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A review by hdbblog
The Grand Dark by Richard Kadrey
3.0
While I did finish The Grand Dark in its entirety, I have to first and foremost agree with all the other reviews out there that say this book is a bit of mess. It felt like Richard Kadrey wanted so badly to fit so many things into this story, that it became tangled. Post-war hedonism, class systems, pervasive drug use, secret government plots, and vivid violence are only a few of the things that are wrapped up in this book. It took me a lot longer than I expected to make it through, because this all makes this a very plodding read.
Now, on to the parts that I did enjoy. First off, I loved the idea of The Grand Dark. Remy's world of puppets and plays, of violence and vice, was a fascinating place to be lost in. Even before Largo's messenger adventures began, I was completely in love with the idea that he and Remy were together. There's something painfully stunning about a couple that holds one another together. These two were both so broken. Their relationship was one that bordered on explosive. Yet, there was something beautiful about the way that they found even a minute amount of happiness in a world that was torn to ribbons by war.
I also appreciated the fact that Kadrey doesn't shy away from the realities of that post-war world. From the Iron Dandies, who are casualties of that war, to the copious drug use that fills the lower class, he shines a light on the gritty parts of Largo's world. As a bike messenger, Largo sees both halves of that post-war haze. The elite, who lost essentially nothing and are untouched. The lower class, who are broken, battered, and addicted. I thought it was a great way to show that duality, because Largo had to be the one to bridge the gap. The whole idea of being a pawn for the government was only the icing on the cake.
So why the lower rating? Mainly the plodding pace, but also that the ending of this book didn't feel at all complete. For how long it took for that ending to finally arrive, I felt so unsatisfied with the way that things wrapped up. Pity, really, but I'm still in the Kadrey fan camp and will await the next book.
Now, on to the parts that I did enjoy. First off, I loved the idea of The Grand Dark. Remy's world of puppets and plays, of violence and vice, was a fascinating place to be lost in. Even before Largo's messenger adventures began, I was completely in love with the idea that he and Remy were together. There's something painfully stunning about a couple that holds one another together. These two were both so broken. Their relationship was one that bordered on explosive. Yet, there was something beautiful about the way that they found even a minute amount of happiness in a world that was torn to ribbons by war.
I also appreciated the fact that Kadrey doesn't shy away from the realities of that post-war world. From the Iron Dandies, who are casualties of that war, to the copious drug use that fills the lower class, he shines a light on the gritty parts of Largo's world. As a bike messenger, Largo sees both halves of that post-war haze. The elite, who lost essentially nothing and are untouched. The lower class, who are broken, battered, and addicted. I thought it was a great way to show that duality, because Largo had to be the one to bridge the gap. The whole idea of being a pawn for the government was only the icing on the cake.
So why the lower rating? Mainly the plodding pace, but also that the ending of this book didn't feel at all complete. For how long it took for that ending to finally arrive, I felt so unsatisfied with the way that things wrapped up. Pity, really, but I'm still in the Kadrey fan camp and will await the next book.