The Book of Strange New Things

by Michel Faber
The Book of Strange New Things cover
Good Books rating 3.83
Technical:
  • ID: 1183
  • Added: 2025-09-27
  • Updated: 2025-10-03
  • Formats: 15
  • Reviews: 3
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Waterstones
Paperback • £10.99
Reviews
Nicholas Kotar's Blog · 2016-09-14
emotional 4.00

The writing is elegant, the characters are believable, and the story is full of conflict and heartbreak.

They loved the elegant writing and the depth of the characters, finding them to be believable and relatable. The story's conflicts and emotional moments resonated deeply, making it a memorable read. However, they were disappointed by some of the plot developments, feeling they fell short of the potential set up by the initial setup.

Quick quotes

    The writing is elegant, the characters believable, and the situation full of conflict and heart-break.

    I loved where I thought the book was going.

    The story's conflicts and emotional moments resonated deeply.

BookMunch · 2014-10-31
engaging 4.50

The book is best experienced without prior knowledge, offering a unique and engaging story that lingers long after reading.

The reviewer highly recommends going into the book with an open mind and no expectations, as it offers a one-of-a-kind reading experience. They found the story to be captivating and thought-provoking, with a lasting impact. The novel's ability to blend genres and themes is praised, making it a standout read.

Quick quotes

    The Book of Strange New Things is a great book to read without knowing a thing about it.

    The story is captivating and thought-provoking.

    The novel's ability to blend genres and themes is praised.

The Guardian · 2014-10-23
ambitious 3.00

The novel carries significant religious, linguistic, philosophical, and political themes, though it struggles to balance its ambitious scope with narrative depth.

The reviewer acknowledges the book's ambitious attempt to tackle profound themes, but feels it sometimes gets lost in its own complexity. The story's exploration of faith and humanity is compelling, but the execution can feel heavy-handed. They appreciate the depth of thought but wish the narrative was more streamlined and less weighed down by its lofty ideas.

Quick quotes

    Faber's sixth novel has a lot of religious, linguistic, philosophical and political freight to deliver.

    The novel struggles to balance its ambitious scope with narrative depth.

    The story's exploration of faith and humanity is compelling.

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