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shane_tiernan's review against another edition
4.0
Another book that Seth pointed me towards but I'm not sure if he read the graphic novel or the regular novel. I've got the regular novel.
I liked this a lot. It was a less surreal, more comprehensible, more fun Jerry Cornelius [b:The Final Programme|123691|The Cornelius Quartet The Final Program, A Cure for Cancer, The English Assassin, The Condition of Muzak|Michael Moorcock|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171861153s/123691.jpg|119098] with the funk replaced by victorian sensiblity. It was extremely 'readable' and I finished it fairly quickly (partially because I've been down sick).
I really liked the zombies and the writing. I don't read a lot of stuff like this and that may have been part of the enjoyment but I would definitely like to read more eventually or at least check out the graphic novel. The novel had some great illustrations compliments of Ian Bass so I'm curious if he also did the graphic novel.
Thanks Seth!
I liked this a lot. It was a less surreal, more comprehensible, more fun Jerry Cornelius [b:The Final Programme|123691|The Cornelius Quartet The Final Program, A Cure for Cancer, The English Assassin, The Condition of Muzak|Michael Moorcock|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171861153s/123691.jpg|119098] with the funk replaced by victorian sensiblity. It was extremely 'readable' and I finished it fairly quickly (partially because I've been down sick).
I really liked the zombies and the writing. I don't read a lot of stuff like this and that may have been part of the enjoyment but I would definitely like to read more eventually or at least check out the graphic novel. The novel had some great illustrations compliments of Ian Bass so I'm curious if he also did the graphic novel.
Thanks Seth!
opticflow's review against another edition
3.0
Starts slowly, but once Lucifer Box is off to Naples it's a nonstop death-defying orgy. Is this the second book in the series? I feel like it was missing a crucial setup that showed off Lucifer's exuberant charm. But, oh clever Mark Gatiss, your puns and innuendos had me giggling throughout. It wasn't great, but I would read another installment, particularly if we hit more Charlie Jackpot.
saff22's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
old_crockern's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Adequate
ggrhodes03's review against another edition
3.0
The beginning of the Lucifer Box novels, following a member of the British secret service on his attempt to discover who is behind the deaths of 2 famous volcanologists, leading to a chase under an active volcano, an innocent man being framed, and numerous attempts on Box’s life. In a James Bond meets Sherlock Holmes novel Gattis writes in a way very similar to his onscreen work, shocking the audience immediately with a sudden leap into Box’s world, beginning the first chapter as an artist and ending it as an assassin.
While amusing ‘The Vesuvius club’ is not to me anything overly special. Gattis’ novel seems awkward and disjointed at times yet still fits (somehow) with his flowing style, with everything pulling together almost too quickly to the end of the novel, leading to many questions being unanswered. The novel as a whole also doesn’t seem to fit firmly into a category, while the humour and story seems too immature to sit on a shelf amongst Ian Flemming, P.D. James, and Arthur Conan Doyle the language and actions taken by the main character place the book firmly within the adult category.
While amusing ‘The Vesuvius club’ is not to me anything overly special. Gattis’ novel seems awkward and disjointed at times yet still fits (somehow) with his flowing style, with everything pulling together almost too quickly to the end of the novel, leading to many questions being unanswered. The novel as a whole also doesn’t seem to fit firmly into a category, while the humour and story seems too immature to sit on a shelf amongst Ian Flemming, P.D. James, and Arthur Conan Doyle the language and actions taken by the main character place the book firmly within the adult category.
stamatina27's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
rosekk's review against another edition
4.0
It was a fun read, with decadent feel and a charming man character.
gillothen's review against another edition
3.0
A very Gatiss story: the narrator is Mycroft with Captain Jack Harkness's attitude to sex. The story is set in Edwardian times, with a hefty dollop of steampunk, especially as we near the climax. I didn't find any of the characters particularly likeable, and the twists and turns therefore affected me less than I might have done, while the narrator's self-congratulatory tone was a little too much at times. Enjoyable enough, but not enough for me to want to spend six quid on each of the sequels.
kafie's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I wanted to like this more than I did, felt a bit like it jumped around a bit - the writing style was good though, and expect the next book to be better.