Reviews

The Swallowed Man by Edward Carey

smo's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

cadenceboudreaux's review against another edition

5.0

wow, i’ve never heard of this book but reading it made my soul hurt. This reminded me a lot of what i felt during frankenstein. The yearning for love only now in reverse. Beautiful.

moudi's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

messyheart's review against another edition

dark reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

sanrio_sammie's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

misscoralinejones's review against another edition

4.0

Può il flusso di coscienza di un uomo imprigionato essere un racconto esilarante?
Sì, se la penna è Edward Carey e quell'uomo è Geppetto, nel Ventre Della Balena.
Tra flashback e deliri presenti il protagonista, che è a noi ben noto, viene presentato in una veste diversa, inaspettata: figlio, non più padre, e amante...
Carey passa da citazioni mitologiche a riflessioni profonde, dal memento mori a Geppetto che canta "Sono la fatina del dentino!" (quando trova un dente della Balena).
Una favola grottesca che dipinge ricordi, deliri e disperazione senza risultare mai pesante ma anzi, spesso divertente.

jessielavoieak's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

betharanova's review against another edition

4.0

A short, intriguing, and disturbing journey. It leaves you with a lot to unpack, as it ought to. It's about loneliness. It's about love and mistaking things for love. There's a lot of playing with the borders between living and not living and dead. This is more contained and frenetic than Piranesi was. It's a solid yet twisty piece of writing, though.

ninetytimesnine's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

mimamilli's review against another edition

dark relaxing slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5