Customer Comments

The self reflexivity of this book is amazing. It brings a great argument to the table about the authenticity of writing/novels too--what is an authentic voice and how to find or define it in a novel. I don't think I've ever read a novel that was written in second person, and I really liked how it was done in this book! A great new experience.

I found this book to be so interesting. I liked the way it was written as both a journal of sorts and a narrative. I also liked the scientific/factual approach to the narrative voice; I found that it increased the suspense and the strangeness of the story. I'm really looking forward to reading the next two books in the trilogy!

I really liked this book. It was interesting and compelling; generally easy to read (some of the logistical descriptions could be difficult to follow--translation?). I really liked the story, the construction, and the conclusion. When I first read The Keeper of Lost Causes and went to investigate Jussi Adler Olsen, this was the book of his that I was most interested in reading apart from Dept Q. I was so pleased when I heard it was finally being translated, and so glad I got the chance to read it because I really enjoyed it.

I had a feeling that I would really like this book based on the description, and now I can say that I loved it even more than I thought I might. It's an original and interesting way to construct a story and a family over time, and I am completely taken by it. I really liked the method Smiley uses of making each chapter a year, and I was interested in how this would pan out over the course of the book. Would there be a year I wished lasted longer than a single chapter? Would I feel like I missed something in a character's life/development because we had to "hit the highlights" of the whole year in one chapter? I was so pleased to find that none of this was the case! During reading I was also pleased to find that I didn't feel like the years were rushing by even though 33 years were covered in 400 pages. This method also lends itself to keeping track of dates and (sometimes obscure) details which I love to know in books, so it was definitely perfect for me in that respect. I really liked Smiley's writing too. It felt simple, and easy to read, but it was also expressive and beautiful. I think it was the perfect balance for expressing and constructing this farm family from Iowa. I feel completely connected to each character in this book, and their lives and experiences, and I definitely can't wait to read about the next 70 years!

Brilliant and twisty and wonderful. Definitely one of my top favorite books by Karin Slaughter. Wonderfully crafted; I love how, even over just 400 pages, you don't have to sacrifice character or plot in a Slaughter book. Both elements have depth and detail and suspense which you don't always get from other authors (especially in this genre)

I really enjoyed this book. I felt that the pace was excellent and I felt connected to every character presented to me even if only for a few lines. The book is not long, and there is a fair amount of movement in the plot, so for Lang to be so expressive in her characters is quite impressive to me. I found that the book has a great balance of the reflexivity and ease of contemporary fiction, and the philosophy, depth, and contemplation of works like the Patrick Melrose novels by Edward St Aubyn.

A very fitting ending to the series. It also works great with Outrage and Black Skies. I'm not sure I've ever read a series with such good continuity. I like that I feel the series has been resolved while there are still so many loose ends-- life goes on, as it were. I'd be interested in reading more from Indridason, especially concerning some of the characters left in Reykjavik or the first two novels translated to English. Until then... At lest there's the prequel out next year!

Herman Koch's laid back yet suspenseful prose is so attractive to me as a reader. All of his characters are brilliantly constructed--complex and questionable--which only adds to the depth of the moral and ethical questions his novels pose. While his books are brilliant and exciting to read, I can understand how they might not be for everyone. However, being able to explore them for days and talk about them for hours is, I think, the sign of a truly great book.

Nothing is ever as it seems with Nesbø. It's brilliant. Another fantastic story from him and I'm already ready for more. This book is different from his others; obviously the Harry Hole series is its own animal, but Headhunters and The Son are also both complex thrillers on multiple levels. Blood on Snow is still very Nesbø--it has that sort of unbelievable humor as well as a few good twists and turns--but it is also, in its way, just a short "fun" novel. Something to read in one night and enjoy. A bit less gripping and/or consuming than his other 12, but I'm certainly not complaining. Like I said, its still Nesbø. I thought Neil Smith did a good job with the translation. Don Bartlett is my favorite for Nesbø, but I thought Neil had a good tone that went well with the tone and style of this particular book.