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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Subdued and dark character study of a damaged family history,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Insult (Paperback)
Martin Blom, victim of a random shooting, is rendered blind. As the story unwinds he finds he can see but only at night or in the dark. He begins to create a life around this odd existence. Moving slowly, narrating the story in 1st person, we are allowed to casually observe his meanderings and his eventual settling at a dingy hotel/brothel. Add to this neo-noir mix the beautiful mystery woman Nina, and her mildly twisted craving for Martin in his blindness. The later abrupt disappearance of Nina, coupled w/ suggested furtive movements by his ex-doctor, prompt Martin to head to remote locales in search of a family history which may explain Nina's whereabouts. The second part of the novel is the wistful recounting of Nina's grandmother's difficult life and how it eventually ties to Nina and threatens Blom himself. The style of narrative at the half-way point shifts to the grandmother, and it almost sounds like a different author. I found the story to be a similarly winding, round-about sort of mystery as Asylum by P. McGrath. The last hundred-plus pages were consumed in one sitting, as things began to rapidly unfold, I realized that Martin's story was now effectively secondary to the tragedy described by the grandmother. The tone and tragedy in this novel were subtle, and subdued. It did not produce a strong emotive response during the reading, one does not cheer for Martin, or feel for him in any way. He's a bit of an anti-hero, in the narrator vein of Poe's work. Every character here is broken in a way, which leads to a dulling moroseness in their interactions, which we watch in a detached clinical manner. Still, I found it an interesting work, to be read, if possible, on a rainy, grey day.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Gradual Descent into Life,
By
This review is from: The Insult (Paperback)
A beautifully written text. Begninning with a bullet-shaped punch, Thompson introduces new elements of the tale at precisely the right moments - the main character's initial 'flaw' becomes his saving grace, but in the end only serves to guide him into another story, one of which even his condition could not be aware. A novel about what it is to be blind to life, instead of being blind to light.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A very interesting read...,
This review is from: The Insult (Paperback)
If you've read the other reviews of this book, you already know that Martin Blom was "insulted" by a gunshot wound, leaving him blind by day but able to see nocturnally. This book is dark (pun intended) yet fun and witty. Very unreal but very real at the same time. Rupert Thomson is a masterful writer. He creates fascinating (albeit strange) characters more bizarre than you've read about before. The story twists and turns and ends up where you wouldn't expect it to (which I loved). He writes in a style that's easy to read and creates strong visuals of people and places and emotions. (I'm rather surprised by the other reviews that didn't like his character development or his writing style). It's erotic, eerie, off-beat and a really good read. Very cool- I'll be recommending it to my friends who like the unusual.
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