Reviews

Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey

jarichan's review against another edition

5.0

Ein Buch ganz und gar nach meinem Geschmack! Jede Seite ist ein Genuss, riecht nach Zigarettenrauch und Blut und starrt vor Dreck. Ja, ich mag Bücher, in denen kein glorreicher Held die Hauptrolle spielt, sondern ein betrunkener, angepisster Typ, der ein Ziel hat und sich von nichts in der Welt davon abbringen lässt. Stark gehört in diese Kategorie.

Kadreys Werk steckt voller Gewalt, Hass und Niedertracht. Dazu kommt noch ein äusserst trockener Humor und Figuren, wie man sie sonst sehr selten trifft. Wir betreten hier ein finsteres Reich namens L.A., das es in Sachen Düsternis und Brutalität leicht mit der Hölle aufnehmen kann. Nur um festzustellen, dass es im Himmel nicht anders zu und her geht.

Als einziges Manko führe ich an, dass das Buch zu dialoglastig ist. Manche Themen hätte man auch anders vermitteln können als in der direkten Rede. Zu viel Gesprochenes fällt mir unterdessen negativ auf, da es die Handlung verlangsamt. Dies ist in dieser Geschichte, die grundsätzlich sehr rasant ist, leider fatal. Es nahm „Höllendämmerung“ sehr viel Elan und Schwung.

Ansonsten bietet Sandman Slim cineastische Action mit viel Wumms und Krach. Empfindlich darf man als Leser nicht sein, obwohl ich schon deftigere Szenen gelesen habe, gehe ich davon aus, dass zartbesaitete Gemüter mit Mister Stark und seinen Abenteuern ihre Mühe haben werden. Auch die Sprache ist oftmals grob, aber zum Glück niemals proletisch. Die Ausdrucksweise passt in die Szene, in der wir uns bewegen und da wird auch schon mal geflucht.

Für mich ist glasklar, dass ich auch die Folgebände lesen werde. Denn solches Actionkino in Buchform ist genau das, was meiner Seele nach einem harten Arbeitstag mit Konstantlächeln und Instantfreundlichkeit gut tut.

satumaria's review

dark fast-paced

4.0

eviegx's review

adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced

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

4.25

literatetexan's review

4.0

I loved this book. Hard-boiled urban fantasy at its finest. Kadrey writes with gusto. I enjoyed it so much that I bought a copy for a friend of mine.

Loved it on a reread, too.

dmturner's review

4.0

A hard-boiled action thriller starring Stark, aka James Butler Stark, aka Sandman Slim, who emerges in LA after eleven years fighting in Hell, intending to wreak vengeance on the magician friends who put him there. And he's the hero. The theology is rudimentary - devils and angels alike are more like stereotypical tough guys than supernatural beings - and the evil Kissi who are trying to muscle in on the Earth racket aren't even as scary as Terry Pratchett's Auditors, but the writing is solid and the characters are too. The story kept my interest going throughout the book, which doesn't happen all that often these days. I'm going to look up the next book in the series.

shalot's review

2.0

Poor writing, with an illogical and unlikeable main character. The magical powers the baddies have vary greatly depending on what the author feels like. Heck, there's even continuity errors in the writing. The only way I got through this was because I had it as an audiobook.

yessikachu's review

1.0

Spoiler

* the r slur??? for fucking why? its not like it brought up the conversation of ableism & to address it in any way just a brief mention in the context of cherry & her gothic lolita clothing line (and stark’s view of the gothic lolita fashion style which is in complete disregard for it also described it in a very derogatory manner?? like its a fashion style that exists. its a choice. i don’t understand the need to shit on it and i don’t want to). this was for no good or discernible reason thus completely unnecessary. it is casual ableism and if you think that’s okay then u should casually get a broken leg.
* same thing with the f slur. also just super casually mentioned like it is not a slur. also never addressed in its usage. i only see how it is acceptable in a very narrow space of context ie the character was queer (which could still be icky sometimes) or the author was queer. which so far as i am aware he is not. so that’s just casual homophobia. i am aware of the author having been like i have queer friends but i don’t really care about who the author is if this is what they wrote. he did write it. and i don’t care about who he is. and i shouldn’t have to. his work should literally speak for itself. and so far it is saying things that supports the argument of him shutting the fuck up.
* stark: is like i am a badass & im like so you saw one of the people that betrayed you and went well i’ll just follow him anyway then realises he’s probably gonna shoot you so you pull out a taser and gets shot anyway / you lost ur cool & nearly got you & vidocq killed when the magical guards made you when it was supposed to be a stealth mission / you walked into cherry’s store & got a knife to the chin because nothing screams i am a badass as much as just walking into the enemy’s territory filled with their magic & their tricks with no actual info as to whether cherry is even there or not / you cut kasban head off & shoved it in a cabinet but somehow still managed to lose him / you went to mason’s basement & ran for your life because you’re an idiot - so you say you have been so experienced with physical combat but i am more inclined to believe that u just don’t die easily. like a cockroach. on crack.
* carlos: seems like his screw is sorta lose somewhere & that’s why i love him because if i walked into a bar and look like i’ve just escape a burning other dimension the one i want behind the counter is carlos. this was until he made that remark about women that calls when they want something then cuts you off. it has misogynistic implications of insinuating the idea that women does nothing and only uses men for things then toss them aside when they have what they want. this idea is still prevalent today in the discussion of toxic masculinity. so no. i will not look pass it and no. i don’t care what the intention was. carlos can take his misogyny and choke on it until he sees red. which is me. in a suit. riding in from hell.
* stark: who just walks on the street like ladidadida & sees the one guy that supposedly killed the love of their life & goes well it makes sense if i just interrupted traffic and charge him straight on. because again. where is your head. is it up your ass or did you leave it in hell? with how illogical you’re acting even if you did leave it in hell it would still be a piss poor excuse.
* stark: i know a lot of people that are not okay with him stealing cars all the time when he could travel via the shadows anywhere but if i was him i would still take the porshe 911. it’s just the right thing to do. because if you could afford a 911 you can afford to have it stolen. the only other thing anybody should be able to like about him is that his favourite flavour of ice cream is fuck you.
* so you meet the nazi “aryan wet dream” blood leader and you make a joke about even you want his babies. its like i— don’t—! i’m like ?!!?! as if to say that him being white and blonde and blue eyed makes him an okay candidate for reproduction despite being a fucking racist bigot. that and he’s like fucking demonic or sum shit aka kissi. this pisses me off. it gives the idea to people who read it that you can ignore shit like that about a person because their sky blue eyes. trust me. sky blue eyes don’t mean shit when you’re treated like how he would treat you.
* the angels are assholes. the people working for and with the angels are assholes. this. this i love. it’s an accurate description too - or to my beliefs. they spread chaos and they use violence just like any demon any luciferic general any man any animal. i like the idea that the only distinction between heaven and hell or demons and angels is their fashion style. this should be portrayed more. if you want to say that one true god is the creator of them all then you should be able to accept the fact that that one true god is responsible for all if it. or you could die trying.
* stark: he keeps being like i could travel anywhere but he keeps getting kidnapped so obviously he either can’t travel everywhere or he likes being kidnapped. and he complains alot about being kidnapped for a guy who wants to be kidnapped. the same problem occurs when he complains about the long exhausting walk back to the overdrive after getting rid of kasbian’s body. like just find a shadow and step through it wtfdym you had a walk?
* stark’s relationship with alice is interesting. i dont see that he loved her. not until he lost her. i see that he loved the idea of her until he could no longer have her because being dragged to hell alive does that to people. i don’t know if he cared for her until it was put to the test. i doubt that he would’ve loved her enough to stay in hell and be tortured for 11 fucking years. from how i see it, it seems like there were other reasons as to why he stayed for so long. and it doesn’t seem like he loved much of anything beside his stupid beans and his cigarettes and his cheap burning liquor oh and bodily harm. my point is that he cannot have loved her because he does not seem capable of loving anybody thus love from him is a futile hope. and to say so about alice feels close to an insult.

seaclauss's review

adventurous dark funny fast-paced

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

4.0

addypap's review

3.0

Was glad to get through this, though not disagreeable to stop listening. Seemed a little JV.

pbobrit's review

3.0

Fast moving pulp fiction, True Blood meets Raymond Chandler with a sprinkling of Neil Gaiman for good measure. If this isn't a movie within a couple of years I'll be very surprised, it is the book equivalent of a pop-corn munching demon crushing summer action movie.