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rlbasley's review
5.0
This is actually a family favorite and totally different way at looking at hell. It's kinda tough and cheek but definitely a good read.
elleemgee's review
4.0
Lives up to the intriguing premise. I found the novel to be strangely satisfying despite the fact that all of the characters are languishing in Hell. Would make a nice companion read to Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives by David Eagleman.
ginadapooh's review
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Sexual content, Suicide, and Torture
tsilverman's review
2.0
There was some really clever writing in here but it took me months to read because the plot was so dull.
triceratopper's review
1.0
One of the members of my book club suggested we read Hell. In many ways, it sounded like an excellent companion to our previous book, A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore. I had expected that, in spite of the dark subject matter, I would see much of the same humor and quirkiness that defines Moore's writing. Based on the back cover and summary, this book sounds more like a comedy. However, I found that it didn't deliver on that at all.
Hatcher McCord presents the evening (or is it the evening? Time passes so strangely in hell) news in Hell. Although he delivers other types of broadcasts, his main feature is the "Why do you think you're here?" question that he asks to newcomers or famous figures.
This had the potential to be a more amusing book than it was - after all, according to Butler, everyone is in Hell. Literally everyone. He name-drops famous historical figures left and right, most of which I knew but some of which I didn't. (History was never my strongest subject. Perhaps if it were, I'd have enjoyed this more? I don't think so.) In Hell, Hatcher is seeing Anne Boelyn, although he was not alive at the same time as she.
Obviously, Hell is meant to be a dark place of suffering, but I found that Butler's writing was unnecessarily gross. I think my main issue was that I could see he was trying to be funny sometimes, that some of the pain was meant to have comedic value. But I didn't feel like it succeeded.
Further, I didn't enjoy when Hatcher (and a number of other characters) got wrapped up in their own thoughts and Butler's writing started to become one long run-on sentence because their thoughts were just racing that much because these sentences were exhausting and hard to wrap your own head around as a reader.
Points for the concept, I suppose, but I didn't care for the execution.
Hatcher McCord presents the evening (or is it the evening? Time passes so strangely in hell) news in Hell. Although he delivers other types of broadcasts, his main feature is the "Why do you think you're here?" question that he asks to newcomers or famous figures.
This had the potential to be a more amusing book than it was - after all, according to Butler, everyone is in Hell. Literally everyone. He name-drops famous historical figures left and right, most of which I knew but some of which I didn't. (History was never my strongest subject. Perhaps if it were, I'd have enjoyed this more? I don't think so.) In Hell, Hatcher is seeing Anne Boelyn, although he was not alive at the same time as she.
Obviously, Hell is meant to be a dark place of suffering, but I found that Butler's writing was unnecessarily gross. I think my main issue was that I could see he was trying to be funny sometimes, that some of the pain was meant to have comedic value. But I didn't feel like it succeeded.
Further, I didn't enjoy when Hatcher (and a number of other characters) got wrapped up in their own thoughts and Butler's writing started to become one long run-on sentence because their thoughts were just racing that much because these sentences were exhausting and hard to wrap your own head around as a reader.
Points for the concept, I suppose, but I didn't care for the execution.
autumnesf's review
3.0
I didn;t get the end. But there were some funny stories of what "hell" was to famous people you will recognize.
apattonbooks's review
1.0
You know how they say never judge a book by it's cover? Well never buy a book because of it's cover.
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