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thebrofriends'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
juliafran's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jwarach's review against another edition
It simply bored me. I enjoy noir in general, but this failed to hit the spot
paul63's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
lazwright's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
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
teresatumminello's review against another edition
5.0
I read this with the #NYRBWomen23 group, another book I likely wouldn’t have read otherwise.
The third-person narration of the main character, Dix, is claustrophobic, and there was a brief time when I felt it was too much; but the story is brilliantly written and un-put-down-ably plotted. Being inside Dix’s head is a horrible experience in so many ways — his misogyny and his self-justification for his horrific actions — but Hughes is also brilliant in gradually letting the reader know, or suspect, what Dix, doesn’t.
This genre, whatever one might call it, is not my usual and I wonder if I can say Hughes surpasses genre, especially one I’m not conversant with beyond an author or two, like Chandler and Hammett, both of whom I've only read once. Throughout the 1940s and into the early 50s, Hughes published several “mysteries” that could also be classified as crime fiction or even noir today. For ten years she stopped writing novels due to family responsibilities, and in 1963 published one more. I started reading it last night. Hughes was popular in her day and, once again, I am amazed (though I shouldn’t be) at how such a great female writer is now lesser known than her male counterparts.
There’s a loosely adapted movie version of this book starring Humphrey Bogart, but I’m not inclined to watch it. One angry Dix is enough, at least for now.
The third-person narration of the main character, Dix, is claustrophobic, and there was a brief time when I felt it was too much; but the story is brilliantly written and un-put-down-ably plotted. Being inside Dix’s head is a horrible experience in so many ways — his misogyny and his self-justification for his horrific actions — but Hughes is also brilliant in gradually letting the reader know, or suspect, what Dix, doesn’t.
This genre, whatever one might call it, is not my usual and I wonder if I can say Hughes surpasses genre, especially one I’m not conversant with beyond an author or two, like Chandler and Hammett, both of whom I've only read once. Throughout the 1940s and into the early 50s, Hughes published several “mysteries” that could also be classified as crime fiction or even noir today. For ten years she stopped writing novels due to family responsibilities, and in 1963 published one more. I started reading it last night. Hughes was popular in her day and, once again, I am amazed (though I shouldn’t be) at how such a great female writer is now lesser known than her male counterparts.
There’s a loosely adapted movie version of this book starring Humphrey Bogart, but I’m not inclined to watch it. One angry Dix is enough, at least for now.
0hxneybee's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
2.25
I’m sorry y’all did we read the same book? I thought that while it was a little slow there was still some elements that kept me engaged in the story. But I feel like at the 2/3 mark the book really just started to fall apart. Maybe due to the main characters spiraling sanity? But I felt like the ending came up fast, out of nowhere, ended up just feeling very unsatisfying, and being like, “That’s it?”. I will give it points because I thought it was refreshing to have the violence be “off screen” per se and have a setting that you don’t read about often. It’s like this walked so American Psycho could run and I didn’t particularly like American Psycho so maybe that should have been a heads up. Also, I get how this could be popular bc it would be very ahead of its time but… I feel like we have better now.