Reviews

City of Saints and Madmen by Jeff VanderMeer

third_bookworm's review

mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

3.5

I found this book really frustrating when I read it expecting it to have a plot or particular main characters. I enjoyed it a lot more when I approached it through the lense of an experiment in worldbuilding, where information can only be conveyed through in-world pieces of writing. It's an exercise for the reader in piecing together information about the world from various assorted stories, some of which are fiction and some of which are not, and some of which are of unclear veracity. It's challenging and interesting to read, and an impressive display of technical authorial accumen.

kyrajg's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

raleigh's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

5.0

binstonbirchill's review against another edition

5.0

I found this first book in the Ambergris series as enjoyable as the southern reach trilogy. It contains a good bit of weird that will be familiar to fans of Vandermeer. City of Saints and Madmen is told in five very different parts, one of which is historical, with footnotes (and yes I read the footnotes). Overall the stories are about the city of Ambergris rather than any specific characters and it works quite well considering the style is one I generally don’t care for.

_hex_libris's review

dark funny mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

rosekk's review against another edition

4.0

The book veered wildly form being funny to deeply disturbing, which would usually be a problem with a book, but somehow it worked in this particular book. I enjoyed the book veering from different writing styles, and randomly returning to themes from sections of the story before in a way that unexpectedly connects things. The book is decidedly post modernist, with 'truths' established at one part of the book unravelled later on. The only reason I haven't given it 5 stars is that at times its atmosphere put me in a terrible mood, and I can't give 5 stars to something that can ruin my mood even when I'm not reading it.

yasmine_w's review against another edition

3.0

Maybe a 2.5

jonathan_packer_1994's review against another edition

mysterious slow-paced

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

3.5

agingerg's review against another edition

2.0

I’m positive if the book had been only the last 53 pages (before the appendix amplus), I would have rated this a 5. But those first 273 pages dragged. And dragged.

belchie324's review

5.0

Stunning. 

That’s probably the only word I can think of to describe City of Saints and Madmen by Jeff Vandermeer. The way this man manipulates the written word to make a person feel a very specific way is masterful. He’s an absolute vibe MASTER! 

Seriously, Vandermeer landed himself as one of my favourite authors of all time with this one. It’s amazing. My favourite story in here was absolutely “The Transformation of Martin Lake.” Check this book out if you have not already.