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
17571 Views
Which Gaiman and Pratchett? *SPOILERS*
- 10/05/2010 09:51:01 PM
2118 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
2039 Views
Re: I'm resigned to being the only person who didn't like it.
- 10/05/2010 09:58:10 PM
2088 Views
It did not remind me of Buffy.
- 10/05/2010 10:00:41 PM
2052 Views
Re: SPOILERS for season seven of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
- 10/05/2010 10:18:45 PM
2085 Views
Re: SPOILERS for season seven of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
- 10/05/2010 10:26:13 PM
2083 Views
I don't like it so far. About 150-200 pages in. Not impressed.
- 10/05/2010 10:02:21 PM
2062 Views
Why are you not impressed? *NM*
- 10/05/2010 10:16:29 PM
1039 Views
Re: SPOILERS
- 10/05/2010 10:22:52 PM
2078 Views
Re: SPOILERS
- 10/05/2010 10:28:06 PM
2039 Views
This is a weak novel.
- 11/05/2010 03:50:01 PM
2020 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
1059 Views

That last mentioned is awesome.