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jbliv's review
4.0
Had this book been 200 to 300 pages shorter, it would likely deserve the full 5 stars, but alas, its length drags it down a star. It's a class act of a Victorian thriller, with our unreliable and very criminal protagonist on the hunt for the inheritance stolen from him long ago. Much of the book concerns the history of how all of this came to be, starting from when he was a mere infant through present day, a tour that takes us through magnificent estates, law offices, houses of prostitution, the London underbelly, and a host of great and unsavory characters. Much of the tale is told through Edward's interaction with others as he unravels his mystery, and this is where the novel shines, as every character he meets is well-drawn and interesting and full with his or her own history and ambitions. Well done, old chap, well done.
avidreadr's review against another edition
5.0
So many years later, and I still find myself missing this series
apol27's review
4.0
slow start, but i was hooked at the end. very interesting writing style. will be looking forward to our bookclub discussion
duparker's review against another edition
3.0
Three and a half stars. I liked this book, and felt the aura it was intending to present. The Victorian era is well played and it has a certain vibe to it, that moves from thriller to fiction to mystery to thought provoking. What it doesn't do well is be concise. You really get into the nitty gritty in this book and have to sit back and enjoy it.
I can see how someone might get bogged down in the details, but that is some of what made the story work for me. You have to want to close your eyes and be in Victorian England and have the nuances and the obstacles of that era. You also have to like the story within a story within a retelling way of reading a book.
There is no major plot here, there is a story of desire and attempts to fill that desire. Over 700 pages you like and dislike the narrator and characters and you struggle to understand what it was like to be them in an era where luxury was out of reach to many and those that had it rolled in it.
I might have gone 4 stars but the length was a bit much for the follow through and after reading the book I am not inclined to read anything else by Cox.
I can see how someone might get bogged down in the details, but that is some of what made the story work for me. You have to want to close your eyes and be in Victorian England and have the nuances and the obstacles of that era. You also have to like the story within a story within a retelling way of reading a book.
There is no major plot here, there is a story of desire and attempts to fill that desire. Over 700 pages you like and dislike the narrator and characters and you struggle to understand what it was like to be them in an era where luxury was out of reach to many and those that had it rolled in it.
I might have gone 4 stars but the length was a bit much for the follow through and after reading the book I am not inclined to read anything else by Cox.
alyssathinkstoomuch's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Very much like if Jane Austen wrote a spy thriller. There is maybe one likeable character in this whole novel (affectionate). Cox has some absolutely banger lines in this book; that being said, it could have been 50 pages shorter.
lorbach's review
5.0
Cox is by far the greatest writer I have read. The absolute eloquency of his wording is amazing. He speaks in a way that is so profound yet so simple. He takes the most mundane sentence and turns it into a piece of art.
Absolutely the most splendid, engaging, and memorable book I have read.
Absolutely the most splendid, engaging, and memorable book I have read.
angengea's review against another edition
4.0
'The Meaning of Night' is without a doubt one of the best books I've read in recent years. It's a superb use of the trope of "unreliable narration" and even though I pretty thoroughly disliked every single character, I couldn't put the book down. After finishing it, I'm still not sure whether Glapthorn really was the long lost song of Baron Tansor, or just someone with serious mental health and drug addiction issues that had convinced himself that he was and the uncertainty (even if it is completely maddening) is why I loved this book so much. I literally could not put the book down and spent all the time I wasn't reading it thinking about it. I haven't been this engrossed by a story for a really long time, and I think Cox's writing was exceptional and brilliant. I may never reread this book, but I definitely recommend picking it up if you're looking for a psychological thriller of stellar quality.
coralrose's review against another edition
3.0
A little overdone, perhaps...but have you read Dickens?
I mean, if you're going to say that this Victorian gothic story is in need (as one reviewer put it) of some aggressive editing, you at least have to admit that so could Oliver Twist.
**Later
So....I obviously really enjoyed reading this book (I know, it took me a week, but you try working 35 hours in three days (which is not mentioning the more normal work hours worked the rest of the week) and see if you have any energy to read more than 6 or 7 pages while on the treadmill.) I read it quickly, and once I hit page 302, I really didn't want to put it down.
I agree with other reviewer's who say that they didn't find the narrator at all sympathetic, but I would argue that this is part of Cox's strength as an author. You read the first couple hundred pages and think, What a pompous a**! Who cares if you lost something rightfully yours? But you keep reading. About another couple hundred pages in you think You're still an a**, but that other guy is kind of creepy too. Too bad he's getting what's due you. And you keep reading. And then at the end, you think Well, how could that have worked out any better? All of you people have huge character flaws, and in reality, none of you deserve this. Wow.
And you feel kind of satisfied.
I recommend it, to fans of Shadows of the Wind and The Thirteenth Tale. I don't think it's to the scale of either of those two, but I am definitely looking forward to the paperback of the sequel, which looks kind of deliciously dissimilar.
I mean, if you're going to say that this Victorian gothic story is in need (as one reviewer put it) of some aggressive editing, you at least have to admit that so could Oliver Twist.
**Later
So....I obviously really enjoyed reading this book (I know, it took me a week, but you try working 35 hours in three days (which is not mentioning the more normal work hours worked the rest of the week) and see if you have any energy to read more than 6 or 7 pages while on the treadmill.) I read it quickly, and once I hit page 302, I really didn't want to put it down.
I agree with other reviewer's who say that they didn't find the narrator at all sympathetic, but I would argue that this is part of Cox's strength as an author. You read the first couple hundred pages and think, What a pompous a**! Who cares if you lost something rightfully yours? But you keep reading. About another couple hundred pages in you think You're still an a**, but that other guy is kind of creepy too. Too bad he's getting what's due you. And you keep reading. And then at the end, you think Well, how could that have worked out any better? All of you people have huge character flaws, and in reality, none of you deserve this. Wow.
And you feel kind of satisfied.
I recommend it, to fans of Shadows of the Wind and The Thirteenth Tale. I don't think it's to the scale of either of those two, but I am definitely looking forward to the paperback of the sequel, which looks kind of deliciously dissimilar.