gavinsteyn's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
houlette's review against another edition
2.0
I'd waited a long time for a new novel from the author of Vurt, so maybe my expectations were unfairly high. This book was a huge letdown, though. I had the feeling it was aiming to be a "weird fiction hard boiled detective novel," but the world felt shallow and not very interesting, and the book didn't pull off the detective style. The writing was mediocre at best. I finished only out of my fondness for Vurt.
shrikekali's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this, but things were pretty busy and I couldn't keep reading it for long stretches and that's probably why I have only rank it 3 1/2 stars. I still recommend it.
pbobrit's review against another edition
5.0
Oh how I've missed you. Jeff Noon has always been one of my favourite authors and it has been a little while since his last book (I have been subsisting on a meager diet of tweets for a while now), so I was super happy to see he had a new book out and 'A Man of Shadows' did not disappoint. It is best described as surreal noir/pulp detective book, that dives deeply into the concept of time in the process (it is screaming to be made into a film by the way). The main character is a PI living in a vast city made up of three zones, Day Zone, Nocturna and Dusk. The overarching plot is the search for a missing girl, but as with every Jeff Noon book there is so much more involved. This is book is a pleasure to read, zipping along at quite a pace, but filled with many many delicious scenes that you want to take your time and savour. If you are a fan of Jeff Noon's other work you will not be disappointed, if you have never read anything by him this would be a perfect place to start. File under: noir / pulp detective / sci-fi / alternate reality.
josettelaurel's review against another edition
2.5
Everyone in this book was confused all the time which caused me to be confused. The plot finally picked up at the end but it was unfortunately too little, too late.
peachwhiskey's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
jubaju's review against another edition
2.0
I don't have a problem with unlikeable characters, but when there's a convoluted plot, a badly explained mystery that's marketed as "weird on purpose" and doesn't try to make itself understood, and superficial side characters, there's not much to like in a novel.
I hated Nyquist. Talk about unhinged toxic masculinity. Not only that, but he's very emotional and has extreme reactions to situations where he's supposed to be in charge. Frankly, I don't know how this man is still alive. He's confused, rudderless, lonely in life, and while those aren't things that I hold against him personally, it made the novel a lot less enjoyable.
The writing style wasn't bad, apart from a few parts where the author tried to play with language and came up with some very wonky constructions. I do believe it made it more difficult to dive into the story.
The plot itself was just a mess. This novel is praised for being "weird Sci-Fi" but it didn't read like that to me. It felt more like a non-planned plot where the author added things as he went along and kept imagining stuff. It was jumbled, uninspired, boring in the way that it never allowed me to dive into it and remained superficial. I question the editors and whoever published this. It could have been so much nicer if the weirdness of the world had been expanded and explained. The superficiality of it made it hard to follow.
I hope the next novels don't follow the same path of a relatively strong beginning that becomes a convoluted trainwreck the more you read.
I hated Nyquist. Talk about unhinged toxic masculinity. Not only that, but he's very emotional and has extreme reactions to situations where he's supposed to be in charge. Frankly, I don't know how this man is still alive. He's confused, rudderless, lonely in life, and while those aren't things that I hold against him personally, it made the novel a lot less enjoyable.
The writing style wasn't bad, apart from a few parts where the author tried to play with language and came up with some very wonky constructions. I do believe it made it more difficult to dive into the story.
The plot itself was just a mess. This novel is praised for being "weird Sci-Fi" but it didn't read like that to me. It felt more like a non-planned plot where the author added things as he went along and kept imagining stuff. It was jumbled, uninspired, boring in the way that it never allowed me to dive into it and remained superficial. I question the editors and whoever published this. It could have been so much nicer if the weirdness of the world had been expanded and explained. The superficiality of it made it hard to follow.
I hope the next novels don't follow the same path of a relatively strong beginning that becomes a convoluted trainwreck the more you read.
bodger's review against another edition
3.0
A piecemeal, sometimes disjointed novel that spends its time flipping between remote narrative descriptions of the world and action, and the internal narrative of the, not entirely stable, main protagonist.
Sometimes this works, and in other places it's really hard to follow.
The world the author has "built" is intriguing. The idea of a place with no night, and another place with no day is intriguing. Especially the social structures that are touched on. The middle area, dusk, is a not quite as well realised. Again though the concept is good.
The other idea the author tries to convey is the concept of time. This doesn't come across as clearly. It's just confusing, the idea of different timelines in different places, or different timelines being experienced by people in the same place. If this sounds confusing, it is. It's a novel idea, but it doesn't quite translate.
When I started this book, I didn't realise it was a series (or expected to be). I'm not sure if I'll get round to the second book, but it is on my list.
Sometimes this works, and in other places it's really hard to follow.
The world the author has "built" is intriguing. The idea of a place with no night, and another place with no day is intriguing. Especially the social structures that are touched on. The middle area, dusk, is a not quite as well realised. Again though the concept is good.
The other idea the author tries to convey is the concept of time. This doesn't come across as clearly. It's just confusing, the idea of different timelines in different places, or different timelines being experienced by people in the same place. If this sounds confusing, it is. It's a novel idea, but it doesn't quite translate.
When I started this book, I didn't realise it was a series (or expected to be). I'm not sure if I'll get round to the second book, but it is on my list.
erikbail's review against another edition
3.0
I love Jeff noon. This one was hard to read. Very boiler plate cringe noir. Every action and plot line felt like it was out of a 101 text book for writing crime noir. Have the book was spent in a foggy place, the other half was spent getting beat up. The main plot device of time was an interesting take and I only finished because it was short. Hoping book 2 is better
bunnicula_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I think this book is maybe amazing? But it was also too much. Too much abstract musings on time. It felt like there was nothing for me to grab hold of as I read it.