Scan barcode
scheu's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting, enjoyable, but ultimately not satisfying, thanks to my own hopes for the book. At first glance the description makes the book out to be something it isn't; I was hoping to read about unknown animals in a somewhat more magic-realist setting. The novel, however, is more about the main character's life, the issues he had with his father, and in the end his quest for the bestiary itself, a McGuffin of great antiquity.
The creatures he describes are all from the same sources as the Dungeons and Dragons Monster Manuals - Greek myth and history, European folklore, etc. I suppose if I want something different I should read the Borges on my shelf. Nonetheless, I did enjoy the story.
The creatures he describes are all from the same sources as the Dungeons and Dragons Monster Manuals - Greek myth and history, European folklore, etc. I suppose if I want something different I should read the Borges on my shelf. Nonetheless, I did enjoy the story.
audaciaray's review against another edition
1.0
I really wanted to like this book, since it has imaginary animals, world travel/adventure, and nerdery in it. But it just didn't hold together for me, the scope felt very fragmented, emotionally disconnected, and not very actiony. Most of the action centers around searching for a manuscript, which sounds like a fun real-life adventure to me but isn't actually very much fun to read about. I will, however, try more Nicholas Christopher, since I liked Franklin Flyer a lot.
jkkb332's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this almost as much as I hoped. It's SO close to being a five-star book for me.
+ Mystical animals, enough said
+ Bits of magical realism with the animals playing roles in Xeno's life, subtle but powerful
+ Supporting cast of characters are all interesting, fully developed, and impactful to the story
+ Xeno travels all over the world but it's always plot-driven, never superfluous
+ The slow burn!
+ Hits on a lot of big life themes
+ The historical setting is not the main star, but woven in seamlessly (the war, the research methods)
+/- I wanted this to be slightly more about the bestiary instead of a man's (interesting) life story
+/- The ending was both good and bad; it's appropriately magical and fits the story, but I wanted to know what happened after the last scene
+ Mystical animals, enough said
+ Bits of magical realism with the animals playing roles in Xeno's life, subtle but powerful
+ Supporting cast of characters are all interesting, fully developed, and impactful to the story
+ Xeno travels all over the world but it's always plot-driven, never superfluous
+ The slow burn!
+ Hits on a lot of big life themes
+ The historical setting is not the main star, but woven in seamlessly (the war, the research methods)
+/- I wanted this to be slightly more about the bestiary instead of a man's (interesting) life story
+/- The ending was both good and bad; it's appropriately magical and fits the story, but I wanted to know what happened after the last scene
measiwitch's review against another edition
2.0
Could not finish. I found the writing style to be dry and lifeless. Too many books in the world to read. Ah we'll.
megmcardle's review against another edition
4.0
Fans of books about books should give Nicholas Christopher's new novel, The Bestiary a try. The book here is an ancient illustrated book called The Caravan Bestiary that describes all the animals that were left off of Noah's ark at the time of the flood. From a young age Xeno Atlas seeks this book, and the journeys he takes in the searching are the meat of the book. Vividly described locales include Venice, Paris, Gibralter, Vietnam, and the Greek Isles. What I like about Christopher's books is that they all have a dreamy, magical quality. They are full of strange coincidences and single-minded quests. This one doesn't quite compare to his best book [b:A Trip to the Stars|14967|A Trip To The Stars|Nicholas Christopher|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166669092s/14967.jpg|16921], but is still worth reading.
gizmoto16's review against another edition
2.0
It's not that this book wasn't good. It was kind of entertaining, but apparently not entertaining enough to keep my attention and get through it in a decent time. I checked it out from the library, and after I'd renewed twice online and it wouldn't let me renew anymore, I just took it back without finishing it. Oh well.
carolynf's review against another edition
4.0
Fun for anyone who went through a mythological creatures phase as a child. The main quest kind of reminded me of the one in "The Historian."