perch15's review against another edition
4.0
My review, originally posted at Fantasy-Faction.Com
http://fantasy-faction.com/2015/the-builders-by-daniel-polansky
Daniel Polansky is an interesting guy. I say this having never met the man and reading exactly 50% of his published output. He reminds me of Warren Ellis (the writer, not the Bad Seed) and that is a good thing. He knows the value of what has come before, and can create something new out of tropes that have been around for a century. And, like Ellis, he knows what he’s good at writing, and writes to his strengths. He’s old school that way. For my money, he’s criminally underexposed in the United States. Hard to make a name for yourself when your books are tough to find, though. So it makes perfect sense that Polansky’s latest is an anthropomorphic revenge-fantasy novella set in a Disney-on-mushrooms version of the United States. It’s called The Builders.
The Builders is a straightforward revenge novel. Years ago, The Captain, our antihero—and a mouse—was on the verge of a major military and political victory. The he was double-crossed. Now, he’s getting the band back together and seeking revenge on those that wronged him. Simple. Straightforward. Effective.
The Builders has the cinematic feel of a Spaghetti Western. It is widescreen and shot on grainy film. The dialogue is sparse, cutting to the bone in as few words as necessary. What isn’t said is as important as what is. Polansky is a deft writer and knows the value of shutting up. He conveys more in the space between words than most authors convey through a paragraph.
The Builders will draw comparisons to Brian Jacques’ Redwall series, and to Richard Adams’ Watership Down. These comparisons are fair, in the sense that all of the above involve anthropomorphic animals placed in very human situations. Of course, An American Tail and Maus are both about anthropomorphic mice, so that shallow comparison will only get you so far. If I had to do the elevator pitch, I’d say “The Builders is The Fantastic Mr. Fox filmed by Robert Rodriguez as told by Quentin Taratino. But, you know, a book.”
The characters of The Builders leave instant and lasting impressions. Whether it is The Captain’s first appearance, the armadillo bearing a striking resemblance to Pancho Villa, or the Stetson-wearing salamander, Polansky has breathed life into his own wild bunch of misfits, malcontents and sociopaths. And that doesn’t even touch on Elf, The Quaker or a French-accented stoat named Bonsoir. I wouldn’t want to spoil too much. That’s just the tip of the anthropomorphic iceberg.
The logistics of it all are staggering. Polansky has managed to create not just a riveting story but an intricate and fascinating universe, in the span of just over 200 pages. Certainly, the world of The Builders is meant to be a version of our own. There’s the Old World, the Colonies, the verdant north and the arid Southwest. There are rough and tumble cities and remote desert towns. There’s France. And there is a history to all of it, conveyed to the reader as much through what doesn’t appear on the page as through what does. The world of The Builders is very much alive and kicking. Not bad for something the author himself refers to as a “one-note joke” in the acknowledgements.
The Builders is a complete tale, with a proper beginning and a proper end. There’s sort of a middle, but it is interspersed throughout the beginning (see previous comments re: Tarantino/Rodriguez). The prose is Spartan, but the characterization is anything but. Bonsoir, Barley, The Captain—they’re all fully-formed. Even the minor characters like the shrew conductor, the Weasel Sisters and the countless rat soldiers have personalities and bits and pieces of a backstory. It’s all thrown together in an effortless, tossed-off kind of way that really adds a warmth and sense of familiarity to it all. It is a living story in a lived-in world.
The Builders is quite the achievement. I’m sure that I could go on forever about the use of the anthropomorphic literary device and the dehumanizing nature of obsession and revenge but that’s just the kind of cock and bull that Polansky would deride. It’s a “one-note joke,” remember? The Builders, like all the best jokes, walks the fine line between absurdity and the darker truths. In the end, The Builders cuts with a punchline so sharp that you’re two steps out the door before you realize you’re bleeding.
http://fantasy-faction.com/2015/the-builders-by-daniel-polansky
Daniel Polansky is an interesting guy. I say this having never met the man and reading exactly 50% of his published output. He reminds me of Warren Ellis (the writer, not the Bad Seed) and that is a good thing. He knows the value of what has come before, and can create something new out of tropes that have been around for a century. And, like Ellis, he knows what he’s good at writing, and writes to his strengths. He’s old school that way. For my money, he’s criminally underexposed in the United States. Hard to make a name for yourself when your books are tough to find, though. So it makes perfect sense that Polansky’s latest is an anthropomorphic revenge-fantasy novella set in a Disney-on-mushrooms version of the United States. It’s called The Builders.
The Builders is a straightforward revenge novel. Years ago, The Captain, our antihero—and a mouse—was on the verge of a major military and political victory. The he was double-crossed. Now, he’s getting the band back together and seeking revenge on those that wronged him. Simple. Straightforward. Effective.
The Builders has the cinematic feel of a Spaghetti Western. It is widescreen and shot on grainy film. The dialogue is sparse, cutting to the bone in as few words as necessary. What isn’t said is as important as what is. Polansky is a deft writer and knows the value of shutting up. He conveys more in the space between words than most authors convey through a paragraph.
The Builders will draw comparisons to Brian Jacques’ Redwall series, and to Richard Adams’ Watership Down. These comparisons are fair, in the sense that all of the above involve anthropomorphic animals placed in very human situations. Of course, An American Tail and Maus are both about anthropomorphic mice, so that shallow comparison will only get you so far. If I had to do the elevator pitch, I’d say “The Builders is The Fantastic Mr. Fox filmed by Robert Rodriguez as told by Quentin Taratino. But, you know, a book.”
The characters of The Builders leave instant and lasting impressions. Whether it is The Captain’s first appearance, the armadillo bearing a striking resemblance to Pancho Villa, or the Stetson-wearing salamander, Polansky has breathed life into his own wild bunch of misfits, malcontents and sociopaths. And that doesn’t even touch on Elf, The Quaker or a French-accented stoat named Bonsoir. I wouldn’t want to spoil too much. That’s just the tip of the anthropomorphic iceberg.
The logistics of it all are staggering. Polansky has managed to create not just a riveting story but an intricate and fascinating universe, in the span of just over 200 pages. Certainly, the world of The Builders is meant to be a version of our own. There’s the Old World, the Colonies, the verdant north and the arid Southwest. There are rough and tumble cities and remote desert towns. There’s France. And there is a history to all of it, conveyed to the reader as much through what doesn’t appear on the page as through what does. The world of The Builders is very much alive and kicking. Not bad for something the author himself refers to as a “one-note joke” in the acknowledgements.
The Builders is a complete tale, with a proper beginning and a proper end. There’s sort of a middle, but it is interspersed throughout the beginning (see previous comments re: Tarantino/Rodriguez). The prose is Spartan, but the characterization is anything but. Bonsoir, Barley, The Captain—they’re all fully-formed. Even the minor characters like the shrew conductor, the Weasel Sisters and the countless rat soldiers have personalities and bits and pieces of a backstory. It’s all thrown together in an effortless, tossed-off kind of way that really adds a warmth and sense of familiarity to it all. It is a living story in a lived-in world.
The Builders is quite the achievement. I’m sure that I could go on forever about the use of the anthropomorphic literary device and the dehumanizing nature of obsession and revenge but that’s just the kind of cock and bull that Polansky would deride. It’s a “one-note joke,” remember? The Builders, like all the best jokes, walks the fine line between absurdity and the darker truths. In the end, The Builders cuts with a punchline so sharp that you’re two steps out the door before you realize you’re bleeding.
ianthereader0's review against another edition
4.0
A really fun novella. I can’t help wishing it was a full novel, though.
alexfisk's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
jeskian's review against another edition
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
If this is grimdark sign me up! Love the attitude in the prose, and the characters too.
billie_the_book_babe's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
kcrow8516's review against another edition
3.0
I was totally surprised by this one. I picked it up in a used book store because I am obsessed with Richard Anderson's book covers. Like many others have said in their reviews, this novella is basically a dark and gorey version of Redwall by Brian Jacques. The ending was a little bit of a letdown for me, but given the short length of the book, it was acceptable. Definitely recommended for anyone who is a fan of the Redwall series, but wants to read the R rated version.
lyrrael's review against another edition
2.0
I read this shortly after reading Low Town, which means I came into it with the most favorable opinion of Polansky I could possibly have had (Low Town was fabulous), and still, this really didn't speak to me. The anthropomorphism just didn't do it for me. Granted, I don't really have that Redwall background a lot of you do have, so calling it Redwall for adults just falls flat for me. I found this kind of shallow and superficial, and I just didn't ever manage to hook into it. :/ I was at like 90% for a week before I finally powered through the last ten pages, I just wasn't into it.
linguana's review against another edition
3.0
It's as if Quentin Tarantino wrote the script to an animated Disney movie...
awallock's review against another edition
5.0
An R rated Redwall-style book with anthropomorphic animals carrying out a revenge plot. Plenty of blood, guts, western imagery…etc etc. It was a lot of fun and an easy, quick read. Also was very impressed with the writing style and the authors ability to create fleshed out characters in such a short time. It was hard to put down once I had really gotten into the meat of the book. Loved it!