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

4.0

Tough to review. A 5 star book in many ways. 5 stars of vision, creativity, novelty, world building, and breadth of ideas and styles explored. However the book was a plodding reading experience at times. Including a section with a hundred plus footnotes and a lengthy glossary. One of those books that is better upon reflection post completion than it was during reading (but only applicable to some of the short stories contained within, some provided a brilliant reading experience during and after completion). And it is required to read through some of these slower portions as even though the shoe stories are stand alone they all enhance the world building and lend extra depth to previously read stories. And while this is fascinating and an achievement the odd and staccato pacing certainly requires patience and it took me a while to get through some sections of this book. Which is ultimately what's knocked it down a point in my review.