laura_179322's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
5.0
throatsprockets's review against another edition
2.0
I Am Pilgrim is kind of a shame because the bones of a good story are buried under a lot of bad writing. I'm not going to bother addressing the racism, sexism and propagandaist viewpoints apart from acknowleging that they are present and I did not appreciate their presence. There is sometimes the vaguest suggestion that irony might have been intended (eg there are many mentions that people in Islamic countries are under constant surveillance and that this is bad, but there are also many mentions of the extreme surveillance techniques available to American intelligence agents and that this is good - I'm still unsure if this was an intentional contradiction to make a point, or just a blind spot in the author's perspective).
The biggest problem is also the simplest: this should have been told in third person rather than third person. Throughout the book, the protagonist recounts the activities of a character known as The Saracen in extremely thorough detail. I expected this to pay off with at least an explanation of how he knows all of this information, but not only do we never get this but it's clear that there is no way he could have known most of it. Sometimes we also get detailed recounting of other characters' activities that he also could not have known, especially when these characters end up dead.
Another problem caused by the first person POV is that other characters are often complimenting Our Hero, talking about how he's the greatest intelligence agent in the world, how amazing the book he wrote was, how nobody else could have done what he did, etc. In third person this would still be too much, but in first person it just comes off as constant bragging. Again, this could have been done well to subvert his point of view, but instead it just comes off as the author just deciding to keep on giving his hero big ups.
The secondary mystery which frames the book is also awkwardly integrated and left frustratingly open. Too much of this plays as sheer coincidence, and the way it's left unresolved seems too much like a hook for a potential sequel. Starting a book with a locked door-style mystery and not resolving it properly is amateurish in the extreme.
The book also starts out told in present-tense, goes into an extended flashback in past-tense, then comes back to the current timeline and forgets to go back to present-tense. Sloppy.
It's a pain because the actual story has the potential to be compelling, but the overlength, the excess of detail, the Gary Stu-style protagonist and the problems with POV are significant debits. Terry Hayes needs an editor who will make him rewrite more. Hopefully the reason his next book is so massively delayed is because he's working harder this time.
The biggest problem is also the simplest: this should have been told in third person rather than third person. Throughout the book, the protagonist recounts the activities of a character known as The Saracen in extremely thorough detail. I expected this to pay off with at least an explanation of how he knows all of this information, but not only do we never get this but it's clear that there is no way he could have known most of it. Sometimes we also get detailed recounting of other characters' activities that he also could not have known, especially when these characters end up dead.
Another problem caused by the first person POV is that other characters are often complimenting Our Hero, talking about how he's the greatest intelligence agent in the world, how amazing the book he wrote was, how nobody else could have done what he did, etc. In third person this would still be too much, but in first person it just comes off as constant bragging. Again, this could have been done well to subvert his point of view, but instead it just comes off as the author just deciding to keep on giving his hero big ups.
The secondary mystery which frames the book is also awkwardly integrated and left frustratingly open. Too much of this plays as sheer coincidence, and the way it's left unresolved seems too much like a hook for a potential sequel. Starting a book with a locked door-style mystery and not resolving it properly is amateurish in the extreme.
The book also starts out told in present-tense, goes into an extended flashback in past-tense, then comes back to the current timeline and forgets to go back to present-tense. Sloppy.
It's a pain because the actual story has the potential to be compelling, but the overlength, the excess of detail, the Gary Stu-style protagonist and the problems with POV are significant debits. Terry Hayes needs an editor who will make him rewrite more. Hopefully the reason his next book is so massively delayed is because he's working harder this time.
ip0101's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
anneduff's review against another edition
5.0
What a pleasure to find a book that completely absorbs you. This was pure escapism for me. No matter where my physical body was, I was with Pilgrim - watching him, traveling alongside him, listening to and looking out for him. I was utterly INVOLVED in this book. It's a very long book and, initially, I was concerned there might be a lot of padding but I didn't find a single extraneous page. I've added the author's next book to my wishlist and will be purchasing it when it's available.
isabellarobinson7's review against another edition
3.0
Rating: 3 stars
When I Am Pilgrim started, I seriously doubted that it would be any good. First of all, it was in first person, to which I vastly prefer third person, especially in a thriller. Second, Terry Hayes’ writing didn’t really impress me at all. It wasn’t particularly terrible in any way, but it certainly wasn’t anything special. And thirdly, the narrator on the audiobook I was listening to was talking seriously slow. I probably would have quit pretty early if I hadn't been able to increase the speed of the recording. Yet, despite all the red flags this book presented, I loved it!
I really enjoyed the narrative voice of Scott/Jude/Pilgrim/whatever and how it added to the whole feel of the story. I liked the angles it presented on working for the government, and the effects on a person's personal life.
The real highlight of I Am Pilgrim for me was the plot, the pacing and the action. The execution of the pacing was expertly done: it was slower in parts, but it never go so slow that it felt like it was dragging, and it sped up without feeling rushed. The timeline of the plot really benefited from this pacing, and lifted the quality of the rest of the novel.
That being said, the skeleton of the storyline was well planned out to begin with, so its quality was by no means completely reliant on its pacing. There was just the right amount of twists and turns to intrigue me, but not so much that it felt forced and unnatural. The premise was thrilling and worth being told, in all those hundreds of pages (or hours in terms of the audiobook). The bottom line being the plot didn't bore me (which is something I appreciate about any book; keeping me entertained for long periods of time is an epic feat in itself).
The action in I Am Pilgrim was exactly what I wanted. All too often I come across so-called "thriller" novels where the protagonist throws a few kicks and punches and calls it a day. That or the author needlessly puts characters in danger. The events Hayes created fell into this perfect place where they were not too out there so they were unbelievable to the reader, but were just different and abnormal enough that the reader stays entertained. The storyline of I Am Pilgrim is completely plausible, but not very likely.
All in all, I Am Pilgrim is a great book that deserves all the hype it receives. Highly recommend.
When I Am Pilgrim started, I seriously doubted that it would be any good. First of all, it was in first person, to which I vastly prefer third person, especially in a thriller. Second, Terry Hayes’ writing didn’t really impress me at all. It wasn’t particularly terrible in any way, but it certainly wasn’t anything special. And thirdly, the narrator on the audiobook I was listening to was talking seriously slow. I probably would have quit pretty early if I hadn't been able to increase the speed of the recording. Yet, despite all the red flags this book presented, I loved it!
I really enjoyed the narrative voice of Scott/Jude/Pilgrim/whatever and how it added to the whole feel of the story. I liked the angles it presented on working for the government, and the effects on a person's personal life.
The real highlight of I Am Pilgrim for me was the plot, the pacing and the action. The execution of the pacing was expertly done: it was slower in parts, but it never go so slow that it felt like it was dragging, and it sped up without feeling rushed. The timeline of the plot really benefited from this pacing, and lifted the quality of the rest of the novel.
That being said, the skeleton of the storyline was well planned out to begin with, so its quality was by no means completely reliant on its pacing. There was just the right amount of twists and turns to intrigue me, but not so much that it felt forced and unnatural. The premise was thrilling and worth being told, in all those hundreds of pages (or hours in terms of the audiobook). The bottom line being the plot didn't bore me (which is something I appreciate about any book; keeping me entertained for long periods of time is an epic feat in itself).
The action in I Am Pilgrim was exactly what I wanted. All too often I come across so-called "thriller" novels where the protagonist throws a few kicks and punches and calls it a day. That or the author needlessly puts characters in danger. The events Hayes created fell into this perfect place where they were not too out there so they were unbelievable to the reader, but were just different and abnormal enough that the reader stays entertained. The storyline of I Am Pilgrim is completely plausible, but not very likely.
All in all, I Am Pilgrim is a great book that deserves all the hype it receives. Highly recommend.
anniespx's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
hiltzmoore's review against another edition
5.0
Such a well done action/spy book. I loved the background story and suspense. I haven't read a book in this genre in a while and this kept my attention the entire time. I look forward to more books by this author and could picture this book being a movie.
coffey1134's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
I never got bored and it was an exciting read. Highly recommend this book.
cancocom's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
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
3.5