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mandalor3960's review against another edition
3.0
It was an OK book. It wasn't really a thriller and the plot line was almost bland. It's ending was definitely quite a twist but it falls short of that 4 as a result of the previous slow pace. I'd give it a 3 1/2 to be honest.
Rating Update 26 May 2019
Three stars to two stars. As the review says, because the plot was bland and I labeled it as an "OK book", I see no reason why it should not be rated at two stars.
Rating Update 2 June 2019
Two stars to three stars. With the adoption of my new rating system, a three star rating is befitting. The original review cites that the book was an "OK book" and, guessing on my preference to mystery books, I tend to dislike them or find them to be OK. However, the book reaches a three star rating from my liking of the beginning of the investigation and the ending of the book. The book is closest to a two and a half star rating but the book left a positive impression on me after I finished reading it, unlike the books that followed in the series. This feeling tips the rating to three stars.
September 1, 2019
Update
It was not mentioned that a positive from the book was the atmosphere and the setting. The empty urban deserted landscapes and strange apartments that I cannot describe.
September 14, 2019
Update
I had colored the rating yellow but have changed it to grey since I have not recalled the contents of this book for a long time. A three star-rating is a safe rating for now. It should also be noted that I wrote "Awesome!" in the status update of eighty-five pages for this book.
December 26, 2019
Update
I will leave the rating at three stars primarily because of the atmosphere (mentioned in the update from September 1, 2019), the short length of the book (which was not long enough for me to become bored and irritated at its lengthy investigation), the "positive impression the book had on me after I finished reading it, which pushed me to continue reading the books that followed in the series", and (largely) my lack of memory on the book.
January 26, 2020
Update
The first two sentences of the review has had me confused: "It was an OK book. It wasn't really a thriller and the plot line was almost bland". I have ignored it because of the last two sentence: "It's ending was definitely quite a twist but it falls short of that 4 as a result of the previous slow pace. I'd give it a 3 1/2 to be honest". The ratings presently could correspond to a 3 and 2.5 star-rating. The previous positives mentioned in the subsequent updates have made this at least a definite 2.5 star-rated book.
January 31, 2020
Update
I have had to change the color of the rating from green with a grey outline to yellow with a grey outline. There seems to be a discrepancy between my perceived mundane tone of the original review, and my later appreciation for the novel in the updates. The yellow color is a result of the technicality in allowing a three star-rating, because I have averaged out the two halves.
March 7, 2020
Update
Even though the three star-rating is mostly supported, I have been unable to describe the rating of this book because there are three perceptions to this book, the first coming from the original review, the second coming from the updates, and the third being a hybrid of the two. Because of this, I have left the rating type of the book at 3A.
October 19, 2020
Update
It has not been stated in the previous update which of the three types of rating styles does this book receives, since the previous update had elaborated on how I had three perceptions of the book. I believe this is answered in the update from January 31, 2020: "The yellow color is a result of the technicality in allowing a three star-rating, because I have averaged out the two halves." I believe that I have created an average of the original review and the subsequent updates, and this was the direction I leaned towards in that update from January 31, 2020.
I can see myself leaning towards a 2.5 star-rating as the definite rating, as proposed in the update from January 26, 2020. I do recall liking the book after finishing it (as mentioned in the rating update from June 2, 2019). and when that ending feeling of liking the book is combined with previous criticisms in updates prior to the update from January 26, 2020, can lead to a 2.5 star-rating.
October 20, 2020
Update
I have thought of giving this book an exact rating of 2.5 stars, however I cannot do so because of the reasons behind the current three star-rating. There are three leading proposals of how this book has received a three star-rating. The first proposal is a definite three star-rating (or at least presently understood as definite) in the update from December 26, 2019. The second proposal is a definite 2.5 star-rating as mentioned in the update from January 26, 2020. The third proposal is a 2.5 star-rating as an average of the criticisms and three star-rated liking of the book, mentioned in the update from January 31, 2020. I cannot definitively chose a 2.5 star-rating and write it in the "Exact Rating" column of the excel document because of the conflicting points of view. Because of this, I have written down "2.5/3" in the "Exact Rating" column with a yellow outline. The "2.5/3" is meant to indicate how I am undecided in whether the exact rating is 2.5 stars or three stars, and the yellow indicates this uncertainty. Because of this addition to the "Exact Rating" column, I have colored the "Final Correction" column from green to yellow, and added, in text, the following: "Exact rating disputed". The exact rating will need to be corrected at some point, if not never.
However, all of these points of view lead to a three star-rating with the system of rating done by Goodreads, since a 2.5 star-rating must be raised or lowered to three or two stars, and I lean towards a three star-rating because of the support of the leaning to three stars done by two of the three proposals.
May 3, 2024
Update
As I’m going to write as a general rule, it’s been so long that I can no longer recall an original or true feeling for this book. I feel like I should remove the Goodreads rating for this book, but to do so I think is to ignore what has already been done, sort of like a legacy rating. Even though I might not know with certainty now, what’s passed has passed, and it is not as uncertain as a rating as the “Their Eyes were Watching God”. Time will go on and I’ll forget even the most certain of ratings I give books now. This will of course be the shortcoming of my system. I must carefully assess whether a rating for a book, a book that I can no longer remember, is truly incorrect before changing it, or whether I should just leave the rating alone. It is supportable that this rating should be removed based on how the “Book Type” description seems so vague.
Also, in the exact rating cell for this book in the “Goodreads 5.0.xlsx”, “2.5/3” was written. I’ve since removed it and changed to simply “2.5” since this seems to comply best with the previous writing in this review. Regardless, the exact rating, is still indefinite, and appropriately colored yellow and written as needing fixing.
Three stars to two stars. As the review says, because the plot was bland and I labeled it as an "OK book", I see no reason why it should not be rated at two stars.
Rating Update 2 June 2019
Two stars to three stars. With the adoption of my new rating system, a three star rating is befitting. The original review cites that the book was an "OK book" and, guessing on my preference to mystery books, I tend to dislike them or find them to be OK. However, the book reaches a three star rating from my liking of the beginning of the investigation and the ending of the book. The book is closest to a two and a half star rating but the book left a positive impression on me after I finished reading it, unlike the books that followed in the series. This feeling tips the rating to three stars.
September 1, 2019
Update
It was not mentioned that a positive from the book was the atmosphere and the setting. The empty urban deserted landscapes and strange apartments that I cannot describe.
September 14, 2019
Update
I had colored the rating yellow but have changed it to grey since I have not recalled the contents of this book for a long time. A three star-rating is a safe rating for now. It should also be noted that I wrote "Awesome!" in the status update of eighty-five pages for this book.
December 26, 2019
Update
I will leave the rating at three stars primarily because of the atmosphere (mentioned in the update from September 1, 2019), the short length of the book (which was not long enough for me to become bored and irritated at its lengthy investigation), the "positive impression the book had on me after I finished reading it, which pushed me to continue reading the books that followed in the series", and (largely) my lack of memory on the book.
January 26, 2020
Update
The first two sentences of the review has had me confused: "It was an OK book. It wasn't really a thriller and the plot line was almost bland". I have ignored it because of the last two sentence: "It's ending was definitely quite a twist but it falls short of that 4 as a result of the previous slow pace. I'd give it a 3 1/2 to be honest". The ratings presently could correspond to a 3 and 2.5 star-rating. The previous positives mentioned in the subsequent updates have made this at least a definite 2.5 star-rated book.
January 31, 2020
Update
I have had to change the color of the rating from green with a grey outline to yellow with a grey outline. There seems to be a discrepancy between my perceived mundane tone of the original review, and my later appreciation for the novel in the updates. The yellow color is a result of the technicality in allowing a three star-rating, because I have averaged out the two halves.
March 7, 2020
Update
Even though the three star-rating is mostly supported, I have been unable to describe the rating of this book because there are three perceptions to this book, the first coming from the original review, the second coming from the updates, and the third being a hybrid of the two. Because of this, I have left the rating type of the book at 3A.
October 19, 2020
Update
It has not been stated in the previous update which of the three types of rating styles does this book receives, since the previous update had elaborated on how I had three perceptions of the book. I believe this is answered in the update from January 31, 2020: "The yellow color is a result of the technicality in allowing a three star-rating, because I have averaged out the two halves." I believe that I have created an average of the original review and the subsequent updates, and this was the direction I leaned towards in that update from January 31, 2020.
I can see myself leaning towards a 2.5 star-rating as the definite rating, as proposed in the update from January 26, 2020. I do recall liking the book after finishing it (as mentioned in the rating update from June 2, 2019). and when that ending feeling of liking the book is combined with previous criticisms in updates prior to the update from January 26, 2020, can lead to a 2.5 star-rating.
October 20, 2020
Update
I have thought of giving this book an exact rating of 2.5 stars, however I cannot do so because of the reasons behind the current three star-rating. There are three leading proposals of how this book has received a three star-rating. The first proposal is a definite three star-rating (or at least presently understood as definite) in the update from December 26, 2019. The second proposal is a definite 2.5 star-rating as mentioned in the update from January 26, 2020. The third proposal is a 2.5 star-rating as an average of the criticisms and three star-rated liking of the book, mentioned in the update from January 31, 2020. I cannot definitively chose a 2.5 star-rating and write it in the "Exact Rating" column of the excel document because of the conflicting points of view. Because of this, I have written down "2.5/3" in the "Exact Rating" column with a yellow outline. The "2.5/3" is meant to indicate how I am undecided in whether the exact rating is 2.5 stars or three stars, and the yellow indicates this uncertainty. Because of this addition to the "Exact Rating" column, I have colored the "Final Correction" column from green to yellow, and added, in text, the following: "Exact rating disputed". The exact rating will need to be corrected at some point, if not never.
However, all of these points of view lead to a three star-rating with the system of rating done by Goodreads, since a 2.5 star-rating must be raised or lowered to three or two stars, and I lean towards a three star-rating because of the support of the leaning to three stars done by two of the three proposals.
May 3, 2024
Update
As I’m going to write as a general rule, it’s been so long that I can no longer recall an original or true feeling for this book. I feel like I should remove the Goodreads rating for this book, but to do so I think is to ignore what has already been done, sort of like a legacy rating. Even though I might not know with certainty now, what’s passed has passed, and it is not as uncertain as a rating as the “Their Eyes were Watching God”. Time will go on and I’ll forget even the most certain of ratings I give books now. This will of course be the shortcoming of my system. I must carefully assess whether a rating for a book, a book that I can no longer remember, is truly incorrect before changing it, or whether I should just leave the rating alone. It is supportable that this rating should be removed based on how the “Book Type” description seems so vague.
Also, in the exact rating cell for this book in the “Goodreads 5.0.xlsx”, “2.5/3” was written. I’ve since removed it and changed to simply “2.5” since this seems to comply best with the previous writing in this review. Regardless, the exact rating, is still indefinite, and appropriately colored yellow and written as needing fixing.
book_concierge's review against another edition
5.0
A pretty young woman is found in a pool of blood; she’s been slashed repeatedly with a sharp instrument. Her male roommate is found on the street nearby, covered in her blood, exposing himself and babbling incoherently. Arrested for her murder, he hangs himself in his jail cell. The case is closed. But the dead girl's father has come to Matthew Scudder, an ex-cop and unlicensed private investigator, hoping for answers; he’s been somewhat estranged from his daughter and he wants to know how she came to be in this setting. Scudder begins looking into her background, and finds much more than he expected.
Wow. I’ve been a fan of Lawrence Block’s Bernie Rhodenbarr series (Burglars Can’t Be Choosers, et al) for quite some time, but had not read any of the Matt Scudder series until now. This series is darker than the “Burglar” books. Block is a master of suspense, and he writes a tight novel. There is nary a word out of place or an extraneous phrase.
What I really loved about the book was Scudder himself. He’s contemplative and relatively quiet, not given to macho acts of aggression (though he’s not above teaching a lesson or two to a bad guy). I like the way he deals with other people – respectful, even when he’s applying pressure. He has a strong sense of right and wrong, and while he feels comfortable rendering judgment, he recognizes the slippery slope he’s on when he takes matters into his own hands.
I’ll definitely be reading more of this series. I want to get to know Matthew Scudder better.
Wow. I’ve been a fan of Lawrence Block’s Bernie Rhodenbarr series (Burglars Can’t Be Choosers, et al) for quite some time, but had not read any of the Matt Scudder series until now. This series is darker than the “Burglar” books. Block is a master of suspense, and he writes a tight novel. There is nary a word out of place or an extraneous phrase.
What I really loved about the book was Scudder himself. He’s contemplative and relatively quiet, not given to macho acts of aggression (though he’s not above teaching a lesson or two to a bad guy). I like the way he deals with other people – respectful, even when he’s applying pressure. He has a strong sense of right and wrong, and while he feels comfortable rendering judgment, he recognizes the slippery slope he’s on when he takes matters into his own hands.
I’ll definitely be reading more of this series. I want to get to know Matthew Scudder better.
decretaro's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
gabmc's review against another edition
3.0
I've had this book on my shelves for years and finally decided to read it. It was set and written in New York in the 1970s and it was great to read a detective/crime novel from those days. No mobile phones or even faxes to help the detective solve the crime. Matt Scudder is a former police officer who left the force under questionable circumstances. He's now a private detective and in this case he's been asked by the father of a murdered girl to find out more about her life. I'd like to read more in this series.
carlycohen's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
3.0
suburbanyute's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
twotoes's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
I'm not sure if Scudder is just a nihilist or a pragmatist. Either way I'm going to follow up on this series.
mdrewb20's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed the character and the general feel of this novel more than the story, but that's enough to keep me coming back for more!
coleman_matt's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5