The Gone-Away World

The Gone-Away World by Nick Harkaway
My review
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
It is going to be hard to write a review for this book without giving away spoilers. So I will try, but be forewarned that some hopefully minor things will be given away. Really, all this review will do is make you more aware that everything in the book is there for a reason.
Caveats aside, moving on. This was just a fabulous thing to read. I admit that I did get bored in some of the middle section, especially after it started off with such a bang (a common device in novels these days). But man, when Nick Harkaway gets back to the action, and you start to see the pieces he put in place earlier start tumbling into place like a Tetris puzzle, you really see the beauty of his design. Seriously, every character, no matter how minor you think they might be, plays a part. Every side observation someone makes also tends to come into play. Harkaway has planted these seeds, without your conscious self being aware of them, and when the seeds poke up out of the ground, they start to blossom, and then you truly appreciate why he was showing you every step of the planting.
The Gone-Away World is phenomenal. It’s a little bit sci-fi, tries to almost be literary but isn’t pretentious, and throws in enough mystery and twists to delight any reader. Highly recommended.
Next up will be The Manhattan Hunt Club by John Saul, recommended to me by Suzy.