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yesthisisdog's review against another edition
Second attempt at this. Probably didn’t give it enough time, but life’s too short.
donfoolery's review against another edition
5.0
I got this book as a gift and I was happy to get it; my reading of Soviet era science fiction has been nonexistent. This book is now my new standard for judging the "genre mashups" I read from now on. The book really is everything that Jeff VanderMeer promises it is in his introduction. It's all here: shades of mystery, hints of the occult, and a bit of science fiction (some of which brought R.A. Lafferty to mind). A little surrealism and magical realism too, but with a twist. I loved how the Brothers Strugatsky almost always had a rational narrative explanation... which the reader are free to accept or reject.
There's so much delicious meta in the book, too. In one scene, the main character breaks into a fellow guest's room thinking, "I did this just like a hero in a spy thriller would have -- I didn't know how else to do it." Meta is the book's mission statement, in a way. It's theme is how "The unknown makes us think -- it makes our blood run a little quicker and gives rise to various delightful trains of thought. It beckons, it promises. It’s like a fire flickering in the depths of the night." And, it's a warning that, "You're following the most natural roads, and for that reason you've ended up in unnatural places." It's elements like these, and the timelessness of the story's setting that allows this 1970 novel to age well.
There's so much delicious meta in the book, too. In one scene, the main character breaks into a fellow guest's room thinking, "I did this just like a hero in a spy thriller would have -- I didn't know how else to do it." Meta is the book's mission statement, in a way. It's theme is how "The unknown makes us think -- it makes our blood run a little quicker and gives rise to various delightful trains of thought. It beckons, it promises. It’s like a fire flickering in the depths of the night." And, it's a warning that, "You're following the most natural roads, and for that reason you've ended up in unnatural places." It's elements like these, and the timelessness of the story's setting that allows this 1970 novel to age well.
paul281f's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
jakewritesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
(4.5) JW Friedman of the indispensable I Don't Even Own A Television podcast recommended this as "The Westing Game for adults." Westing Game is one of my all time favorite books so I decided to give it a shot. While I don't think it meets those lofty standards, I get what Friedman was saying as it's a good book in its own right. To my knowledge, I don't think I've read something by a Russian who lived most of their life in the Soviet era so Strugatsky's work was both foreign and yet, familiar. The book is witty, meditative, and fun, with good characters and a good plot. Locked room mysteries can be tricky if there's too many angles but Strugatsky keeps the reader well focused and doesn't get too convoluted until the end...which makes the book work in its own weird way.
the_gray_cat's review against another edition
challenging
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
quidamtyro's review against another edition
4.0
I am not sure if this will be a four if I read it again because it doesn't have a lot of the elements I traditionally love, but it was so different from what I expected it was delightful.
llewbop's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
dcvanko's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0