Scott HawkinsRecensioni

Read to page 206 before stopping. Just could not get interested no matter how much I tried....

This book was so good, I'm not sure what to say. It was unlike most of the fantasy that I've been reading lately, other than being dark.

I guess I'll just have to recommend this to anyone that enjoys fantasy.

I'm not entirely sure how to describe this book. It is truly an original work of art. It contained fascinating, multi-dimensional characters who constantly surprised me. It was well paced, and hard to put down. The story itself was both horrific and wonderful at the same time. I look forward to reading more from this author!

"The Library on Mount Char" by Scott Hawkins is a literary rollercoaster that defies conventional storytelling. From the first page, Hawkins immerses readers in a world that's both bizarre and captivating. The narrative weaves through a labyrinth of twists and turns, leaving you constantly on the edge of your seat, unsure of what will happen next. The characters, each with their unique quirks and mysteries, add layers to the story, making it a truly unforgettable experience.

What makes this book stand out is Hawkins' ability to blend fantasy, horror, and humor seamlessly. The unconventional nature of the plot might make you question how it all fits together, but somehow, it does, creating a narrative tapestry that's both intricate and satisfying. The author's imaginative prowess is on full display, turning what could have been a chaotic mess into a brilliantly orchestrated symphony of weirdness.

"The Library on Mount Char" is not a book that fits neatly into a specific genre—it's a genre of its own. Hawkins has crafted a tale that challenges expectations, and while it might not be for everyone, those who appreciate a wild and unpredictable journey will find themselves thoroughly engrossed in this peculiar and enthralling literary adventure.

"With this particular species of crazy, you stop trying to make things better. You start trying to maximize the bad. You pretend to like it. Eventually you start working to make everything as bad as possible. It's an avoidance mechanism." Jennifer looked Carolyn directly in the eyes. "It can't actually work. That's why they call it crazy."

I've been singing the praises of this novel for years, but it's also been years since I've read it. Spurred on by a fellow author's initial love, and ultimate disappointment with the novel, I decided it was time to revisit it.

My original review from October 16, 2016 read like this:

Holy hell, what did I just read?

Imagine, if you will, Clive Barker's The Great and Secret Show sitting at a bar. Neil Gaiman's American Gods comes in, sits down, and buys the Barker book a drink. Probably something mixed by Alan Moore. They slow dance to Neil Gaiman's Sandman series, then go back to one of their bedrooms and make sweet, sweet love. Nine months later, this is the book you would get from that union.

That's the best I can do. That's the only description I can think of, and trust me, I thought about this a lot as I went through this amazing novel.

I will say, for the first quarter of this book, I mostly thought, What the hell am I even reading? None of this makes sense. Characters come and go and I don't know why.

For the next quarter of the book, I began to understand the shape of the story, and I thought, Enh. It's okay, but nothing to write home about. Some neat concepts, but where is it all leading?

Then, around the halfway point, shit began to happen. I sat up and took notice. Then, shit turned left, then left again. Then shit went into seventeen dimensional space. I was hooked.

The first half is necessary set-up. The last half? It's fucking genius. I am in awe of Scott Hawkins.

This book easily... easily wins best book of the year for me. Nothing else I have, or will read this year will come close to its scope, its imagination, or sheer breathtaking wonder.

It's a shame I can only award five stars. This one sits in a dimensional reality all its own, and in that reality, it wins all the stars.

_______

So, that was seven years, two months and five days ago. How did I feel about it the second time around?

That I was pretty much spot on with that last review, that's how.

There's so much that happens in this novel. There's so many concepts. This novel is the embodiment of two quotes from famous authors, both published in 1962. Arthur C. Clarke's "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." And Stan Lee's "With great power there must also come great responsibility."

But, for all the wild events, the universe-shaking occurrences, I think the thing that hit me the most on this re-read was the heart of the characters, especially toward the end of the novel. Just the little moments with the Black Beauty novel alone.

Hawkins takes liberties with the pacing and the plot, but they're all in service to the story. Trust me, outside of Tom Sweterlitsch, I don't think you'll find another novel quite as mind-blowing as this one.

I loved it seven years ago. I love it more now.

DNF at 45%. I have too many other books I’m excited about to see if this gets better. I already gave it way longer than I usually would. Boring, meandering, and trying way too hard to look like it’s not trying at all.

This wasn't NEARLY as weird and incomprehensible as I was led to believe, and I'm only a little bit dissapointed.
Mostly very impressed by the characters, who I liked, and the world, which was interesting in a ha-ha kind of way. Has a good sense of humor without making itself a joke; some of the character moments in the first two-thirds or so were really touching, and there was clearly a lot of compassion for all of the characters, including the awful ones, which I appreciate.
The only real problem I had was the pacing, which wasn't bad in and of itself, but the part that I thought was going to be ending happened, inexplicably, halfway through the book. It was, I think, mostly a problem of expectation—the plot as described on the back cover is not the real plot, and therefore when it ends, the story, you know, keeps going except with the real plot. The real plot is also unexpected in the good way, insofar as it deals with problems that another (worse) book would ignore. So...basically I liked it. Yeah.

I honestly didn't know what I was getting into picking up this book but when I did, I didn't put it down. Hawkins put together a truly crazy universe and then didn't feel the need to explain any of it to the reader. It reminded me a little of a Dan Simmons book, in which the author just whispers "trust me, just go with it" and for no reason at all you do, all the while asking yourself "why in gods name does this work?". I guess that one of the exiting things about this is that you can honestly throw all your expectations out the window and "just go with it". Hawkins found this balance in which you can imagine all sorts of things about his world at which he just hints instead of handing it to you in its entirety.

There must be some things I disliked about this book, but I can't remember any of them. It is very gruesome though, which I normally don't particularly care for, but for some reason it only contributed to the feeling of awesomeness in the book.

E: Would recommend. Super intriguing premise, and well executed. I was satisfied with the ending - hopeful without betraying the characters or the mood. Not as weird as I was expecting, but potentially a better story as a result.

I don't normally read books from the fantasy genre, but I always lean towards novels containing bookshop or library in the title, so I decided to give this one a try. I must say there were some really graphic violent scenes to get past, but there were also lots of laughs thrown in as well. And even a bit of a love story to boot. Overall, a very enjoyable read.

I will tell you right now I don't have the words to describe how and why I liked this. I'd just like to thank the person who left it a little off-kilter in its row, or whatever it is that caught my attention and caused me to grab it off the shelf without thinking.

I don't read much fantasy, and it was kind of an accident that I picked this up. It crossed my desk, and it had "library" in the title, and it looked interesting so I figured What the hey. I also thought it was YA, but I'm pretty sure now that it's not. Anyway. I did read a bunch of Clive Barker when I was younger, which is also way outside my comfort zone, but which I found very diverting. Like Barker's work, this kind of slips over the boundary into horror at times, with a lot of violence and bloodshed. This book is the story of Carolyn, a Librarian like none I've ever known. Kidnapped as a child along with a bunch of others, she has spent her life (which in human years is about 30, but "time moves differently in the Library") learning her Catalogue, one of 12 that seem to encompass the entirety of knowledge and experience, human and otherwise. The narrative starts at the beginning of the end of her story (or maybe the end of the beginning), which is sort of confusing because it's a fantasy, which means that jumping in partway through takes a lot of mental reach. There's a lot that is unfamiliar. But, as with Barker's books, there is a lot that is familiar too. This is a fantasy novel that takes elements of the supernatural and plunks them squarely in the middle of mundane human existence, which is really why this works. I think we are endlessly fascinated with the idea of parallel worlds, universes that exist under our noses but which we cannot detect. I spent the first third or so of this novel a bit lost, trying to figure out what was going on, but as soon as the direction became clear, I got it, and it was interesting to see where it would eventually lead. Science fiction and fantasy often contain allegories of that aforementioned mundane (or maybe not so mundane) human existence, and this is no different, commenting on the nature of humanity, particularly the relationships between parents and children, siblings, and friends, and the role of love in our humanity. It takes on Death as a concept, almost attempting to demystify it, to make it something desirable rather than something fearsome. It even touches on the frailty of global humanity and the planet we live on, hinting at the effects of catastrophe and dystopia, but not delving into it wholesale. I find myself wishing I had time to go back and re-read the first third of this book, which left me mostly at sea, because I know there are clues there that would have made the ending even more satisfying, but alas, I do not. Perhaps I'll pick this one up again sometime.

Feels like American Gods written by Stephen King on a sadistic streak. Really enjoyed the first 75% (the rest feels like an unnecessary epilogue).

Of all the things I can say about this incredible horror/fantasy mash‑up, that it was predictable isn't one of them.½

So... It took me a long time to read this novel.

It was weird, and sometimes funny, but usually cruel and oblique and creepy. So the first half was slow. It was easy for me to stop and start and stop and read some and wander off. But I came back. And just past 50% through, things started clicking, at least for me.

I read the second half in about a quarter of the total reading time. The last few chapters kept me up late. And, most importantly, the ending beats were good, and justified my patience.

It's not five stars for me because the parts that hurt me still hurt, and a star is little enough payment for that. I am only human.

God forbid women do anything

I have never hated a book as much as I do this one. I wish I hadn't listened to all of the "rave reviews" and purchased it bindly.

Well, that was a crazy, wild ride! A tad too violent for my preference but I still gave it 4 stars because it was a creative and interesting story line that allowed me to just sit back - or I should say buckle up - for the ride. I really appreciated that because too many times I can clearly see where the book is heading and, although it may be enjoyable, it can be predictable. It was unique and entertaining and not at all what I expected - a really good read for me because of that.

The library at Mount Char. The library is not what you think. The word library, to me, means a second home, where I go at least once a week, and people that work there know my name, I can go get on the internet on the computers, I can print things out like I can't at home, I can pick up the books that are reserved for me. I feel so comfortable there.
Well this Library is infinite, for all practical purposes. Each book tells how to do something, it could be medicine, it could be how to fight, it could be how to bring dead people back, it could be about the future. And Mount Char is a nickname that Carolyn and Steve made when they were kids. Adam Black, who is "Father," lived on the top of the hill in the subdivision they all came from. He was always barbecuing in his bull barbecuer, and whenever the neighbors invited him to come over he would say "in a little bit, I just have to put a char on this pork." So that's where that name came from.
On Labor Day in 1978, Adam Black caused the library, inside of a pyramid, to come down on the houses of the children in the subdivision, and killed many of their parents. There were 12 of the children left alive, besides Steve, who was sent away.
Adam Black, known to the children as Father, then told the children they had to learn from their particular book, and they could never share anything they learned with each other. On threat of death. Horrific death. Like being barbecued to death inside of the bull barbecuer. Or having your eyes poked out over and over and over. These children grew up to know how to do magic, time/space was their realm, they could bring the other children back to life after they were killed. They were emptied of emotions.
This was a entertaining read. I didn't mind reading about the deaths over and over of the children. Especially since they always got to come back. But I did hate when Dresden the lion was sacrificed. And I did hate when the dogs were used as bodyguards for Father.
I liked the character of Erwin.

one of the first books in a very long time that surprised me from start to finish. each time i thought i had things figured out, the plot took a decidedly different (yet perfectly plausible) path½

Wo wo wo!! I'm in Norway; where the fuck did Q-33 North go?

Worst stupidest book i've ever read in my life.

Good book, just a tad too dark for me. I had a similar reaction to GoT #1... it was a good book, and I'm glad I read it, but I had trouble stomaching it. I'm not sure I would read another one, but not a problem here as this doesn't have a sequel.

Not quite enough. There is some cleverness and some interesting world building but nothing complete and whole. And there is a good deal of nastiness and body count as the the ghastly apostles flail about in the absence of their one time monster in chief.½

Very good and yet horribly disturbing all at the same time.