I've tried it several times, never managing to penetrate more than about 100 pages. There's some nice ideas, but the insane absurdist humour comes across as the author trying way too hard to be Rankin and failing miserably, the chaotic weirdness comes across as the author trying way too hard to be Mieville and failing miserably, and the unreliable narrator comes across as the author trying way too hard to be Wolfe and failing miserably.
Between the derivativeness, there are flashes of talent, but the book apes too many other voices and styles to establish its own identity. In addition, the plot goes off on frequent tangents which are so insanely long that it's hard to remember what's going on in the main storyline when the plot returns to it for a few pages before shooting off on some other lengthy flashback.
Overall, highly disappointing. Since I don't review books I don't finish (the book may very well have turned into the greatest piece of literature the world has ever seen on p. 101), I never wrote a review of it. But the first 100 pages are pretty bad.
Between the derivativeness, there are flashes of talent, but the book apes too many other voices and styles to establish its own identity. In addition, the plot goes off on frequent tangents which are so insanely long that it's hard to remember what's going on in the main storyline when the plot returns to it for a few pages before shooting off on some other lengthy flashback.
Overall, highly disappointing. Since I don't review books I don't finish (the book may very well have turned into the greatest piece of literature the world has ever seen on p. 101), I never wrote a review of it. But the first 100 pages are pretty bad.
The Gone-Away World by Nick Harkaway
- 10/05/2010 06:01:50 PM
17532 Views
Which Gaiman and Pratchett? *SPOILERS*
- 10/05/2010 09:51:01 PM
2084 Views
Nice review! I'll read it at some point, in time for the book club if not earlier...
- 10/05/2010 09:55:22 PM
2011 Views
Re: I'm resigned to being the only person who didn't like it.
- 10/05/2010 09:58:10 PM
2062 Views
It did not remind me of Buffy.
- 10/05/2010 10:00:41 PM
2020 Views
Re: SPOILERS for season seven of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
- 10/05/2010 10:18:45 PM
2058 Views
Re: SPOILERS for season seven of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
- 10/05/2010 10:26:13 PM
2056 Views
I don't like it so far. About 150-200 pages in. Not impressed.
- 10/05/2010 10:02:21 PM
2037 Views
Why are you not impressed? *NM*
- 10/05/2010 10:16:29 PM
1023 Views
Re: SPOILERS
- 10/05/2010 10:22:52 PM
2048 Views
Re: SPOILERS
- 10/05/2010 10:28:06 PM
2007 Views
This is a weak novel.
- 11/05/2010 03:50:01 PM
1985 Views
This is one of the books you really should not judge until you've finished it *NM*
- 11/05/2010 04:15:23 PM
1043 Views

That last mentioned is awesome.