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Beautiful, poetic writing but an abhorrent theme and a detestable main character

No need for a long review since IMO this book truly deserves its place as one of the greatest works of literature. A murder mystery which is not so much about the plot but meanders into themes of human nature, society, pride, poverty, vice and insanity. The characters are very interesting - delightfully, stereotypically Russian and yet relatable in a disturbing way - plagued with moral dilemmas, engaging in great philosophical dialogs and often overly melancholy.

I'm not a car person at all and read this book out of interest in the real Tesla story, behind all the hyperbolic hand waving and fanboys. I found it an easy, engaging read, full of well researched facts that put some of the fanfare into perspective - exactly what I had hoped for.

I found very few bits and pieces of new information in the book. I would have thought most of what she writes about is already common knowledge, but maybe I misjudge that due to my extensive reading and listening to podcasts. The writing itself was bland and there was not enough solid evidence to support some of what she writes. Hence, it was overall a disappointment.

Started out great, engaging with big ideas. Very relevant topics were raised and weaved into a futuristic world - technology, unemployment, greed, capitalism, meritocricity, abundance, diversity, post-humanism. However, it got harder to read somewhere along the way. The plot was poor and the storytelling disjointed and longwinded, with too much going on. I also couldn't really identify with any of the characters.

I have always loved Winton's writing style and this one didn't disappoint. Reading this during the Perth summer, on my first trip back since the pandemic, I can totally feel his descriptions of heat, aridity, vastness of the land and my own passivity.

Well written and engaging enough but missing that "something" that makes a brilliant crime novel.