B.B. is a forty-two-year-old hospital porter still living at home with his mother in a Yorkshire village. his social life is played out online, on a website called badguysrock. There, he stalks Albertine, with whom he shares a troubled past, and spins dark murder fantasies - especially about his mother.
As the story of their tortured relationship unravels, so does that of his blood feud with his brothers, the poignant tale of a blind child prodigy, and the poisonous truth lurking in the rotting heart of one disturbed family..... Inner front cover.
FIRST SENTENCE (Chapter 1): The colour of murder is blue, he thinks.
MEMORABLE MOMENT (Page 58): .... I've lied ever since I could remember. It's the only thing I do well, and I think we should play to our strengths, don't you? After all, what is a writer of fiction but a liar with a licence?
MY THOUGHTS: Brilliantly atmospheric, gripping, insightful, engrossing - just some of the words used to describe Joanne Harris's Blueeyedboy.
Myself, I'd use oddly intriguing and increasingly sinister.
A bit like a car passenger who, on passing a car crash, feels compelled to look, I felt myself drawn towards blueeyedboy. Unable to say exactly why, I can only think I was trying to make sense of it all.
Though mainly narrated by Blueeyedboy posting on the fictional site badguysrock, Blueeyedboy is written as a webjournal (not my favourite of formats it has to be said) complete with the occasional 'meme' and comment box in which some of the other characters leave their thoughts
Not by any stretch of the imagination one of Harris's finest offerings, I admit to having no idea what was going on for most of the book. Was it merely a reflection on social networking sites where people may or may not be who/what they claim to be OR was it about the complexities of so-called 'split'/'multiple' personalities OR was it about ......? I really have no idea.
Very dark, Blueeyedboy is a very modern tale that I initially found compelling but by the end found myself feeling nothing if not disappointed and utterly bewildered.
KEEP IT OR NOT?: Purchased by Husband dearest in 2010 (you can read his review HERE), this is not a book we shall be keeping.
13 comments:
disappointed and utterly bewildered!! if my dear friend tracy feels so, then i would also end up feeling so...hey interesting post ya
Sorry to hear that it dissapointed you in the end! I hate when that happens. But, oh well you gave it a try! :)
Well geesh...I was all intrigued and then, confused. Perhaps it's the delivery format that created the quandary?
Hmmmm, certainly sounds different. I've never heard of a book being written in web journal format. I think reading memes and comments would annoy me.
This one sounds too modern for me. Excellent review!!
Hi Tracy,
I got a bit confused by who was who, so I took your link to Amazon. The synopsis was quite intriguing until I got to the part about a life being played out on-line, then I lost interest, so this probably isn't one I shall bother with.
I appreciate your honest and candid review and trust your judgement implicitly.
Yvonne
This is one of those books that I would think is too dark for me, but end up enjoying it... if it wasn't for the ending. Oh no! I don't think I would read this one if the ending left you feeling that way. Too bad. :/
sorry it didn't really work for you. it actually sounds quite intriging. I like different formats, so the webjournal is a plus for me. I'll have to look into it more...I DO like this line: After all, what is a writer of fiction but a liar with a licence?
-lauren
I have never read a book in this format, so it sounds unique. The description was very intriguing. Sorry the ending took a downward turn for you. I liked your honest review.
~Jess
I thought it sounded very promising from the storyline you've described (really dark and intense and full of hurt), but oh, so sorry that the ending was disappointing.
The webjournal aspect would be totally appealing to me I think.
dark, too modern books definitely do not suit my personal tastes.
but i have to say that i really like that book cover. it's nice to look at!
xx
hi, i also, have never read a webjournal format before,but with your review i think i'll pass on this one, unless it comes as a freebie on kindle
Post a Comment