A beautifully produced book, and beautifully drawn (excellently expressive inks and mood-specific colouring, if a little too dark at times), but I'm a...moreA beautifully produced book, and beautifully drawn (excellently expressive inks and mood-specific colouring, if a little too dark at times), but I'm afraid that - even at just 220 pages - I couldn't bring myself to finish it. The plot, which starts off mysteriously, gets more ridiculous as it goes on, and there's an element of silliness that feels completely at odds with the supernatural detective tale blurbed on the back cover. This never seemed to be the book I felt I was sold, and it disappointed and underwhelmed, and then began to infuriate. Too many ideas thrown into an aimless story, and all the wonderful art in the world couldn't save it for me, I'm afraid. (less)
The '50s setting is wonderfully evoked, as are the characters - both the detectives and the incidental cast - and the story slowly comes together over...moreThe '50s setting is wonderfully evoked, as are the characters - both the detectives and the incidental cast - and the story slowly comes together over the course of one night, before a couple of sharp twists and an ending that you think is going to dissipate pull together in a satisfyingly unexpected final page. If The Interrogation had been written in the years in which it is set, Hitchcock would have made this into one of his best films; it has the sharp and suspenseful clockwork of Hitchcock's best work, and a slowly ratcheting suspense that keeps you reading. My first Thomas H Cook book, but certainly not my last.(less)
I usually feel bad writing a review of a book I couldn't finish, but it bears mentioning, against the unanimous tide of glowing reviews, that this is...moreI usually feel bad writing a review of a book I couldn't finish, but it bears mentioning, against the unanimous tide of glowing reviews, that this is really poorly written and trite stuff, with a prose style that is painfully amateur. Much of the dialogue is summed up rather than quoted, and the narrative viewpoint switches between characters constantly, often within the same paragraph. The story is facile and - even given the realms of fantasy and whimsy - beggars belief a little too much. It reads like a child's story, if I'm honest. The humour is painfully strained and obvious - and never funny - and the Forrest Gump/Zelig-style interactions with historical figures was massively irritating even in the few dozen pages I struggled through.(less)
While it has a lot going for it, this book is a complete mess.
Braunbeck has written, at heart, a very affecting book about loss and bereavement, but t...moreWhile it has a lot going for it, this book is a complete mess.
Braunbeck has written, at heart, a very affecting book about loss and bereavement, but the excessive horror undermines much of what should be sensitive work, but which descends into gross-out far too easily. (I've been reading horror - from the lyrical to the grotesque - for 35 years, so I've certainly seen it all, but the scene in the morgue will be hard to stomach for many people.) Adding to this detraction, the protagonist spends much of the first third of the book flailing uselessly - this may be realistic, as far as it goes, but it's a terrible slog to get through as a reader, especially when the presumed antagonist becomes a partner and excuses his previous actions with a flip comment that infuriates more than explains.
The second half of the book seems pathetically indebted to the sharp and incisive work of Jonathan Carroll, a sentiment and style utterly at odds with the rest of the laborious horror that has come before.
Unbelievably - as I had persevered with this book because of its glowing reviews, despite my almost complete lack of interest or enjoyment - Braunbeck somehow managed, in the final pages, to pull off a scene with such uncloying sentiment and heartfelt emotion that I finished In Silent Graves with an honest and unexpected tear in my eye. Really still not sure how that happened.(less)
Oh dear. First things first - I read a LOT of science fiction, and have done so over the course of thirty or more years. I'm not scientifically-minded...moreOh dear. First things first - I read a LOT of science fiction, and have done so over the course of thirty or more years. I'm not scientifically-minded, but I get what I read in a science fiction format.
This book makes absolutely no concessions to its readers over at least the first fifty pages, though each reader's mileage may vary. I started to get the hang of what the hell was going on at about that point, though it takes a couple more chapters to catch up with the plot and the characters and all that jazz. Once you do, it's actually a very humdrum story of far future post-singularity humans involved in a heist. Infuriatingly, characters explain their bizarre world to each other later in the book when it's all a bit too late for the bamboozled reader. It's not actually all that complicated, as it turns out, and it would have been considerably more fun to read if Rajaniemi could have reined in the urge to show how clever he was by actually explaining his concepts to his audience rather than hoarding them and making the first part of his first novel such a bloody struggle.
In the end, I'm glad I persevered, because the concepts (once explained) are striking and original, but this is a slim tale rather over-obfuscated with an unnecessary and rather pretentious form of author intrusion. (less)
Not at all funny - I may have smiled once or twice (I don't remember that I did, but I may have) but I never laughed out loud. It all seemed rather ju...moreNot at all funny - I may have smiled once or twice (I don't remember that I did, but I may have) but I never laughed out loud. It all seemed rather juvenile and forced. The action and characters, however, are engaging and, while the plot ricochets chaotically from the one scenario to another, it keeps you reading. After a few chapters I thought this would be consigned to the dreaded Abandoned Books pile, but I'm glad I persevered.(less)
Wool, as everyone will know, is an online sensation. This edition collects the first five Wool stories into a novel format, and the first one is a cor...moreWool, as everyone will know, is an online sensation. This edition collects the first five Wool stories into a novel format, and the first one is a corker with a great twist, though the quality seems to dwindle. As with my only previous experience with Howey's work - the self-published Half Way Home - I wanted this to be better than it is. I'm not sure that the novel format does the story any favours, as there's no constant protagonist and every story seems largely self-contained. Howey's major (only?) weakness seems to be in setting up an unknown threat and then copping out at the last minute. Here, the worst offender is mysterious and unseen presences, built up menacingly over a number of pages, and then revealed to be no sort of threat at all. Similarly, there's little ramification for any of the antagonist's actions and it has a very Young Adult feel to its reluctance to actually get its hands dirty.
But, this is a good tale, and beautifully told. Howey can write - his characters live and breathe, and his prose has that Stephen King-simplicity that makes reading such a pleasure. But, again, there's a comfy aspect to the book which lacks bite, lacks resolution, and ultimately falls short. The man can write, but I'm not so sure about his skill with plotting or following through in an adult and satisfying fashion. Wool is not marketed as YA fiction, but it certainly feels like it. It's not necessarily a criticism, it just sets an adult reader up for disappointment.(less)
David Case's contribution to the horror genre - a couple of novels and two or three volumes' worth of short stories - is relatively unknown, but I fin...moreDavid Case's contribution to the horror genre - a couple of novels and two or three volumes' worth of short stories - is relatively unknown, but I find him compulsively readable and well worth the effort of hunting down whichever works are still in print. He writes in an unfussy British manner, with the sort of lean yet lyrical prose epitomised by Ian Fleming - no one has me reaching for the dictionary like David Case - and his stories have that 'Hammer Horror' feel to them; almost quaint, certainly nostalgic, but with the bite of gore or horror never far away.
The Third Grave seems misleadingly from the cover to be an Egyptian Curse tale, though it is set mainly in the English countryside and the narrative veers from vampire, mummy and zombie mythology (taking in werewolves on the way) - all of which adds to the sense of unease and certainly aids in wrong-footing the reader if they think they know quite where the story is heading. Characterisation is broad yet strong, and the prose is a lesson in both brevity and eloquence.
The Third Grave is not without faults: the familiarity of the sort of tale Case tells means that (despite his efforts detailed above) the ending is a little more predictable as the book progresses (although this is a mean criticism, as many less well-realised modern novels do this almost as a matter of course), and the period setting seems slightly amorphous (despite characters mentioning Churchill and WWII, and the presence of a jukebox in a pub), this novel feels like it wants to be set at the very start of the 20th century).
In all, a fine book of the sort they don't write any more, and probably didn't write in 1981 when this was published. This edition, the only one available, is another of Arkham House's beautifully made books of the time; an octavo hardback that fits perfectly in the hands, finely printed and bound, and augmented with a few excellent mood-setting interior illustrations and that wonderful cover painting.(less)
Despite the wildly enthusiastic reviews, this was a book I found myself with no great urge to continue with, only reading it because it was the book I...moreDespite the wildly enthusiastic reviews, this was a book I found myself with no great urge to continue with, only reading it because it was the book I was currently reading, not through any great interest. Individual segments of it are compelling, though they fail to add up to anything. The question as to the narrator's sanity became secondary to the feeling that nothing was going to be resolved satisfactorily by the end, which is the case, and connections introduced as twists seemed painfully obvious from very early on. I was intrigued as to how I could get to be a middle-aged horror fan without being aware of the so-called “number one horror novel of all time.” - turns out it's nothing of the sort.(less)
I loved this. The comparisons with King's Dark Tower and Howard's Conan are inevitable, but to go even further back, there is a distinct flavour of Li...moreI loved this. The comparisons with King's Dark Tower and Howard's Conan are inevitable, but to go even further back, there is a distinct flavour of Lieber's Lankhmar and Clark Ashton Smith's Zothique series in here, all mixed up in a proto-Asian setting, and with added sex, drugs and violence. There is mystery about the beginnings of this tale, and mysteries to follow, and I eagerly anticipate reading more. For such a slim volume, there is a great deal in here to enjoy.(less)
Not a good start to the year, but I simply couldn't manage any more of this, despite being two thirds of the way through (notwithstanding that this no...moreNot a good start to the year, but I simply couldn't manage any more of this, despite being two thirds of the way through (notwithstanding that this novel is sparsely formatted - plenty of line breaks add to the white space on the page, and the astrological anniversary lists that preface every diary entry add absolutely nothing to the tale). The diary format necessitates a certain amount of repetition, especially as the narrator is imprisoned, but apart from some lightly compelling flashbacks (which themselves repeat much the same adages and jokes), this is a thin idea stretched too far. A short story, perhaps a novella, would have vastly improved the narrative.(less)
For most of its length, I thought this was going to be a five star book, but the middle is saggy and it flounders badly towards the climax which - tho...moreFor most of its length, I thought this was going to be a five star book, but the middle is saggy and it flounders badly towards the climax which - though always inevitable from the outset - seems almost tacked on. Otherwise, this is a treat of Ballard's usual themes - fetishisation, alienation and dislocation - and precisely glacial prose, exploring themes of corporate greed, spree kills and modern working environments.(less)
Quick, fast-paced adventure comic whose obvious influences (Alex Cox's Repo Man, William Gibson's Sprawl novels) seem thrown in for flavour rather tha...moreQuick, fast-paced adventure comic whose obvious influences (Alex Cox's Repo Man, William Gibson's Sprawl novels) seem thrown in for flavour rather than an attempt to add to the whole. The script is tight, though the art frequently looks rushed and the colouring sometimes does itself no favours.(less)
Although its movie version is a great film, Morrell's original novel really trumps it in most respects. The language is a sort of pulp fiction crossed...moreAlthough its movie version is a great film, Morrell's original novel really trumps it in most respects. The language is a sort of pulp fiction crossed with stream of consciousness, full of broken grammar, repetition and other tricks that really get under the skin in a good way. The internal monologue used for Rambo is actually more of a dialogue as he talks to himself, argues with himself, and you really get a sense of the deep psychological issues ingrained in the character. Also excellent are the equivalent chapters devoted to Sheriff Teasle, arguably the cause of the trouble which predicates the violent action to come; Teasle is also a war veteran, and he has his own problems which cause his actions in just the same way that Rambo's cause his reactions. Ultimately, the book comes down to the battle of will and personality between the two men, stripped down to their basest animal selves, in a denouement vastly different and more emotionally satisfying than the film.(less)
Unfair to rate this book, as I only bought it as the simplest (and most affordable) way to read David Case's Fengriffen, which I greatly enjoyed. Case...moreUnfair to rate this book, as I only bought it as the simplest (and most affordable) way to read David Case's Fengriffen, which I greatly enjoyed. Case is an unfairly forgotten author of horror fiction, and Fengriffen is a quietly hysterical story in the gothic vein - crumbling mansion, stormy nights, curses and villainy, and a supernatural element that remains elusive until the brilliant climax. Well worth the price of admission in itself, and possibly the only contender for an actual 'short novel' in the book - Stephen King's contribution is only 30 pages long, for crying out loud.(less)
This is not - as the blurb would have us believe - a "superbly crafted novel', but a collection of short stories, linked by new material which, in the...moreThis is not - as the blurb would have us believe - a "superbly crafted novel', but a collection of short stories, linked by new material which, in the majority of cases, actually gives away the twist or moral of the story it is meant to be prefacing. I didn't find this to be as philosophically interesting as many have; I actually thought it was trite and superficial in its refusal to explore the Kethani race in any way whatsoever, given that they were supposed to be improving humans, who resolutely remained venal and prejudiced and more concerned with going to the pub than exploring the universe. This is just a hodgepodge collection of short stories that flitter around a theme without once illuminating it, and for every interesting avenue of thought it has another dead end of trite cod-philosophy. As a collection of unambitious and comforting sci-fi, this is merely okay; as a deep and meaningful work of science fiction, it falls far short.(less)
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