Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Gone-Away World, 17 Nov 2008
I've never read a book with so many genres put into one. It's set in a post apocalyptic setting, where the world is being held together by something known as the Jorgmund Pipe. Within a certain "zone", safety is acquired, whereas outside of this zone, there are all sorts of nasties! Basically, this is where the book begins, I've simplified this to put it into as few words as possible, but the story is actually very well thought through, and the execution, although not perfect, is to a very high standard. The book begins in the middle of the story, and the first half of the book is spent catching up to this point - joining our unnamed teller, and his hero pal Gonzo through some highly humerous situations from childhood and university, to war and pig powered pubs. The second half of the book, ironically enough, tells the second part of the story--carrying on from where the book starts (it really isn't as complicated as it seems).
It is Nick Harkaway's first novel, and quite frankly, it shows due to his tendancy to go off on a tangent. This isn't always a bad thing, but the manner in which he does it makes the story drag out. Often I found myself reading up to 60 pages off-topic which could have started with a description of a persons face--and at least 200 pages of the book could have been taken out for this very reason. It's not always a bad thing to stray from the path to give a deeper understanding, but it needs to be controlled, and there are some places that you needn't got. This is something that experience and time will achieve.
If you can push your way through the mundane parts of the book, then there really is something quite special in between the ramble. It really is quite wonderful, very original, and the start of a very promising new author. There is no defining genre available here--whether you like science fiction, fantasy, mystery, romance, pornography (well, not so much pornography, but everything else is here), there is definitely something here that everyone can enjoy, and it may even open your eyes to new possibilities and new genres that you never knew you'd like. Sorry if I've rambled on, I guess Harkaway did have an influence on me after all.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The importance of the unimportant in the Gone-Away World, 1 Feb 2009
I have to start by saying that this is possibly one of my favourite books of all time. I purchased by random luck this book from an a airport store and still can't comprehend how amazingly fortuitous I was.
Nick Harkaway's debut novel is an intriguing blend of sci-fi, horror, humour, martial arts, and surreal normality. While this can be a little choatic at times, I found it pleasingly hectic and exciting.
Possibly the reason I like it so much is how he constantly blends those styles together. The time and thought put into weaving it all into one coherent story is staggering.
One aspect that captivated me about the novel was the history of the narrator and the tangents presented. While I understand that some people can grow slightly tired of these ramblings through the narrators life and mind, I found them vital to the development of the character and the tone of the novel. Through these escapades into surreal normality you grow to understand and believe in the narrator's life to such an extent that the twist in the plot lets you empathise so much more. Without these little irrelevancies the novel would still stand strong and you could read it without missing the key points. However, they all build up over the progression of the book and without them you would lose the soul of the novel.
As a first novel, the Gone-Away World is a magnificent example of Harkaway's skill as a writer. It is also a taste of brilliant things to come and I will be eagerly awaiting his new works. Hopefully there will be ninjas, but more sincerely I hope he keeps the delightful sense of humour and delight for tangents.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
unbelievably good, 14 Mar 2009
a shockingly good book. Picked it up by accident, began reading it when i'd finished all my other books, and within half an hour I knew I wasn't going anywhere until i'd finished it. It follows no rules, neglects no genres and tackles all its plots with a startlingly modern humour. Funny, fascinating and seriously though-provoking. Please read it.
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