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kreadsromance1's review
1.0
Hoo boy... I'm going to reformat an amazon review I wrote when I first read this book. Sorry for cheating but I can't put myself through reading it again.
Genre: Modern day apocalyptic science(ish?) psychological fiction. The world suddenly can't sleep (except for a few special people) and slowly descends into madness and death. Some violence and weird treatment of women.
Spoiler
Main character: Paul
Favourite character: N/A
Villain(s): Charles
Character rating: 1/10
Plot rating: 1/10
Setting rating: 1/10
Overall rating: 1/10
Pros: I picked this book up because I was thoroughly intrigued by the premise. I love the post-apocalyptic genre and the way this particular apocalypse happens is both unique and has a big psychological element to it that I found fascinating.
Cons: Where do I even start?
The narcissistic main character/narrator is the single most annoying, author insertion fantasy I have ever come across. The author was clearly so desperate to prove that his intelligence is far beyond anyone else's that he made the main character and arrogant, insufferable, verbose Chosen One who, by half way in, I was seriously hoping was headed for a gruesome death. He spent so much time keen to show off his apparent word-smithing skills and "unique" philosophising that it left us with a book full of plot holes; a book which lacked emotion, sense or structure.
Onto the plot! Perhaps I am too used to books which try to explain why events are taking place. Apparently that is an unnecessary artistic choice or something. In other worse, don't expect any insight on the source of the sleeplessness, how it has affected the whole world simultaneously, why the children have been muted, how they survive on their own in a wood with no food when everywhere has been ransacked, why the Sleeping Cats exist or what they hope to achieve and so on.
But surely, you cry, the plot is well defined and laid out! It must follow the teachings of the best professors and literature researchers! The author surely knows how to write, given that he is an English teacher with a Masters in creative writing?
I weep for you, fellow reader. In this book there is no plot arc. The ending is flimsy and without any kind of real closure. The detail of the illness and the destruction of society are either badly researched, badly implemented, or both. The book jumps from "and then this happened" to "and then this happened" with little logical plot. The main adversary seems magically immune to many of the cognitive and physiological problems he should be facing as his sleeplessness continues. According to the development of the disease outlined at the beginning of the book, his actions should be pretty much impossible.
If I am being very charitable I will say that the author is attempting to establish a new, avant-garde style of writing that turns the world of fiction on its head and makes us question everything we know about creative writing. If I'm being less charitable, I'd say he makes us question his right to teach literature ever again.
Final thoughts: So yes, I hated this book. Absolutely and completely detested it. There are very few books I give 1/10 to, and none that have made me quite so angry. But I am just one person who is tough on authors and very set in her ways. I encourage you to make your own mind up on this one and then feel free to return and tell me why I'm wrong and how I completely missed the point. I really hope that is the case. But I'd still rather stick a pin in my eye than ever read this again.
mely29's review
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
amyamac's review
2.0
First of all, RIP Adrian Barnes. I was very sad to hear that he died of cancer a few months after the publication of this, his final book, 'Nod'.
Now for the review. I'll get the negative out of the way first. I believe the weaknesses in this book arise from a prioritization of style over substance, panache over accurate perception, which sometimes results in shallow characterization and, at times, a hazy plot (which, some may argue, effectively enhances the dreamy unreality of the novel, but, I think, disconnects the reader from the action and the characters).
Martin Amis' fiction suffers from the same problem. Someone once said to me that Amis' style is very 'male', and now, after perceiving similarities between his and that of Barnes, I understand what she meant. As I have already stated, the characters are, for the most part, shallowly characterised, especially the women (make that 'woman', as there is only really one), and I think this is because the author, sacrificing perception and sensitivity for the sake of (often beguiling) metaphors and turns of phrases, ends up resorting to stereotypes and cliché (there is one scene in particular, a 'kill the wife to save her moment', that was even parodied by Mitchell and Webb a few years ago in their avocado bathroom sketch). There are moments when an aphorism by Barnes might sound novel and profound but, scratch at it, and it's superficial. His descriptions sometimes descend into kitsch.
So far, so negative. I almost gave the book three stars, but after writing down the negatives, decided that I couldn't justify a higher rating. I wanted to like the book. It had a good premise, and there were times that I found Barnes' writing beguiling. The crazy world that he builds seduces you, draws you into the madness and offers striking and unnerving images that get under your skin. Not since 'Alice' by Christina Henry have I felt so utterly disturbed by a novel. I read it in just two sittings, and was, for the most part, captivated, but once I put down the book, it left me feeling cold. I didn't feel any connection with the characters, and I don't think they will stay with me long after.
Now for the review. I'll get the negative out of the way first. I believe the weaknesses in this book arise from a prioritization of style over substance, panache over accurate perception, which sometimes results in shallow characterization and, at times, a hazy plot (which, some may argue, effectively enhances the dreamy unreality of the novel, but, I think, disconnects the reader from the action and the characters).
Martin Amis' fiction suffers from the same problem. Someone once said to me that Amis' style is very 'male', and now, after perceiving similarities between his and that of Barnes, I understand what she meant. As I have already stated, the characters are, for the most part, shallowly characterised, especially the women (make that 'woman', as there is only really one), and I think this is because the author, sacrificing perception and sensitivity for the sake of (often beguiling) metaphors and turns of phrases, ends up resorting to stereotypes and cliché (there is one scene in particular, a 'kill the wife to save her moment', that was even parodied by Mitchell and Webb a few years ago in their avocado bathroom sketch). There are moments when an aphorism by Barnes might sound novel and profound but, scratch at it, and it's superficial. His descriptions sometimes descend into kitsch.
So far, so negative. I almost gave the book three stars, but after writing down the negatives, decided that I couldn't justify a higher rating. I wanted to like the book. It had a good premise, and there were times that I found Barnes' writing beguiling. The crazy world that he builds seduces you, draws you into the madness and offers striking and unnerving images that get under your skin. Not since 'Alice' by Christina Henry have I felt so utterly disturbed by a novel. I read it in just two sittings, and was, for the most part, captivated, but once I put down the book, it left me feeling cold. I didn't feel any connection with the characters, and I don't think they will stay with me long after.
wordsfromvictoria's review
3.0
The apocalypse in this novel is not natural disasters induced by climate change, thermonuclear war, a global pandemic or zombies, but a worldwide bout of insomnia, the cause of which remains inexplicable.
Society's downward trajectory as people cease to function normally is a well-worn narrative, but things are kept fresh with the various ways in which the sleep-deprivation induced psychoses manifest themselves.
The author has made the unfortunate choice of peppering the novel with references to social networking media, which will only serve to date the novel in the future. There is one particularly nauseating scene of a sexual nature which could have been safely left out without damaging the narrative. Both of these issues have tipped this from 4 stars to 3.
Society's downward trajectory as people cease to function normally is a well-worn narrative, but things are kept fresh with the various ways in which the sleep-deprivation induced psychoses manifest themselves.
The author has made the unfortunate choice of peppering the novel with references to social networking media, which will only serve to date the novel in the future. There is one particularly nauseating scene of a sexual nature which could have been safely left out without damaging the narrative. Both of these issues have tipped this from 4 stars to 3.
emilyp_33's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
ufakbideneme's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
lucgoose96's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0