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217th out of 335 books
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347 voters
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The Dewey Decimal System
by
Nathan Larson (Goodreads Author)
After a flu pandemic, a large-scale terrorist attack, and the total collapse of Wall Street, New York City is reduced to a shadow of its former self. As the city struggles to dig itself out of the wreckage, a nameless, obsessive-compulsive veteran with a spotty memory, a love for literature, and a strong if complex moral code (that doesn’t preclude acts of extreme violence
...morePaperback, 251 pages
Published
April 19th 2011
by Akashic Books
(first published April 16th 2011)
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Although the basic premise may seem familiar ("Caveman's Valentine," Rosemary Aubert's Ellis Portal series, "Gun, with Occasional Music," "The Zero," and even "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time"), Nathan Larson puts his own definite spin on it. Take a character with a psychological difficulty, in this case obsessive-compulsive disorder, place him in a time after another, but more disastrous, 9/11 in New York City, give him a memory shot ful...more
The Sunday Book Review
added it
Being my first dystopian book, I was a bit hesitant as to what is what it was all about. I had just learned the meaning of the word several weeks earlier, but I was curious. Let me just say, if this is what dystopia is about, I am hooked.
Nathan has written this book in a way that made it really fun for me to read. It was as if Dewey and I were in a room and he was telling me what was happening as it was happening. Sentences were cut off, thoughts were "at the moment" thoughts...more
Nathan has written this book in a way that made it really fun for me to read. It was as if Dewey and I were in a room and he was telling me what was happening as it was happening. Sentences were cut off, thoughts were "at the moment" thoughts...more
*** 1/2
There seem to be a lot of dystopian novels set in New York post-9/11 out there, but I really enjoyed this one. In addition to being set post-9/11 (which is never referred to directly, sort of like Jess Walters' The Zero--the only hint of it is the Freedom Tower in lower Manhattan), it's also set post-2/14, though we never learn what *exactly* happened on 2/14 beyond a whole lot of destruction.
Dewey is a dark and mentally-unstable but wholly sympathetic and likable...more
There seem to be a lot of dystopian novels set in New York post-9/11 out there, but I really enjoyed this one. In addition to being set post-9/11 (which is never referred to directly, sort of like Jess Walters' The Zero--the only hint of it is the Freedom Tower in lower Manhattan), it's also set post-2/14, though we never learn what *exactly* happened on 2/14 beyond a whole lot of destruction.
Dewey is a dark and mentally-unstable but wholly sympathetic and likable...more
Nathan Larson's debut novel was a bit of surprise to me. Akashic has the tendency to produce a lot of books that I like and a handful I'm certainly not into. Larson falls into the former category.
Set in a post 9/11 and post 2/14 world, Dewey Decimal is a maniacal character who suffers from OCD, happens to be a hit man and is certainly one of the oddest characters I've come across in a while.
In some ways, I get the hard boiled crime fiction tags thrown at this book, but...more
Set in a post 9/11 and post 2/14 world, Dewey Decimal is a maniacal character who suffers from OCD, happens to be a hit man and is certainly one of the oddest characters I've come across in a while.
In some ways, I get the hard boiled crime fiction tags thrown at this book, but...more
Part of me wants to give this book only one star to punish myself for spending money on a book I ended up hating.
I really wanted to like it. The formula should have worked - library references, post-apocalyptic new york, hard boiled detective.
The character, who suffers from OCD among other things, needs to remind us constantly of his ailments. It is too bad someone so obsessive about touching his key can't use pronouns in his sentences. The entire book feels choppy a...more
I really wanted to like it. The formula should have worked - library references, post-apocalyptic new york, hard boiled detective.
The character, who suffers from OCD among other things, needs to remind us constantly of his ailments. It is too bad someone so obsessive about touching his key can't use pronouns in his sentences. The entire book feels choppy a...more
This was a fun, quick read. A bit different in the near-future apocalypse genre, and a good example of how the author doesn't have to give the reader every single detail about the universe in which the story takes place for it to be understandable/believable/enjoyable. The fact that the main character's name is "Dewey Decimal" is what drew me to it in the first place (having recently been a librarian and all that) and was slightly disappointed that his supposed hobby of organizing book...more
Dystopian adult fiction. The main character has little memory of his past and currently lives in the main branch of the NYPL. Some sort of terrorist event has taken place in NY on 2/14 of an unknown year. It is definately no longer the NY we know -- all the bridges are destroyed, only city workers with ID allowed on the subway, lots of gangster-type characters. Main character is known as Dewey Decimal because he lives in the library and is trying to reorganize it. This is only mentioned in the s...more
It may be weird to say that I am a fan of dystopian near-future settings. I have a morbid fascination with bleak, sparse landscapes and crumbling infrastructure; I remain hopeful that I will never have to live in such a world, but constantly wonder what type of person I would be if I survived in one.
In "The Dewey Decimal System", Larson creates an instantly engaging survivor as a protagonist, and a compelling city in ruins around him. Larson's staccato, fragmented style mak...more
In "The Dewey Decimal System", Larson creates an instantly engaging survivor as a protagonist, and a compelling city in ruins around him. Larson's staccato, fragmented style mak...more
When checking out The Dewey Decimal System by Nathan Larsen over on Amazon I found out it is part of the Akashic Urban Surreal Series. Unfortunately, beyond that Amazon listing I can’t seem to find anything about this series beyond that it sort of exists. I mean, I guess the series title sort of explains it all but a little more information on it might be nice. Indeed, before even seeing that such a series existed I don’t think I would have classified this novel as surreal. Maybe it’s the fact t...more
Nik Korpon
added it
Very odd, and very good. Review coming soon.
Full review here.
Full review here.
A librarian who shoots people. This book is an after-the-disaster-that-ends-civilization P-I story about a mysterious character who has a certain pathos even when killing people; mostly he kills bad Yugoslavian criminals. The character develops well in the story and it's action-packed if not always believable. It has potential but doesn't do enough to explore 'the system'.
I'm not usually a detective novel fan but my sister recommended this book. It introduces Dewey Decimal, a multiracial survivor who has forgotten his past but not how to get himself out of dire situations. It takes place in the near future, after an "occurance" decimates the population of the earth by 2/3. The book is the first of a trilogy and I will read the next 2.
I wanted badly to love this book, but I couldn't get through it. I thought the dialogue was really, really forced, and when "the plot thickened," I just couldn't go with it. Worse, though: the book is first person-narrated by our hero, and sometimes - too much of the time - it's terribly cheesy, (again) forced, and just plain poorly written. The plot sounds really awesome on the back of the book, but either I didn't read far enough or the publisher is playing up something that's mentio...more
The Dewey Decimal System introduces readers to two new great things: an unforgettable dark horse hero, and debut novelist, Nathan Larson. Dewey Decimal System is an ode to New York, it's a neo noir slapstick, above all, it's a killer first book.
The debut novel by Shudder to Think/A Camp guitarist and film composer Nathan Larson. I think the best part was his vision of New York City after a catastrophic event, and the way he slowly gives us details about that event.
Great idea.... just didn't like the writing style. ...so I didn't finish the book...scanned to the end...and still didn't get hooked.
This is a great book. A blend of sci fi with Raymond Chandler mystery tied in. I'm looking forward to Nathan Larson's next work.
Considering I got interested in the book due to its title, I was surprised how much I liked the dystopia created in it.
Really unsure about this one. Nice concept and good pace, but a really unsatisfying ending.
Interesting premise and character but a bit repetitive and a so what sort of ending...
it could be tightened up a bit, especially the dialogue. That said, the story is strong, the action is intense, and this is a fresh take on noir.
Dystopian 'Neo Noir Slapstick' Not much in it has to do with Libraries.
It was a hard story to believe but it was entertaining.
I wanted to love it, instead I just liked it.
Dewey Decimal is a great character. Everyone else is pretty much a stock mystery character---which is fine with me. What isn't fine is the resolution of the story. After all that happened, I just didn't buy it.
fun
Okay, in truth, this is not a book I would pick up on my own since dystopias aren't my thing. On the other hand, I met the author Nathan Larson at Odyssey Books and have enjoyed some exchanges with him on Facebook so I am inclined in favor of it. So *I* liked it enough to give it five stars. Your mileage may vary :-)
Kathleen
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Nathan Larson is best known as an award-winning film music composer, having created the scores for over thirty movies, such as Boys Don't Cry, Dirty Pretty Things, and Margin Call. He was deeply involved in the hardcore punk scene in Washington D.C., and in the 1990s, he was the lead guitarist for the influential prog-punk outfit Shudder to Think. THE DEWEY DECIMAL SYSTEM is his first novel, the f...more
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