A review by joosty
The Body Library by Jeff Noon
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
John Niquist, a P.I., is our protagonist, but this is not a real detective story (although it features two murders). It's not so much about who did the murders, but about a much bigger mystery.
The weird setting of this book (the city of Storyville where everything is framed as a story) contributes in a big part to what makes this book interesting.
Someboy more literary-minded may get a bit more out of the reflections on fiction vs. non-fiction, the narrative of our lives, or the relation between an author and his stories, but I didn't feel that the book was about these things primarily. To me these seemed more like narrative hooks that interact with, but don't define, the solving of the mystery.
If you liked A Man of Shadows, you'll be fine with this.
The weird setting of this book (the city of Storyville where everything is framed as a story) contributes in a big part to what makes this book interesting.
Someboy more literary-minded may get a bit more out of the reflections on fiction vs. non-fiction, the narrative of our lives, or the relation between an author and his stories, but I didn't feel that the book was about these things primarily. To me these seemed more like narrative hooks that interact with, but don't define, the solving of the mystery.
If you liked A Man of Shadows, you'll be fine with this.