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baileydot's review against another edition
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
timinbc's review against another edition
1.0
I shudder to call this science fiction, but I have to tag it something. I hope no one reads this as an intro to SF.
I've read three other Lethems, sorta liked two and was let down by the third. This is my last. Perhaps it's too lit'ry for me, but the many 2-star reviews suggest otherwise.
The world-building. The Arrest is apparently random (like the Lack in an earlier Lethem). Engines won't run, unless powered by feces or nuclear. Guns stopped working, but only a bit later. Basic physics seems compromised, yet Peter's supercar works fine and has an espresso machine that works, presumably on electricity. I don't recall Lethem ever mentioning that there must have been a sudden surge in business for candlemakers, and/or some long dark nights. If there were riots or shortages or political upheavals, they aren't mentioned. Everyone seems to have gone "oh yeah, huh" and just carried on. This is a lot like starting with, "the King was a vicious, unfair, murdering tyrant" at the start of a book and then never mentioning it again.
And, in the end, as far as I can tell, the supercar is a Chekhov's gun. we expect something spectacular from it (especially if we've read Cherie Priest and even Jules Verne). Perhaps it's a lit'ry metaphor for the layers of protection and power surrounding the Weinsteins of the world.
The characters. "Journeyman" should have been called "Schlimazel;" he's there so that things can happen to him. Although Lethem is careful to show us that J is at least a good screenwriter.
Peter is Harvey Weinstein and Tommy Wiseau combined. Is the reader supposed to want nothing of this novel but to have Peter receive a giant cosmic karma pie in the face?
Maddy is the classic "don't explain anything" character. Lethem's attempts to provide backstory for her are random jumps into the past - I think - and their main effect is to annoy.
I gave up on the book a bit past halfway when the plot went from slow to barely moving. A skim of reviews suggested that I was correct in concluding that nothing much happened thereafter.
I've read three other Lethems, sorta liked two and was let down by the third. This is my last. Perhaps it's too lit'ry for me, but the many 2-star reviews suggest otherwise.
The world-building. The Arrest is apparently random (like the Lack in an earlier Lethem). Engines won't run, unless powered by feces or nuclear. Guns stopped working, but only a bit later. Basic physics seems compromised, yet Peter's supercar works fine and has an espresso machine that works, presumably on electricity. I don't recall Lethem ever mentioning that there must have been a sudden surge in business for candlemakers, and/or some long dark nights. If there were riots or shortages or political upheavals, they aren't mentioned. Everyone seems to have gone "oh yeah, huh" and just carried on. This is a lot like starting with, "the King was a vicious, unfair, murdering tyrant" at the start of a book and then never mentioning it again.
And, in the end, as far as I can tell, the supercar is a Chekhov's gun. we expect something spectacular from it (especially if we've read Cherie Priest and even Jules Verne). Perhaps it's a lit'ry metaphor for the layers of protection and power surrounding the Weinsteins of the world.
The characters. "Journeyman" should have been called "Schlimazel;" he's there so that things can happen to him. Although Lethem is careful to show us that J is at least a good screenwriter.
Peter is Harvey Weinstein and Tommy Wiseau combined. Is the reader supposed to want nothing of this novel but to have Peter receive a giant cosmic karma pie in the face?
Maddy is the classic "don't explain anything" character. Lethem's attempts to provide backstory for her are random jumps into the past - I think - and their main effect is to annoy.
I gave up on the book a bit past halfway when the plot went from slow to barely moving. A skim of reviews suggested that I was correct in concluding that nothing much happened thereafter.
mmarino331's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting but it didn’t really feel like it went anywhere.
frasersimons's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This story is really elegant. Focusing on a man simply ascribed as Journeyman, in an isolated rural community post-event disabling all tech from working, save for a strange nuclear drill, we follow a simple moral dilemma. An outsider enters the otherwise well community and entangles himself in the personal life of the MC. Fallout ensues.
It’s just executed really, really well, though. Characterization is great. I have always enjoyed ideologues done well. Here it is the crux of the well turning plot. It’s also hard to pin down. It’s weird enough that you’re never completely sure about anything, so it’s mysterious, which in turn whets the appetite for more information about the world building, done organically. It’s easy to picture the strange world, and it doesn’t overstay its welcome.
It’s just executed really, really well, though. Characterization is great. I have always enjoyed ideologues done well. Here it is the crux of the well turning plot. It’s also hard to pin down. It’s weird enough that you’re never completely sure about anything, so it’s mysterious, which in turn whets the appetite for more information about the world building, done organically. It’s easy to picture the strange world, and it doesn’t overstay its welcome.
angus_mckeogh's review against another edition
4.0
Dystopian novel about the world after “The Arrest” of progress. One of his recent books that I actually enjoyed quite a bit. Before this effort my feeling was that Lethem had stumbled upon a bit of a dry spell and I was doubting his ability to return to prominence.
cherese's review against another edition
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? Yes
4.0
From the very start, it's clear this isn't going to be a straightforward story with all the pieces fitting together neatly. No sir, Lethem's crafted this deliciously bizarre, dreamlike world that just pulls you in and doesn't let go, even if you're scratching your head half the time.
Rather than feeling frustrated by the obscurities, I think you just have to surrender yourself to the ominous, haunting mood Lethem evokes so vividly. It's more about experiencing the book's eccentric poetry and vivid absurdism than necessarily finding rational explanations.
Rather than feeling frustrated by the obscurities, I think you just have to surrender yourself to the ominous, haunting mood Lethem evokes so vividly. It's more about experiencing the book's eccentric poetry and vivid absurdism than necessarily finding rational explanations.
For readers wanting a clear, buttoned-up story, The Arrest will probably drive you nuts. But if you're game for a mesmerizing descent into the baffling unknown, this strange, haunting literary fever dream is an experience unlike any other. Even if I have no earthly idea what it was truly about!
kwough's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
k_nastran's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
ohclaire's review against another edition
3.0
As a fan of this genre & of story-telling characters, I was excited. The first half was fun.