Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.32 AVERAGE
3.32 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
A boy lives with his mother and father high in the hills in an unfinished house. His father is a key maker, who often has to quickly produce keys for strangers who knock at the door. They rarely descend to the village to see the others so he has a lonely life. Until one day he appears in the village alone, traumatised and very scared, claiming that he has just witnessed a murder. Left alone with a parent who is become more deranged he feels more and more isolated. That is until another stranger knocks on the door; this time he isn’t here to request a key, but to elicit information and determine facts. Is he friend, or foe, or something that will challenge everything.
This is strange, in the way that only a Miéville book can be, things that are clear become muddied and aspects that were crystal clear become opaque. There is a lot of subtle terror and creepy moments in this story as well as elements of mystery. It feels to like there is a underlying vein of magic to the world he has created. I like books with messy endings, but this didn’t feel that it was resolved though. It is good but not at the same level as his great books like The City and the City, Railsea and Perdido Street Station which seriously mess with your head.
This is strange, in the way that only a Miéville book can be, things that are clear become muddied and aspects that were crystal clear become opaque. There is a lot of subtle terror and creepy moments in this story as well as elements of mystery. It feels to like there is a underlying vein of magic to the world he has created. I like books with messy endings, but this didn’t feel that it was resolved though. It is good but not at the same level as his great books like The City and the City, Railsea and Perdido Street Station which seriously mess with your head.
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
3'5
While atmospherically very intriguing, I din't find any of the strong ideas or poignancy that seems to characterise Miéville´s work in this novella.
Th protagonist's position as an outsider, a mysterious hole where his keymaker father dumps dead things, and an encroaching sense of doom permeate this short story that builds dread like no other I've read in quite a while. Stylistically reminiscences of Kafka or Anna Kavan peek through, while Miéville builds a narrative centered around grief and the poliphony of those traumatised, in a world seemingly ravaged by past war and abandoned by the current powers that be.
Still, its conclusion makes it amount to little more than an interesting exploration of trauma and identity that seem to start to take off when the story has finally reached its end. Still very much a worthwhile read, but not one I'll remember for long.
While atmospherically very intriguing, I din't find any of the strong ideas or poignancy that seems to characterise Miéville´s work in this novella.
Th protagonist's position as an outsider, a mysterious hole where his keymaker father dumps dead things, and an encroaching sense of doom permeate this short story that builds dread like no other I've read in quite a while. Stylistically reminiscences of Kafka or Anna Kavan peek through, while Miéville builds a narrative centered around grief and the poliphony of those traumatised, in a world seemingly ravaged by past war and abandoned by the current powers that be.
Still, its conclusion makes it amount to little more than an interesting exploration of trauma and identity that seem to start to take off when the story has finally reached its end. Still very much a worthwhile read, but not one I'll remember for long.
I'm not at all sure what if any point this story had, but I sure enjoyed it anyway.
It was well-written and engaging. However, it just wasn't my cup of tea. I read it, because I really like Embassytown. The father's violence in This Census-Taker, from the boy's perspective, was painful for me to read and I tend to try and avoid that in my pleasure reading.
I got a small cylinder (5.5 inch length 4.5 inch girth) stuck in an m & m can filled with vegetable oil and a smashed banana please help
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was a book I received from Brilliant Books Monthly. It was the second book I received. I did not care for it. In their defense I asked for a challenge. This book was a challenge, but not in a good way.
I'm not sure what this book is about. The title references a census taker, but he's barely in the book. The protagonist refers to himself as "I" "he" and "you" at various points in the novel.
At some point the main characters dad kills his mom and throws her body down a pit in a mountain. The cops make the kid stay with his dad because they don't have enough evidence that dad killed mom. Dad makes "keys" for people. But making keys involves listening to people describe what they need a key for and then grinding some metal.
The setting seems to be medieval times but with electricity.
The writing is odd. The story is odd. I think the author was trying to be like Kafka. It's Kafkaesque only in the sense that you can tell the author was trying to be like Kafka. But he tried to hard and went over the line to just confusing and bad.
Example confusing passage, "This is my second book. I started on my first book three years ago in a distant county and on y third book a year after that. Now at last it's time for me to start writing this second book." I read that thirty times and I still have no idea what the author is talking about.
I'm not sure what this book is about. The title references a census taker, but he's barely in the book. The protagonist refers to himself as "I" "he" and "you" at various points in the novel.
At some point the main characters dad kills his mom and throws her body down a pit in a mountain. The cops make the kid stay with his dad because they don't have enough evidence that dad killed mom. Dad makes "keys" for people. But making keys involves listening to people describe what they need a key for and then grinding some metal.
The setting seems to be medieval times but with electricity.
The writing is odd. The story is odd. I think the author was trying to be like Kafka. It's Kafkaesque only in the sense that you can tell the author was trying to be like Kafka. But he tried to hard and went over the line to just confusing and bad.
Example confusing passage, "This is my second book. I started on my first book three years ago in a distant county and on y third book a year after that. Now at last it's time for me to start writing this second book." I read that thirty times and I still have no idea what the author is talking about.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced