Loop

As the continuing story transitions from horror to science fiction, Loop causes the reader to reevaluate everything that happened in Ring and Spiral. While it is interesting on a philosophical level, it also demystifies the events of the first two books, and I'm not sure I liked that.

It's a very good conclusion to the series, even though it leaves more questions open about what happens. And actually, the ending felt very poetic, almost serene in how it relates to the ending of Spiral, the 2nd in the series. The real treasure about the book is the way it tilts everything you thought you knew about the Ring virus onto it's head, while also asking huge scientific questions and adding a new dimension to what has gone on before. Simply brilliant in this respect!
Where it lost me was in the dryness of the presentation - it reminded me of The Mountains of Madness by Lovecraft, another book that seemed to drag because the person at the forefront of the story was a scientist and so viewed everything from such a subjective show more viewpoint that at times it was difficult to care what happened to him. At least, though, the subject matter was interesting enough to carry me along. show less

The first book in this trilogy was enjoyable because it was unique in its creepy storyline and different enough from the movie adaptation to keep my interest. The second book started to read a bit like a science textbook at times, but was still creepy enough to hold me interest. This third book was entirely different from it's predecessors. A mix between a college textbook and the matrix, I lost interest about a third of the way in. I guess I'll stick to the movie adaptations after all with this one.

Let it be said that Loop is not a horror tale. In fact it is more sci-fi than any other genre. It follows the search for a cure to a new form of cancer and is linked to the previous Ring novel, Spiral. The characterisation is well presented and the science, although heavy at times, is usually represented in a form so all readers can follow the plot. The lack of menace or indeed action of any sort may leave readers disappointed with Loop, yet the story is smart in it's approach, and its plot is rooted in the previous volumes, although taken in a new direction. Overall Loop is an interesting idea but never turns in to a real page-turner.

I absolutely loved this. Best of the three I think, it was a fantastically well-paced and interesting read. And what a mind-blowing conclusion! Very satisfying, and I’m much looking forward to reading Birthday.

I didn't have as much tenacity as the others that have started and finished this book. Gave the book more than 100 pages to get better, got somehere half way "the Cancer Ward", but for me it just didn't get better.

I liked the first part, where Kaoru is little, debating with his father, so I thought well of the book at first. Too bad I didn't find it interesting enough, didn't find the pace like I did with the first two books and it hasn't persuaded me enough to keep reading and get to know the twist & turn and tidying up of loose ends the others are talking about.

Anyway I'm grateful that the whole trilogy was shared, I'm glad they came along :-) and made me read an author I hadn't read before.

Probably the weakest out of the three novels in the Ringu series. There is a lot of psuedoscientific speculation in this novel which makes it less accessible than either The Ring or Spiral--However, it is a must for any Ringu fan.