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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Misled,
By Michael Hutchinson (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Mall: A Novel (Hardcover)
What initially piqued my interest in this book were the reviews written on the back cover by other published authors that promised action and intensity. While I found both of these elements in the plot, I felt somewhat cheated by the author's choppy writing style. Each time a new character is introduced, or a new scene takes place, Bogosian leads the reader to the edge of the cliff, and then...ends the chapter. He makes it difficult to really become engrossed in the characters or their surroundings. While this style is likely used (effectively, by the way) by the author to keep the reader reading, and to create the "couldn't put it down" effect, it leaves the reader with an uneasy, insatiated feeling. Another disappointment was the superficiality with which the author touched on the narcotics underworld. While I credit the author for having what seems to be more than just a textbook knowledge of the substances used by his characters, I found myself hoping he would dramatize this abusive element of his characters' behavior more so than he did. In an apparent attempt to voice a commentary on the state of affairs in Sububia, USA, he fails to include his thesis. Too many times, the characters question things without ever really resolving anything. Further, the points that were made clear, were trite and boring, and already hashed out in many a "session" in college dorms across the country. Ultimately, I think a reccomendation on this book all depends on the reccomendee. Adolescents and young twentysomethings struggling to find their identity might find this book entertaining, but I would advise against it for the sophisticated adult reader.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mall unravels America's contemporary social fabric...,
By Michael Punsalan (Toledo, Ohio, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Mall: A Novel (Hardcover)
With an overdose of fast-paced energy and killer verocity, Eric Bogosian's new book, MALL, takes it's readers into a whirlpool of non-stop, thought-provoking, well done suspense. While Bogosian keeps the reader engorged with powerful social and cultural rhetoric; humorous AND anxiety-prone passages are strung throughout the chapters-keeping the reader "laughing out loud" while remaining fearful of "what happens next."Bogosian utilizes a technique of well-crafted parallel story-telling, thus allowing the reader to experience the story through six different characters almost simultaneously, WITHOUT reducing the tension from chapter to chapter. Wrapping the story in circles intertwines the six characters live's in humorous, and often unsuspecting ways. Although critics of this book might argue the lack of character development, I would wholeheartedly disagree. Given the literary constraints on writing a book of this style and format, Bogosian gives adequate character development considering the rapidly moving rising action of the plot. With too much "Stephen King-style character development", the book Mall would lack the tension that Bogosian illustrates in short development. Bogosian follows his old style of "play writing" in creating a story that jumps to the action....leaving the reader "sitting on the edge of their seat." Once again, Bogosian drops several socially satirical comments and passages throughout the book, hoping to spark a socially rhetorical thought. Much like his earlier works, Bogosian taps a human nerve that unleash disguised sentiments of a disgusted American culture. Whereas "SubUrbia" circumvented the modern day convenience store, and "Talk Radio" hit the unheard and unseen voices of the American air waves, "Mall" unravels the fiber of America's contemporary social fabric, the shopping mall. I highly recommend this book to avid fans of Bogosian and would encourage new readers to possibly pick up earlier Bogosian work, as well as his current work, Mall.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantabulous!,
By
This review is from: Mall (Paperback)
This is one of my favorite books of all time that I think tests the limits of what we call literature, it is probably one of the best contemporary novels that I would put into the catagory of postmodernism. We literally mind-surf into several characters heads and see whats going on, the characters all interlink through a story of a much larger scope and Bogosian creates a satire of American culture rival to that of American Beauty or anything in recent memory. This would make a great film, do not believe the naysayers, Bogosian is a very talented writer and I cannot wait until his next novel comes out.
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