What do you think?
Rate this book
Caged: A Novella
“So this is hell. I'd never have believed it. You remember all we were told about the torture-chambers, the fire and brimstone, the "burning marl." Old wives' tales! There's no need for red-hot pokers. Hell is... other people!” ― Jean-Paul Sartre, No Exit
After a hard days work, Ruth Schwartz pressed for the elevator on the 21st floor of her high rise office building. Inside the elevator stood a middle-aged man, a man she never met before. Over the ensuing drama-filled hours, Ruth Schwartz would get to know that man intimately and for both of them, their lives would never be the same again...
"There are eight million stories in the Naked City. This has been one of them." —The famous closing narration of 1950s TV show, Naked City
After a hard days work, Ruth Schwartz pressed for the elevator on the 21st floor of her high rise office building. Inside the elevator stood a middle-aged man, a man she never met before. Over the ensuing drama-filled hours, Ruth Schwartz would get to know that man intimately and for both of them, their lives would never be the same again...
"There are eight million stories in the Naked City. This has been one of them." —The famous closing narration of 1950s TV show, Naked City
64 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 15, 2014
50 people want to read
About the author
Dermot Davis
16 books50 followersDermot is an Irish writer who splits his time between Ireland and the US. His creative work encompasses varied genres and styles with a special focus on human themes and characters transformed by life experience. He is a Gold Medalist Winner in the 2015 READER'S FAVORITE INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARD, a SOMERSET AWARDS FIRST PLACE WINNER 2013, a First Place Winner in the 2013 USA BEST BOOK AWARDS and a Finalist in the 2013 INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS. As a playwright, Dermot is a recipient of the O.Z. Whitehead Award which was co-sponsored by Irish Pen and the Society of Irish Playwrights
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 18, 2014
Entertaining, Thought Provoking and Deep!
This book reminded me of the movie "The Sixth Sense". You don't know what's happening until the very end. But there's more to this book than just twists and turns, which by the way was done very nicely. You won't see it coming until you reach the very last page.
It attempts to touch the very core of human energy and shows both from a masculine and feminine perspective, how we've continually taken the wrong turns. Ironically it is easy for us to reorient ourselves in the right direction but there is a problem - a very simple problem, what we have to do is so simple that we won't do it. Dermot brings it out wonderfully at the very end.
A quick, fast paced and entertaining read that is thought provoking and deep. In other words a must read, highly recommended. Looking forward to more from Dermot!
This book reminded me of the movie "The Sixth Sense". You don't know what's happening until the very end. But there's more to this book than just twists and turns, which by the way was done very nicely. You won't see it coming until you reach the very last page.
It attempts to touch the very core of human energy and shows both from a masculine and feminine perspective, how we've continually taken the wrong turns. Ironically it is easy for us to reorient ourselves in the right direction but there is a problem - a very simple problem, what we have to do is so simple that we won't do it. Dermot brings it out wonderfully at the very end.
A quick, fast paced and entertaining read that is thought provoking and deep. In other words a must read, highly recommended. Looking forward to more from Dermot!
February 5, 2016
Ruth Judges Joshua is a thought-provoking novella by Dermot Davis that feels like a theater play. Reminiscent of Samuel Beckett, Davis has written an episode in one man's life in which nothing happens, yet the reader is compelled to find out how it ends. --Not an easy accomplishment; from writers less skilled than Davis, literary novellas such as these can drag on. However, Davis shines in dialogue, and in brave choices of characters and themes.
The main character is Oisin Devlin, aka Josh. Despite the novella's title, the name 'Joshua' never appears in the text. Joshua is from the Hebrew name יְהוֹשֻׁעַ (Yehoshu'a) meaning "YAHWEH is salvation". Interestingly, the other principle character is named Ruth, which is derived from the Hebrew word רְעוּת (re'ut) meaning "friend". I enjoy stories where the character names work well with the theme. I have to wonder if it, like Lyle Lovett's album, was meant to be "a pun made up of the names of three books that appear sequentially in the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, and Ruth."--wiki
Incidentally, Ruth comes across as the worse kind of modern 'empowered' woman, which I would like to think is merely the man's interpretation, but suspect there is a bit of truth in it. Josh, on the other hand, appears much too superior. His shine, too, is a facade.
The dominant theme, for me, revolved around individual hunger, especially the kind which can never be quenched. Here, I must be careful not to give anything away because the main perks of the novella are its surprises. If I had to boil the theme down to its essence, I'd use a bit of the quote Davis includes as an introduction: Life is hell when one's needs can only be fulfilled by the interaction/approval of other people. General statements of theme are mere templates. Mine excludes the richness in the novella itself, such as its religious and social explorations--and here is where Davis is his most courageous. My theme statement also fails to hint at the optimism, or tenacity, that rides through to the end.
I wish this were a play, because my criticism all revolves around the descriptive prose and what I consider a huge flaw in logic. I care quite a lot about words and the flow of sentences. The first three sentences made me lose hope that I'd enjoy reading the rest of the novella. I don't know if Davis recruited an editor, but the lack of sentence variety was seriously off-putting. It also forecast a writer's tic that would plague the story to the end. In addition, too many sentences used words repetitively, when a different word would have made the sentence smoother, and more professional. And many sentences need to be rewritten.
Lastly, I was struck at the end by a glaring logic flaw. The flaw springs from my understanding of the real events, and I won't give details that might spoil the story--but the ending makes the situation pretty damn clear. Unless I'm wildly off the mark, I would beg the author to fix the injustice in his ruse by having the POV begin with Josh, in the elevator first...and then Ruth enters. And by all means, turn this into a play.
The main character is Oisin Devlin, aka Josh. Despite the novella's title, the name 'Joshua' never appears in the text. Joshua is from the Hebrew name יְהוֹשֻׁעַ (Yehoshu'a) meaning "YAHWEH is salvation". Interestingly, the other principle character is named Ruth, which is derived from the Hebrew word רְעוּת (re'ut) meaning "friend". I enjoy stories where the character names work well with the theme. I have to wonder if it, like Lyle Lovett's album, was meant to be "a pun made up of the names of three books that appear sequentially in the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, and Ruth."--wiki
Incidentally, Ruth comes across as the worse kind of modern 'empowered' woman, which I would like to think is merely the man's interpretation, but suspect there is a bit of truth in it. Josh, on the other hand, appears much too superior. His shine, too, is a facade.
The dominant theme, for me, revolved around individual hunger, especially the kind which can never be quenched. Here, I must be careful not to give anything away because the main perks of the novella are its surprises. If I had to boil the theme down to its essence, I'd use a bit of the quote Davis includes as an introduction: Life is hell when one's needs can only be fulfilled by the interaction/approval of other people. General statements of theme are mere templates. Mine excludes the richness in the novella itself, such as its religious and social explorations--and here is where Davis is his most courageous. My theme statement also fails to hint at the optimism, or tenacity, that rides through to the end.
I wish this were a play, because my criticism all revolves around the descriptive prose and what I consider a huge flaw in logic. I care quite a lot about words and the flow of sentences. The first three sentences made me lose hope that I'd enjoy reading the rest of the novella. I don't know if Davis recruited an editor, but the lack of sentence variety was seriously off-putting. It also forecast a writer's tic that would plague the story to the end. In addition, too many sentences used words repetitively, when a different word would have made the sentence smoother, and more professional. And many sentences need to be rewritten.
Lastly, I was struck at the end by a glaring logic flaw. The flaw springs from my understanding of the real events, and I won't give details that might spoil the story--but the ending makes the situation pretty damn clear. Unless I'm wildly off the mark, I would beg the author to fix the injustice in his ruse by having the POV begin with Josh, in the elevator first...and then Ruth enters. And by all means, turn this into a play.
January 17, 2015
So different from my usual reading fare that, at first, I wasn't sure what to make of it. This is a novella, taking place in a short span of time and within as confined a space as one can imagine: an elevator! In fact, it would work amazingly well as a stage play.
Ruth Schwartz, a high-flying, blunt-talking, über successful lawyer is also a very attractive woman in her forties. Late one evening, leaving her office in a Chicago skyscraper, she enters an elevator, and a chapter of her life she will never forget. Also going down in the fatal elevator is a kindly, pleasant-looking, middle-aged man whose existence is about to be fundamentally altered. The elevator starts its descent, stutters and stops, trapping its two passengers. The man and the woman could hardly be more different and have nothing in common, yet the enforced confinement inevitably causes them to confide in each other, thereby revealing more of themselves than they could have dreamt possible.
The storyline is propelled mostly through dialogue, although there is a surprising amount of action, borne out of their desperate situation. But it is the roller-coaster of their emotions and their shifting interactions that defines this story. Also the way our perceptions of other people change when some strategic fact is revealed which causes us to rearrange our ideas, much like the view inside a kaleidoscope changes once the pieces are shaken and realigned.
This is not a cosy, comfortable read. The author does not shy away from controversial, even shocking, subjects to lay bare the very essence of two deeply flawed characters. He proposes some heavy stuff: repentance, forgiveness, and redemption. Is it possible for someone who has done something bad to obtain absolution and, harder still, forgive himself or herself? Davis throws out the challenge and invites our reaction.
A fair amount of suspension of belief was necessary to accept the practicalities of the timeline, but I enjoyed being swept along the changing currents of perception, as fresh revelations force us readers to shift our standpoint. Perhaps less comfortable was the moral judgement that is elicited, and even less satisfying was the ending, which is left so unresolved that it could go almost anywhere. In fact, I wondered whether some of the previous events might have been an illusion. Personally, I look for a story to come to an end, but if you like the ambiguity of an undefined conclusion, where your imagination can take over and finish the tale, then you will find this story very satisfying. It makes for a fascinating, breathless read and, once started, you'll never guess where it will take you.
Having read and enjoyed other books by Dermot Davis, I can also heartily recommend, “Brain: The Man Who Wrote The Book That Changed The World”, full of his particular brand of sarcastic humour, and the Frances series, where drama and farce coexist in perfect balance.
Ruth Schwartz, a high-flying, blunt-talking, über successful lawyer is also a very attractive woman in her forties. Late one evening, leaving her office in a Chicago skyscraper, she enters an elevator, and a chapter of her life she will never forget. Also going down in the fatal elevator is a kindly, pleasant-looking, middle-aged man whose existence is about to be fundamentally altered. The elevator starts its descent, stutters and stops, trapping its two passengers. The man and the woman could hardly be more different and have nothing in common, yet the enforced confinement inevitably causes them to confide in each other, thereby revealing more of themselves than they could have dreamt possible.
The storyline is propelled mostly through dialogue, although there is a surprising amount of action, borne out of their desperate situation. But it is the roller-coaster of their emotions and their shifting interactions that defines this story. Also the way our perceptions of other people change when some strategic fact is revealed which causes us to rearrange our ideas, much like the view inside a kaleidoscope changes once the pieces are shaken and realigned.
This is not a cosy, comfortable read. The author does not shy away from controversial, even shocking, subjects to lay bare the very essence of two deeply flawed characters. He proposes some heavy stuff: repentance, forgiveness, and redemption. Is it possible for someone who has done something bad to obtain absolution and, harder still, forgive himself or herself? Davis throws out the challenge and invites our reaction.
A fair amount of suspension of belief was necessary to accept the practicalities of the timeline, but I enjoyed being swept along the changing currents of perception, as fresh revelations force us readers to shift our standpoint. Perhaps less comfortable was the moral judgement that is elicited, and even less satisfying was the ending, which is left so unresolved that it could go almost anywhere. In fact, I wondered whether some of the previous events might have been an illusion. Personally, I look for a story to come to an end, but if you like the ambiguity of an undefined conclusion, where your imagination can take over and finish the tale, then you will find this story very satisfying. It makes for a fascinating, breathless read and, once started, you'll never guess where it will take you.
Having read and enjoyed other books by Dermot Davis, I can also heartily recommend, “Brain: The Man Who Wrote The Book That Changed The World”, full of his particular brand of sarcastic humour, and the Frances series, where drama and farce coexist in perfect balance.
January 3, 2015
This is a tale of two strangers trapped on an elevator for an extended period of time; they have expectations, but do not how long it will last. The woman is a high-strung, apparently successful lawyer. The man seems laid back, and we do not know what his profession is at first. Their personalities clash. As they get to know one another, their relationship changes from hostile to friendly, and then to something else, and then it changes again when critical information about one of the strangers is revealed (spoilers forbidden).
We've all seen this show before as strangers trapped on an island, in a mine, on a sinking ship, elevator, or wherever get to know one another and their relationship evolves for the better or worse. This one is set in a confined space and consists mainly of dialogue and the thoughts of both characters. They talk, try to get help, talk, try to escape, sleep, talk, do other things, and talk more. At first she brags about her accomplishments and he senses her absence from everyday experience. They move on, discussing many different subjects--quality of life, personal relationships, marriage and divorce, religious beliefs, Jewish guilt, sexual performance, rule of law, pedophilia, redemption, Buddhism, togetherness and love, and more. It's an astonishing range of subjects for two strangers waiting for rescue, perhaps wondering if it will ever come.
The book's title consists of names of three religious texts with themes of redemption. Is the tale an allegory of redemption? On the other hand, it may simply be about two people coming to terms with being stuck in a tight spot.
We've all seen this show before as strangers trapped on an island, in a mine, on a sinking ship, elevator, or wherever get to know one another and their relationship evolves for the better or worse. This one is set in a confined space and consists mainly of dialogue and the thoughts of both characters. They talk, try to get help, talk, try to escape, sleep, talk, do other things, and talk more. At first she brags about her accomplishments and he senses her absence from everyday experience. They move on, discussing many different subjects--quality of life, personal relationships, marriage and divorce, religious beliefs, Jewish guilt, sexual performance, rule of law, pedophilia, redemption, Buddhism, togetherness and love, and more. It's an astonishing range of subjects for two strangers waiting for rescue, perhaps wondering if it will ever come.
The book's title consists of names of three religious texts with themes of redemption. Is the tale an allegory of redemption? On the other hand, it may simply be about two people coming to terms with being stuck in a tight spot.
September 8, 2019
There's a certain social contract for riding in elevators, but when you suddenly get stuck that social contract gets heavily modified in Dermot Davis's Ruth Judges Joshua: A Novella.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Leaving the 21st floor of her office building after a long day of work, Ruth's mind is elsewhere as she rides the elevator down. When the elevator suddenly stops, getting stuck, and with no evidence that the emergency call button worked after repeated and frantic presses, Ruth's shared elevator car with a seemingly innocuous middle-aged man that she's not seen before becomes a highly dramatic scene. In their confined state of indeterminate length, Ruth and the man, Josh, slowly begin sharing tidbits about themselves and their lives, getting intimate with one another in a way that could forever change them.
Emotional states are heightened in extreme situations, and this novella is no exception with the highly exaggerated, dramatic responses that comprise this story. The interactions between Ruth and Josh have a moderately entertaining push and pull to their repartee, but there is an emphasis on PUSHing certain information and perspectives upon the other character (and the reader) that breaks the momentum of the story and pulls the reader out of the scene. Through the development of their brief relationship, Ruth and Josh demonstrate that everyone has their own particular baggage or burdens that weigh them down and impacts how they conduct their lives, provoking thought on how we treat those we interact with, whether it's every day or only for the briefest of moments.
Overall, I'd give it a 2.5 out of 5 stars.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Leaving the 21st floor of her office building after a long day of work, Ruth's mind is elsewhere as she rides the elevator down. When the elevator suddenly stops, getting stuck, and with no evidence that the emergency call button worked after repeated and frantic presses, Ruth's shared elevator car with a seemingly innocuous middle-aged man that she's not seen before becomes a highly dramatic scene. In their confined state of indeterminate length, Ruth and the man, Josh, slowly begin sharing tidbits about themselves and their lives, getting intimate with one another in a way that could forever change them.
Emotional states are heightened in extreme situations, and this novella is no exception with the highly exaggerated, dramatic responses that comprise this story. The interactions between Ruth and Josh have a moderately entertaining push and pull to their repartee, but there is an emphasis on PUSHing certain information and perspectives upon the other character (and the reader) that breaks the momentum of the story and pulls the reader out of the scene. Through the development of their brief relationship, Ruth and Josh demonstrate that everyone has their own particular baggage or burdens that weigh them down and impacts how they conduct their lives, provoking thought on how we treat those we interact with, whether it's every day or only for the briefest of moments.
Overall, I'd give it a 2.5 out of 5 stars.
June 20, 2018
I don't really know why I downloaded this back when I got my kindle.
Emotionally-volatile woman gets stuck in a lift with a slightly weird/strange man who can't shut up. Confessions and shenanigans ensue. I have no idea why I read this.
All I feel is: ???????
Emotionally-volatile woman gets stuck in a lift with a slightly weird/strange man who can't shut up. Confessions and shenanigans ensue. I have no idea why I read this.
All I feel is: ???????
May 21, 2016
I should point out right away that this is not the sort of thing I read most of the time, and readers who especially like stories of this variety might have a very different reaction than I did.
My own feelings are mixed. There are some things in this book that work really well, but there were a few issues that kept it from being a homerun for me.
It's a slice of life story about a man and a woman trapped in an elevator together. The isolation forces them to get to know each other, and their personalities are rather extreme. Their relationship builds very rapidly, the tension ramps up, and surprising secrets come to the surface.
The opening 20% was probably the weakest section, and this is mostly because the author is so dependent on dialogue to drive the story. He doesn't get into the characters' heads much at all. We see everything from the perspective of a fly on the wall, and since we have no sense for the inner motivations of the characters, it's very hard to identify with them. This is made more problematic because there's a lot of hostility in that opening section, and without any ability to know the motivations of the players, it becomes grating, like listening to a pointless argument between two people you don't know. I kept asking myself, "why don't they just shut up and try being nice to each other?"
Of course, being nice isn't the stuff that stories are made of--conflict is a good thing in any sort of fiction, generally. But in this case, the lack of context makes it all seem kind of pointless. Eventually as the story progresses things start to make a lot more sense, but in my opinion, it doesn't happen soon enough.
Luckily, the book really turns a corner around the 25% mark. The situation escalates, and we learn a few things about the characters that help us get a better feeling for who they are. There are lots of twists and turns, and I was caught by surprise several times. Overall, the middle of the book is really enjoyable. I would love to say more about it, but it would be very easy to spoil it.
The ending was also a surprise, but I'm not sure how I feel about it. Overall, I came away with a feeling that I would like to know more, and wanting more is probably a good thing. I think it's okay to leave a few things open to reader speculation, especially in shorter stories.
So overall, once you get past the beginning, this is a pretty interesting read. The writing was really good, very smooth. I didn't care for the distant viewpoint, but it was well executed, and the dialogue was effective. I think most fans of literary fiction should consider giving this a look, particularly those who're interested in reading something short and thought provoking.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest non-reciprocal review.
EDIT 5/13/2016
-----------------------------
I initially gave this book a 3. Now on further reflection, I've decide that was probably a little low. The first quarter of this book irritated me. But now I feel like that irritation was probably not such a bad thing. This book actually made me feel something, and so many books don't make you feel anything at all. Also, this story has continued to linger in my memory more than I would've expected, and that usually means the author managed to hit a nerve, which is a major accomplishment. So, I'm upping my score to a 4, and I think that's a more reasonable assessment.
My own feelings are mixed. There are some things in this book that work really well, but there were a few issues that kept it from being a homerun for me.
It's a slice of life story about a man and a woman trapped in an elevator together. The isolation forces them to get to know each other, and their personalities are rather extreme. Their relationship builds very rapidly, the tension ramps up, and surprising secrets come to the surface.
The opening 20% was probably the weakest section, and this is mostly because the author is so dependent on dialogue to drive the story. He doesn't get into the characters' heads much at all. We see everything from the perspective of a fly on the wall, and since we have no sense for the inner motivations of the characters, it's very hard to identify with them. This is made more problematic because there's a lot of hostility in that opening section, and without any ability to know the motivations of the players, it becomes grating, like listening to a pointless argument between two people you don't know. I kept asking myself, "why don't they just shut up and try being nice to each other?"
Of course, being nice isn't the stuff that stories are made of--conflict is a good thing in any sort of fiction, generally. But in this case, the lack of context makes it all seem kind of pointless. Eventually as the story progresses things start to make a lot more sense, but in my opinion, it doesn't happen soon enough.
Luckily, the book really turns a corner around the 25% mark. The situation escalates, and we learn a few things about the characters that help us get a better feeling for who they are. There are lots of twists and turns, and I was caught by surprise several times. Overall, the middle of the book is really enjoyable. I would love to say more about it, but it would be very easy to spoil it.
The ending was also a surprise, but I'm not sure how I feel about it. Overall, I came away with a feeling that I would like to know more, and wanting more is probably a good thing. I think it's okay to leave a few things open to reader speculation, especially in shorter stories.
So overall, once you get past the beginning, this is a pretty interesting read. The writing was really good, very smooth. I didn't care for the distant viewpoint, but it was well executed, and the dialogue was effective. I think most fans of literary fiction should consider giving this a look, particularly those who're interested in reading something short and thought provoking.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest non-reciprocal review.
EDIT 5/13/2016
-----------------------------
I initially gave this book a 3. Now on further reflection, I've decide that was probably a little low. The first quarter of this book irritated me. But now I feel like that irritation was probably not such a bad thing. This book actually made me feel something, and so many books don't make you feel anything at all. Also, this story has continued to linger in my memory more than I would've expected, and that usually means the author managed to hit a nerve, which is a major accomplishment. So, I'm upping my score to a 4, and I think that's a more reasonable assessment.
February 8, 2016
This is a novella with an interesting premise and an implied twist at the end. I tend to like stories with very limited settings, where the outside world can be disregarded for the time being in order to concentrate on what’s of immediate concern.
The novella features just two rather unlikable and stereotypical characters, unless you consider the elevator itself as a third. Their relationship evolves through just about every stage in a short period of time, forced along by their imprisonment. They travel quickly from flirtation through honeymoon, marriage, betrayal, and divorce, figuratively.
Unfortunately, there were quite a few typos, misused words, and punctuation errors which distracted me from becoming immersed in the story. There was also quite a bit of head-hopping (quite a trick when you start out with just two characters!). I had a hard time accepting the implied twist at the end due to the main point-of-view through which most of the story was seen. I would have enjoyed it more had it been a little cleaner (writing-wise).
Still, it’s an interesting snapshot-type story and fans of literary fiction will enjoy it. I found the main characters believable and unique, particularly Ruth, and the situation believable, particularly with the twist at the end (previously I had my doubts). I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this to folks who enjoy redemptive stories.
The novella features just two rather unlikable and stereotypical characters, unless you consider the elevator itself as a third. Their relationship evolves through just about every stage in a short period of time, forced along by their imprisonment. They travel quickly from flirtation through honeymoon, marriage, betrayal, and divorce, figuratively.
Unfortunately, there were quite a few typos, misused words, and punctuation errors which distracted me from becoming immersed in the story. There was also quite a bit of head-hopping (quite a trick when you start out with just two characters!). I had a hard time accepting the implied twist at the end due to the main point-of-view through which most of the story was seen. I would have enjoyed it more had it been a little cleaner (writing-wise).
Still, it’s an interesting snapshot-type story and fans of literary fiction will enjoy it. I found the main characters believable and unique, particularly Ruth, and the situation believable, particularly with the twist at the end (previously I had my doubts). I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this to folks who enjoy redemptive stories.
January 7, 2015
I liked the reference to "Waiting for Godot" in this book. "Waiting for Godot" is a minimalist play with no props, as is "Line." Similarly, this book attempts to build as much as possible out of a very sparse scene--a man and a woman, stuck in an elevator, both very different characters. Strangers at first, they are opposite in character and temperament.
I liked the line, "...what size cranes did they have to use to build these massively tall skyscrapers? Where does human waste go when people flush their toilets? And if everyone flushed at the same time, would that create a tidal wave somewhere?" I have wondered the same thing myself, for skyscrapers.
The book could use a different cover, as it looks like a thriller, but it's not. It a slice of life book, where two characters learn a lot about each other. Maybe a silhouette of a man and a woman talking inside an elevator.
I loved the twist ending. It made me believe even more in the realism.
I liked the line, "...what size cranes did they have to use to build these massively tall skyscrapers? Where does human waste go when people flush their toilets? And if everyone flushed at the same time, would that create a tidal wave somewhere?" I have wondered the same thing myself, for skyscrapers.
The book could use a different cover, as it looks like a thriller, but it's not. It a slice of life book, where two characters learn a lot about each other. Maybe a silhouette of a man and a woman talking inside an elevator.
I loved the twist ending. It made me believe even more in the realism.
March 23, 2016
This story is supposed to be profound and make you think about God etc. It didn't really click for me. The catharsis is weak, the twist didn't strike me that hard. That said, there are references all over that I didn't know about. Joshua judges Ruth is supposed to be some novel that makes you think about redemption, so in that context this homage might be better for readers who understand the meta. A play is also mentioned, that might shed more light on the literary exploration.
I was given a free copy for an honest review.
I was given a free copy for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews