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A review by whatsheread
The Hypnotist by M.J. Rose
In the interest of full disclosure, I did read this book without having read any of the previous books in the Reincarnationist series. While I know that there were some parts of the entire story that may have been more clear had I read the first two books, I do not think that my lack of knowledge in any way influenced my opinion of The Hypnotist.
I did enjoy The Hypnotist. It was the second reincarnation book I read within a week, and I remain fascinated by this idea of past lives coming back to haunt us and the very literal idea of history repeating itself. The interconnections and the story drove me to read, while the building tension throughout the novel was intense at times. Add to that the fact that the story is complex enough to leave the reader guessing, and The Hypnotist becomes a clever but quirky thriller.
Unfortunately, the multiple characters became difficult to follow, especially when added to the characters in the past. Three different stories/mysteries occurring at the same time became quite confusing. In addition, the resolution of all three was somewhat anti-climatic. There was great build-up, but the end of each story line fizzled. In a similar vein, the characters were rather one-dimensional, almost caricatures of their real-life counterparts: the tortured, passionate, artistic good guy, the evil entrepreneur who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals, the mysterious love interest with a shady past, a shadow government getting involved where it should not. As a result, the reader is unable to generate a vested interest in any one character, which greatly detracts from the story.
In the end, The Hypnotist was enjoyable but left me wanting more. I'm left confused why anyone would want to know more about his or her past lives. What is to gain by the knowledge? Still, as with any reincarnation story, the possibilities behind this idea are intriguing. It was these possibilities that kept me interested and allowed me to take pleasure from the story rather than become bogged down with the more obfuscating aspects of The Hypnotist.
I did enjoy The Hypnotist. It was the second reincarnation book I read within a week, and I remain fascinated by this idea of past lives coming back to haunt us and the very literal idea of history repeating itself. The interconnections and the story drove me to read, while the building tension throughout the novel was intense at times. Add to that the fact that the story is complex enough to leave the reader guessing, and The Hypnotist becomes a clever but quirky thriller.
Unfortunately, the multiple characters became difficult to follow, especially when added to the characters in the past. Three different stories/mysteries occurring at the same time became quite confusing. In addition, the resolution of all three was somewhat anti-climatic. There was great build-up, but the end of each story line fizzled. In a similar vein, the characters were rather one-dimensional, almost caricatures of their real-life counterparts: the tortured, passionate, artistic good guy, the evil entrepreneur who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals, the mysterious love interest with a shady past, a shadow government getting involved where it should not. As a result, the reader is unable to generate a vested interest in any one character, which greatly detracts from the story.
In the end, The Hypnotist was enjoyable but left me wanting more. I'm left confused why anyone would want to know more about his or her past lives. What is to gain by the knowledge? Still, as with any reincarnation story, the possibilities behind this idea are intriguing. It was these possibilities that kept me interested and allowed me to take pleasure from the story rather than become bogged down with the more obfuscating aspects of The Hypnotist.