Review: Thanks, Dolan, I wasn't using that d---ed heart anyway
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 8, 2014
Bloody h---, this is going to be a hard year for picking favorites. I'm already fussing about it and it's only May.Anyway. As you can tell from the lead-up, this was bloody brilliant. I literally laughed, cried, and doubled over in agony as I saw the characters upset. I can't talk about what I like without spoilers, but suffice to say that it's a subtle book, darkly funny, and weaves together elements from the previous tales in a lovely tapestry. Dolan has a luscious eye for detail and atmosphere, and those talents are used very well in this one. It's suspenseful and mysterious as well, and I honestly didn't see things coming. I'm a pretty aware reader, and very experienced in spotting tropes, and this book only shows its hand before it punches you in the face.I suppose I should say something negative to balance out all the glowing praise. It is an emotionally hard read, and it's not a recommended read for shrinking violets. It does, however, get a feminist stamp of approval and has a really wonderful cast of women. One of the most central, Claire, is depicted...well, there I go again. I will say that you can't really appreciate this without reading its sequels. That said, I actually think it works well if you treat it as a prequel and do read it first, but you have to read "Jim Fosse's Expense Claim" too.If George Lucas had had Dolan's eye for subtlety, sense of humour, and merciless ability to twist hearts along with characters' fates, the prequel trilogy would have been a cinematic classic. As it is, he didn't, and it's a crime that A Poison Tree hasn't been made into a movie yet. Buy this, love it, and prepare yourself for quite a bit of an emotional rollercoaster.