cat_lav's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
specsmcgee's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-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
emendelowitz's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
I love a long and confusing book, but if it’s gonna be long and confusing there’s gotta be at least some payoff at the end. I read The Absolute Book because I loved the Vintner’s Luck by this author and honestly I didn’t hate this one, but she definitely tried to do too much in one book without enough action to propel it all. I did find the incorporation of folklore and discussions of libraries very interesting and there were a lot of good scenes, but it just felt so weirdly tied together and the epilogue felt very out of place.
vvabecca's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Beautifuly imagery. Took forever to finish but had a satisfactory ending.
gotopieces's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I don’t know if I’ve ever read anything like it. I was confused the whole time but in a good way. It was magical and weird and I could’ve kept on reading more about this strange universe.
seiramadi1's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
shelvesofstarlight's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book but was confused by quite a lot of went on that wasn't directly involved with the plot. This is only because it wasn't really explained throughout the book and we just sort of had to learn about it and guess as it went along.
The characters were very interesting and I liked watching how they all interacted and changed over the course of the book. Taryn as a protagonist was intricate and initially I didn't really like her but she grew on me as we watched her suffer with her past and come to terms with her future and interact with Shift, Jacob and the Muleskinner (who was very creepy and evil and I kind of liked how he just turned up out of the blue at certain points). Of course, to the human characters of the book we must add the more supernatural/mythological characters of the story who, like I said initially had me confused but I think that by the end of the book I pretty much had a grasp on hoe they all worked lol. But, I did really enjoy the main group that developed and I even really liked Taryn at the end!
The plot, as I said did have me slightly confused but I really enjoyed how it concentrated on books and libraries because I am a massive nerd and love books (of course). It was very cool how it switched between the real world and the fictional world that could be reached through magical gates around the globe. The ending did feel a tad rushed given the length of the book and the epilogue seemed necessary but also unnecessary all at the same time lol. However, I did like that everything was resolved by the end of the book and you could see how that happened in the epilogue, plus it seems that the characters found a solution for global warming and other environmental problems at the same time which was nice.
The writing was great, it was really interesting to read and made sure that I was engaged through all 600+ pages of this book which is no mean feat especially because for quite a lot of it I was considerably confused by what was going on. If Elizabeth Knox has written or write any shorter books I will definitely be checking them out!
I was kindly provided with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The characters were very interesting and I liked watching how they all interacted and changed over the course of the book. Taryn as a protagonist was intricate and initially I didn't really like her but she grew on me as we watched her suffer with her past and come to terms with her future and interact with Shift, Jacob and the Muleskinner (who was very creepy and evil and I kind of liked how he just turned up out of the blue at certain points). Of course, to the human characters of the book we must add the more supernatural/mythological characters of the story who, like I said initially had me confused but I think that by the end of the book I pretty much had a grasp on hoe they all worked lol. But, I did really enjoy the main group that developed and I even really liked Taryn at the end!
The plot, as I said did have me slightly confused but I really enjoyed how it concentrated on books and libraries because I am a massive nerd and love books (of course). It was very cool how it switched between the real world and the fictional world that could be reached through magical gates around the globe. The ending did feel a tad rushed given the length of the book and the epilogue seemed necessary but also unnecessary all at the same time lol. However, I did like that everything was resolved by the end of the book and you could see how that happened in the epilogue, plus it seems that the characters found a solution for global warming and other environmental problems at the same time which was nice.
The writing was great, it was really interesting to read and made sure that I was engaged through all 600+ pages of this book which is no mean feat especially because for quite a lot of it I was considerably confused by what was going on. If Elizabeth Knox has written or write any shorter books I will definitely be checking them out!
I was kindly provided with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
pearl_arow's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
foggy_rosamund's review against another edition
2.0
Other novels by Knox have hugely engaged and moved me, so I was delighted when this book was finally available in Ireland. Unfortunately, it disappointed me: it lacks depth. We begin with the death of the main character, Taryn's, sister, followed by Taryn's discovery of the Sidh, or the world of Faerie. In some ways The Absolute Book reads like an urban fantasy: the Sidh live in a parallel world to humans and can wander into our world, but mostly don't bother. There are elements of Christian belief tied into the Sidh, particularly heaven/hell. It also has a broader scope, because Knox is trying to say something about our relationship with our pasts and the ways in which humanity is destroying itself. As well as that, it's a book about books: Taryn has written a non-fiction book about libraries, and the importance of books and stories is woven throughout the novel. There are also a number of thriller-like elements here: there are chase scenes, murders, and stalkers. Perhaps it's in trying to balance all the elements that Knox flounders. No one element is fully realised. Other novels by Knox have succeeded for me in the ways Knox captures a sense of place and presence within a landscape, and by her memorable characters. In The Absolute Book, I rarely got a sense of place, and all the characters fell flat for me. I found myself skimming one of the most intense scenes, in which the two main characters fight to stay alive, because I simply didn't care about them or their predicament. There are bones of good stories in here, but Knox is trying too hard to write something pacy and dramatic, and juggling that with a good deal of backstory and complexity, and doesn't succeed. Reading this ended up feeling like a slog.
cakeandbooks1970's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0