Customer Reviews
A good book but not one that will set the world alight - By: Peter Debney, 29 Oct 2008 
The principle theme of the book is eternal life here & now. Is the negation of death desirable? What is the effect that it will have on society? Does life need death to make it worth living or is striving for achievement due to our limited time here on Earth?
The Kéthani's gift affects all the character's lives. Some choose artificial life & some natural death, but these choices are never without consequences. Some have to make choices for others, such as their young or mentally handicapped children; should their convictions deny thosein their responsibility the chance of life & their own choice?
The easy resurrection affects society. Murders die out, as the victim can return six months later to convict the guilty. Medicine changes from preserving life & treating serious diseases, to easing the passage of the afflicted. Those who return a subtly changed: their angers & aggressions are gone making them law abiding & constructive citizens. They are more humane, but are they less human?
Kéthani is both thought provoking & very readable. While it fails isin a lack of overall plot & characterisation, it raises many interesting questions regarding mortality & its placein society.
Disappointing - By: Georgie Peorgie, 05 Oct 2008 
I read this on holidayin the space of day, so it is an easy read. However I failed to understand why the book came so highly recommended. I found the characters quite flat & the story telling was a bit basic. The only reason I kept reading was to find out what the point of the Kethani was, but never got that answer!
Wow! Maybe the first half... - By: S. Loftus, 28 Sep 2008 I loved this book, was absolutely hooked, was about to go out & buy every other Eric Brown book I could find....until I got about 3/4s of the was through - because it was at this point that I realised the story was going nowhere. There just weren't enough pages left to deliver the ending that the amazing writing of the first half promises.
I was always waiting for the twist, the revelation, but it never happened. It all ends on a bit of a whimper rather than the bang that you might expect.
My husband read this too after reading the blurb on the back & thought the same as me. He was enthralled for the first half but left feeling let down by the ending.
Allin all a good book, but with a very disappointing ending. Could have been so much better.
No.. not quite a wow - By: Mrs Mac, 14 Jun 2008 I purchased Kethani after reading a reviewin a Sci-fi magazine particularly as a comparison with John Wyndham - one of my all time favourite authors - was being made. Did it live up to the hype - well, yes & no. The Yorkshire setting & the way the novel is written from the point of view of a small number of village inhabitants is certainly reminiscent of Wyndham's method. Brown writes well & the book was an interesting & fairly pacy read. At times there is a feeling we could bein Arthur C Clarke territory tooo.
However something is missing. I kept waiting for a big plot twist, shock ending or some other 'unexpected' sub-plot. An intriguing premise is set-up part way through following an investigation into a murder which gave me an 'ah-ha this is significant' moment but it wasn't. What could have been an interesting sub or side plot wasn't followed through. If it hadn't been for the ending one might have thought another book or books were to follow but it seems not. It was almost as if Brown couldn't find a satisfying ending & it just goes out with too much of a whimper for me. Worth a read? - yes. Wyndham & Clarke? - not even close.
Wow - again! - By: Mark P., 07 Jun 2008 
I'm going to have to think hard how to come up with something different to Ammonite132's comment; I just bought this book on a whim whilstin town. Started reading it at 5:30pm, finished at 8:15pm - I was absolutely enthralled, totally blown away, & am now enthusing about the story more than any other that I can remember.
It's a science fiction story, but unlike most other storiesin the genre it only uses the SF element as a core part of the idea, & then weaves the story around the lives & experiences of the characters over the years that follow.
It's touching & thought-provoking, & - as with all the good thingsin life - focusses on sitting around a firein the local pub, chatting to close friends!
I'll be proselytising about this one to my wife, my parents, my colleagues; anyone who will listen. I'll probably have to buy myself another copy to lend out...
I'd be interested to see if Eric Brown can come up with other stories of the subsequent exploitsin the wider universe alluded to within this novel, but even if he doesn't, I'll be certain to check out all of his other stuff.
