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An Evil Guest (2008)

by Gene Wolfe(Favorite Author)

3.04 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

0765321335 (ISBN13: 9780765321336)

languge

English

genre

Horror

publisher

Tor Books

review 1: A friend of mine recommended Gene Wolfe, so I randomly grabbed this novel from the library. I'm glad I did, because I've spent the last week immersed in an imaginative blend of crime noir, sci-fi, and Lovecraftian fantasy. This book is a wild ride, and I can say without reservation that whatever your expectations are, you'll get something completely different. My only issue with the book is that at times I felt a bit too removed from the action, and I think that kept me from completely immersing in the story. Plus, sometimes the narratives swerves come so completely out of nowhere that it's a bit jarring. I also felt like the first half of the book moves along at a much slower pace than the second. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though. In some ways, it reminds me of ... moreNaked Lunch, where you start out in a relatively normal setting and gradually fall into a rabbit's hole where anything can happen.All in all, it's a fascinating descent. And when it's all over, you realize you weren't falling at all. You were, in fact, rising.
review 2: I don't think I was the target audience for this book--I wanted to like it, I did, but I can honestly say it wasn't for me.Before I talk about why that's so, I will give credit where credit is due--it does have it's moments here or there that were enjoyable. The characters and descriptions are witty, and the dialogue is entertaining--to a degree.It's been mentioned in other reviews, and I'm going to agree: There is so much dialogue in this book it's near overwhelming. The pages are covered in near constant talking and conversations. Dialogue here, dialogue there--it just never ends. So much of it is exposition and explanations, that when the good, fun, intelligent stuff sneaks in, it's forgotten in a sea of "Are they still talking!?"The other half is story related--I spent most of this book wondering if I skipped something, or trying to figure out what I missed. When she hit the islands and the god and goddess and alien stuff started to happen I literally flipped back a few pages and said out loud: "Okay, I missed something." I was confused, to put it simply--I'm still not sure if I know what happened in the book.Character wise, Gideon Chase was probably the only likable one with quirky behavior, witty dialogue, and a determined spirit--but he didn't get much page time. And even he was ruined a little bit by sudden "I love you, Cassie" syndrome. Speaking of Cassie--I don't understand her appeal. I felt she was a little self-centered, and sort of bratty. I know there was some magic/sci-fi thing going on to make her likable to the characters in-book, but it didn't do much for me. Her friends all sort of blurred together after a while, and I still don't have an opinion on the opposite leading male Bill.But, as I said--the dialogue and language of the novel is quite good, and there was a lot of action inbetween the endless chats. If you enjoy that sort of thing, I think you'll like the book.Overall, I think the 2-star vote is accurate: "It was okay."(The book cover is amazing though. Great design.) less

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