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juushikaTitle: The Somnambulist
Author: Jonathan Barnes
Published: New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2007
Rating: 2 of 5
Page Count: 353
Total Page Count: 51,242
Text Number: 147
Read For: personal enjoyment, checked out from the library
Short review: In Victorian London, aging magician and detective Edward Moon, accompanied by his assistant, a giant known only as the Somnambulist, are called in to investigate the most bizarre of murders. As Moon's investigation continues, he uncovers a plot against the state—a plot which, after long preparation and much waiting, is now only days from being put into action. The Somnambulist is set in a world not quite like our own, colored by steampunk and fantasy and populated by a cast of bizarre, slightly inhuman characters. Although it has a decisive conclusion, the plot often feels as confused as the setting. Barnes waits too long before he decides what he wants The Somnambulist to be, and with its busy and unfocused confusion and abrupt and strange conclusion, the novel fails its potential and remains entirely mediocre. Not recommended.
The premise of The Somnambulist is particularly intriguing, largely because of its mystery. The little differences that separate the setting from our world, the inhuman traits and perceptions of some characters, the shrouded unknown of the plot: all of these aspects are perceived through a mist, intriguing the reader and urging him to delve into it that he may discover more. The book's failing is that for too long this mist is impenetrable, and when it finally parts what it reveals is downright bizarre. As Moon begins to suspect an underlying sinister plot against the state, the narrator compares his perception to a microscopic view of one strand of a spiderweb: he can see the details of his the fragment he sees, but cannot perceive the shape of the whole. So it is for the reader for the majority of the book, and this narrow view makes the events of the plot seem random and give the reader nothing identify and care about. To avoid spoiling the plot, I obviously can't talk about the final reveal, but without a shroud of mystery, the plot is just plain strange: a combination of random factors, some literary, some steampunk, some fantasy, some religious, the ending is bizarre to an extreme. It's not the sort of stangeness that broadens the reader's mind, but rather the sort that makes the reader wonder where Barnes got these ideas and why he decided to combine them in one story. The plot does have a decisive, even action-packed conclusion, but it is so strange that it's hard to appreciate.
On the whole, due to decent writing and the ongoing mystery, the book is readable. Barnes's prose is likewise quite strange, filled with dry humor and delivered by a narrator that often speaks directly to the reader (and by breaking the fourth wall, destroys any attempt to suspend disbelief). However, the omniscient narrator drops hints about the slowly developing mystery, keeping the reader looking ahead to the next potential development. But even if the book is readable, it is not good. Aside from the flawed mystery and the bizarre plot are a dozen other weaknesses: The narrator's identity is a contrived and unconvincing plot twist. By dancing on the edges of steampunk and fantasy without embracing either, the steampunk influences appear amateur and the fantastic elements are unbelievable. The most promising characters disappear, the main characters are unlikable, and the titular character remains an unexplored sideplot. And so forth—the book is littered with faults.
When I put down this book I was wondering why I ever picked it up in the first place. The premise is certainly intriguing, but it is the best that the book has to offer. Barnes's hovers on the edge of an interesting book, setting up the atmosphere and characters to support it, but hovers for too long and then only at the last moment delves into the strangest of novels. Don't let the concept of this book or its constant hints towards greatness pull you in, because the result is disappointing. The book is readable, but by the end it becomes a frustrating practice in mediocrity and unfulfilled potential. I would love to see a better novel built upon this same premise, but I do not recommend The Somnambulist.
Review posted here at Amazon.com.
Author: Jonathan Barnes
Published: New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2007
Rating: 2 of 5
Page Count: 353
Total Page Count: 51,242
Text Number: 147
Read For: personal enjoyment, checked out from the library
Short review: In Victorian London, aging magician and detective Edward Moon, accompanied by his assistant, a giant known only as the Somnambulist, are called in to investigate the most bizarre of murders. As Moon's investigation continues, he uncovers a plot against the state—a plot which, after long preparation and much waiting, is now only days from being put into action. The Somnambulist is set in a world not quite like our own, colored by steampunk and fantasy and populated by a cast of bizarre, slightly inhuman characters. Although it has a decisive conclusion, the plot often feels as confused as the setting. Barnes waits too long before he decides what he wants The Somnambulist to be, and with its busy and unfocused confusion and abrupt and strange conclusion, the novel fails its potential and remains entirely mediocre. Not recommended.
The premise of The Somnambulist is particularly intriguing, largely because of its mystery. The little differences that separate the setting from our world, the inhuman traits and perceptions of some characters, the shrouded unknown of the plot: all of these aspects are perceived through a mist, intriguing the reader and urging him to delve into it that he may discover more. The book's failing is that for too long this mist is impenetrable, and when it finally parts what it reveals is downright bizarre. As Moon begins to suspect an underlying sinister plot against the state, the narrator compares his perception to a microscopic view of one strand of a spiderweb: he can see the details of his the fragment he sees, but cannot perceive the shape of the whole. So it is for the reader for the majority of the book, and this narrow view makes the events of the plot seem random and give the reader nothing identify and care about. To avoid spoiling the plot, I obviously can't talk about the final reveal, but without a shroud of mystery, the plot is just plain strange: a combination of random factors, some literary, some steampunk, some fantasy, some religious, the ending is bizarre to an extreme. It's not the sort of stangeness that broadens the reader's mind, but rather the sort that makes the reader wonder where Barnes got these ideas and why he decided to combine them in one story. The plot does have a decisive, even action-packed conclusion, but it is so strange that it's hard to appreciate.
On the whole, due to decent writing and the ongoing mystery, the book is readable. Barnes's prose is likewise quite strange, filled with dry humor and delivered by a narrator that often speaks directly to the reader (and by breaking the fourth wall, destroys any attempt to suspend disbelief). However, the omniscient narrator drops hints about the slowly developing mystery, keeping the reader looking ahead to the next potential development. But even if the book is readable, it is not good. Aside from the flawed mystery and the bizarre plot are a dozen other weaknesses: The narrator's identity is a contrived and unconvincing plot twist. By dancing on the edges of steampunk and fantasy without embracing either, the steampunk influences appear amateur and the fantastic elements are unbelievable. The most promising characters disappear, the main characters are unlikable, and the titular character remains an unexplored sideplot. And so forth—the book is littered with faults.
When I put down this book I was wondering why I ever picked it up in the first place. The premise is certainly intriguing, but it is the best that the book has to offer. Barnes's hovers on the edge of an interesting book, setting up the atmosphere and characters to support it, but hovers for too long and then only at the last moment delves into the strangest of novels. Don't let the concept of this book or its constant hints towards greatness pull you in, because the result is disappointing. The book is readable, but by the end it becomes a frustrating practice in mediocrity and unfulfilled potential. I would love to see a better novel built upon this same premise, but I do not recommend The Somnambulist.
Review posted here at Amazon.com.
