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A review by laytongraph
Cari Mora by Thomas Harris
2.0
I simply do not understand the polarizing reviews for this book. I really liked it, even though I have enjoyed some of Harris’s other work better. I’m better at lists than full-fledged reviews so here is a list of some of the things that I love about this book (as well as my few qualms):
1. This book is, on the surface, a crime/thriller novel, yet the true heart of this book is the city of Miami, richly detailed and described by Harris throughout. Much like the object of conflict, I could almost feel the golden rays of sunshine and the heat of the Miami sun. This is Harris’s love letter to the city he has resided in for many years now, and his love shows on every page.
2. The soul of the book, and a noticeable concern of the author, is the plight of illegal immigrants in the United States. Cari’s story, slowly revealed, is heartbreaking and the best part of the book, and made me sympathize for her even more.
3. The writing style. Harris’s recognizable short, yet incredibly atmospheric prose is on full display throughout the book. At times I felt his prose style was a bit clunky, with short simple sentences and repetition of certain words, but I think Harris was aiming to make the book move at a quick, almost cinematic pace. This book was written almost like an Ellroyvian crime novel, with short bursts of dialogue and action, and I think it works for the most part.
4. Character development was a bit of a mess. While the titular main character and the main antagonist are relatively well fleshed out, the development of many of the secondary characters is missing, making it difficult to relate or care for them.
5. Hans-Peter Schneider is a meh villain. Sex-traffickers are absolutely terrifying to me, but Hans-Peter sometimes comes off as a goofy character, a villain almost Disney-movie bad. He resembles Hannibal in some aspects, yet Hannibal is far more intriguing. I wish Hans-Peter was more interesting, and that Harris had approached the villain in this book differently than he has multiple villains before.
Did I love Cari Mora? Somewhat. The plot was interesting, and I couldn’t put the book down for many reasons, none of which I want to spoil here. There are problems with it, but I am so happy that it was published and would love to read more about Cari, just preferably not have to wait 13 years for a sequel.
3 golden stars.
(My original rating was 3.5 rounded to 4 but I believe it really deserves 3.)
EDIT:
I have now lowered my rating yet again. I cannot shake the feeling that this book could have been so much more than it ultimately was. The greatest disappointment I have felt towards a book in recent memory.
2 stars.
1. This book is, on the surface, a crime/thriller novel, yet the true heart of this book is the city of Miami, richly detailed and described by Harris throughout. Much like the object of conflict, I could almost feel the golden rays of sunshine and the heat of the Miami sun. This is Harris’s love letter to the city he has resided in for many years now, and his love shows on every page.
2. The soul of the book, and a noticeable concern of the author, is the plight of illegal immigrants in the United States. Cari’s story, slowly revealed, is heartbreaking and the best part of the book, and made me sympathize for her even more.
3. The writing style. Harris’s recognizable short, yet incredibly atmospheric prose is on full display throughout the book. At times I felt his prose style was a bit clunky, with short simple sentences and repetition of certain words, but I think Harris was aiming to make the book move at a quick, almost cinematic pace. This book was written almost like an Ellroyvian crime novel, with short bursts of dialogue and action, and I think it works for the most part.
4. Character development was a bit of a mess. While the titular main character and the main antagonist are relatively well fleshed out, the development of many of the secondary characters is missing, making it difficult to relate or care for them.
5. Hans-Peter Schneider is a meh villain. Sex-traffickers are absolutely terrifying to me, but Hans-Peter sometimes comes off as a goofy character, a villain almost Disney-movie bad. He resembles Hannibal in some aspects, yet Hannibal is far more intriguing. I wish Hans-Peter was more interesting, and that Harris had approached the villain in this book differently than he has multiple villains before.
Did I love Cari Mora? Somewhat. The plot was interesting, and I couldn’t put the book down for many reasons, none of which I want to spoil here. There are problems with it, but I am so happy that it was published and would love to read more about Cari, just preferably not have to wait 13 years for a sequel.
3 golden stars.
(My original rating was 3.5 rounded to 4 but I believe it really deserves 3.)
EDIT:
I have now lowered my rating yet again. I cannot shake the feeling that this book could have been so much more than it ultimately was. The greatest disappointment I have felt towards a book in recent memory.
2 stars.