I was first planning to give this book 10 out of 10; but, thinking about it, it's not as good as The Dispossessed, so 9 it is. That does mean though that it's a thoroughly excellent thing, and that everyone should read it.
Most of the novel is set in the City, a huge patchwork of Neighbourhoods each of whose inhabitants have agreed to live by a local set of rules. The protagonist, Stark, lives in Colour neighbourhood, where you can only wear certain colours at certain times of day. The whole book is told in Stark's first person, as though he is recounting the tale to the reader. The trouble is that as the novel progresses it becomes increasingly apparent that he is an extremely unreliable and shifty narrator. He starts off portraying himself as a sort of Philip-Marlowe-style troubleshooter, called in to the Action Centre neighbourhood (for people who have to be doing important and useful things all of the time) to find a missing citizen. The further the narrative unfolds, the more this pose breaks down, and we learn more about Stark and the world he inhabits.
I won't say too much about the plot, because it would give away part of the fun of the book, but suffice to say there are a number of twists, some predictable and some not. Stark has an enjoyable way of talking back to the reader - he is aware that the reader does not wholly trust and believe in the story he is telling. But he knows that you have to carry on reading anyway. This whole narration thing is done very stylishly and interestingly, and the book is extremely funny, using absurdity, irony and wit to great effect. The supporting characters are thin, but we can accept that because this is how Stark sees them - he is wholly wrapped up in himself, and with good reason as it turns out.
So what holds Only Forward back from the coveted 10 rating? The ultimate ending is a bit weak, I think. Not a complete letdown, but rather small and over too quickly. After such a good buildup, you want a riveting denouement which makes you take deep breaths as you finally lay the book down, and this is not it. I think the author needed to have you finally engage fully with Stark as his narrative closes, and that's not really possible in the space given. But this is a minor criticism, really: overall the book is very fine, and hugely entertaining. Highly recommended.
