Monday, August 24, 2015

Review:: The Scar, by China Miéville


Title: The Scar
Author: China Miéville
Series: New Crobuzon, #2
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Previously:

Apparently I read The Scar, but never wrote a review. Probably because I was so underwhelmed. I absolutely loved Perdido Street Station and I love Miéville, so I was expecting a treat. Instead, I was kind of bored, actually. Maybe it's because there's so little to do with New Crobuzon or maybe it was because I didn't care about the characters. Regardless, it was a solid two stars.

I don't know why I wasn't able to get into the characters. Most people I know were absolutely entranced by them. And the setting sure isn't New Crobuzon, but it is a floating city, which you'd think would be interesting enough.

Now, of course, the writing is fucking gorgeous, or this wouldn't even have been two stars. Sometimes I complain about losing track of what's going on because Miéville's prose is so gorgeous, but in this case, it was actually kind of nice.

There were a few characters that grabbed my attention, but they were mostly side characters and weren't handled in ways that entirely pleased me. The Lovers, for example, are a character trope I greatly enjoy, but I felt like more could have been done with them.

And while it is rich and complex, the plot itself just felt... trite and frustrating. I don't know. This wasn't my favorite book in the series, by far.

2 comments:

  1. Hm, I recall actually liking this best. Wonder if it would stand up to a reread!

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    Replies
    1. I think I unfortunately kept just wanting Perdido Street Station. Which wasn't happening.

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