An ambitious, often captivating novel ... Beguiling ... On close reading, Martel’s central conceit has a few shortcomings ... But Martel’s imagination is amply matched by his craft ... Son of Nobody invites readers to take part in its playfulness, ensnares them with a superb imitation epic, and then slowly shatters their hearts.
Inventive ... This tale has an unusual format ... Martel’s brilliant examination of how history is made and of who pays the price for all-consuming obsessions is original, thought-provoking, and utterly absorbing.
Inspired, but the execution—as in Life of Pi—leans more toward the commercial than the Booker ... The flaw in both Life of Pi and Son of Nobody is not fatal but is wounding: sentimentality ... Not a work of monstrosity or profundity. Instead, I think, it’s like Life of Pi, a work of ingenuity ... Son of Nobody is a more thoughtful and considerably more literary book than Life of Pi but still a wasted opportunity to create a novel, this time really worthy of a Booker Prize.
A brilliant novel of ideas ... The story is a powerful meditation on life, death, and the vanity of human wishes, all illustrated by a poem that would do Homer proud. A stunningly imagined revisitation of an ancient past that is every bit as awful as the present.
Inspired ... Some may find Martel’s grand motifs a bit overdrawn, but his hero’s devotion for ancient poetry is contagious ... It’s an appealing labor of love.
