A review by rowan_d
Miss Subways by David Duchovny

3.0

I have conflicting feelings about this book. I wanted to love it. I'm glad I read it, but I don't believe it truly lived up to its potential. First off, I will say that I "read" this book via the audiobook, and though I rarely say this, I believe this might be the best way to experience this particular book. David Duchovny is a fabulous narrator and his reading gave me a clearer sense of how the (his) narrative was meant to be read than I might have gleaned on my own. And Tea Leoni brings the character of Emer to life in a way that I believe made me love her more than I might have otherwise. But as for the story itself, I feel like the first half of the book laid the groundwork for a payoff that the second half never quite delivered. There were little recurring facts now and then I assumed would be significant in the end but were simply dropped - perhaps they were meant to be red herrings? I love the intellectualism of the book, the solid grasp on human history, human nature, philosophy, and cultural phenomena. I love the meandering stream-of-consciousness to it all. The characters were strong and will stick with me. But I feel like all of this richness needed a stronger message, a stronger framework. Overall, the book is worth the read, but I can't help feeling it lost its way in the telling, and I find myself wishing it could have been something just a bit MORE.