What do you think?
Rate this book
Hideous Creatures
An extraordinary, magical odyssey into the dark heart of the New World . . .
Arthur Hallingham is the youngest son of an English earl. He’s on the run from his former life – from a family where painful, half-understood secrets lurk.
Arthur travels on a slave ship to the coast of America. Amidst the teeming squalor and vaulting ambitions of the New World, he encounters Flora, the tough daughter of an outlaw, and Shelo, a native medicine man with mysterious powers who seems to have a plan for him.
The three set off on a journey through the thick forests and along the wide rivers of the lush southern wilderness. As they near their destination, Shelo’s terrible and destructive purpose is gradually revealed.
Hideous Creatures is a rich, beautiful and compelling novel that will appeal to fans of Audrey Niffenegger, Erin Morgenstern and Neil Gaiman, by a young debut author destined for literary stardom.
Arthur Hallingham is the youngest son of an English earl. He’s on the run from his former life – from a family where painful, half-understood secrets lurk.
Arthur travels on a slave ship to the coast of America. Amidst the teeming squalor and vaulting ambitions of the New World, he encounters Flora, the tough daughter of an outlaw, and Shelo, a native medicine man with mysterious powers who seems to have a plan for him.
The three set off on a journey through the thick forests and along the wide rivers of the lush southern wilderness. As they near their destination, Shelo’s terrible and destructive purpose is gradually revealed.
Hideous Creatures is a rich, beautiful and compelling novel that will appeal to fans of Audrey Niffenegger, Erin Morgenstern and Neil Gaiman, by a young debut author destined for literary stardom.
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 13, 2014
16 people are currently reading
388 people want to read
About the author
S.E. Lister
3 books21 followersS. E. Lister grew up in Gloucestershire, and studied Creative Writing at Warwick University.
She has been reading stories since she was old enough to pick up a book, and writing them almost as long. Alongside her creative writing, she has written for various magazines and websites about philosophy and film.
She loves vintage clothes, art-house cinemas and growing her own courgettes.
She has been reading stories since she was old enough to pick up a book, and writing them almost as long. Alongside her creative writing, she has written for various magazines and websites about philosophy and film.
She loves vintage clothes, art-house cinemas and growing her own courgettes.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
June 25, 2014
So my wife got called into hospital to be induced on Friday afternoon. I grabbed the book I was halfway through to take with me, Vernor Vinge's Deepness In The Sky. I quickly finished that, and it was good. Then I picked-up one of my wife's books that she had bought, Mercedes Lackey's Aerie - the fourth in a kids series about dragon riders; that lasted a few hours and it was OK - better than I'd expected, to be fair. Without any more books to hand, I went down to the hospital shops and bought Django Wexler's The Thousand Names and S. E. Lister's Hideous Creatures to keep me going. Much patience is required when a baby has stage fright.
Quick aside: If anyone can find out what the S. E. initials stand for, please let me know because I haven't found out yet and it bugs me.
Of the two new books, I plumped for Hideous Creatures first because the blurb namechecked Gaimen and I thought the cover was lush. The pencil sketch style looks great - if I ever write a book, that's the kind of cover I'd want.
Well, the Gaimen namecheck is misleading. I can see what they're trying for - in terms of content/concept there's some similarities with American Gods - but in terms of style and delivery, Gaiman wouldn't be first to mind. The fine is heavily foreboding, strongly gothic 'fear of the unknown' flavour. It reminded me most of Jamrach's Menagerie. More a Booker nominee than Hugo - that kind of literary ballpark.
It's a story about secrets, revelations, dark journeys and haunting memories. The pacing is spot-on, which is refreshing as stories of this kind often bloat. The non-linear telling is never overdone or confusing. From an analytic standpoint the plotting is superbly balanced and arranged, and the final send-off got the hairs on the back if my neck standing on end beautifully.
But I didn't love it.
There are three main characters to carry the plot - Arthur, is the youngest son of a proud English line, sailing to America to run away from dark secret number one. Shelo is a native American, covered in tattoos, surrounded my dark magics and on a mission to avenge dark secret number two. And Flora is the daughter of a famed outlaw, looking to escape from dark secret number 3.
For me, Shelo and Flora work perfectly - they each carry a powerful sense of foreboding and hope, respectively. The issue for me lay with Arthur - his is a tale of redemption, but it's also the core story that binds the other two. I just didn't like Arthur. Nor did I dislike him. He's weak-willed, fatalistic, takes no responsibility for himself, anyone or anything, has nothing (in his present) that he loves, so nothing feels at stake... I just never invested enough in Arthur's plight to feel swept up in the story.
As a specific complaint, much is made of Arthur's 'odd' body, but never with enough clarity to make it seem worth all the fuss.
There's no denying the skill, artistry and vivid imagination at work here - but without that core character arc to really carry me, I felt more like a critic in a gallery than the rapt audience of a master-storyteller.
After this I read: Mr. Happy
Quick aside: If anyone can find out what the S. E. initials stand for, please let me know because I haven't found out yet and it bugs me.
Of the two new books, I plumped for Hideous Creatures first because the blurb namechecked Gaimen and I thought the cover was lush. The pencil sketch style looks great - if I ever write a book, that's the kind of cover I'd want.
Well, the Gaimen namecheck is misleading. I can see what they're trying for - in terms of content/concept there's some similarities with American Gods - but in terms of style and delivery, Gaiman wouldn't be first to mind. The fine is heavily foreboding, strongly gothic 'fear of the unknown' flavour. It reminded me most of Jamrach's Menagerie. More a Booker nominee than Hugo - that kind of literary ballpark.
It's a story about secrets, revelations, dark journeys and haunting memories. The pacing is spot-on, which is refreshing as stories of this kind often bloat. The non-linear telling is never overdone or confusing. From an analytic standpoint the plotting is superbly balanced and arranged, and the final send-off got the hairs on the back if my neck standing on end beautifully.
But I didn't love it.
There are three main characters to carry the plot - Arthur, is the youngest son of a proud English line, sailing to America to run away from dark secret number one. Shelo is a native American, covered in tattoos, surrounded my dark magics and on a mission to avenge dark secret number two. And Flora is the daughter of a famed outlaw, looking to escape from dark secret number 3.
For me, Shelo and Flora work perfectly - they each carry a powerful sense of foreboding and hope, respectively. The issue for me lay with Arthur - his is a tale of redemption, but it's also the core story that binds the other two. I just didn't like Arthur. Nor did I dislike him. He's weak-willed, fatalistic, takes no responsibility for himself, anyone or anything, has nothing (in his present) that he loves, so nothing feels at stake... I just never invested enough in Arthur's plight to feel swept up in the story.
As a specific complaint, much is made of Arthur's 'odd' body, but never with enough clarity to make it seem worth all the fuss.
There's no denying the skill, artistry and vivid imagination at work here - but without that core character arc to really carry me, I felt more like a critic in a gallery than the rapt audience of a master-storyteller.
After this I read: Mr. Happy
May 9, 2023
The writing in this book is so beautiful but I WAS SO CONFUSED THE ENTIRE TIME. It took me over a month to read even though it’s only 250 pages. I do not recommend it’s so confusing. The word amidst was used over 20 times
April 4, 2018
Along with The Immortals by the same author, the wonderful booksellers at Mr B's Emporium Of Reading Delights recommended this book to my sister and I when we attended a reading spa (highly recommended by the way, if you're ever in Bath, please do it!). Hideous Creatures is actually the author's debut novel but I read the two books out of order as the story-line of The Immortals just appealed to me a bit more. Now that I've gone backwards and read the author's first book second, I can really appreciate both the beauty of her prose and how far she has come as a writer since penning Hideous Creatures. In complete contrast to how I felt about The Immortals sadly, I was not a big fan of this novel. It boasts the author's characteristic, quirky style and obviously beautiful way with language but unfortunately, I felt that was all it had going for it. I couldn't connect with any of their characters and got slightly confused over their back stories. In truth, it was a bit of a slog to get through although I have to mention there are various things to appreciate along the way.
This is a novel about a young male protagonist, wealthy Englishman Arthur Hallingham who flees from his home after learning a terrible secret hidden within his family. He has always chased adventure and longed to see far off lands abroad so manages to secure passage upon a ship and ventures to the American wilderness. It isn't long before he meets up with two other individuals, outsiders like himself and also people who are nursing a secret in their past. They are Shelo, native medicine man who performs a strange service for those who seek him out and Flora, daughter of an outlaw who comes into their group quite suddenly but ends up becoming an integral and very important part of their circle. Hideous Creatures follows their journey as Shelo continues to carry out his peculiar and terrifying rituals and Arthur ruminates on his colourful past in England.
I have to admit, when I started this book I was quite excited. Obviously I've mentioned the exquisite nature of the writing which anybody with a love for the clever way our language can be used will fall head over heels in love with. There is the beginning of Arthur's journey on the ship and when he meets Shelo for the first time which was a fascinating aspect of the story (although a bit difficult to read as it did involve him being placed in an awful house which was used for illegal, brutal abortions). All of this (aside from the horrifying abortion aspect) was enjoyable and intriguing to read and I found myself wanting to know what would happen to Arthur, even if I didn't particularly like him much as a character. Then we meet Shelo and again, I was curious, especially about this ritual he carries out on a nightly basis that leaves his clients screaming but strangely very satisfied! Finally, Flora appears and I did like her immediately as a fiery and independent female protagonist BUT I don't feel the potential with her character was really reached and she just seemed to fade into the background which was a shame.
Generally, as the novel continued, I felt my enthusiasm for it wane even further and it wasn't long before I found all the strange goings-on a little too hard to stomach. Not in the fact it was gruesome at all, but that I just didn't feel I cared enough about any of the characters, their past secrets or what would become of them. I am bitterly disappointed, as I mentioned I loved the author's second book, The Immortals so much but because of the strength of that novel, I would still be so excited to read anything else this author were to write in the future. Funnily enough, I'm still very glad I read this story, even though I didn't end up loving it, it was worth it for the gorgeousness of the words alone.
For my full review and many more, please visit my blog at http://www.bibliobeth.com
This is a novel about a young male protagonist, wealthy Englishman Arthur Hallingham who flees from his home after learning a terrible secret hidden within his family. He has always chased adventure and longed to see far off lands abroad so manages to secure passage upon a ship and ventures to the American wilderness. It isn't long before he meets up with two other individuals, outsiders like himself and also people who are nursing a secret in their past. They are Shelo, native medicine man who performs a strange service for those who seek him out and Flora, daughter of an outlaw who comes into their group quite suddenly but ends up becoming an integral and very important part of their circle. Hideous Creatures follows their journey as Shelo continues to carry out his peculiar and terrifying rituals and Arthur ruminates on his colourful past in England.
I have to admit, when I started this book I was quite excited. Obviously I've mentioned the exquisite nature of the writing which anybody with a love for the clever way our language can be used will fall head over heels in love with. There is the beginning of Arthur's journey on the ship and when he meets Shelo for the first time which was a fascinating aspect of the story (although a bit difficult to read as it did involve him being placed in an awful house which was used for illegal, brutal abortions). All of this (aside from the horrifying abortion aspect) was enjoyable and intriguing to read and I found myself wanting to know what would happen to Arthur, even if I didn't particularly like him much as a character. Then we meet Shelo and again, I was curious, especially about this ritual he carries out on a nightly basis that leaves his clients screaming but strangely very satisfied! Finally, Flora appears and I did like her immediately as a fiery and independent female protagonist BUT I don't feel the potential with her character was really reached and she just seemed to fade into the background which was a shame.
Generally, as the novel continued, I felt my enthusiasm for it wane even further and it wasn't long before I found all the strange goings-on a little too hard to stomach. Not in the fact it was gruesome at all, but that I just didn't feel I cared enough about any of the characters, their past secrets or what would become of them. I am bitterly disappointed, as I mentioned I loved the author's second book, The Immortals so much but because of the strength of that novel, I would still be so excited to read anything else this author were to write in the future. Funnily enough, I'm still very glad I read this story, even though I didn't end up loving it, it was worth it for the gorgeousness of the words alone.
For my full review and many more, please visit my blog at http://www.bibliobeth.com
November 28, 2014
It was a struggle to finish this, in fact I tried to return it to Amazon but unfortunately I'd owned it for too long. Last time that happened I was unable to finish the appalling book, but this one was OK enough that I got to the end.
For starters, the book has a weird timeline - it starts in the present, but keeps diverting to tell the middle of the story - Arthur's travel across the sea to America, and his first dealings with Shelo. Then, two thirds of the way through it skips all the way back to the beginning to talk about why Arthur left England.
This is confusing, as the start of the novel isn't written particularly clearly. Seriously, I actually had to check to see if I was accidentally reading a sequel to something. I wasn't even sure where we were - yes the back of the book says it's set in colonial america but there are references to Africa sprinkled into the narrative, and it's unclear as to the location to start with.
So, the timeline didn't work for me.
None of the characters were likable, and to me they didn't even feel real. I know that every character is meant to be some kind of anti-hero, but it's a trial to read a book where you don't relate to any of the characters.
There were a few good moments, I particularly enjoyed the scenes at the governors house, but these were soon over and not really mentioned again. That whole idea of the moths was seemingly forgotten after the big storm.
The section that was clearest and therefore most enjoyable was Arthur's past in England, and Aria's story of Shelo's past. The 'present' was confused and hard to follow.
Overall, not really what I expect from a professionally published book. It felt like it needed a good edit and a lot of work to make the prose clear and sharp.
Some imaginative ideas though, that really worked well in terms of magical realism.
For starters, the book has a weird timeline - it starts in the present, but keeps diverting to tell the middle of the story - Arthur's travel across the sea to America, and his first dealings with Shelo. Then, two thirds of the way through it skips all the way back to the beginning to talk about why Arthur left England.
This is confusing, as the start of the novel isn't written particularly clearly. Seriously, I actually had to check to see if I was accidentally reading a sequel to something. I wasn't even sure where we were - yes the back of the book says it's set in colonial america but there are references to Africa sprinkled into the narrative, and it's unclear as to the location to start with.
So, the timeline didn't work for me.
None of the characters were likable, and to me they didn't even feel real. I know that every character is meant to be some kind of anti-hero, but it's a trial to read a book where you don't relate to any of the characters.
There were a few good moments, I particularly enjoyed the scenes at the governors house, but these were soon over and not really mentioned again. That whole idea of the moths was seemingly forgotten after the big storm.
The section that was clearest and therefore most enjoyable was Arthur's past in England, and Aria's story of Shelo's past. The 'present' was confused and hard to follow.
Overall, not really what I expect from a professionally published book. It felt like it needed a good edit and a lot of work to make the prose clear and sharp.
Some imaginative ideas though, that really worked well in terms of magical realism.
May 18, 2014
Just finished reading this and boy can this girl write! Absolutely gripped from start to finish. Brilliant use of storytelling and building intrigue so you're bursting to find out how it all connects up at the end... This novel is full of rich description and the author does an excellent job of creating an atmospheric and haunting narrative that the reader quickly becomes immersed in. Although the chapters aren't in chronological order, I didn't find this jarring as it created layers of mystery and intrigue, offering questions that the reader is hungry to have answered. A masterpiece from a young debut author - I thoroughly enjoyed it and am already looking forward to the publishing of her second novel, The Immortals.
August 9, 2016
This was book #15 of my #20booksofsummer paperback challenge
Drawn in by the beautiful cover, and quirky blurb this was one of those books that I had high hopes for but it fell somewhat flat for me and I'm not sure why! Maybe it wasn't a book to read on a sunny day as it was quite a dark book, so maybe if i read it again on a dark winters day I may get a different feel to it!
It was an odd and quirky journey for the characters and it did take some getting used to and you often find yourself wondering just what Arthur Hallingham was running from and who the mysterious Shelo was who was helping him along his way. Set in a very gothic world, the descriptions of the settings were wonderfully dark and fascinating
It definitely picked up towards the end as you get to understand more of the style of writing and the characters so I'm hoping to read it again sometime soon and it will all click into place for me!
Drawn in by the beautiful cover, and quirky blurb this was one of those books that I had high hopes for but it fell somewhat flat for me and I'm not sure why! Maybe it wasn't a book to read on a sunny day as it was quite a dark book, so maybe if i read it again on a dark winters day I may get a different feel to it!
It was an odd and quirky journey for the characters and it did take some getting used to and you often find yourself wondering just what Arthur Hallingham was running from and who the mysterious Shelo was who was helping him along his way. Set in a very gothic world, the descriptions of the settings were wonderfully dark and fascinating
It definitely picked up towards the end as you get to understand more of the style of writing and the characters so I'm hoping to read it again sometime soon and it will all click into place for me!
September 22, 2014
not sure what I just read! I read it all the way through in a few days, grudgingly putting it down when I had to, eager to carry on, but I don't honestly know if I liked or enjoyed it!
Arthur, different or deformed in some undescribed way, yet alluded to constantly, is the main character. The dark Victorian gothic sense of foreboding is well written, but I'm not actually certain of what happens when, or even if what I think happened, did!
Anyway, see for yourself, and make your mind up. Loved the cover!
Arthur, different or deformed in some undescribed way, yet alluded to constantly, is the main character. The dark Victorian gothic sense of foreboding is well written, but I'm not actually certain of what happens when, or even if what I think happened, did!
Anyway, see for yourself, and make your mind up. Loved the cover!
December 26, 2015
From my reading spa. The youngest son of a lord runs off to America, via Africa, working his passage on a slave ship. He feels he was drawn there by a native American medicine man. Opens at the climax then mixes up the aftermath and events leading to that point. An enjoyable read, but I didn't love it in the same visceral way I have most of the reading spa books.
June 6, 2015
Abandoned at 38%. I didn't care for any of the main characters and found the writing turgid. It was a page by page slog which isn't helpful when the time frames are being juggled about. It's a device I generally like, but there needs to be momentum in the storytelling to keep me on track. A shame - all the right elements were there.
March 12, 2023
2.5*
It could have been so much more but the way it was written made it so confusing mostly with the timeline. We jumped from the present to the past to more into the past and then back to either the present or the middle part of the timeline.
It could have been so much more but the way it was written made it so confusing mostly with the timeline. We jumped from the present to the past to more into the past and then back to either the present or the middle part of the timeline.
January 17, 2015
Strange, dark, yet utterly mesmerising.
June 17, 2021
the writing itself was good in its descriptions, but the story lacked plot or any character.
May 30, 2021
The only reason this book has 1 star is Flora and the last two chapters that kind of, almost pulled the story into something that was more or less interesting and likable (esp. Aruthur's sister and the preacher son).
When I read the blurb I was really interested in what would happen but the story was entirely different to what I had imagined. I don't mind if that happens, but in this case, it was also accompanied with a severe case of disliking almost all characters. Espially Arthur (who I am still not sure if he was just super tall, pall and gangly and had internlized "you are the reason for all our sadness" to such a degree that he could not perceive himself any other way or was actually ill in some sense) and Shelo.
I only finished the book becuase I just had to know what had made Arthur flee to the New World (I should have guessed) and to see where else this story is going, but I did not enjoy much of those 250 pages.
When I read the blurb I was really interested in what would happen but the story was entirely different to what I had imagined. I don't mind if that happens, but in this case, it was also accompanied with a severe case of disliking almost all characters. Espially Arthur (who I am still not sure if he was just super tall, pall and gangly and had internlized "you are the reason for all our sadness" to such a degree that he could not perceive himself any other way or was actually ill in some sense) and Shelo.
I only finished the book becuase I just had to know what had made Arthur flee to the New World (I should have guessed) and to see where else this story is going, but I did not enjoy much of those 250 pages.
December 23, 2017
Mmm, not sure about this one - 2.5 stars really. I'm very glad I read The Immortals - her second book - first as I absolutely loved that one and gave it five stars and think it was probably my best read of 2017. But this one was not of that calibre alas. To begin with it felt like she was throwing every adjective she knew into it and the characters were odd and frankly annoying after a while. I persevered however and towards the end I began to see a hint of what the next book had been and it certainly improved at the very end when all was resolved. So if anyone has read it and isn't keen to continue with her books I would say do give the next one a go as it is so much better!
January 9, 2021
A fantastic read. A mysterious, historic and darkly supernatural tale, the sort of book I feel should be read by candlelight.
I absolutely adore Lister's prose; it seems every word has been chosen so carefully, not a breath wasted, they create such a deep world with fantastic descriptions.
The chronology was somewhat confusing at first, there is little to indicate that you've moved on the time line. Yet I soon picked it up as Lister's world built up around me, and by the end it all ties so brilliantly together!
I absolutely adore Lister's prose; it seems every word has been chosen so carefully, not a breath wasted, they create such a deep world with fantastic descriptions.
The chronology was somewhat confusing at first, there is little to indicate that you've moved on the time line. Yet I soon picked it up as Lister's world built up around me, and by the end it all ties so brilliantly together!
June 17, 2018
After reading the first chapter then starting the second which didn't seem to have any correlation with the first I thought I'm not sure I'm going to like this, but I stuck with it and got used to the jumping back and forwards of plot line and so glad I did because it turned out to be a corker. Beautifully written full of interesting characters and surprises and deserves the 5 stars I've given it. I think I'm going to have to look up other books by this author.
July 25, 2018
An unusual tale. Generally good plot although I can't be entirely sure I understood entirely what was going on!
December 24, 2019
Narrative confusing. Threads I wanted to bind together got dropped.
September 11, 2014
I was engaged early on - the tone of magical realism drew me forward, but not all the way. The writing was too dense, no light and shade, no pause for breath. There were too many lengthy passages of undergrowth and chase, and the chase by cardboard cut-out baddies was dull and did nothing to amplify the theme. The chase itself stutters along, at times a tortuous escape and at others thwarted by the turn of a page. The bad guys lose the trail, but ordinary people can find the trio whenever they wish to. Edward too, is an awkward read - a seemingly prescient child, an angry young man fiercely protective of family reputation, and yet when the big secret is revealed to him, he hollers like the town-crier. The single most annoying thing and this may well have lost the book two stars no matter how strong the narrative and writing, was the naming of the character Shelo - my brain stopped me in my reading tracks every time - is it Shell-Oh or Sheee-loh? No matter which I decided it was, my brain wanted a debate! In the end, all the build up of dark intent, all the power of the landscape, all the angst of one main protagonist and the omnipotence of the other, all the symbolism and metaphor, failed to deliver a satisfactory conclusion. It was a bit of a 'Lost' ending - too schmaltzy and pat, with questions left unanswered that were not fulfilled by the joy of a hanging ambiguous question or two, but did leave me with a sense of the author having lost their way in the jungle of prose.
September 9, 2014
Hideous Creatures is mainly set in colonial North America. For me, the setting had a very dark tint to it, so it felt like most of the book was set at nighttime even though many scenes do take place during the day. Nevertheless, S. E. Lister describes a beautiful and enchanting forest setting near the end that stuck with me.
Arthur Hallingham, the main character, is described as a young gentleman with a strange body. Having read the book, I still don’t know what’s wrong with his body exactly and why it is that people shun him. I also wasn’t able to connect with Arthur. Shelo, the native medicine man, on the other hand, is a guy I like. He is mysterious and he too has an odd body but in a very different way. Many people draw back in fear when they see Shelo, while others seek him out for help.
With Hideous Creatures, S. E. Lister wrote a book that reads like an original 19th century Gothic novel. It took quite some time to get used to the writing style and to find into the story, but when I did, the unusual plot gripped me. Hideous Creatures is a novel for fans of 19th century Gothic novels and those who like to read something different once in a while.
Arthur Hallingham, the main character, is described as a young gentleman with a strange body. Having read the book, I still don’t know what’s wrong with his body exactly and why it is that people shun him. I also wasn’t able to connect with Arthur. Shelo, the native medicine man, on the other hand, is a guy I like. He is mysterious and he too has an odd body but in a very different way. Many people draw back in fear when they see Shelo, while others seek him out for help.
With Hideous Creatures, S. E. Lister wrote a book that reads like an original 19th century Gothic novel. It took quite some time to get used to the writing style and to find into the story, but when I did, the unusual plot gripped me. Hideous Creatures is a novel for fans of 19th century Gothic novels and those who like to read something different once in a while.
October 28, 2016
I don't remember now why I bought this book in particular, it was probably on a Kindle Daily Deal or similar. With no expectations to speak of, I was pleasantly surprised. The story is a bit creepy but not scary as such, which is a good thing as I'm a big wimp when it comes to scary! Also very atmospheric without being overblown which is a tricky balance to find. I liked all the secrets everyone had and how they were slowly peeled back as the story delved deeper into the lives of all the players.
My only real criticism was the timeline jumping around, particularly early in the story I occasionally found myself a bit lost as to when events were taking place in relation to the whole. That mostly got better as the book went on, but it was frustrating at the start.
I'll definitely be reading some more of Lister's work after this intriguing introduction.
My only real criticism was the timeline jumping around, particularly early in the story I occasionally found myself a bit lost as to when events were taking place in relation to the whole. That mostly got better as the book went on, but it was frustrating at the start.
I'll definitely be reading some more of Lister's work after this intriguing introduction.
August 17, 2014
The writing style is beautiful, and I especially liked the non-linear narrative. However, I'm not the biggest fan of Arthur (the main character). It seems to me that all the side characters have a better potential at being the main character. If you have read the Perfume, you might recall that the main character there gets ignored or is forgotten very easily because he didn't smell and therefore wasn't perceived by others. That could easily be Arthur, but without the keen sense of smell or purpose to make him special.
Nonetheless, the book is well worth a read! I easily would have given 5 stars if it hadn't been for Arthur to be the main character.
Nonetheless, the book is well worth a read! I easily would have given 5 stars if it hadn't been for Arthur to be the main character.
September 12, 2014
Maybe even a 2.5 for me . Something abt it is just slightly off for me while I read it and to top it off, the whole thing leaves an unpleasant aftertaste . Might like historical fiction by this author with an anti-hero or unfriendly territory as a main character . . .
May 10, 2015
Bit of a funny one. Some good, some bad. Review here: http://theselittlewords.com/2015/05/0...
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews