Reviews for The Hostage

The average rating for The Hostage based on 2 reviews is 2 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2019-12-10 00:00:00 Jordan Tetting Sing Goddess. That is how the story begins, one of the oldest stories of heroes, war, and adventure. And that is how this story goes too, with heroes that reflect those being sung and written about in a time just after the Trojan War and yet long before ours. Homer stumbles off a ship in Attica and manages to befriend Philocleon, the son of a wealthy landowner. Enraptured by Homer's ability to recite epic poems of the Trojan War and of the myths, Philocleon invites the wandering poet to his home. From there begins an intricate adventure equal to that of Odysseus as Philocleon learns from Homer and continues a legacy that carries on even today. While the premise of this story was very interesting and the writing relatively engaging, I found myself weaving in and out of this story too much. There were times that it held my attention and other times when I felt myself drifting away, only to wonder how I got to a certain scene by the end of it all. I found the transitions between scenes very abrupt and I constantly would read back just to make sure I wasn't missing anything. And while the characters of Homer and Philocleon were interesting, I felt like there were a lot of B story characters who faded in and out too much too. Some stories wrapped up and others felt short for me, for there were many to follow. It also never felt like one flowing story and instead small segments that were pushed together into a whole story. Perhaps this was added with the abrupt transitions, but overall I found a disconnect and jarring flow to the story. However, the core of this novel is good. It is a good story, it just needs to cut away the access. The numerous times a sacrifice is made and described for example is not necessary. Or the sudden introduction of the characters who worshipped the Mother Goddess during their very brief stay in Crete were given too much for their small snippet. There was just a lot that was going into this, an epic worthy of Homer, and there is a reason stories are no longer as epic as the Iliad. I enjoyed the ancient and mythological references, the author clearly knows their history. But there should be a balance between historical knowledge and the heart of a story. So even though this was an interesting twist to the story of Homer and the creation of the Iliad, it was not enough for me. Still, there are not enough stories about the ancient world, so I am still drawn to this story. Again, with some trimming and some focus, this novel really could have been wonderful. For as it is, it is a sprawling epic that does sing with a bit of poetry.

Review # 2 was written on 2012-09-21 00:00:00 Mauro Andres "How lonely people make life. But also I realized what I hadn't learned from him: that a family - if you allow it - gives you joy, which in turn gives you hope." I'm a pretty big BEE fan, and I love his cool, detached writing style, and how all his books are slightly deranged. I love how the protagonists are always a bit off - a big part of you detests them, a little bit of you feels sorry for them, and a tiny piece of you is jealous of the seemingly glamorous lives they live (the sex, drugs, parties, dining at Spago with supermodels stuff…not the ax murder Patrick Bateman stuff). Lunar Park is a bit different, because while I felt the expected pity and disgust toward the main character in the beginning of the novel, toward the end he made a turn for the better and I found myself somewhat invested in him. The story follows an accomplished and somewhat unhinged author (named, err, Bret Easton Ellis), as he tries to settle into a "normal life" of marriage and fatherhood. The book is semi-autographical, in that the background of the main character is based on the author's real life (several references to and quotes from BEE's past novels are cited); but the story itself is mostly fictional. The satire and social commentary BEE is known for is definitely not missing from the book. Whereas his past books commented on the casual drug abuse in the 80s and 90s by social upscale slackers, I found it interesting that the most shocking form of drug use (abuse?) in Lunar Park is by children, by prescription. But this is just a side note to the main story of Lunar Park, which is basically a ghost story. And it's really quite scary - complete with ghosts, stalkers, poltergeists, a demonic Furby-like doll coming to life, and an appearance of Patrick Bateman. Overall, there were parts that didn't seem to fit together quite right, and the ending left me slightly confused about certain things, but the story kept me riveted. It was almost refreshing to read BEE's writing after having a break from him for so long (I hadn't read one of his books since college), and I think he has a truly original voice.