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artemiscat's review against another edition
2.0
So wonderful up to a point- and then- my least favorite trope came dancing along to kick down the sand castle...
pattiecarlin's review against another edition
3.0
I had a bit of a time getting through the first half of the book. Although well written, it felt like one of those books that should come with a whiteboard so you can draw yourself a map of who's who. Once the murders started, I loved it. Hmmmm... what does that say about me? Bottom line: good writing, a bit of a slog at first but ultimately, I liked it.
caitlin829's review against another edition
2.0
This book is really difficult to read with about four different storylines (and about as many typefaces, some of them harder to read than others) that eventually converge, only to switch to yet another point of view in the last third or so. It's extremely hard to keep track of what's going on and I didn't find the end result satisfying enough to overcome the frustration of getting there.
jeffreybalch's review against another edition
4.0
I was fortunate enough to receive this book from one of Goodread’s First Reads giveaways.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was different to what I was expecting, though. By the description, I was thinking The Thing About Thugs was going to be a murder mystery. It wasn’t. Within the first few chapters, the reader is told who is doing the murdering and why they’re doing it. If you’re looking for a good mystery, this is probably not the book for you.
If you enjoy historical fiction, however, you will most likely like this book. The writing is fantastic, and the story is mostly entertaining. There were bits that kind of pulled me out of the story being told, though, when the narrator would talk about finding Amir Ali’s letters in his grandfather’s home and say that he imagined things in certain ways. I know those were put in to make it feel more “literary,” but they kind of made me want to just hurry past them and get back to the real story being told.
I love that the story unfolds in different narratives. You have the chapters that are Amir’s letters (which are written in a script font that some may find hard to read, though I didn’t.), others which are his stories told aloud to the Captain, and then the chapters which follow other characters such as the murderers and Amir’s friends. The story moves kind of slowly, but by the end I was really interested to see what was going to happen to Amir and his friends, although we aren’t given a definite answer.
I really liked this book a lot. It wasn’t something that I would have normally chosen to read on my own, but I’m glad that I did. It’s definitely worth reading, especially if you’re into historical fiction.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was different to what I was expecting, though. By the description, I was thinking The Thing About Thugs was going to be a murder mystery. It wasn’t. Within the first few chapters, the reader is told who is doing the murdering and why they’re doing it. If you’re looking for a good mystery, this is probably not the book for you.
If you enjoy historical fiction, however, you will most likely like this book. The writing is fantastic, and the story is mostly entertaining. There were bits that kind of pulled me out of the story being told, though, when the narrator would talk about finding Amir Ali’s letters in his grandfather’s home and say that he imagined things in certain ways. I know those were put in to make it feel more “literary,” but they kind of made me want to just hurry past them and get back to the real story being told.
I love that the story unfolds in different narratives. You have the chapters that are Amir’s letters (which are written in a script font that some may find hard to read, though I didn’t.), others which are his stories told aloud to the Captain, and then the chapters which follow other characters such as the murderers and Amir’s friends. The story moves kind of slowly, but by the end I was really interested to see what was going to happen to Amir and his friends, although we aren’t given a definite answer.
I really liked this book a lot. It wasn’t something that I would have normally chosen to read on my own, but I’m glad that I did. It’s definitely worth reading, especially if you’re into historical fiction.
pxr014's review against another edition
3.0
This was a pretty decent book. I am disappointed, though, because the premise of the novel is so great, and the author obviously put a lot of research into it. The writing, though, was really awful. The author tried to be too descriptive and poetic, leading to sentences that had too many modifying clauses (to the point where I had to read some of them over and over again to understand what he was saying) and weird, long-winded digressions that did nothing for the story. The characters were all really amazingly fleshed out, though. Not a bad read, but I'm a little sad, since it had the potential to be so much better.
rubybubbles's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-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
5.0
This isn't the typical mystery and includes elements of historical fiction and fantasy. An engaging mystery, the novel follows the life of young Amir and the community of the "unseen" in London into which he eventually lands. Multiple POVs set in contemporary India and Victorian London pull political and social commentary into every page.
The author blends together so many storytelling techniques and styles into one novel, and nudges the reader to question our concept storytelling itself; whose voice, what POV and what cultural/political influences shape how we perceive stories?
Also, the writing is excellent!
The author blends together so many storytelling techniques and styles into one novel, and nudges the reader to question our concept storytelling itself; whose voice, what POV and what cultural/political influences shape how we perceive stories?
Also, the writing is excellent!
prakash0912's review against another edition
3.0
Phrenology, Lascars, Pidgin, the late 1830s, a long journey from Bihar...we've read these themes from another Indian author too!
Nevertheless, it's an interesting and enjoyable read.
Nevertheless, it's an interesting and enjoyable read.
sshabein's review against another edition
4.0
In some ways, the darker elements and seeing the killer's point-of-view reminded me of Patricia Highsmith's work, though she did not set any of her stories (that I know of) in Victorian times. The methodical way everyone justifies their bad behavior, killer or not, is also very much like her. The difference is that Khair doesn't write with underlying disdain for society. There is still an element of magic, though not the fantastical kind. It's magic in the form of hope, the willful suspension of disbelief, and the transforming power of a good story. I certainly recommend tracking down this book.
(My full review appears on Glorified Love Letters.)
(My full review appears on Glorified Love Letters.)
bluepigeon's review
4.0
Thank you Goodreads First Reads for the advanced readers copy of The Thing about Thugs.
Thugs was a great read. Sure, there isn't much of a mystery; we know who is doing what and why. The fascinating aspect of Thugs is the life of the street riffraff and immigrants in London, the mix of cultures and languages in the bustling city, and the historical backdrop. I felt like I was reading a subdued Rushdie, except the events were taking place in London, though part of the narration originates in India. The letters written to the lover are perhaps a bit cheesy, though this is intended and well-placed. The font of these letters did not bother me; I found them to be perfectly legible.
Khair is a good writer. Language flows, and each narrator seems to have a distinct voice, and often even a distinct accent. The plot was well done, as well. Unlike some other readers, I did not have trouble following the different lines of narration. Khair does a good job with the narrative voices to lead the reader through the stories, past and present.
I don't recommend the book to people who expect a murder mystery. Historical fiction fans should enjoy it.
Thugs was a great read. Sure, there isn't much of a mystery; we know who is doing what and why. The fascinating aspect of Thugs is the life of the street riffraff and immigrants in London, the mix of cultures and languages in the bustling city, and the historical backdrop. I felt like I was reading a subdued Rushdie, except the events were taking place in London, though part of the narration originates in India. The letters written to the lover are perhaps a bit cheesy, though this is intended and well-placed. The font of these letters did not bother me; I found them to be perfectly legible.
Khair is a good writer. Language flows, and each narrator seems to have a distinct voice, and often even a distinct accent. The plot was well done, as well. Unlike some other readers, I did not have trouble following the different lines of narration. Khair does a good job with the narrative voices to lead the reader through the stories, past and present.
I don't recommend the book to people who expect a murder mystery. Historical fiction fans should enjoy it.
rosseroo's review
3.0
Gruesome beheadings! The infamous Thugee cult! A young man Indian man in Victorian London! This all sounds like great fodder for a fun mystery/adventure story, and I was predisposed to like this book due to these elements. Unfortunately, although I more or less enjoyed this book well enough, it never quite fulfilled my expectations. One issue is that the book is told through three different narrative lines: a young man (the author) in contemporary India who is poking around his grandfather's old library and discovering scraps of a fascinating tale; the third-person story of a young Indian brought to London by a wealthy phrenologist to narrate his life as a thugee, and the diary-in-letters of that young Indian, written to his English love interest (set in a really annoying script typeface). The constant switching back and forth between these in different sections (there are 120 sections in the book, roughly one every other page), along with the occasional other insertion (a newspaper story, an excerpt from a book manuscript, etc.), kept taking me out of the story and the book as a whole.
A second issue I had with the book is not really of the author's making. It's being marketed to a certain extent as a mystery, but there's little mystery to the events. The reader learns who is committing the murders and why very early on, and the opening pages of the book include a description of the villan's fate. As a result, there's no real tension involving the murders until quite late in the story, when the hero is accused and his friends rally their underground resources to try and unmask the true culprits. Which aren't to say there aren't some fun characters, some colorful period detail, and scraps of a ripping yarn here and there -- but it doesn't coalesce into anything truly satisfying. It's also using imperial attitudes toward immigration to comment on contemporary attitudes, and the theme of identity runs strong throughout, but again, neither of these feels particularly fresh. All of which is to say that it's not a bad book, but with some heavy editorial changes, I could imagine the story working better on the screen than it does on the page. Comparisons to Michael Chabon and Wilkie Collins are even more wildly overstated than the usual publisher PR.
A second issue I had with the book is not really of the author's making. It's being marketed to a certain extent as a mystery, but there's little mystery to the events. The reader learns who is committing the murders and why very early on, and the opening pages of the book include a description of the villan's fate. As a result, there's no real tension involving the murders until quite late in the story, when the hero is accused and his friends rally their underground resources to try and unmask the true culprits. Which aren't to say there aren't some fun characters, some colorful period detail, and scraps of a ripping yarn here and there -- but it doesn't coalesce into anything truly satisfying. It's also using imperial attitudes toward immigration to comment on contemporary attitudes, and the theme of identity runs strong throughout, but again, neither of these feels particularly fresh. All of which is to say that it's not a bad book, but with some heavy editorial changes, I could imagine the story working better on the screen than it does on the page. Comparisons to Michael Chabon and Wilkie Collins are even more wildly overstated than the usual publisher PR.