I have to be honest: I don't understand the hype for this book. Everybody else loves it, they say it is the best crime novel you will read this year, this decade - but I just don't agree.
Don't get me wrong - I liked it! It was a good read with well fleshed out characters and a very interesting setting which was extremely evocative. The plotting was good too.
There was a quote on this book which referred to this not as a crime book but a book about a crime and this is exactly what I would say. I would also say this was why I was not as gripped by this book as others have been.
I was hoping to read a crime novel where this was a book about a crime. What difference does this make? The pacing. It is not focused on solving the crime more seeing the after effects of the crime (while also solving the crime at the same time). I think my other issue is the amount of hype - not the book's fault - but that often has an impact as you expect so much!
Don't get me wrong - I liked it! It was a good read with well fleshed out characters and a very interesting setting which was extremely evocative. The plotting was good too.
There was a quote on this book which referred to this not as a crime book but a book about a crime and this is exactly what I would say. I would also say this was why I was not as gripped by this book as others have been.
I was hoping to read a crime novel where this was a book about a crime. What difference does this make? The pacing. It is not focused on solving the crime more seeing the after effects of the crime (while also solving the crime at the same time). I think my other issue is the amount of hype - not the book's fault - but that often has an impact as you expect so much!