Maid

Paul Oldham reviewed Maid by Nita Prose

You don't see her, but she sees you ...

5 stars

This is touted as a whodunnit but to be honest, although it is, it's much more about the style of it. It's written in the first person and our hero is ... special ... as becomes increasingly clear as the book progresses and you grow to love her, despite her weirdness.

If I had a criticism, although it's only a small one, there's a final twist in the tail which I didn't think really fitted well with the rest of the narrative and it wasn't really needed, but this shouldn't distract you from what is a very fine, if rather different, novel.

crabbygirl reviewed The Maid by Nita Prose

Review of 'The Maid' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

I preferred the first half of this book where our obtuse narrator gives us the clues while maintaining her own cluelessness. But once the kindly (and conveniently related to a hotshot lawyer) doorman filled her in, it got overwrought and boring. thank goodness that section was short before the plot unleashed a sting - well structured so that we didn't see/hear the details in advance of their execution. but then the book kept going, and going. it wasn't just a button on the ending, it was a button on a button on a button. finally it's made clear why the plot keeps dragging their feet; she's the murdered, she's not the murdered. it's all fooey as we are lead to believe that 'my' truth and 'your' truth have a validity outside objective facts. And that the end justifies the means. nope, that's not a philosophy I can abide by.

p. …

I preferred the first half of this book where our obtuse narrator gives us the clues while maintaining her own cluelessness. But once the kindly (and conveniently related to a hotshot lawyer) doorman filled her in, it got overwrought and boring. thank goodness that section was short before the plot unleashed a sting - well structured so that we didn't see/hear the details in advance of their execution. but then the book kept going, and going. it wasn't just a button on the ending, it was a button on a button on a button. finally it's made clear why the plot keeps dragging their feet; she's the murdered, she's not the murdered. it's all fooey as we are lead to believe that 'my' truth and 'your' truth have a validity outside objective facts. And that the end justifies the means. nope, that's not a philosophy I can abide by.

p. 280: If the good people accept personal responsibility for exacting justice, would we not have a better chance of cleaning the entire world, of holding the liars, the cheaters, the users, and the abusers to account? To that I say: Hello? Midsommer is on the phone for you. and being sewn up in a bear and burned to death is not a serves-you-right punishment for cheating

Brynawel

rated it

Sep 1

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