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Liked It “What a great read that retells a story from the perspective of 7 different people. With each person, my feelings on the situation changed dramatically and a great illustration of moral relativism. Couldn't put this book down even though it certainly weighed enough! This is a long read that is...” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It“I had wanted to read this book for years, but only got around to actually buying it when I saw it on sale for five bucks. It quickly became clear to me why that was. |
Newest Reviews
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“What a great read that retells a story from the perspective of 7 different people. With each person, my feelings on the situation changed dramatically and a great illustration of moral relativism. Couldn't put this book down even though it certainly weighed enough! This is a long read that is definitely worth the time. Very original in its execution.”
Natalie Y wrote this review Monday, November 9 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Amazingly complex. Practically Dickensian in how truly tied together all 7 of these characters are. Mind-exercising vocabulary. Compelling characters that are true-to-life - almost too much so at times. Truly a literary work of art.”
Mrs. R. wrote this review Saturday, July 4 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Enjoyed this book of different perspectives on a kidnapping. Particularly innovative and strong, for me, was the use of second-person narration in the first chapter (in which a psychiatrist is addressing the former girlfriend of his patient). Each chapter is told from the perspective of a different character in the book, extending and deepening the storyline.
Tamara J wrote this review Friday, April 17 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
As I generally enjoy this style of storytelling, it was satisfying for me. However, I was a bit disenchanted by the ending. If a former boyfriend of mine kidnapped my child just to get my attention, I'd probably flatten them with a Mac truck.Granted, I guess the mother's definitive avoidance of contact with the ex-boyfriend during a critical period was something of that sort!
Some sections dragged, but others made up for it. The ending was not what I expected, and had both good (new and unexpected character's insight) and bad (really anguished disappearance of a character) elements.”
“Very long, a little circuitous. I was expecting something much more masterful. It was good, but not great. ”
R U wrote this review Sunday, January 11 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“After re-reading the first 70 pages about four times, I could not put this book down. There is so much going on, at so many levels, with characters that become entwined in your everyday life.
Cindy L wrote this review Wednesday, January 7 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
You will hate for the pages to run out.”
“Elliot Perlman is one of my favorite authors. I only wish he'd write more. He has a gift for weaving a story in a most engaging way. Seven Types of Ambiguity is a story about a man who lost himself in grief, told by the perspective of seven different people. VERY interesting, engaging read. This is a must-read for everyone!”
Meggly wrote this review Thursday, July 17 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“One of my favorite books. The characters become so real and you get so involved in the story that it's hard to put the book down. I strongly reccomend this book.”
Elizabeth D wrote this review Monday, July 14 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“I had wanted to read this book for years, but only got around to actually buying it when I saw it on sale for five bucks. It quickly became clear to me why that was.
JenniferM wrote this review Saturday, June 21 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
It's extremely disappointing. With seven narrators, all in the first person which is often combined with the second, each section attempts to do something different. Sometimes it's clear: a letter or phone call to another character. The transcript of a session with a psychiatrist. Other times, you're left wondering who the character is talking to or why. The dialogue is impossible to believe. It's never clear why all of the characters are so beguiled by Simon, the novel's pro- and antagonist. He is a long-winded, pompous, "intellectual" who is extremely reminscent of Perlman himself. The novel's purpose seems little more than to tell us eveything that he knows: how to cheat at blackjack, literary theory, the symptoms of MS, psychological theories, literature. The list goes on. The actual plot seems to be there for the sole purpose of conveying all of these things in a form that people might possibly actually want to read. They don't. I only stuck with it because of all of the reviews I read that said that it's worth it to wait it out. They were wrong. I rarely completely slam a book like this, but I am rarely so disappointed or disgusted.
Overall, don't bother.”
