paperrcuts's reviews
536 reviews

Such a good book with a message as well. Moriarty's writing is so good and it's actually unreal how she managed to have kept me on the tracks and curious all the way to the end. But I still guessed who had died and it makes me proud.
And I'm so looking forward to the HBO series.
Five stars and a fitting book for a lazy weekend.

RO: Review up here on my blog

I still want to set the book on fire because people told me it is a masterpiece. It was very much of a disturbing book, I won't deny it. But the characters, the way it's written, the idea, the beginning and the end were awful. Miranda was such a stupid girl that I sometimes wanted to kill her myself. Alright, Fowles, you want to write a book about a girl being kidnapped by a freak. But, for goodness sake, could you please create a character that doesn't look and act like a Nicholas Sparks one? Could you bring more trauma there? More originality? Ferdinand/Caliban (and I loved the Shakespeare refference) was nicely developed and it was indeed an interesting character, but Miranda pretended to be more than just an artist, actually a beautiful art student. I just hated reading her filosophy of life and her obsession with G.P. was the only interesting thing there. Because of G.P., not because of her. Caliban was interesting in the terms of the way a sociopath could be found interesting. I like getting into psychos' mind, but he wasn't the greatest, but still not the worst either. He was somehow inbetween, with his near-mind and cruelty.

One other thing I didn't enjoy was the changing of perspective. I also hate when writers use the diary as a narrative technique. Maybe he could show his talent using the third person and alternating the point of views. I had to read twice the same things and it wasn't that nice because the book was already boring enough.

But all in all I've read books that were way worse than The Collector. Three stars because some parts were original and Fowles really did a good job with portraying Miranda crazier and crazier with each day spent indoors.

So purely astounding. Loved each and every word of it.

So I started reading this book expecting something similar to Milk and Honey, but was I quick to judge. The same let's-press-enter-and-call-it-poetry old thing, but this one managed to tug on my heartstrings; I was 5o pages in and getting bored and then one poem hit me so hard that chills were sent down my spine and the book became a wee better.
This book is not any Emily Dickinson. Sylvia Plath. Byron. Walt Whitman.
It is a so-called-modern-poetry book. Man, I don't even know if it deserves to be called poetry, as it lacks any trace of artistic language. But it makes you feel. Empathise. It strikes you.
And yes
everything looks
like this
and they all
form
basic sentences.
(there are some calligrams too.)
But this book simply is. It doesn't aspire to be the greatest of the greatest. The thoughts of a strong woman tossed on a piece of paper. Relatable. Simple. Powerful. Call this poetry and I will hunt you down, but it was nice; yes, that is the word.

2(.5) stars for those cold chills down my back that have lingered for a while.

The idea is astounding and the whole story is well built and complex. Also death. Best theme out there.
I loved the characters and all in all everything about this book, but something that I cannot precisely put my finger on, was missing. It was boring at times even when the intrigue was at its peak. Tiring to keep reading.
But all things considered, the book was really good and I recommend it. Plot twists and closely considered ahead story unfolding.

I feel bad giving it 4 stars because it is obviously better than most 4 stars books, so perhaps a 4.5. Yes, a 4.5 it is.

First rule of Fight Club: you don't talk about Fight Club.
But.
A breath-taking book. Not extraordinary, but still worth the hype.

Best read so far this year.
Loved each and every aspect of this book.
Magnificent.
And just plain great.