erraticeldandil's review against another edition
I'm sure someone can get something about culture or society out of the masculine posturing and liberal use of derogatory language but that person isn't me at this moment.
snowflakeanddan's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
tommooney's review against another edition
2.0
Poor. Pointless. Feels like a low-grade 70s noir. Jim Thompson this ain't.
revans77's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
mountainreader's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
espbear's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I read this because the library had it suggested for a category of summer book bingo. I wouldn't be against reading a book where, as the case is here, the main character is a terrible person. I could also get on board with reading a book with the gratuitous swearing, casual sex, prostitution, drug use, and everything else. It sets the scene. But! The book ends abruptly with no real resolution. I understand it was supposed to be a day in the life of the main character, but it feels pretty unacceptable to end so jarringly for a murder mystery thriller piece. It felt like reading one half of a book, or perhaps if a publisher demanded an author publish whatever they've got when so far only half the story has been written.
montyroz's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
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? Yes
2.5
sparethebs's review against another edition
1.0
Thank you Netgalley, Farrar, Straus and Giroux and K. Ferrari for allowing me to read this advance copy in exchange for an honest review
First let me say I tried to finish this book in good faith but I couldn't. The more I read it, the more frustrated and confused I got. It got to the point that it wasn't enjoyable. I read 63% of the book hoping that it would get better and things would start making sense....it didn't.
I requested the book because it sounded like a humorous madcap adventure. What I got was a book that was so filled with profanity that it distracted from the story. It was like the author was in competition with himself to see how many curse words he could get on a page. I am by no means a prude and have a rather sailorish vocabulary myself but this was over the top. His depiction of women....if meant to be humorous was degrading. I felt there was way to many names of characters in the story and it got confusing as to who was who, and what part they played in the story. Some names only appeared once or twice and never again. The writing was very choppy and it was hard to follow what was going on. It was all over the place and hard to follow. This could all be attributed to the translation of the book. Sometimes when words are spoken in one language and translated into another, it loses something along the way.
I'm curious to see how this book does and if others feel the same way. I may try to pick it up again some day and try to figure out what is going on in the story.
First let me say I tried to finish this book in good faith but I couldn't. The more I read it, the more frustrated and confused I got. It got to the point that it wasn't enjoyable. I read 63% of the book hoping that it would get better and things would start making sense....it didn't.
I requested the book because it sounded like a humorous madcap adventure. What I got was a book that was so filled with profanity that it distracted from the story. It was like the author was in competition with himself to see how many curse words he could get on a page. I am by no means a prude and have a rather sailorish vocabulary myself but this was over the top. His depiction of women....if meant to be humorous was degrading. I felt there was way to many names of characters in the story and it got confusing as to who was who, and what part they played in the story. Some names only appeared once or twice and never again. The writing was very choppy and it was hard to follow what was going on. It was all over the place and hard to follow. This could all be attributed to the translation of the book. Sometimes when words are spoken in one language and translated into another, it loses something along the way.
I'm curious to see how this book does and if others feel the same way. I may try to pick it up again some day and try to figure out what is going on in the story.
adarossiwrites's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25