Hello, everyone! Today I’m doing something that rarely happens… Talking about a book I’ve decided to DNF. That book is The Black Hunger by Nicholas Pullen.
John Sackville will soon be dead. Shadows writhe in the corners of his cell as he mourns the death of his secret lover and the gnawing hunger inside him grows impossible to ignore.
He must write his last testament before it is too late.
It is a story steeped in history and myth – a journey from stone circles in Scotland, to the barren wilderness of Ukraine where otherworldly creatures stalk the night, ending in the icy peaks of Tibet and Mongolia, where an ancient evil stirs . .
The Black Hunger is a spine-tingling and sprawling gothic journey into the heart of perfect for fans of Elizabeth Kostova’s The Historian and Laura Purcell.
***Thank you to Orbit Books/Redhook for providing a copy of the book. My comments below are my honest thoughts about my reading experience.***
I’m so bummed that I didn’t love The Black Hunger. I’ve been looking forward to picking it up for the last couple of months. A new queer gothic horror sounded exactly like something I’d devour. Unfortunately, I found the story so boring that I began actively avoiding picking it up.
The pace of the beginning of The Black Hunger was SO SLOW. It didn’t help that the book is broken down into a handful of sections without chapters. So, the dull musings of the main character just kept going and going in a seemingly never-ending testament. There was some interesting history explored, but it just was not enough to hold my interest. I made it 82 pages and didn’t even get to the second section. Apparently, the story structure is some sort of nested epistolary scheme with other characters in subsequent sections. It sounds cool, but the beginning is just too difficult to get through.
I also didn’t feel attached to any of the characters in The Black Hunger. John was recounting his life, but there was so little emotion to it. Even his supposedly deep love for his friend felt empty to me. The way John wrote about his lover made him seem like a roommate with benefits rather than someone who moved across the world for John.
Therefore, despite some interesting ideas and fascinating history, I just couldn’t get into this one. The slow pace and lack of chapters made me dread picking up this book. It also lacked the creepy atmosphere I was hoping for, at least in the parts I read. So, I have to DNF this one.
Have you read The Black Hunger? What did you think of it? I’m curious to know if others found pushing through the first section to be worth it in the end. Who knows? One day I might come back to it. Let me know your thoughts down in the comments!
Totally understandable. These days I’m more willing to DNF if I’m not feeling a read. I may go back to it later, but probably not. Good on you for listening to yourself. 🙂
Yeah. I’m trying to get better at being willing to DNF something if I’m not enjoying it. I’m such a completionist, though, especially when it comes to ARCs.
You’ll get there! Personally I’ve gotten to the point where if a first page doesn’t grip me that I move to something else.
I agree, this was extremely slow paced. I did finish it, and I’m glad I did because there were sections I really enjoyed, but overall it was hard to get into.
Yeah. I’ve been hearing this a lot. I might come back to it on audio. I tend to stay engaged with slower stuff in that medium a little better. Right now, though, I’ve had enough of it. lol.
I really struggled with this one too.
Glad to know I’m not the only one.
I kept seeing this one on Net Galley and was quite tempted but then a couple of the reviews made me think that it wasn’t a book that I would really enjoy. Having read your review, I’m glad I made that decision as I always feel obliged to finish ARCs.
Yeah. I hate not finishing an ARC, but I didn’t want it to push me into even more of a reading slump. I may come back to it on audio at some point because I’ve heard that it does get much better once you make it through the first part.
I finished it a couple nights ago. I agree that the first part/prologue/whatever you want to call it is the toughest part to get through. Part 2 is where it all starts to get a lot more interesting. Overall I liked it, but it’s a push to get through the beginning.
I might come back to it on audio one day. I’ve heard this same comment from multiple people. So, I kind of want to give it another chance. I just don’t know.
Oh no, what a bummer! The nested epistolary scheme sounds really cool actually but I can totally get why it’d be a struggle to get through if the beginning is slow and you’re just not connecting. Hope your next read is more enjoyable!
Yeah. The structure of the book was an interesting approach. I just wish it also had chapters or a faster pace because it was a slog. I’ve heard from several people that things got more interesting after the first part. So, I might try to get through it on audio one day. We’ll see.
[…] The Black Hunger by Nicholas Pullen – DNF – I could not get into this one because of how slow it was. You can read about all my reasons for DNFing this one in yesterday’s post. […]
The style of the book is unbearable. One can use it as a study in cliches. As an editor, I am amazed that a publisher published this text.
Klausbernd
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
I’m at page 180. The Black Hunger section of the book. I sure hope it gets better soon because it’s been a slog so far.
Yeah. It’s definitely a slog. I hope it gets better for you, though. I just couldn’t push through it.
Hello! Currently reading this, I’m maybe 60% of the way through. I agree with your thinking John is a little boring. I wasn’t really enjoying myself but I made myself finish his first section, and when I started the next one! WOW. Instantly much more interesting. The POV character is called Dr. Samuel Abranaval and he’s a psychiatrist, and that was just fascinating. The horror aspect also really picks up too, and there are recurring secondary characters. It’s very beautifully written, and I love the concept, but I definitely agree it’s slow to get into!
That’s awesome to hear that things do eventually pick up. I’m glad you’ve enjoyed it! I might try it again one day if I have the time to go back to it.