you, though. Even though it was a little foggy to me, it didn't detract from the story at all. I just accepted it for it was, and let him carry me through the story.
So...what to rate it? I liked it a lot, even loved it at times, but it wasn't Only Forward, so...
Ah, what the heck. It doesn't cost anything and this was a feat of the imagination and this guy deserves a lot of exposure.
I'm rounding up this up to a 5. So there. Read Michael Marshal Smith. You won't forget it.