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A review by bianca89279
Quicksand by Steve Toltz
3.0
3.5 stars
Steve Tolz’s previous novel was highly praised by many and it is on my very long to-be-read list; so, I had to request his latest when I noticed it on NetGalley. Thanks to Simon&Schuster for the opportunity to read and review Quicksand.
This was an unusual novel, like nothing I’ve ever read before. I’m not even sure if I liked it or not.
It’s the story of two unlikely friends: Liam, a failed writer and policeman and Aldo, a very unlucky man, who’s more of a criminal entrepreneur. They’ve been friends since highschool.
Quicksand was an interesting read. On many occasions, I thought “this is brilliant”. There is a lot of humour, mostly dark. Aldo’s fast-paced quips are entertaining and depressing at the same time. He’s a master nihilist. True, life hasn’t been very kind to him.
Unfortunately, on too many occasions I felt disengaged, and I had to concentrate to keep up either with some of Aldo’s never-ending musings or the very detailed and mundane descriptions of inconsequent life snippets, that were going nowhere in particular. I thought some of the chapters could have done with some polishing and, especially, condensing.
There were lots of witty observations. I wish I’d highlighted some of them. "I'm nobody's muse" comes to mind.
Quicksand was dazzling and very infuriating at the same time. It was humours and also depressing. It was fast paced but also slow churning. At times I loved it; sometimes I struggled.
It’s obvious that Steve Tolz is a brilliant writer. I'm somewhat annoyed that I didn’t enjoy this novel more. It has so much potential but didn’t quite pull it off.
I’m very intrigued by Steve Tolz’s writing. I can’t wait to read A Fraction of the Whole.
Recommended: Sure, but it's not a book that would appeal to everyone.
Cover: 3.5 stars
Steve Tolz’s previous novel was highly praised by many and it is on my very long to-be-read list; so, I had to request his latest when I noticed it on NetGalley. Thanks to Simon&Schuster for the opportunity to read and review Quicksand.
This was an unusual novel, like nothing I’ve ever read before. I’m not even sure if I liked it or not.
It’s the story of two unlikely friends: Liam, a failed writer and policeman and Aldo, a very unlucky man, who’s more of a criminal entrepreneur. They’ve been friends since highschool.
Quicksand was an interesting read. On many occasions, I thought “this is brilliant”. There is a lot of humour, mostly dark. Aldo’s fast-paced quips are entertaining and depressing at the same time. He’s a master nihilist. True, life hasn’t been very kind to him.
Unfortunately, on too many occasions I felt disengaged, and I had to concentrate to keep up either with some of Aldo’s never-ending musings or the very detailed and mundane descriptions of inconsequent life snippets, that were going nowhere in particular. I thought some of the chapters could have done with some polishing and, especially, condensing.
There were lots of witty observations. I wish I’d highlighted some of them. "I'm nobody's muse" comes to mind.
Quicksand was dazzling and very infuriating at the same time. It was humours and also depressing. It was fast paced but also slow churning. At times I loved it; sometimes I struggled.
It’s obvious that Steve Tolz is a brilliant writer. I'm somewhat annoyed that I didn’t enjoy this novel more. It has so much potential but didn’t quite pull it off.
I’m very intrigued by Steve Tolz’s writing. I can’t wait to read A Fraction of the Whole.
Recommended: Sure, but it's not a book that would appeal to everyone.
Cover: 3.5 stars