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Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Night Film by Marisha Pessl

This book reminds me of that quote by Nietzche, "When you look long into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you."

Stanislas Cordova is a reclusive filmmaker who plumbs the "dark crags and muck of human desire and longing" in his underground movies--his 'night films'. He hasn't been seen in public in over three decades, but he has a strong cult following. Now his 24-year-old daughter, Ashley, is dead from an apparent suicide. Ashley was beautiful and enigmatic and a musical prodigy; so why did she kill herself? And how and where did she spend the last ten days of her life?

Journalist Scott McGrath decides to investigate father and daughter. But looking too closely at Cordova can be dangerous; his life is as dark as his films, the truth about him elusive. And Ashley is just as great a mystery. The last person to see her alive, a homeless hatcheck girl named Nora, joins Scott's investigation, as does a young drug dealer named Hopper, who has his own secret connection to Ashley. In the course of the investigation, as McGrath peels away the layers surrounding Cordova and his daughter and edges closer and closer to the truth, he definitely looks into the abyss. And the abyss looks back at him.

I liked this book, all 500-plus pages of it. It's a well-written mystery, not too graphic or gory, with a touch of the occult and a mixed-media twist: there are photocopies of police reports, images from websites, photos, and newspaper clippings. It's like you're part of the investigation. I just wish there'd been more of the mixed-media aspect throughout the entire novel than there was. But that's my only complaint with this psychological thriller. 

Happy Reading!

And, as a bookish bonus, this book fills another category for me in the What's in a Name 2014 Reading Challenge. (That's 3 books read; 2 more to go!) Category completed with this book: Read a book that has a reference to time in its title.

12 comments:

  1. I am not too sure about this one, I hated (!) her previous book and I am not sure I would like Night film. But your review makes me change my opinion a little bit! So, who knows? :-)

    Kind regards,

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    1. Her previous book wasn't that good, huh? Good to know. But I did like this one a lot. Let me know if you decide to give it a try.

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  2. I loved this too, although agree that there could have been more mixed media. I liked that there wasn't a proper resolution too, I chose to accept the creepier version of events...

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    1. I kind of liked the creepier version, too. This isn't a book that should be all neat and tidy at the end.

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  3. This is one of those book of which one day I think that I'd like to read it and next day I'm back on doubtful. But I'm kind of moving towards adding it to the TBR pile because reviews on Night Film have been interesting.

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    1. I liked how the mystery developed, and it read pretty fast. But it's definitely a book you have to be in the right mood to read.

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  4. Not sure this one will make it onto my already crowded TBR list, but the mixed media aspect of it sounds great!

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  5. That was my favorite part; there just wasn't enough of it.

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  6. I know a lot of people were conflicted about the ending on this one, but honestly I liked it. I think while this book is definitely creepy and gives you that feeling of looking over your shoulder, it is also about the more human horrors of being obsessed with someone or something.

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    1. I liked this book, too. And I think you're right...it does speak volumes about obsession.

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  7. I didn't know about the mixed media, that sounds like a lot of fun (by itself, I mean - the story can't be called that of course). Well done on What's In A Name!

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    1. It was my favorite part and I wish there'd been more of it. Overall, the book is a great mystery.

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