Reviews

The Peculiarities by David Liss

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theknees_bees's review against another edition

3.0

absolute acid trip. did i have some problems with how some characters were written and some words that were used? yeah i 100% did but was it camp? so camp. this book was insane and is the first book i read in 2022, the year when i actually started reading again

branch_c's review against another edition

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5.0

Best fiction I've read this year! The precise and elegant prose that I remember enjoying so much in A Conspiracy of Paper and The Coffee Trader is applied here to a set of unique and quirky supernatural elements, creating a near-perfect blend of history and fantasy. While the occult aspects border somewhat on the horrific, the overall tone is light, and the inner monologue of protagonist Thomas is often cleverly humorous, keeping the mood from descending too far into darkness. The cast of major and minor characters is brilliant, with some being either deliciously eccentric or calmly mysterious. The intricate plot plays out at an engaging pace, and Liss manages to deliver multiple intriguing twists on the way to the conclusion.

There's a bit of a classic Tim Powers feeling here; the closest work of his to this being probably The Stress Of Her Regard. The inclusion of several real historical characters adds to the authenticity of the plot, even as the departure from actual events make this an alternate history rather than a "secret" history. The language used by Liss is perhaps less distinctive than Powers, but also more evocative of the era he's writing about, reminding me quite a bit of Gordon Dahlquist's Glass Books volumes, though without the more salacious elements of that series.

All in all, truly satisfying; enjoyable from start to finish, and recommended for anyone who doesn't mind historical fantasy with a dash of creepiness and a bit of the grotesque. I'll be following up with more by Liss, especially since it appears that he has some other speculative work that I hadn't come across before.

eastofthesunwestofthemoon's review against another edition

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4.0

4 stars. Audiobook. The narration is quite good. The story is strange, and not quite like anything else I've read. I liked it. However, I felt that the ending did drag on a bit, to the point where I got frustrated at the delays the author kept tossing in. For me, this detracted from the overall experience, so instead of feeling fully satisfied upon finishing, I had a bit of a 'thank God it's finally wrapped up' feeling.

thinkivist's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

hopechandler's review against another edition

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4.0

**I've got 7 more chapters of this book, but I'm going to go ahead and review it. If I really super like it, I'll change my rating to 5 stars.

This book is a very slow burn, and the audiobook performance isn't to my taste, but the story's got good bones. It would make a fantastic TV series - a bit like "The Magicians" by Lev Grossman (and like the TV show on Syfy). It touches on the same sorts of themes - magic that isn't very nice or fairy dusty, the desire to be more/do more than you feel capable of doing, breaking out of the cycle of family trauma garbage... At least, I assume that cycle will be broken. I haven't finished yet!

P.S. - If you're an animal lover, beware of the rabbits when they're "on screen" (not spoken of in passing). Its a bit like the harsher parts of The Magicians TV show whenever an animal is involved. Just skip right over that bit! >﹏<

emmaleemay21's review against another edition

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mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

sryoung's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

1.0

I HATED this book

unboxedjack's review against another edition

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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? Yes

2.75

Content Warnings

look_to_the_sun's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark hopeful mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

peachmoni's review against another edition

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mysterious tense slow-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? No

3.0

This book has a slow start and a slow middle, but picks up in the last fifth. I wish the majority of the novel had that pace and tension. Alas. That being said, the main character has some moments of introspection that come about as a result of the way he's been treated, and damn, if they didn't make me relate to a rich white English guy from centuries ago.

This is a straightforward story—as straightforward as a story about esoteric magic and mathematics can be—but stick with it through the end for some twists by way of messy family drama.

Content Warnings

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