A review by rmnedder
Prisnms by Garth St. Omer

reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

I found myself to be pretty unimpressed by this book. Prisnms is pretty much what it says on the tin - a reflection of one man's journey of self and status as an immigrant, done by a thoroughly untrustworthy narrator. While the through line about the main character's sense of self (or lack thereof) is compelling at times, that's really about it. He's such a reprehensible person, which isn't inherently bad, but the narrative style is dull and the actual content of the story feels a little underdeveloped, so there's not really anything to balance it out. And, despite the promise of uncertainty about knowing what to believe/trust, I didn't find that to be as urgent of a concern as the abstract made it out to be; it's certainly a feature of the story, but I think it lacks the degree of import it's given. It's a short "character study" style novella that ultimately does little to keep the reader engaged. 

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