Carter Beats the Devil
Glen David Gold
( sceptre, 2001)
I was utterly captivated by this novel, despite working out one of the mysteries quite early on. It tangles together stage magicians, childhood tramas, fate-dictated romances and the American Secret Service. The opening of the second section, dealing with Carter's childhood reminded me sharply of Citzen Kane, although doubtless the mentions of (William Randolph) Hearst were also responsible for that. In fact, the entire book reminds me of Welles and his fascination with magic and illusion. There are the occassional moments where Gold spells things out a little too hard, and one supporting character who really should work very well as a hard-boiled anti-hero has a curiously lacklustre storyline despite some excellent character pieces. Overall, though, a great read.
(Any Doctor Who novels fan reading this will be hopelessly reminded of Sabbath as well, I should warn you)
May 13, 2004
The Wee Free Men
The Wee Free Men
Terry Pratchett
( corgi, 2004)
Pratchett's Discworld books for children have the confident reliance on story which, I can't help but feel, has been mislaid or waylaid by the ongoing characters in the 'main' series. Like Maurice and his Educated Rodents, this plays with narrative unashamedly and is more entertaining for it. Strip away the continuity from the 'main' series and this is what you get: smart writing about the nature of reality and of story-telling.
Terry Pratchett
( corgi, 2004)
Pratchett's Discworld books for children have the confident reliance on story which, I can't help but feel, has been mislaid or waylaid by the ongoing characters in the 'main' series. Like Maurice and his Educated Rodents, this plays with narrative unashamedly and is more entertaining for it. Strip away the continuity from the 'main' series and this is what you get: smart writing about the nature of reality and of story-telling.
May 08, 2004
The Jaguar Smile
The Jaguar Smile
Salman Rushdie
( picador, 1987 )
There's always something strange about reading of-the-moment political travel journalism after decades have elapsed. The one thing I wish The Jaguar Smile had contained was more contextualisation. True, I am a child of the 80s and remember the Sandinistas and Contras, the CIA aid and the now strange paranoia over communism. I ought to know this stuff, the book contained names I recall such as Daniel Ortega, and perhaps its a lot to ask to have clearer political delineations in a work from the time (although Orwell managed well enough in Homage to Catalonia) but I did occassionally feel an assumption of understanding had been taken by Rushdie. It can be argued that the mild bewilderment is meant to create the confusion and ambivilance Rushie himself feels in the face of a complex geopolitical war and certainly as a portrait of a country in revolution, The Jaguar Smile really works.
Salman Rushdie
( picador, 1987 )
There's always something strange about reading of-the-moment political travel journalism after decades have elapsed. The one thing I wish The Jaguar Smile had contained was more contextualisation. True, I am a child of the 80s and remember the Sandinistas and Contras, the CIA aid and the now strange paranoia over communism. I ought to know this stuff, the book contained names I recall such as Daniel Ortega, and perhaps its a lot to ask to have clearer political delineations in a work from the time (although Orwell managed well enough in Homage to Catalonia) but I did occassionally feel an assumption of understanding had been taken by Rushdie. It can be argued that the mild bewilderment is meant to create the confusion and ambivilance Rushie himself feels in the face of a complex geopolitical war and certainly as a portrait of a country in revolution, The Jaguar Smile really works.
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