A review by third_bookworm
City of Saints and Madmen by Jeff VanderMeer

mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I found this book really frustrating when I read it expecting it to have a plot or particular main characters. I enjoyed it a lot more when I approached it through the lense of an experiment in worldbuilding, where information can only be conveyed through in-world pieces of writing. It's an exercise for the reader in piecing together information about the world from various assorted stories, some of which are fiction and some of which are not, and some of which are of unclear veracity. It's challenging and interesting to read, and an impressive display of technical authorial accumen.