The Fireman
Ratings121
Average rating3.7
This was the first Joe Hill story I read, so I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into. I jumped in on a recommendation with no knowledge of the content ahead. “Is this going to be Stephen King writes [b:Fahrenheit 451 13079982 Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1383718290l/13079982.SY75.jpg 1272463]? Man, this thing sure is long! Hope I can read it before someone adapts it into a crappy mini-series!”So, in I go a few months into The Pandemic, just looking for something other than alcohol to occupy my time. Oh great, this book's about a pandemic. How fitting. And I'd just read [b:The Handmaid's Tale 38447 The Handmaid's Tale (The Handmaid's Tale, #1) Margaret Atwood https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1578028274l/38447.SY75.jpg 1119185], so my reading choices are a little too on-the-nose lately. The book actually took me away from the current pandemic and brought me into another world where I was wondering what I would do in that situation. I did feel like the book was a little bloated at times. The ex's antagonistic group was a little too much as well. Overall, though, it was a very fun read and easy to keep going.
This book has a very interesting premise, but honestly it just takes too long. I ended up reading the whole thing, but I feel like it could have been 500 or so pages instead of the gargantuan 700 some pages it turned out to be.
Joe's writing is enjoyable to read and things are well-described, but it just can't save the book from becoming boring when it's so long.
I think it's still worth reading (or skimming) the whole thing as the sequence of events are all interesting, but I don't know that everything that happened in the book needed to happen.
My first fantasy and sci-fi. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It had a little bit of everything
Really lost interest for about the last two thirds of the book. Book was drastically longer than it needed to be.
The style is in a lot of ways similar to Stephen King's. The story is quite intriguing and the characters well developed. A lot of fun!
I really wanted to like this one more. The idea of a plague where people go up in flames for unknown reasons was appealing. However, this was long and (for me) hard to get into. It was more cult-related than end-of-world plague-related.
It had a sort of Walking Dead feel (the later seasons when the writers changed) where it is just boring monologue, miniscule action and lots of skulking around. Not to mention the ending .. or lack thereof.
Entertaining story, but predictable in most parts. The ending was really obvious so I'm quite disappointed. However, overall, it was an OK book. I'm sure Joe Hill has released better books, so I'll try others out.
When I bought this book, I got it because Joe Hill wrote it. I didn't read the synopsis or any reviews or anything so I went in with no idea of what it was about.
It was interesting, but when I compare it to NOS4A2 it didn't really live up to the hype for me. I thought the many references to Harry Potter were amusing, but for the most part the story was pretty predictable. But I'm glad to get another book collecting dust on my tbr off!
Could've done without all the foreshadowing – it felt unnecessary, the suspense was unbearable enough without it (in a good way). The last 100 pages or so were incredibly stressful. I can't wait to see it on screen.
I loved it! I listened to the Audible audiobook narrated by Kate Mulgrew (aka Red on Orange is the New Black), she was perfect. The story made me laugh and cry and reminisce (with references to Harry Potter, Mary Poppins and 80's MTV). I think this cements my Joe Hill fandom status.
Not at all what I presupposed it was going to be. I imagined from the title and the that it was about a crazy arsonist. Falls more into the category of The Stand or The Walking Dead.
There is a lot I liked about this novel.... but in the end, it was not my cup of tea. I enjoy so much of Joe Hill's writing and storytelling. But this novel was too long and sad for me to love. I got about 60% through the book and started skimming to just to get to pivotal moments. I will read his next novel but hoping it doesn't contain the many sad deaths of characters I enjoy. The death of Mr. Truffles the worst.
This book was a slow burn and took almost half of it to get going. I still enjoyed it but found myself losing a bit patience in the first half. Saying that, it was still an interesting take on mob rule, us vs them mentality and what happens when people become scared of a section of humanity.
Inventive and incendiary
Joe Hill manages to channel a bit of the modern mainstream novel through the mystical genius of his own Locke and Key and season it lightly with a bit of his family heritage to tell a compelling and enjoyable tale that delights and surprises.
Good, not great. Went a bit long and I'm not sure why it had to. Was obnoxious in places but well-written and a fun concept.
Mostly pleasant book, which is an odd, but accurate, descriptor for what is a plague narrative with all the accompanying social collapse. The ending jumps the shark and I thought the book lost momentum about 3/4s through.
★★★ out of 5 stars at spikegelato.com/2016/07/20/review-the-fireman/
Summary: A deadly plague dubbed “dragonscale” is infecting people across the globe. Sufferers see black and gold wisps on their skin before they eventually spontaneously combust. The Fireman follows pregnant nurse Harper Grayson as she copes with caring for the afflicted and then attempting to survive through her own case of “dragonscale” as the world burns around her.
Review: I had never read any of Joe Hill's previous works, as his novels are generally categorized in the horror genre. The Fireman seemed like a good entry point, as it skews more towards post-apocalyptic science fiction than terrifying horror novel.
The Fireman hooked me right from the start. The plot progresses with quite a bit of forward momentum from the outset, but as I hit the middle point of this hefty tome (clocks in at 768 pages) I felt the “can't put it down” feeling dissipate. The length does allow Harper to have a satisfying character arc, though. The action and pace pick back up towards the end and the conclusion is in some ways predictable, but revealed in way that still surprised me.
While the science fiction elements of this book are written in a believable way, there were a few plot elements that ventured into the fantasy genre and didn't seem to fit the world that Hill had created. My other main gripe with this novel were the hyperbolic character attributes:
Harper, the protagonist, never seemed particularly encumbered by her full-term pregnancy despite having to run, jump, fight, etc.
Jakob, the main antagonist, almost felt like a comic book supervillain, repeatedly showing up and delivering maniacal speeches.
The Fireman, the mysterious stranger, was pretty much indestructible, but the cool factor of his special powers were diminished by the fact that he spent the majority of the novel recovering from a bevy of injuries.
That being said, the way that Hill uses the dragonscale affliction to explore human nature and the dangers of groupthink is really intriguing and is the most fleshed out part of the novel. Overall, each reading session I spent with The Fireman was enjoyable and not overly taxing. It was a solid ride, but it likely won't be enough to make me want to pick up Hill's other works.
Just can't give it 4 stars. First half moves along the 2nd crawls along. Note to audiobook readers. Listen past credits for more story.
Listened to this one. Really really enjoyed it and found I couldn't stop listening during about the last 5 hours of the story.
Holy cow. This is one of the best books I have ever read. Creative and fascinating plot, and tools in such a way that you can't stop reading. I've read other pieces by Hill, but this is, by far, his best. Just amazing.
3 1/2 stars, might go up to 4 once I digest it.
I can't believe how long it took me to finish this book, considering it's by one of my favorite authors.
Watch for a full video review on my youtube channel (Sang d'encre) very soon.