By Robert Rankin
Robert Rankin truly is the master of ridiculously entertaining, hilariously funny tall tales. In this tale, Will Starling meets The Lad Himself, Huge Rune, and is set the task of solving the impossible, while thwarting the most evil, most encompassing and most devious plot of all time. All without paying for a single hotel room, and avoiding large killing machines with European accents.
Starling is a bit of a git, and his clashes with Barry were a bit of a mystery to me. If a sprout lodged in your ear is offering advice, wouldn't you at least pause long enough to listen to his theory, what with him being right in your brain and all? Although, if it was me, I'd be reaching for a long skewer as well, especially after hearing about Larry and what he got up to inside someone's noggin.
I liked this book; really enjoyed it. Except for one tiny little niggle. I'm used to Rankin's characters finishing an adventure with no sense of resolution or purpose, but I don't like that feeling myself, and the final few paragraphs would have had me throwing the book across the room in a sulk, if I hadn't been reading it on a rainy highway several hours from a room in which to throw it.
I suppose that's half the fun though...
Date finished: 22/10/12
Rating: 5 out of 5
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
The Poe Shadow
By Matthew Pearl
A nonfiction theory couched in a fictional tale of mystery and conspiracy... this book was much larger in scope than I'd expected, and much more intelligently written. So many threads have been pulled together that I was a little surprised that I was able to keep up with the different names, roles and theories about each character.
Not being an American, I haven't had much exposure to Poe and his works, so much of this was completely new to me, but it was fairly easy to pick up. I assume that this story has been written with the same formal style that Poe himself used, and once I got used to the slightly slower atmosphere, it was really enjoyable.
The mystery itself was vague, which wasn't a bad thing, and the pace was both steady and surprising. Set in the nineteenth century, there was quite a bit about proper etiquette and the do's and don't's of civilised society, which was interesting, but it didn't detract from the progress of the mystery itself.
I did feel that the climax of the book was separated from the mystery a little bit - Quentin's own fate was far more interesting to me than Poe's, by the end.
Rating: 3 out of 5 - would read another book by Pearl, but not sure if I would actively seek one out.
Date finished: 08/10/12
Edit: realised I'd managed to mess up the rating...
A nonfiction theory couched in a fictional tale of mystery and conspiracy... this book was much larger in scope than I'd expected, and much more intelligently written. So many threads have been pulled together that I was a little surprised that I was able to keep up with the different names, roles and theories about each character.
Not being an American, I haven't had much exposure to Poe and his works, so much of this was completely new to me, but it was fairly easy to pick up. I assume that this story has been written with the same formal style that Poe himself used, and once I got used to the slightly slower atmosphere, it was really enjoyable.
The mystery itself was vague, which wasn't a bad thing, and the pace was both steady and surprising. Set in the nineteenth century, there was quite a bit about proper etiquette and the do's and don't's of civilised society, which was interesting, but it didn't detract from the progress of the mystery itself.
I did feel that the climax of the book was separated from the mystery a little bit - Quentin's own fate was far more interesting to me than Poe's, by the end.
Rating: 3 out of 5 - would read another book by Pearl, but not sure if I would actively seek one out.
Date finished: 08/10/12
Edit: realised I'd managed to mess up the rating...
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