Very interesting indeed.

Does a very good job of making it clear just how not black and white the situation in the Middle East really is.

I adored it: in fact, it blew my mind! I found it utterly original, a tad bonkers, and completely mesmerising … my head was spinning afterwards!! As soon as I watched it, I wanted to see it again. The structure, and the approach, the depth, the score, the photography, the mood — and of course Day-Lewis; he’s on-screen pretty much for the full 2 hours 45 minutes, and while the performance occasionally became baroque, I just didn’t care: you simply could not take your eyes off him. Spellbinding stuff.

The movie explores a national loss of innocence: the black heart of capitalism – here perfectly represented by the oil industry – rotting the soul of America. The secondary target was that religion, as opium-of-the-people sham – and in its own way as greedy as the oilmen. Needless to say, I could hardly be happier: both capitalistic greed and religion taken to task, perfect! :-)

In fact, I reckon that it’s this deliberate debunking of certain American fundamentals, and America’s founding myth, as opposed to its self-consciously cinéastic approach that scuppered its Oscar bid. I’m a big fan of the Coen Brothers, and I loved No Country… but There Will Be Blood is a true original, and head-and-shoulders the best movie I’ve seen in years.

The prose is lean and mean, the dialog is sparkling, and the characters are great!

Above all, the mood is haunting and disturbing. A great read!

A wonderful, touching experience. Perfectly formed, brilliantly executed. It made me wonder why most books take twice as long as the 200 pages here to tell their stories?

Utterly magnificent—I was mesmerised from start to finish!

Loved it. Witty, humane and sophisticated. The prose is mesmerising, and the Herzog character brilliantly realised.

I can’t imagine the effect the (admittedly horribly delayed) publication of this must have had on Russian society at the time!

A brilliant book—ironic as hell, funny, gothic (with brilliant imagery through-out), immensely imagnative. I loved equally the two sides of the novel: especially the acidic critiques of Soviet bureaucracy and fleshy retelling of gospels.

A work of some imagination, humour, and – above all – bravado!

What a narrative!!

The prose is lean but the overall effect is a belter of story told with gust and brio!

Highly recommended.

Disarmingly simple and direct prose; very tight plotting; and a deeply human story.

A brilliantly executed book… the work of a master craftsman in full flight!

Just fascinating… I was gripped and enthralled!