Rated  of 5
by Kim
Still not sure if how I feel about this one!
I'm giving this book a 5/5 because it meets my criteria for a "good book": The characters are interesting & complex; the writing is excellent; the plot kept me (very) involved; and it's one that will stay with me for a long time. As the Bookbrowse page says, all the critics agree this is a "page-turner." I had a very difficult time putting it down.
McCarthy's lack of punctuation and grammatically incorrect syntax were at first challenging, but I think it forced me to pay more attention to the text, thereby really wrapping me up in the plot. It is, however, very violent. People who are squeamish or find no entertainment value in senseless violence will want to give this one a miss. In addition, much of the book is a "monologue" of sorts. This works initially, but I felt it went on a bit long, kind of beating me over the head with McCarthy's message ("OK, OK, I GOT it already!").
Finally, I object to the ending, which positively screams "sequel in the works." I would have liked more subtlety there. Overall, I am recommending it to my friends with the above caveats. |
