Book Review: A Kiss Before Dying is an excellent mystery thriller. Beyond that there's not much more to say. The book is so cleverly put together that it's virtually seamless, the reader just goes along for the ride and the last 50 pages or so go by in a blur. It's like one of those wooden puzzle boxes that you can't figure out how it works or watching someone do a Rubik's Cube. It just happens. There are even a few fun and vertigo-inducing twists where the reader wonders "where am I?" For those familiar with modern mystery thrillers, A Kiss Before Dying may seem a little less shocking or sensational, a fraction slower and deliberately paced, and perhaps just a wee bit predictable. In 1953 it would have been even more powerful, with its main character who just wants to impress his mother. But A Kiss Before Dying is quick, enjoyable read, rewarding and entertaining, and made me want to read more by the not-too-prolific Ira Levin. Filmed twice, in 1956 and 1991. [4★]
No comments:
Post a Comment