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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absolutely stunning., 8 Sep 2005
I'm not naturally a person that leaps easily to high praise or acclaim of a work of art, unless it is something special.And this is more than that. This is in my mind one of the most understated and important novels of the last 15 years. I also hate the usual cliches reviewers use when discussing a great book; "unputdownable" and " a real page turner" spring to mind. Yet this is a book where these cliches totally apply. As others have said, I lost sleep and missed a whole day of college to read this book. It was simply that fantastic, and I've never before or since been so entralled and captivated by a book. Stark is a fantastic character and MMS is a master of the first person narrative. This book is also intensely funny, (you will laugh out loud), violent, beautiful, revalational, upsetting, and truely horrific. The ideas presented are phenomenal - mind boggolingly brilliant. To describe this as Sci-fi is completely missing the point. The book is a hybrid of genres carefully woven into one another, encompassing, to name a few, elements of the Gothic, fantastical, satiric and horror traditions. The writing is superb. Any criticism of clumsiness is misfounded. If it is ever clumsy, it is intentional to portraying Stark's human character. Re-read this and you will realise the writing is carefully crafted and beautifully sublime. Plus, all the appliances talk! In one of the early chapters an elevator is said to be being treated by a "SWAT team of hydrolic psychotherapists" for "insinuating damaging things about the sexual proclivities of the building's interior designers..."!! Absolute genius. All I have to say is read this book. It will honestly immerse and affect you like no book has before!
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24 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Just gets better and better. And better. And better..., 22 May 2001
By A Customer
I discovered Michael Marshall Smith a few years back and i have been singing his praise from the first few pages of this book. The reason i'm writing this review is to tell you that this book endures the test of time. I have trouble re-reading books, generally because i remember the plot so vividly. But this book has been read again, and again and again. Don't get me wrong, i'm not saying that the plot is easily forgotten, far from it, the plot is original and genuinely enthralling. It's just that i tend to get so lost in the rich narrative and the poignant moments that i simply do not care that i know what is about to happen. Rarely has a book moved me to tears, made me laugh and made me think, all in the same sentence.The main character, Stark, is a wonder of creation. For once, here is a hero we can believe, a man with faults and a past, a man who will admit that he is not perfect, but has this amazing quality about him: you actually want to meet him! Smith has done such a great job of creating his characters that you honestly can associate with Stark and all the other gritty, realistic and beautiful little freaks that haunt his world. If you need your sleep, DO NOT GET THIS BOOK. Because i assure you, if you start the book, you will not put it down and if you have to put it down you'll be thinking of ways to get back to it. It really is just that good. I'd like to go into the plot in more depth but unfortunately it would be unfair. Too much to give away, too many secrets that i'm sure Stark would rather tell you yourself. Buy the book, get to know Stark and have fun. Then read it a second time and fall in love all over again. And if you're wondering, yes the other books are just as good. Michael Marshall Smith is one of the best authors we have today. A gifted, imaginative and above all, entertaining writer who will surely bring mush happiness and many sleepless nights to many more people. All i can say is, roll on 'Straw Men'!!
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15 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A freind to read and re-read., 23 Aug 2002
Michael Marshall Smith is a British author to treasure; a unique writer who combines humour with science fiction and - in this novel - pure adventure. Comparisons with other authors are both trite and unecessary; no-one writes like Smith who started his creative career at Cambridge footlights, then writing for magazines and writing short stories before embarking on this incredible book. A story that draws you in and in turn provides humour, adventure, violence, love and freindship, dreams, zany futuristic talking machines (which leads back to humour) and cats. Cats are an important part of Smith's life and the sharply portrayed cat, Spangle, in this novel is the cat he wishes he had when he wrote the book. The book bristles with imaginitive ideas about a future where the country is divided up into neighbourhoods where you go to live the lifestyle you want. A neighbourhood where no sound is allowed apart from one part of the day when everyone can scream their heads off; one where everyone is very busy and has to spend all their energy getting-things-done; one where violence reigns; one where colours are wild, vivid and the environment changes to reflect mood and clothing; one that is for cats. It's a world that demands to be revisited. Once is not enough for this book. Do you yourself a favour, read this incredible adventure.
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