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A review by aksmith92
The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I kid you not; in the first 20-ish pages, I told myself, "What in the world am I reading?"
In the beginning, it was one of those books where I immediately began to self-deprecate: "I'm not intelligent enough to digest this one." TALK about an artsy book: this novel dives into first, second, AND third person and somewhat intertwines a plot within a dream. It takes a VERY talented writer and artist to make it comprehensible AND good. Hats off to Simon Jimenez, who somehow managed to do both. But, at first, it was just so tough to connect to the story. I kept looking for metaphors or allegories within the novel and found that doing that impacted my overall reading experience. I stopped that about 10% of the way in and just tried to submerge myself in the narrative and see what would surface after reading about each day (you'll know what I mean when you read it).
I started to REALLY get into the book - it ended up being action-packed, and the little love story was an exciting element. I loved the world Jimenez built. I also enjoyed the intersection of times in the world. Jimenez is clever because the way the story is told is one of the most interesting things I've read in a long time.
I gave this 5 stars because this is the first time I've read a book like it. The prose was incredible, and the imagination was impeccable. There are sub-themes - oppression, guilt, and love - woven through fantasy elements and interactions between gods and humans. It was well-structured and just overall so well-done. I was initially going to rate it a 4, but I have yet to stop thinking about it and what some of the novel's elements could mean; I wanted to look up more details about what people thought about this book.
Now, I do want to preface that (to me) this book is extremely slow-paced. Additionally, I must admit this was a challenging read for me. There is a lot to track and remember in the different times in the world, and I sometimes had to really pump myself up to read it. Once I started, though, I was immersed. Overall, this was a phenomenal book - so unique and innovative. Many people should read this, even if it may be challenging. I can only describe it as a unique experience that all should feel.
In the beginning, it was one of those books where I immediately began to self-deprecate: "I'm not intelligent enough to digest this one." TALK about an artsy book: this novel dives into first, second, AND third person and somewhat intertwines a plot within a dream. It takes a VERY talented writer and artist to make it comprehensible AND good. Hats off to Simon Jimenez, who somehow managed to do both. But, at first, it was just so tough to connect to the story. I kept looking for metaphors or allegories within the novel and found that doing that impacted my overall reading experience. I stopped that about 10% of the way in and just tried to submerge myself in the narrative and see what would surface after reading about each day (you'll know what I mean when you read it).
I started to REALLY get into the book - it ended up being action-packed, and the little love story was an exciting element. I loved the world Jimenez built. I also enjoyed the intersection of times in the world. Jimenez is clever because the way the story is told is one of the most interesting things I've read in a long time.
I gave this 5 stars because this is the first time I've read a book like it. The prose was incredible, and the imagination was impeccable. There are sub-themes - oppression, guilt, and love - woven through fantasy elements and interactions between gods and humans. It was well-structured and just overall so well-done. I was initially going to rate it a 4, but I have yet to stop thinking about it and what some of the novel's elements could mean; I wanted to look up more details about what people thought about this book.
Now, I do want to preface that (to me) this book is extremely slow-paced. Additionally, I must admit this was a challenging read for me. There is a lot to track and remember in the different times in the world, and I sometimes had to really pump myself up to read it. Once I started, though, I was immersed. Overall, this was a phenomenal book - so unique and innovative. Many people should read this, even if it may be challenging. I can only describe it as a unique experience that all should feel.