A review by jackieeh
Nineteen Seventy-Seven by David Peace
3.0
Jack Whitehead was surprisingly sympathetic. Bob Fraser was surprisingly...not. I have to say, though, the overall favorable reaction I had to Nineteen Seventy Four almost wasn't enough to get me through this book, where the INCREDIBLY graphic violence and ickiness seemed to have even less of a point, if possible.
Still, this book gained points for unreliable narrators (perhaps?) and an ending I didn't see coming.
One interesting thing: In both this and the previous book, narrators will often have dreams/visions/wtfs of things they couldn't possibly have known about or seen yet. When those events occur, it's like an echo in the text. I'm not sure where those are headed, if anywhere.
P.S. It's possible that after reading this book I would have given up on the whole series if I hadn't already checked the third one out of the library to take with my to San Diego as well. So I started it, and what did I find? A subtle change in style and a (so far!) sympathetic and even sane narrator? Fresh life! More on Nineteen Eighty later.
Still, this book gained points for unreliable narrators (perhaps?) and an ending I didn't see coming.
One interesting thing: In both this and the previous book, narrators will often have dreams/visions/wtfs of things they couldn't possibly have known about or seen yet. When those events occur, it's like an echo in the text. I'm not sure where those are headed, if anywhere.
P.S. It's possible that after reading this book I would have given up on the whole series if I hadn't already checked the third one out of the library to take with my to San Diego as well. So I started it, and what did I find? A subtle change in style and a (so far!) sympathetic and even sane narrator? Fresh life! More on Nineteen Eighty later.