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kathieboucher's review against another edition
4.0
40s noir fun! Fearing liked to play with structure, vantage point, and style. Those who enjoy this book ought to try Dagger of the Mind, also by Fearing
caitie711's review against another edition
4.0
Read this first in grad school and decided to read it again while clearing out some bookshelves.
Bearing in mind the time period (casual racism and misogyny buffers on), Fearing wrote a solid little novel. Pacing was great--I got swept in gradually and then couldn't put it down. I remember that happening the first time, too, even as I tried to make sure I didn't miss little details that might help out in class discussions. I appreciated the realism, the humor, and the little twists that kept things ticking along. It raced to the end, and I kept catching myself rooting for people who were only marginally less bad than others, which is always a fun little trick of good storytelling.
It won't take you long, you'll get to enjoy Fearing's imagination, and you'll get to contemplate all the ways the machine grinds you down and spits you out before you move on to another book.
Bearing in mind the time period (casual racism and misogyny buffers on), Fearing wrote a solid little novel. Pacing was great--I got swept in gradually and then couldn't put it down. I remember that happening the first time, too, even as I tried to make sure I didn't miss little details that might help out in class discussions. I appreciated the realism, the humor, and the little twists that kept things ticking along. It raced to the end, and I kept catching myself rooting for people who were only marginally less bad than others, which is always a fun little trick of good storytelling.
It won't take you long, you'll get to enjoy Fearing's imagination, and you'll get to contemplate all the ways the machine grinds you down and spits you out before you move on to another book.
sandin954's review against another edition
3.0
First published in 1946 and the basis for the classic film starring Ray Milland, this was a tightly written suspenseful book with some interesting characterizations.
jamesdanielhorn's review against another edition
5.0
This is classic noir at it’s best. The Big Clock is a very original work that deserves it’s reputation. It has all the intrigue of Chandler and the writing is spectacular. The multiple narrators work well and the tension here is palpable! This plot sucked me in hard. The drunken philandering anti hero is a trope that’s been done to death, and if you are bored with the archetype steer clear; but I forgive this book, having been written 75+ years ago. Heavily recommended for anyone who loves the genre.
poldarn's review against another edition
3.0
A reader starts a noir book with certain expectations. The book should exude a gloomy, depressive aura reminiscent of a dark and stormy night. Characters must be flawed, but complex faced with troubles of their own making, showing us the traits that we like to imagine do not exist in ourselves and the plot should be full of twists and turns causing the reader to dread what awaits him on the next page.
Let me rephrase the above. That is what I expect when I start reading a noir book. Perhaps other readers have different expectations, so did The Big Clock satisfy these criteria? For me, it did not.
I was never convinced that George Stroud was in any real danger, The antagonists were not menacing at all, I was very skeptical of a certain fact which the whole plot hinges upon and the tale did not feel bleak enough.
So the first criterion is out and the third is not completely fulfilled what about the characters? They were both funny and absurd, which I liked. Gil and his museum, George George’s daughter (This is not a typo), and Louise Patterson (THE GREAT ARTIST).
This book felt like a waste of potential given the creative idea, so I feel that the negation of the statement “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” applies.
Let me rephrase the above. That is what I expect when I start reading a noir book. Perhaps other readers have different expectations, so did The Big Clock satisfy these criteria? For me, it did not.
I was never convinced that George Stroud was in any real danger, The antagonists were not menacing at all, I was very skeptical of a certain fact which the whole plot hinges upon and the tale did not feel bleak enough.
So the first criterion is out and the third is not completely fulfilled what about the characters? They were both funny and absurd, which I liked. Gil and his museum, George George’s daughter (This is not a typo), and Louise Patterson (THE GREAT ARTIST).
This book felt like a waste of potential given the creative idea, so I feel that the negation of the statement “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” applies.
glennmiller5309's review against another edition
5.0
Great psychological page-turner, one in which the protagonist is assigned to find himself. With each page turned, the noose tightens.
nick_jenkins's review against another edition
5.0
So much creativity bubbling throughout the plot: a noir that skirts the edges of surrealism.
gillian_aftanas's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Suicide, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Biphobia, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Misogyny
senordustin's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting idea, but not fully satisfying. Glad I read it.