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A review by tits_mcgee
Vurt by Jeff Noon
adventurous
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
A trippy punk fever dream drenched in trauma, with a quick rhythmic pace and some mad ideas. Totally weird, and totally original.
Welcome to an alternate version of Manchester, a seedy dystopian city with grim housing estate flavoured world building and some batshit crazy inhabitants. If you start to feel like you want to escape the nightmare, don't worry, everyone else does too! Now try Vurt, a mysterious bird feather with the ability to send you to Vurtual realities, it's a bit like playing a video game while taking experimental hallucinogenics.
The plot is a give-me-my-sister/lover-back-you-twat kind of deal. Scribble is our protagonist and he lost his sister/lover to the Vurt, where she was swapped for a freaky lovecraftian octopus. Yeah you read that right. I liked the plot; just like taking Vurt, it grabs you by the throat and throws you into a series of strange situations, you never know what to expect and it was a delight being kept in the dark.
The world building was a unique one, Noon gives us shadow people, mental abilities, robot dogs, and of course Vurt landscapes, but all the while it feels familiar and real. As a British bloke I felt fully at home among the chaos and the council estates. Nothing was over explained either, which complemented the druggy atmosphere. I think under-explaining was the smart choice.
Overall a solid, unique reading experience. A bit on the fast paced side which is fine but not my usual preference. But I did really like the book, and I can't wait to read more Noon.
8/10
Welcome to an alternate version of Manchester, a seedy dystopian city with grim housing estate flavoured world building and some batshit crazy inhabitants. If you start to feel like you want to escape the nightmare, don't worry, everyone else does too! Now try Vurt, a mysterious bird feather with the ability to send you to Vurtual realities, it's a bit like playing a video game while taking experimental hallucinogenics.
The plot is a give-me-my-sister/lover-back-you-twat kind of deal. Scribble is our protagonist and he lost his sister/lover to the Vurt, where she was swapped for a freaky lovecraftian octopus. Yeah you read that right. I liked the plot; just like taking Vurt, it grabs you by the throat and throws you into a series of strange situations, you never know what to expect and it was a delight being kept in the dark.
The world building was a unique one, Noon gives us shadow people, mental abilities, robot dogs, and of course Vurt landscapes, but all the while it feels familiar and real. As a British bloke I felt fully at home among the chaos and the council estates. Nothing was over explained either, which complemented the druggy atmosphere. I think under-explaining was the smart choice.
Overall a solid, unique reading experience. A bit on the fast paced side which is fine but not my usual preference. But I did really like the book, and I can't wait to read more Noon.
8/10