rickjones's Reviews (1.66k)

The Shape of Water is a deftly plotted novel that weaves together the lives of several characters who are headed for violent collision. Even if you've already seen the film, the dramatic tension in the novel is taut and rewarding, and the characters are even more memorable. The greatest success of the book is how it details the thoughts and values of a diverse range of people, and humanizes even the most despicable among the cast. Often times villains like Strickland are reduced to one note, but del Toro is masterful in displaying how regular human emotions and desires sour and rot inside those who decide to raze their humanity and express only their most brutal self. The novel also provides us with more insight into Elisa's deep well of intelligence and passion, and how her bravery inspires and and sets free more people than she realizes. 

This is one of the most aggravating novels I've read in a while. It veers in too many different directions and is bogged down by tedious exposition that continues into the final pages. By attempting to be a horror story, murder mystery, realistic science fiction, and scathing social criticism, it does not manage to execute anything well and instead feels underedited and directionless. I also personally feel that a novel that centers on the gruesome murder of a child should reward the reader with some form of catharsis after making us imagine the multiple desecrations of the victim's corpse. None of the social elements of the novel are handled sensitively and instead read like laughable posturing. I would not recommend reading this book unless it seems incredibly compelling to you.