Book Reviews: The Secret History of Moscow, Who Could that Be at This Hour?
Cross-posted from my Goodreads account
The rap on this book is that it’s “like Neverwhere, but bleaker and more depressing.” I bought it because I love Neverwhere, and then let it sit gathering dust on my shelf for a year because I didn’t feel like reading a really depressing book.
Now I wish I hadn’t waited so long. The Secret History of Moscow takes its characters on a quest through the underworld of Russian folklore to rescue a stolen sister: I found it beautifully written and, actually, a lot of fun. I wouldn’t call it “depressing” so much as “Russian,” though I know that may sound like a distinction without a difference. Yes, the urban landscape is harsh and the characters all marked by poverty and alienation. But the story is about love, the plot is one of magic and adventure, and the ending is triumphant if not exactly happy. It’s a bittersweet story but I didn’t find it depressing.
I wasn’t a huge fan of the Series of Unfortunate Events—I read the first three and got a little bit bored with the central gimmick. There was plenty to like: they were well-written and amusing little books. But I didn’t feel impelled to read any farther in the series.
Who Could That Be At This Hour lands in a similar spot for me. It was fun—I don’t want my time or money back—but nothing about it grabbed me enough to seek out the sequels.
