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caitlinxmartin's review against another edition
4.0
Quite a wonderful book with moments of beautiful writing. I read this because Neil Gaiman borrowed heavily from it in A Game of You - probably my favorite story arc from Sandman. Neil definitely owes a huge debt of gratitude to Mr. Carroll for giving him the outlines of this story.
It is audacious for a man to write about abortion and its impact on a woman's life and later motherhood. It is too easy for such a man to come off as judgmental, but Carroll shows that imagination can take you many places. The narrator of this book, Cullen, lives in a world where the line between dreams and reality are blurry at best. She is warm and genuine and struggling to find who she is in the aftermath of her abortion, subsequent whirlwind marriage, and the birth of her first child.
I loved the way Carroll refuses to treat the dreaming world differently from the "real" world - transitioning back and forth between both much as we all do in our own lives. It's a good story, too, although I found the ending a bit abrupt. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author - he's got a great imagination and there's not nearly enough of that in the world.
It is audacious for a man to write about abortion and its impact on a woman's life and later motherhood. It is too easy for such a man to come off as judgmental, but Carroll shows that imagination can take you many places. The narrator of this book, Cullen, lives in a world where the line between dreams and reality are blurry at best. She is warm and genuine and struggling to find who she is in the aftermath of her abortion, subsequent whirlwind marriage, and the birth of her first child.
I loved the way Carroll refuses to treat the dreaming world differently from the "real" world - transitioning back and forth between both much as we all do in our own lives. It's a good story, too, although I found the ending a bit abrupt. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author - he's got a great imagination and there's not nearly enough of that in the world.
dkalina's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
deadwolfbones's review against another edition
2.0
Kind of a throwaway for Carroll, but a decent entertainment.
unsquare's review against another edition
5.0
One of a handful of books that I found genuinely terrifying.
tabularasablog's review against another edition
3.0
Update: I re-read (skimmed) the book and didn't really get why I thought it was any more than okay.
raisinnamon's review against another edition
5.0
This review is for only me because this book felt specially written for just me. The way Jonathan Carrol perfectly matches my tastes and moods with each passing page is unmatched. This book was an interesting intersection of family life, inner fantasy worlds, lucid dreaming, an axe murderer, infatuation, death, grief, friendship, and marriage. It will stick in my mind for a long time. I can't wait to get to the rest of the series.
readbyashleyd's review against another edition
5.0
Yet again Jonathan Carroll has completely blown my mind with his writing! I was instantly hooked from the very first page and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to see what would happen next in each world that Carroll has so masterfully crafted. This book is just so stunning, it’s been days since I finished it and I still can’t stop thinking about it and that’s a true sign of a remarkable read! I also have to mention that the name Pepsi made me laugh SO much every time I read it, I’m a huge Pepsi addict and it felt like this character was meant for me!
trickstertao's review against another edition
2.0
Probably my least favourite Jonathan Carroll novel to date. I will admit that I almost always take issue with his deus ex machina ending. However, that was the least of my complaints for Bones of the Moon. The fantasy element was thinned out to be almost non-existent until the last few pages. Oddly enough, this ending was probably his most earned since no one steps in from out of nowhere to save the day that hasn't been built up. It is his least fulfilling ending, though. It feels rushed and not earned in the least.
I also found most of the characters other than Cullen and Eliot to be 2 dimensional at best, throw away at worst. In the 2 dimensional category falls Weber and Pepsi. They don't develop or expand as the story progresses. They just trudge through the plot and react, never learning.
In the throw away corner is Danny James. He seems put there to be perfect and supportive but then 2/3 of the way through the book vanishes completely. He had no function other than to be furniture in Cullen's perfect home life.
I usually Read Carroll's novels not for the plot (as I mentioned, his endings never fail to fell pointless) but to watch interesting characters be put through extraordinary situations. Bones of the Moon lacked both interesting characters as well as extraordinary situations.
I also found most of the characters other than Cullen and Eliot to be 2 dimensional at best, throw away at worst. In the 2 dimensional category falls Weber and Pepsi. They don't develop or expand as the story progresses. They just trudge through the plot and react, never learning.
In the throw away corner is Danny James. He seems put there to be perfect and supportive but then 2/3 of the way through the book vanishes completely. He had no function other than to be furniture in Cullen's perfect home life.
I usually Read Carroll's novels not for the plot (as I mentioned, his endings never fail to fell pointless) but to watch interesting characters be put through extraordinary situations. Bones of the Moon lacked both interesting characters as well as extraordinary situations.
manwithanagenda's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Jonathan Carroll comes highly recommended. This is only the second one of his books that I've come across since discovering his existence. 'Sleeping in Flame' (varied mileage) was an inventive and disturbing novel about the dark truths behind fairy tales and legends - similar to 'Bones of the Moon' - except here Carroll deals with mythology of the individual and the landscape of dreams.
Cullen James doesn't seem so different from other young women around her in New York City, but in her dreams she is transported to the land of Rondua, stirring memories of childhood excursions and with an unsettling effect on her waking life.
Of course, I drew parallels to Neil Gaiman's 'Sandman' comics, particularly his "Game of You" story arc which deals with a young woman with a similarly rich inner life to Cullen's. Similarly (I will never stop talking about this) there is another graphic novel: 'Kingdom of the Wicked' that was published later and covers similar ground. This is rich territory, however, and the more the merrier I say, if authors can continue to draw this much psychological gold.
'Bones of the Moon' is an an adventure in fantasy and magical-realism as well as a tragedy. I was not expecting the turns the story took, but in hindsight Carroll was adept at building up to the climatic last third. I won't go further into it, but it was powerful. The search for a fantasy that is intelligent and challenging is often frustrating, but I'm beginning to know I can depend on Jonathan Carroll.
Cullen James doesn't seem so different from other young women around her in New York City, but in her dreams she is transported to the land of Rondua, stirring memories of childhood excursions and with an unsettling effect on her waking life.
Of course, I drew parallels to Neil Gaiman's 'Sandman' comics, particularly his "Game of You" story arc which deals with a young woman with a similarly rich inner life to Cullen's. Similarly (I will never stop talking about this) there is another graphic novel: 'Kingdom of the Wicked' that was published later and covers similar ground. This is rich territory, however, and the more the merrier I say, if authors can continue to draw this much psychological gold.
'Bones of the Moon' is an an adventure in fantasy and magical-realism as well as a tragedy. I was not expecting the turns the story took, but in hindsight Carroll was adept at building up to the climatic last third. I won't go further into it, but it was powerful. The search for a fantasy that is intelligent and challenging is often frustrating, but I'm beginning to know I can depend on Jonathan Carroll.