The Somnambulist- Jonathan Barnes
Overall Rating: Intriguing
The plot of the story is rather predictable at times, but also delightfully opaque at others. I enjoyed the steampunk feel and the unusual cast of characters that Barnes creates. He does a fairly decent job with characterization, though there are times where it leaves me in wont. I particularly enjoyed the twist with the narrator, that was very clever, but more importantly it adds to the symbolic meaning of the work. At face value, this book is a good read, equipped with a lush vocabulary, and sometimes edges into the realm of great, however it is not the face value which makes this book a worthy read. The symbolism of this story is uniquely and masterfully woven together; Barnes employs allusions to plots of other well-known stories, such as Sherlock Holmes, to heighten the symbolic meaning, and at times irony found in this novel. Even the beginning line, “Be warned. This book has no literary merit whatsoever,” is ironic, as the entire story is a metaphor for several things, one of which being the blinding power of organized religion, cast here in a negative light (as it well should be). So if you are able to understand the metaphor, it may be offensive, or it may be delightful. In regards to this, I have heard some decry the ending as a poor one, but really it fits perfectly into the allegory. Please, those of you educated enough to grasp this concept (and it does not take much to do so), please go further than the surface of this novel to find the true fruits of knowledge that it possesses.
Favorite Passage: "I cannot police the readers of this manuscript and it is a sad and tragic truth that I have never yet succeeded in underestimating the intelligence of the general public"
I, as you may come to notice, have a particular appreciation for clever individuals, which I believe this passage illustrates most eloquently.
Due to the fact that this is a novel independent of a series, I was unable to find any evidence of especially shocking fandom. My most profound apologies.
Overall Rating: Intriguing
The plot of the story is rather predictable at times, but also delightfully opaque at others. I enjoyed the steampunk feel and the unusual cast of characters that Barnes creates. He does a fairly decent job with characterization, though there are times where it leaves me in wont. I particularly enjoyed the twist with the narrator, that was very clever, but more importantly it adds to the symbolic meaning of the work. At face value, this book is a good read, equipped with a lush vocabulary, and sometimes edges into the realm of great, however it is not the face value which makes this book a worthy read. The symbolism of this story is uniquely and masterfully woven together; Barnes employs allusions to plots of other well-known stories, such as Sherlock Holmes, to heighten the symbolic meaning, and at times irony found in this novel. Even the beginning line, “Be warned. This book has no literary merit whatsoever,” is ironic, as the entire story is a metaphor for several things, one of which being the blinding power of organized religion, cast here in a negative light (as it well should be). So if you are able to understand the metaphor, it may be offensive, or it may be delightful. In regards to this, I have heard some decry the ending as a poor one, but really it fits perfectly into the allegory. Please, those of you educated enough to grasp this concept (and it does not take much to do so), please go further than the surface of this novel to find the true fruits of knowledge that it possesses.
Favorite Passage: "I cannot police the readers of this manuscript and it is a sad and tragic truth that I have never yet succeeded in underestimating the intelligence of the general public"
I, as you may come to notice, have a particular appreciation for clever individuals, which I believe this passage illustrates most eloquently.
Due to the fact that this is a novel independent of a series, I was unable to find any evidence of especially shocking fandom. My most profound apologies.
RSS Feed