jogin1's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
bookhawk's review against another edition
4.0
A very good first book in a detective series and a great friend book recommendation. A little dated but enjoyable nonetheless.
shadowcas's review against another edition
3.0
This was a recommendation from a friend that is a huge fan of mystery/thriller novels. I, on the other hand, am not particularly drawn to mysteries. I enjoy a bit of mystery as a subplot to another genre but it isn’t my first choice. The Godwulf Manuscript read as a typical 1970′s detective novel. The ‘voice’ that Robert Parker pours into the pages is the gritty, hard-nosed voice that you would expect out of a 70s private investigator. Spenser is sarcastic, smart, and a bit of a stud. You can’t help but enjoy the story and the characters that Parker has created.
This is a short review from me. I just can’t really say much about it. The story is good if at times it does seem to drag and Spenser is such a great character that he kept me interested enough to finish a book that otherwise would not have interested me.
3 out of 5 stars for me. It was good but I don’t think it was good enough for me to continue the series.
This is a short review from me. I just can’t really say much about it. The story is good if at times it does seem to drag and Spenser is such a great character that he kept me interested enough to finish a book that otherwise would not have interested me.
3 out of 5 stars for me. It was good but I don’t think it was good enough for me to continue the series.
tobyyy's review against another edition
3.0
Unread shelf project 2022: book 26.
Pretty obviously an early book by Parker (if not the first). It was a decent story but also very dated — understandably so. I also never get used to Parker’s fixation on describing clothing and food. I enjoy it — those things seem to be something male authors don’t write about often — and I like the added details. But the clothing also dates the novel quite significantly! Clearly published in the 1970s.
Pretty obviously an early book by Parker (if not the first). It was a decent story but also very dated — understandably so. I also never get used to Parker’s fixation on describing clothing and food. I enjoy it — those things seem to be something male authors don’t write about often — and I like the added details. But the clothing also dates the novel quite significantly! Clearly published in the 1970s.
glenmowrer's review against another edition
3.0
Picked up a copy at a local Little Free Library. Only when reading did I recognize the character from the day. Of course the dialogue and social interactions are dated even when the author was trying hard to have sensitive white male protagonist he get things a bit awkwardly wrong. All in all though one can understand how this obviously manufactured substitute for the 30's and 40's noir detectives was appealing enough to spawn many more books and television as well. I read it with a bit of distant appreciation and enjoyed the experience. No big lessons here of course. By the way, my copy is an original "book club" edition which appears to have been signed by the author. Sort of neat.
melle's review against another edition
1.0
The only entertaining part about it was that it was published in 1974, and the descriptions of clothing and the conversational language are brutally dated. I think the phrase "jive turkey" actually appears.