Slade House: First Impressions

Thoughts on Slade House as you're starting to read? Read it before? Post them here!

Please hide spoiler-y posts using a "spoiler" HTML tag!

Saw the announcement and immediately checked to see if I could get it from the local library. They have 46 copies on order and over 90 requests. So, no way to get ahold of a copy in time for the read . . . except to buy a new hardcover, which even the local indie bookstore lists as "on order" . . . Sorry, but this seems a poor choice.

(I don't buy ebooks.)

>2 LucindaLibri: Sorry to hear that. The book releases on October 27th (Monday), which is why it's probably listed as "on order". We just wanted to go ahead and announce it a little bit ahead of time.

Still, hardcover new release? Why?

>4 LucindaLibri: Everyone should treat themselves to a new release once in a while. Monsieur never complains when I buy books because I could be spending money on shoes or jewelry. If it was only a so-so book I might wonder but the few reviews already posted imply this is a block buster and worth it. Besides, new books smell good!
Hmm...Thingversary coming up soon...

>4 LucindaLibri: I'm sorry you're unhappy with the choice. We try to mix things up for OLOB. The last three OLOB picks (The Night Watch, The Penelopiad, and The Picture of Dorian Gray, respectively) have all been widely available in paperback. Our next pick will be voted on, and I can assure you that there will at least be some options on the slate that aren't hardcover-only.

Trying to get rid of books rather than buy more. Also, can't really afford to buy a book that I don't REALLY want . . .

>7 LucindaLibri: It's available as an Early Reviewer choice....

Read it, reviewed it, loved it, can't wait to discuss it.

>2 LucindaLibri: This was my (and several others (and probably plenty more than that who simply aren't so vocal)) problem when OLOB first came out. Brand new just released book, only available in expensive hardback, and even regardless of library holds, you have to be in a country that even considers the pick something worth acquiring brand new. And I can tell you, over here in Belgium where there is quite limited English space, the things they pick up are quite selective.

If One LibraryThing, One Book is supposed to be something to get everyone reading together, as the name implies, brand new hardback releases are not going to do it. And yes, I will continue to vocalize this each time one of those is chosen. (Yay aren't you glad I came back?! *snort*)

Same here. great book.

I guess I should add that I walked into this cold, not having read "Bone Clocks", and had no trouble following the book....such as it could be followed.

>11 Gloria19: Glad to hear it! I came to this one a little while after reading The Bone Clocks, myself. I think the one thing that experience lent me was to be suspicious of all narrators, and Mitchell's in particular. ;)

I realize new releases (i.e., hardbacks) aren't for everyone, but neither are older releases. The last several I'd already read and had moved on. (God, I read Dorian Gray back in college and wasn't in any hurry to revisit that one.) Since they weren't fresh on my mind, I didn't participate in the discussions.

I'm quite excited about this choice and am really looking forward to it. Not only do I absolutely love DM, I'm excited to be reading it so soon upon its release with many of you at the same time.

No book is going to be for everyone. But everyone should be able to have access to the titles without dropping a ton of cash.

Have there been any selections that were new in paperback? It seems like it swings between brand-new hardcovers and books written 10+ years ago, but I think the sweet spot would be books about a year old. They'd be more widely available but still current.

>15 _Zoe_: Agreed. I still wouldn't buy it unless it was something I'd already been planning to get, but at least it would be reasonable, plus better odds for smaller/foreign libraries potentially having it.

Just bought my copy at lunchtime today.

My initial thoughts are very superficial - Living in London I obviously bought the UK hardback, but the US hardback looks so much nicer! Oh well.... at least I've got a signed copy.

I'm enjoying it more than I thought I would...this isn't the kind of thing I usually like. It's well-written and the characters are described enough that I can empathize with them. The real test, for me, will be how it ends.

>17 jonathankws: The grass is always greener—I personally think the UK cover is much more appealing (and I'm in the US, so I've got the yellow cover)!

I just bought this as an ebook (Nook). Intriguing and compelling first chapter. I have not read anything else by David Mitchell.

>19 lorannen:
Agreed - the UK version is so much more evocative than the US one, I think.

>21 -Eva-: 100% agree, especially once I started reading!

I actually concur - the UK cover does suit the book really well. I'm about half-way through and loving it.

The UK cover is Awesome. I am getting the US version .. don't yet have it, but I'm sure it's on its way! (early reviewer :))

I did a little informal survey at work and the consensus was that the UK version looks like a great ghost-story and the US version looks like a college class physics book... :)

This is my first Mitchell book and I am surprised at how easy it is to read - not sure why, but I thought his writing would be more complicated.

ok just bought this yesterday in Canada...I have a white with red bits copy...is this the same as UK? I'm only ten pages in...fell asleep...not the book's fault! Looking forward to reading a CHUNK tonight.

Still waiting for the library copy. I'm #37 of 79; they have 40+ copies.

>10 .Monkey.: Thanks!

I've been part of community "One Book" programs, which I thought was what this OLOB was based on. They have traditionally been about creating community and/or dealing with an issue important to the community (e.g. race relations). I honestly can't figure out what this version is trying to do . . . and whether the handfulls of people who have joined in to these discussions can be called "the LT community" . . . so perhaps after this read is over a discussion of One Book/One Read programs, their intentions, successes, failures, and how/what LT wants to borrow from them might be in order?

>27 LucindaLibri: I know Tim decided to do it based on those, I believe in a sort of -bring LT together- deal, and it does pull a bunch of people into Talk who are not otherwise normally here, at least not anywhere I see (it's possible some post to groups I've got ignored). I think since this is a book site, rather than a physical community, it doesn't have to be an actual focus on important real-world things. If the point is just to bring more people in together to talk about books, which is what most of us are here for, then the book needn't focus on some kind of issue. I also know before I left there had been lots of talk about how books ought to be chosen and plenty who objected to the brand new hardcover selection, so I'm not sure if trying to open up that conversation again would really change things or just beat a dead horse.

I'm getting near the end. Soon ready for the topic for people who finished the book.

My library ordered one copy and I requested it.

To answer the topic of this thread, my first impressions of Slade House: creepy! I've never read David Mitchell before, so didn't know The Bone Clocks references until it was directly mentioned, I'll have to look at the other threads to see how many connections there were (or just read the darn book). I had forgotten how much I love a creepy story, Stephen King being one of my favorites. I will be delving back into that genre more deeply in the near future, I presume.

I loved the setup of the chapters, the way each one followed a new victim of Slade House, it divided the story into very easily digestible chunks. The creepiness of the story, the mystery of Slade House, is what kept me reading far beyond where I thought I would put the book down for the night. A very easy read.

ETA: I'm not sure when is most appropriate for the "spoiler" tag, so I'm just going to play it safe!

Well, I've read the Nathan section. This certainly isn't going to be my bedtime reading!
I did love the look of his soul ---

First impression so far (which includes about 2/3 of the book ;)) - LOVE it.
When I finished the first section (Nathan), I was briefly "worried" that it would have to be repetitive... rest assured, it is not!
Can't wait to finish! (tonight?)

One LT reviewer quotes from it, and I quote: "I’m not in the Scouts anymore,” I remind her. Mr. Moody our scoutmaster told me to get lost, so I did, and it took the Snowdonia mountain rescue service two days to find my shelter. I’d been on the local news and everything. Everyone was angry, but I was only following orders."

That's almost straight out of Vintage Stuff by Tom Sharpe; it's what Peregrine Clyde-Browne did (got lost when told to because he followed orders precisely).

Going to start it in the next day or so, but that's my first impression of it. Heh.

I've finished the book now, but my first impression was that it was going to be delightfully creepy, and it was. However, I', not very impressed with the US cover. Good thing I don't judge a book by its cover, although a great cover can draw me to a book I wouldn't have otherwise noticed.

I finally got the book on library loan thru Overdrive (yay again for the Internet - it's not physically in Spain yet) but don't dare join duscussion because spoilers. Hope there'll be some of you around when I finish (10 more days on loan : )

I just got my copy from the library, finished my early reviewer book today, am starting on the book today. My view is to read the book suggested by Librarything as soon as I can and even if I am not part of the discussion, at least I joined the group in the reading the book.