A review by ippym
Seven Types of Ambiguity by Elliot Perlman
3.0
This was a page turner with multiple points of view. I'm not sure how to identify the genre - it's a blend of contemporary fiction, thriller, court drama, social, economic, and political commentary, and a harsh examination of relationships. I liked that the author progressed the story with the different viewpoints (instead of rehashing one event). He also revisited dialogue from previous chapters which afforded the reader a different perspective on important scenes, which I thought was clever and worked well. On top of all that, the theme of ambiguity was consistent throughout. This is an impressive piece of work in structure and content alone.
What I didn't like was the use of obtuse language (hagiography, stultifying, ignominy etc.) and the preachiness of socioeconomic and political views - while I agree with the points the author makes, I felt he was constantly finding new ways to shove it down the reader's throats. I think a more subtle approach would have been more impactful. I also thought the ending was a bit odd and not very realistic, but overall enjoyed the book.
What I didn't like was the use of obtuse language (hagiography, stultifying, ignominy etc.) and the preachiness of socioeconomic and political views - while I agree with the points the author makes, I felt he was constantly finding new ways to shove it down the reader's throats. I think a more subtle approach would have been more impactful. I also thought the ending was a bit odd and not very realistic, but overall enjoyed the book.