Reviews

Nobber by Oisín Fagan

mathieudmrs's review against another edition

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dark slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No

4.25

ronanmcd's review

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2.0

"I am more alluring again than most Gaels as my small stature had concentrated and purified my beauty, like an essence" is a line from this book.
A chaotic maelstrom of violence ends up ultimately aimless and populated with a vast array of characters, none of which we know well or care about.

sotip's review

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challenging dark emotional funny reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

renilr's review

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

bundy23's review

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2.0

This is the kind of book that people who like words and language would enjoy. English majors that claim they find Chaucer worth reading would particularly love this, it's even got lots unfunny sexual descriptions they can pretend are hilarious. Personally I prefer a good plot and decent characters which this is sadly lacking.

simonfromtaured's review

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5.0

"Noah's vessel must have been a vehicle for great incestuous confusions and fornications," de Flunkl says to himself, almost happily, gazing at all the loose congregations of animals, and William of Roscrea gives, out of habit, his nodding assent.

Nobber is, if nothing else, a memorable read; it is a violent, perverted and blackly comic book that scorns and laments the worst impulses of men and women against the backdrop of one of the deadliest plagues in human history. Initially Nobber reads like a straight comedy; written in a parody of chivalric romantic prose, Fagan's story of cowardly nobles and slow-witted peasants is deeply sardonic and wry, dripping with a dry wit reminiscent of Blackadder that invites the reader to laugh at the increasingly absurd and self-inflicted tragedies of its main cast. But Nobber works on another level; as a critique of our willingness to acquiesce to and even participate in evil acts, Nobber succeeds on the back of Fagan's masterful building of atmosphere and tension, which keeps the novel at a high simmer all the way through to the bloody climax, and his ability to quickly and seamlessly pivot in tone from mockery to genuine sorrow and pity. Nobber will put a lot of people off with its gratuitous violence and Fagan's disdain towards his own characters, but what he's crafted is a unique and beautifully tragic story that deserves to be read and will reward those who persevere with it.

andream0885's review

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

3.5

rikkibaynard's review

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I’m not even sure how to rate this. It really didn’t work for me. There were some moments of beauty but all in all, this was pretty unenjoyable. I’ll definitely give this author another chance in the future.

katiebhastings's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

tamarasaurusrex's review against another edition

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5.0

Monty Python crossed with Samuel Beckett crossed with a bright violent surrealism crossed with a dose of mysticism. It was phenomenal.