The Girl in Blue / P.G. Wodehouse

The Girl in Blue
by P.G. Wodehouse

humour

copyright 1970
read in December 2013

rated 9 / 10: really, really good

Almost ninety years old and Wodehouse gets even better !

The main characters are still toffs, living in a world of eternal sunshine. There are no real villains, just greedy people, foolish people and gold diggers. Plus a large number of very likeable people.

There are more people of the lower classes playing quite major roles. And they are treated just as nicely as are the toffs.

Mind you, I was almost shocked when the hero spoke directly to the heroine... Without having been formally introduced ! Even in the world of Wodehouse, standards of behaviour have changed.

So if it's all the same, how can I say that Wodehouse gets even better ?

His language -- his obvious enjoyment of the clever use of language -- just gets better and better :-)

The Girl in Blue is one continuous game of playing with words. Beautifully done ! An absolute joy to read... And I absolutely enjoyed reading it :-)

A mix of classical allusions, liberally mixed with then-current literary references. Plus sentences which twist and jump and suddenly end with surprising clarity.

This is a terrific book for lovers of the English language. A book of twists and turns, of delightful people with good intentions and high standards.

With happy endings all round.

I love it !

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The Children of Men / P.D. James

The Children of Men
by P.D. James

science fiction... etc ?!

copyright 1992
read (partly) in December 2013

rated 5 / 10: readable, but only if there's nothing else

Not a bad book, really. Sort of interesting, as far as I read it. I read to page 80. Then I was tired of waiting for something to happen... Read the Wikipedia entry and decided that that was enough.

Okay, I also read the last few pages of the book, to see if there was anything  significant... Wikipedia may have missed the hint of absolute power about to corrupt a new person...

This book is science fiction. It takes a single -- major -- change and explores the possibilities.

It is also a kitchen sink melodrama, examining the personal lives of rather boring people.

The book is, in large part, an examination of society. Society and its reaction to a major change, a major threat to the future of the human race. As such it is... well... worthy. Slow, boring but worthy.

You know what really surprises me ? The book was published in 1992 ! Why does that surprise me ? Because it reads like some ancient novel from the  Victorian era.

Old-fashioned.

So. Interesting points. Worthy analysis of possibilities. Slow and boring.

A book for a very long, rainy day... If all libraries and bookshops -- and the internet, and tv -- are unavailable.

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Problems ? Solved

Proven Guilty / Jim Butcher

Proven Guilty
by Jim Butcher
Dresden Files (11?)

fantasy

copyright 2006
read in December 2013

rated 6 / 10: read to pass the time

The future is an unknown country. The past... is not a safe place to visit.

I've read and reviewed ten books from the Dresden Files. Enjoyed every one of them. Rated them highly.

Now I've read Proven Guilty and been... less impressed.

Still enjoyed it -- just less impressed by the writing style. There are strong signs of the series' comic book origins.

Each chapter is comic-book action, wipe out the baddies... With the last page devoted to a quick glimpse of the next wave of baddies... Who are even tougher and meaner.

Oh no! says the hero, It's a fetch... And sure enough, it is a fetch. First problem, a "fetch" copies humans, not cgi movie monsters. Second problem is, what is his source of knowledge ?

Dresden has no books on the supernatural. None that are mentioned. There is no time spent in quiet reflection. Certainly no spare time for reading. Just, off the top of his head, Oh no it's a fetch...

The action is described with an artist in mind. Very visual. No spell will work unless it is accompanied by flashing light and Kaboom!! in bright text across the top of the page. And the characters are dressed to look good in either black and white or full colour.

Why have I -- only now -- noticed all this ?!

I have read a few more books which have grown from "graphic novels". Some good, some bad. Proven Guilty is a good one. But in the grand scheme of books-that-I-have-read, it is let down by its style.

Oh, and the sex is aimed at horny teenage boys. Much like the rest of the book. By "sex" I mean, reference to, missing out on and bravely turning down good offers which would only lead to bad consequences.

So I enjoyed the book. Much as I enjoyed the previous ten. It's just not safe to revisit a series from the past...

I have moved from pure enjoyment to critical analysis. The joy of a new series has been replaced by the cold hard analysis of comparison.

A thoroughly enjoyable book. For the horny teenage boy. For the boy with a strong Walter Mitty complex.

Ah well. I'm still looking forward to reading Ghost Story :-)

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The Dirty Streets of Heaven / Tad Williams

The Dirty Streets of Heaven
by Tad Williams
Bobby Dollar (1)

fantasy

copyright 2012
read in December 2013

rated 7/10: well worth reading

This explanation of heaven and hell makes absolute sense to me. Sure, it's possible that we face a post-life eternity of either rapture or torture. But why ?

Is it fair, that a short lifetime determines our eternal fate ? Is fairness simply not a part of the equation ? If not, why not ?!

If there is an eternal life -- I rather like Williams' version of the "third way".

Then there are the characters and the general modus operandi of angels and demons on earth. Think of the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher... very, very similar.

And I mean that as a compliment.

I have just one  criticism of this book: it is part of an undeclared trilogy.

Okay, in very small print on the back cover, it is the first of a set. Inside, two more books are named -- with a year of planned publication.

Is there no fantasy author capable of writing a standalone novel ?!

Dirty Streets does stand by itself. Except for two outstanding plot threads: the central theme, and the love interest.

Oh, fine, these will link the three -- or more -- stories in the series. I look forward to more conspiracy revelations and more will they / won't they between the two lovers.

Just once, I would like to reach the end of a book. And find that it really is, the end of the book.

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Problems ? Solved

The Bloodstained Man / Christopher Rowley

The Bloodstained Man
by Christopher Rowley

Netherworld (2)

science fiction

copyright 2010
read in December 2013

rated 5/10: readable, but only if there's nothing else

Well, what can you expect, when the front cover says, "heavy metal pulp" ?!

Apparently, it's "a new line of novels combining noir fiction with fantastic art..." That's one view.

Soooo...

No adult -- or wannabe adult -- reads comics. No way. It's all about "graphic novels". Which, like comics, may be good or bad. But what do you do when you are ready to move past graphic novels ? You read some heavy metal pulp...

It's a novel, there are words. With the added comfort of regular pictures. I have no problem with that, pictures can add to the story.

The Bloodstained pictures were drawn by someone who had not bothered to read the book.

There are the evil dudes with metal stuff in their faces... No metal studs in the pictures. There's the evil woman with straight, shoulder-length hair... The artist has cut and curled her hair.

Good grief. Pulp ? Absolutely.

The story is not too bad. Simple, violent, crude, illogical and unbelievable. Nothing wrong with that. I quite enjoyed it.

The beginning flows on from book one. No worries, there's lots of explanation of what went before. Not clear explanation... or perhaps it's just book two (this book) which lacks clarity. Again, no worries.

There's a lot of over the top, comic book action... Not great literature, but fun.

Pity about the ending.

Absolute cliffhanger. With no point. Other than to make us read book three, to see if a main character really was, unexpectedly, killed.

The answer is either yes, bugger. Or no, so what was the point.

Except that I don't care enough about the characters to bother reading book three.

Lightweight, entertaining, violent nonsense.

The story is weak but entertaining enough to be read. The ending may have been dictated by the marketing department. The lack of matching the art to the story -- is absolute rubbish. Pity about that.

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Problems ? Solved

Marauder / Gary Gibson

Marauder

category: science fiction, author:

Gary Gibson

book 1 (probably) of ??
original copyright 2013

read in December 2013

Agamedes' opinion: 6 out of 10 (read to pass the time)

There's a lot of, She did this, then he did that, then she did something else... That is: the recitation of a series of actions. With very little (or nothing) in the way of clever writing.

The story is entertaining enough. And straightforward. She escapes, she runs, she runs straight back to the villains and is captured again. Nothing very clever: the plot is not clever, nor are the main characters.

The secret surprise -- is hardly any secret. Though it does make me wonder...

"Marauder... is a standalone work." So it is written, just before the story starts. Yet it seems to me -- having not read any earlier books by Gibson -- that a key character in Marauder is continuing her adventures from three previous books. And the Epilogue in this book is a clear pointer to a series of subsequent stories...

So it's "standalone" in that the story makes sense without having to have read previous books. But it is clearly one of a series... Which is good, really.

The somewhat illogical plot is helped along by a touch of deus ex machina, where previous books are essential to the action in Marauder. The ending -- escape from the various villains -- is pure deus ex machina.

Despite its faults, it's an easy read. Unless you dislike excessive violence. I mean, how many people need to be brutally or incidentally killed simply to clear the decks for action by the main characters ?!

Ah well.

Easy to read. A complex SF universe. No need to closely question the simplistic plot.

Read Marauder to pass the time.
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18sep18: I reread the book

One good thing -- I couldn't remember any of this book. When I unintentionally reread a book I usually read a few chapters with a growing awareness of familiarity. Or, more correctly, deja vu. This time -- nothing at all. Hmmm... is that a "good thing" ? Or is the book so utterly *un*memorable that none of it sticks in my mind ?!

Not to worry, I still rate this book as six. Read to pass the time. With a few added observations:

This is a nasty book. Excessive violence ? Yes. And -- in my opinion -- often pointless. "You can't make an omelette..." Think of the book as an omelette and every character as an egg. Waiting to be broken. Perhaps I'm being over-sensitive ? I find some chapters to be, nasty.

And another thing... This book is set (I think) more than 500 years in the future. With the medical / mechanical ability to rebuild a human body, to recover a person from death's door -- is there no simple, universal birth control ?! With 500 years' of social advancement -- it is still the responsibility of the woman to manage birth control ?! Well, actually, I'd say that "social advancement" has been somewhat in reverse. Back towards the barbarians.

Why does the heroine believe that *she* is the one person who can save the universe ? It turns out -- plot spoiler -- that she can be rebuilt. With all her memories and abilities, plus more. Why not simply retire, and let a fresh clone -- or several dozen improved models -- sail out to save the universe ?

Apart from all of its weaknesses... this is good, solid, science fiction. Shading towards space opera. High action & adventure. Super science largely unexplained.  It's unfortunate that the final chapters just throw logic to the wind in an effort to wrap up the central plot. And to set the scene for yet more books in the series.

The Curve of the Earth / Simon Morden

The Curve of the Earth
by Simon Morden

science fiction

copyright 2013
read in December 2013

rated 6/10: read to pass the time

Tough but caring hero with lots of super-strength mech and mental upgrades. And a best friend who's an omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent supercomputer.

It's a whole lot of wish fulfilment, saving civilisation, fantasy. A whole lot of fun. But there's not enough good stuff for me to rate it as 7, well worth reading.

My rating scale is largely based on gut feel as I read the book. Curve is clearly worth 6. It just lacks the hard to define "worth" which would make it a 7. Good to read but no need to go out of your way to read it.

So.

I do like the Newcomen character. Rather, I like the way that Morden deals with him. There's doubt as to whether he will end up as help or hindrance. The final result is believable and satisfactory.

Then there's Michael, the self-aware super-computer. Every boy's favourite imaginary best friend... But wait a minute ! Is that the same Mike the super-computer that gained self-awareness in Heinlein's, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress ?!

Perhaps a clever allusion with explanation in an earlier book by Morden ? Our am I mistaken in my memory of names ? No matter... Mike or Michael, still a boy's best bully-bashing super-friend :-)

And finally...

According to the blurb on the back, it's worth mentioning the hero's "plethora of Russian swearwords".

Okay, he's Russian. And he -- presumably -- swears. In Russian. Or is he really saying, "Oh bother, those naughty people have just kicked me in the shins. Let me respond by placing this bazooka up their left sleeves."

So Morden has a dictionary of Russian vulgarity. And I too could learn to be crude in Russian. If I could be bothered reading Curve with a Russian-English dictionary close to hand.

It adds nothing much to the story.

It adds to the character, yes. For a while. Then it very quickly becomes boring. A modern hero who swears like a trooper but with minimal offence to the delicate reader ? Okay, clever. Until it's totally overdone.

Read the book, enjoy the action, move on.

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Problems ? Solved

Redshirts / John Scalzi

Redshirts
by John Scalzi

science fiction, humour

copyright 2012
read in December 2013

rated 7/10: well worth reading

Okay, we all know about the Star Trek ensigns: they land on a planet only to be killed early so that we can see how dangerous it really is. Main characters can -- and will -- survive anything. Ensigns are interchangeable and short-lived.

Scalzi has taken that premise and built on it. Standalone, it's worth a joke or two. Scalzi has added an extra (time) dimension, for extra depth. Quite clever, really !

Beyond the situational humour there are some good gags, some lines which are worth a chuckle. The story is entertaining and the characters are likeable.

The characters are likeable -- but not great. I hoped that they would survive but, for most, did not really care. There is not enough character depth to make me care. Which suits the story because the heroes are, after all, interchangeable and normally short-lived ensigns.

Redshirts is easy to read. But sometimes hard to follow. So many characters ! And the logic of the plot solution requires some effort to (approximately) understand.

Three quarters of the way through the book and I thought, Hang on, the story has ended ! What's in the rest of the book ?!

When I read on, it was quite clever. Or, at least, a valid effort to wrap up loose ends. Though there is one loose end which is deliberately raised and then -- as far as I can understand it -- not explained... ?!

I read to the end of the story then -- as the book failed to finish -- realised that there were, in fact, several loose ends. Threads which I would happily have accepted as being left to the readers imagination.

Good work Scalzi !

This book has a clever idea for the basic plot.  Entertainingly written. Plus loose ends wrapped up where a lesser author could have left them hanging.

Not a great book but a good book.

Enjoyable. Well enough written. Easy to read though sometimes hard to follow.

Worth reading.

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Problems ? Solved