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This is one of the books you really should not judge until you've finished it *NM* Camilla Send a noteboard - 11/05/2010 04:15:23 PM
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.
*MySmiley*
structured procrastinator
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I have no idea what you just wrote : ) *NM* - 10/05/2010 07:01:53 PM 1141 Views
Re: Shall I rewrite it? *NM* - 10/05/2010 07:02:37 PM 1128 Views
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Re: *SPOILERS* MAJORLY. - 10/05/2010 09:59:57 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 1987 Views
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I don't recall it getting any better later - 10/05/2010 10:15:55 PM 1991 Views
Why are you not impressed? *NM* - 10/05/2010 10:16:29 PM 1002 Views
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Re: SPOILERS - 10/05/2010 10:28:06 PM 1972 Views
Re: That last mentioned is awesome. - 10/05/2010 10:33:29 PM 2101 Views
Re: That last mentioned is awesome. - 11/05/2010 12:12:21 AM 1986 Views
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Re: It does end better than it begins and goes on. - 10/05/2010 10:23:30 PM 2007 Views
This is a weak novel. - 11/05/2010 03:50:01 PM 1950 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 1022 Views
That's why I didn't. - 11/05/2010 07:59:54 PM 1998 Views
But that raises another question - 11/05/2010 08:03:45 PM 1992 Views
Re: It's definitely not fabulous. - 11/05/2010 06:47:01 PM 2055 Views
I understand your complaints - 12/05/2010 11:45:10 PM 2016 Views

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