Moving Tigers

by Bob Franklin

Jean and her boyfriend travel to Nepal on a volunteering holiday, a Himalayan adventure and a chance to find themselves. But instead Jean finds herself tumbling into a vivid and unexplained psychosis. In traditional Nepalese game Moving Tigers, tigers hunt goats while the goats choke the tigers' moves. Jean can't work out if she's being hunted or choked, or who is friend or foe. The cracks in her personality rupture, the chinks in her relationship become gaping holes, and Jean falls into the jaws of a catastrophe.

Genres: Horror, Thriller, Fiction

230 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2015

Reviews

[lee_readsbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jean and her boyfriend are stuck in a rut so decide it's time for a holiday. Destination of choice- Nepal.
What is supposed to be a Himalayan adventure starts turning disturbed the moment they get off the plane.

Bob Franklin has always been known for being such a hilarious Australian comedian. I was amazed Bob was able to just ship and write something as dark and psychologically mind bending as this.

[Erin Carder · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was horribly written, I can’t offer a proper review because I couldn’t finish it. The plot seems like it has potential, but the writing and predictability has stopped me from finishing it.

[Jaana Louise · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author tries to build suspense here by only providing the one pov in the form of what Jean writes in her diary. He tries to keep you on the edge of your seat wondering what is going on. But what you get is Jean sounding like a self centred, bitchy alcoholic, which means of course the people would be treating her as she perceives. And the ending is just.. so boring.. of course that was the reason, smh

[Maxwell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jesus Christ this was a slog. I love a good protagonist who isn't actually a good person / reliable narrator, but this is that done badly. I've never before had the desire to read a paranoid, racist woman's diary entry. This book cements that desire.
The ending is quite good, in a deeply sad funny kinda way. I'll give you that, Mr Franklin.

[Joel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't think of any other way to describe this than to call it an intense and richly detailed descent into psychosis. Definitely not what I was expecting, but a gripping and unnerving read nonetheless that I'm glad I stumbled across one day on the internet.

[Stuart Dunstan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I adored Bob Franklin's previous book - Under Stones - a collection of dark, weird short stories mostly set in Australia. For me, the success of these stories was Bob's ability to make the landscapes he decribes contribute a real sense of place, but also of unease and strangeness.

In Moving Tigers, Bob once again uses the setting to great effect, creating a growing sense of dread that continues to ramp up all the way through the story. This time, the setting is Nepal, and judging by the amount of detail of the cities and landscapes, I can only assume that Bob has visited there himself.

As much as I enjoyed this short novel, I didn't enjoy it as much as the stories in Under Stones. The unease and strangeness was there, but the plot just seemed a bit weak and drawn out. Still a great read, especially if you like weird fiction and "tales of unease" like those by Robert Aickman.

[David Bakker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Felt like a short story that had been stretched out to novel length. I appreciated the attempts to portray a realistic 1st person account of someone descending into psychosis, but the lack of reflective accounts from other characters meant you were always wondering what was actually going on. And, for me, that wondering didn't translate into suspense - just merely frustration and confusion. I kept thinking "something better happen soon" throughout but I was left a little disappointed.

[Mike Taverner · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not an enjoyable book. Nasty character who I did not enjoy one bit - despite the ending!