Reviews

Mr Norris Changes Trains by Christopher Isherwood

sophw1's review

dark informative reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

marcel22112022's review

adventurous medium-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

2.0

simonator's review

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.0

h_motionless's review

reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.5

karpatenhund's review against another edition

adventurous funny informative tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

bibliotechamtobias's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

shesjamesevans's review

3.0

I’m not sure what I was expecting from this books. It’s certainly something different, at the beginning I was very into it but as it progressed... I don’t really know. I expected something different.
But I guess it’s a different approach to a story that is set round nazi Germany.

and_cont's review

funny lighthearted reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.75

robink302's review

dark emotional funny reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

hadu's review

2.0

When I bought this book I was under the impression that I would be reading extensively about Mr. Norris' sexual deviancy along the lines of [b:Venus in Furs and Selected Stories|910822|Venus in Furs and Selected Stories|von Sacher-Masoch|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179381604s/910822.jpg|895927] but I was mistaken. There was only a hint of alternative sexual activity. The picture on this particular edition deceived me as well. I imagined Mr. Norris to be a strong and sassy character but he was mainly weak.

There is a good deal of political conversations in this novel and I couldn't help but mentally doze off during those points even though I was reading the words on the page. I was hoping to be surprised and shocked by the end of the novel but I could sense it was going to be anti-climactic (and it was).

I don't think I completely wasted my time reading this book because I did enjoy William Bradshaw's sense of humor and snarky comments. But I do feel like I became heavily invested in getting to know the dynamics of William's friendship with Mr. Norris only to be left abandoned wondering what the actual point of the novel was.