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A review by tatdine
The Algebraist by Iain M. Banks
3.0
My husband and I were presented with this book by a stranger at a bookstore. The man approached my husband, handed him the book and said, “I think you’ll want to try this one.” We bought it. If the book was terrible, we reasoned, at least the story of how we came to have it would be neat.
I didn’t know anything about this author or the book before diving in. Overall, I found the book enjoyable. I found that there were long portions of the book that dragged and felt forced. Banks tends to go on long explanations that seem entirely unnecessary for the progression of the plot. Some of the explanations may have been better handled in an appendix rather than the body of the novel.
Many of the characters seems to blur together. Scenes cut at times that made it difficult to piece together what happened.
The end of the book does have a neat payoff; however, I’m not entire certain it was worth it in the end.
I didn’t know anything about this author or the book before diving in. Overall, I found the book enjoyable. I found that there were long portions of the book that dragged and felt forced. Banks tends to go on long explanations that seem entirely unnecessary for the progression of the plot. Some of the explanations may have been better handled in an appendix rather than the body of the novel.
Many of the characters seems to blur together. Scenes cut at times that made it difficult to piece together what happened.
The end of the book does have a neat payoff; however, I’m not entire certain it was worth it in the end.