A review by t_yl_r
Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash by Eka Kurniawan

adventurous tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

I went into this novel knowing that assault was the catalyst, but I don’t think tying comedy into it was that effective. There were moments where the book felt hard to enjoy bc of it. And OMG I couldn’t read this on the train/bus bc penis, pecker, or bird was basically on every page😭

The Tarantino-esque scenes like the beat downs and truck racing were entertaining, although “ladies heaving with desire” isn’t how I would personally describe how the women were written in this novel. Truthfully, the only saving grace for the portrayal of these women is that one of them got revenge. 


I found the switching of character perspectives to be a little disorienting at times, especially in the last chapter. It for sure feels like it was written to be vignettes/flashbacks in a film, which makes sense in the context of a Tarantino film, but I don’t think it was as convincing here.

I’d have to read another one of Kurniawan’s novels to get a better grasp on their work, but overall, I don’t think i’d recommend this book to a friend
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