legohelmet's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
jakewritesbooks's review
2.0
The Year of Jim Thompson continues with one of his more forgettable works. The New York Review of Books described it as “satire with a bludgeon” and I suppose that’s true. If you like your satire this heavy handed, this one may work. But it didn’t for me. No plot, all caricatures, humor didn’t work for me. Thompson is a great writer but his unfocused works aren’t just bad by his standards, they’re bad period.
thomasroche's review
5.0
This is one messed-up book. I see why it is almost forgotten except by die-hard Thompson fans. It is so freakin' weird and is not a crime novel at all. Rather, it's sort of a Gothic, but without a satisfying payoff, which is what makes it even more twisted. It's just freakin' bizarre. It's just sheer weirdness like a Fellini movie or David Lynch. In fact, structurally it reminded me kind of a lot of Eraserhead. I'm quite sure it's based directly on Thompson's experiences; in fact, the author himself makes a resoundingly-unveiled appearance in it. It's awesome and weird and messed up, but definitely not for everyone.
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