Reviews

The Porpoise by Mark Haddon

caliann's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated

4.5

jmatkinson1's review

5.0

When Maja dies in a plane crash her unborn daughter is saved. Brought up by her father, secrets are hidden until a young man starts to infiltrate, running for his life he escapes on a ship called the Porpoise. Hero Pericles is shipwrecked but wins the heart of a princess, he tries to return home but tragedy dogs him. Wilkins is dying and he sees fanatical visions in the Thames.
Just trying to write a précis is impossible and this story is so complex that one cannot believe its scope. the first part reads like a 1960s French film, languid and matter of fact yet covering painful subjects. Then the whole book shifts thousands of years and becomes a tragedy about Pericles. Interwoven in this is the sub-plot about Wilkins, author of a version of Pericles. This is an ambitious novel which enthrals and appals in equal measure but is definitely the most ambitious thing I've read this year.

roseparis's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

azu_rikka's review

2.0

I really liked reading all of M. Haddon's previous books.

This one: Beautiful cover, still brilliantly written, still fast paced, still witty- just too much for one story. I lost the plot, then my will to read any further.
DNF pg 162

llama3's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

emkotch's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

miacorkum's review against another edition

dark

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, and Incest

sonia_reppe's review against another edition

2.0

I prefer a more straight-forward story, and the content (incestual rape, some violence, and gruesome parts) was not the most fun, and the end was not a good payoff. I give an extra star for the skillful writing.

dimmie's review against another edition

adventurous tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

mbondlamberty's review

3.0

Okay a bit of a spoiler alert here - this book contains incest and that makes it really hard to say I loved it or even liked it. It also deals with a lot of pain and abandonment so again, hard to say one has enjoyed that. That said, it was a compelling listen and kept one mostly interested (there were squeamish moments). This is a very different kind of narrative style of Haddon's than say the Curious Incident and a different feel than A Spot of Bother. It has multiple narrators and the focus of the tale switches around quite a bit so that can be a bit disconcerting. So no regrets but not going to be a feel good sort of book either.