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A review by nirnroot
Only Forward by Michael Marshall Smith
4.0
Seeing all of the glowing reviews, I feel sort of ashamed at how much of a struggle I found to get through.
But then why four stars?
Well, the ending saved it for me because it basically put me back in my comfort zone of actually laying out the narrator's feelings and motivations bluntly. I hated the constant asides of "I'll tell you later" about Stark's life.
For the most part I think it just wasn't my style, and worse, I found the narrator's 'witty' 'biting' voice irritating rather than humourous. I felt better about it within the last 50ish pages but in a 310 page book that wasn't fab. I also couldn't maintain interest in the separation of tone and environment in the parts of the stories despite simultaneously thinking the writing was really brilliant in evoking that central 'dream style'.
So I still recommend it, and don't regret finishing it, but I don't think I shall pick it up again.
But then why four stars?
Well, the ending saved it for me because it basically put me back in my comfort zone of actually laying out the narrator's feelings and motivations bluntly. I hated the constant asides of "I'll tell you later" about Stark's life.
For the most part I think it just wasn't my style, and worse, I found the narrator's 'witty' 'biting' voice irritating rather than humourous. I felt better about it within the last 50ish pages but in a 310 page book that wasn't fab. I also couldn't maintain interest in the separation of tone and environment in the parts of the stories despite simultaneously thinking the writing was really brilliant in evoking that central 'dream style'.
So I still recommend it, and don't regret finishing it, but I don't think I shall pick it up again.