One of Us

Rating:
Summary: Ensnared
Review: I had this book pressed upon me. My friend gave it to me far to early one morning. Every time I met him he asked me if I was reading it yet. Eventually I started it. And was thoroughly confused. The opening is utterly preplexing, but intriguing. It draws you in. Then you get to the premise, and that's it. Forget about stopping, it's not really an option.

Sure, many of the ideas may not be original, but frankly, there's not much originality out there. The genius is in the mix, and Michael Marshall Smith get it just right. He does something that doesn't seem to be widely expected in the days of 5-second attention spans, he makes you think. And wait. The anticipation of an explanation for the various events that shaped Hap's life are what drives the book along. When I finally got to the bank, I was remarkably excited about it (actually, to such an extent that the more detached part of my mind was really worried about me), but it was quite an unusual experience.

Lastly, I have to comment on the humour in the book. I think that's why my friend was so insistent on my reading it. The humour of the book is brilliant. I haven't laughed reading a book so much in quite a while. Jingo, by Terry Pratchett, perhaps. That was 1997. Incedentally, if anybody has read both, and reflecting on the use of other material, did you notice the similarity between Hap's alarm clock and the Disorganiser Lady Sibyl got Vimes?

Rating:
Summary: Compared to William Gibson and Philip K
Review: I must be getting more critical as I get older, but in "One Of Us" MMSmith has taken liberties that I can't comprehend or forgive.

I did thoroughly enjoy his main character, Hap (actually hapless in this tale) Thompson, his friends and associates, and I found the language and style most engaging.

I was put off by the walking talking alarm clock at the start of the book (not unlike Jimminy Cricket in another familiar fantasy), and found the concluding attack of the appliances to be much too great a stretch. I also felt Smith's exposition on the nature of God and the angels to be overdrawn and yet another grasp for a way out of an interesting but failed plot.

Mind you, I did like the writing enough to just order 2 more of Smith's earlier and highly praised works, but I'd recommend letting this sleeping dog lie.

Rating:
Summary: Fun!
Review: I picked this one up on a whim. I had never heard of Mr. Smith, and I certainly hadn't read anything by him prior to this. Talking, walking alarm clocks? Roving bands of coffee makers? Is this book for real????? Luckily I continued reading despite my initial reaction to the story. I am so glad I gave this book a chance. It is bizarre, it is surreal, but somehow it all works.
Hap Thompson narrates this story about how he came to be employed as a dream and memory receiver, and how this line of work quickly puts him in danger. On the sly, Hap decides to accept a memory (which is illegal work) from a client who then refuses to take back the memory; Hap is in danger not only of going to prison for life but of being killed for this memory. He then sets out on a roller-coaster adventure that addresses ethical, philosophical and theological issues....but it's done in such a tongue-in-cheek, film noir style that it avoids being preachy.
The setting is sometime in the future in a world where humans share space with appliances that not only talk but have attitude. Surfing the internet takes on a literal meaning in this story, and computer hacking is central to the plot. This is a quick, funny, suspense story, and I enjoyed it immensely. Sometimes I'm totally surprised by a book....this one surprised me by how much I enjoyed it. I described it to a friend as Mickey Spillane meets Alice in Wonderland meets the X-Files meets Brave Little Toaster.

Rating:
Summary: Would you live in his world?
Review: I read "Only Forward" and thought it was a cunning book with levels within levels. This isn't quite as convoluted but is enjoyable nonetheless. Mr Smith's mind seems to live in a world at 90 degrees to the rest of us, and leaves you thinking "Would you live in his world?" I'm really looking forward to his next!

Rating:
Summary: superb
Review: just have to say that this is the best book i have ever read BUY IT NOW!

Rating:
Summary: Better than "Spares" but not "Only Forward"
Review: M.M. Smith still has something to deliver... After adorable "Only Forward" I was a little bit dissapointed by "Spares" however "One of Us" has brought back belief that M.M. Smith may become a very good writer. Probably the biggest problem of this book is overextension and duplication of some ideas from previous books althought it is still a pleasure to read it and there is no so much blood like in "Spares" and humour's level is closer to "Only Forward" tops. I like this book, however if the fourth book will be an scifi action thriller in the 3 level universe again I will offer for Michael to take some rest.

Rating:
Summary: Good book, expected more
Review: One of Us follows two amazing books, Only Forward and Spares. I liked it, but it doesn't compare well to the previous two.

Smith seems to be developing a pattern to the plot in his novels. Lots of mystery, interrupted by the occasional talking applicance, followed by some weird reality-bending concepts toward the end of the book. One of Us has a more intricate plot than the previous novels, and a more solid grounding in conventional reality, but I would have liked to see him break out of the mold entirely.

The characters seemed somehow less alive. The ruminations of the protagonist lacked a certain something.

The book is considerably less gory than his earlier works; whether that's an improvement is a matter of taste.

I've come to view this book as Smith "lite". It's an easier introduction to his writing than, say, Spares, but it just feels like there's something missing.

I should finish by pointing out that, although this review is generally negative, it's only so because I loved his earlier works so much more.

Rating:
Summary: A fabulous book, but you only have to read it once!
Review: One Of Us is a very well crafted novel featuring modern-day humanity in a not-too distant future. I love Smith's knack for twists on technology - the talking appliances (also seen in Spares but less developed) add quite a bit of humor to the reading. Smith also has a fabulous way of describing the ordinary that will make you chuckle.

I found myself drawn in throughout the book in a similar way to the first two. I say one only must read it once as a comparison to Only Forward, and even Spares. With Only Forward, I immediately turned back to the first page and started reading the entire book again, having so many questions. What drew me in was Smith's ability to make you think - and though there are signs of it in One Of Us, it lacks some of the power in Only Forward. Still, it is a complete book and one I would highly recommend!!

Rating:
Summary: A weird mixture of genres and styles
Review: The spine of this book labels it as "suspense," and it certainly does share some aspects of that genre. It is also, however, a science fiction, mystery, fantasy, speculative religious thriller. This is both the joy of the book, and its curse. The joy is simply reading it for the excitement of not knowing what Smith is going to throw at you next. The curse is wanting it to coalesce into something besides the ephemeral pleasure of a roller coaster ride, and being disappointed when the coaster car simply comes gliding back into the station.

Hap Thompson is a petty con man who has fallen into the less-than-savory business of being a dream-washer and memory-holder. This would have likely been fine, except for his character flaw of being able to turn down wads of cash hovered virtually in front of him. He agrees to do a side memory job for a client so as to see all of the cash rather than just the skimmed bit given to him by his employer, REMtemps, and instead finds himself holding onto the memory of the murder, and if he doesn't get rid of it soon, LAPD will be on him. It doesn't matter that he didn't commit the murder--just having the memory is enough to set him up for life.

Smith hovers between writing like Raymond Chandler and William Gibson, and the result isn't as unpleasant as that match might seem (in fact, I've long thought Gibson's style of cyberpunk fit the early noir of Chandler, and only needed the psychological edge of James M. Cain to really perfect it). The book breaks down towards the end, however, when Smith starts trying to channel either Benny Hinn or Joseph Campbell. This is similar to the macguffin in Neal Stephenson's work, where he actually tries to make sense of all the fun and all it sounds like is pseudo-scientific claptrap.

Smith's an interesting enough writer to watch, however, and there are a number of science fiction/mystery novels that don't even come close to being as engrossing as One of Us. You could do much worse for pleasure reading, and there's not much better being published today.

Rating:
Summary: Wish My Alarm Clock Could Talk, Too!
Review: You know from the moment the talking alarm clock appears, and you have to stop your car so washing machines can cross the street, you're in for a very different read. But, ho hum, what a tremendously boring book! It's "film noir" atmosphere is lame and convoluted; the premise, while interesting, is about as original as Spam; and the characters merely cardboard and as interesting as "The Blair Witch Project." I hate this book, because it insults us with so many bizarre images, and expects us to find it amusing. The inclusion of God as a focal character is just too much poetic license. A real drag; don't waste your time.