Just One Damned Thing After Another
(Chronicles of St Mary's #1)
by Jodi Taylor
fantasy
copyright 2013
read in October 2019
re-rated to 9/10: really really good
Time travel is just one of the challenges facing the staff of St Mary's. A good comparison could be, St Trinian's for adults.
Right from the start I enjoy this book. By the time it gets more serious -- I'm hooked. It's a book which I want to finish -- then read again.
The science is rubbish. The history is (as far as I know) based on reality. The sex is noisy, enthusiastic, not overdone. There is well-phrased humour and occasional blood-soaked violence. All up, really quite a good book.
I shall re-read this book. Then I shall look for more in the series (there are lots).
There are also lots of characters. With a very useful list at the front: as I read I am constantly turning back, to remind myself who this character is. I'm hopeless at remembering names, the "dramatis thingummy" is an enormous help.
And interestingly: There is one character who is exceedingly nasty. There is one book written by Jodi Taylor under a pseudonym. The pseudonym is the name of the nasty character. Is this deeply significant? or a final joke? or just one more irrelevant inconsistency by the author... Or just interesting because I noticed it :-)
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22oct19: So I do re-read "Just One Damned Thing..." -- and it is even better! I've just updated my rating, from eight to nine. But why?!
First, I enjoy the second reading. With the benefit of foreknowledge I have a clearer understanding of what is happening. Does foreknowledge spoil the surprise? No! This book has an inventive plot, it does not need the artificial stimulus of surprise twists. Yes, there are twists, plenty of them. There is pleasure in following each plot twist, even though I know very well what is about to happen.
First reading I think, Wow! that is unexpected. Second reading I think, Wow! that is clever.
The second benefit of re-reading is related. I thought that some adventures were just that, adventures. A bit of action to pad out the plot. Second reading I realise, each apparently irrelevant scene is adding to the overall plot. How do they know X? Because of seemingly irrelevant scene Y. That sort of thing.
For a book which is so easy to read, the plot is surprisingly complex. My second reading adds to my understanding of that complexity. Better yet, it's straight-line complexity. There are no distracting subplots. Just one, complex, very enjoyable, main story.
With lots of humour. Which is even funnier the second time round.
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22oct19: So I do re-read "Just One Damned Thing..." -- and it is even better! I've just updated my rating, from eight to nine. But why?!
First, I enjoy the second reading. With the benefit of foreknowledge I have a clearer understanding of what is happening. Does foreknowledge spoil the surprise? No! This book has an inventive plot, it does not need the artificial stimulus of surprise twists. Yes, there are twists, plenty of them. There is pleasure in following each plot twist, even though I know very well what is about to happen.
First reading I think, Wow! that is unexpected. Second reading I think, Wow! that is clever.
The second benefit of re-reading is related. I thought that some adventures were just that, adventures. A bit of action to pad out the plot. Second reading I realise, each apparently irrelevant scene is adding to the overall plot. How do they know X? Because of seemingly irrelevant scene Y. That sort of thing.
For a book which is so easy to read, the plot is surprisingly complex. My second reading adds to my understanding of that complexity. Better yet, it's straight-line complexity. There are no distracting subplots. Just one, complex, very enjoyable, main story.
With lots of humour. Which is even funnier the second time round.
I just hope I can find copies of other books in the series. Before I have to read this one, a third time :-)
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22nov20: Well, I've had to read it a third time...
I was looking for a book, any book. I saw this book. Thought, may as well... Read it a third time. Enjoyed it a third time :-)
As with my second reading I was ready for some of the plot twists -- which made me enjoy them even more. With a year since I read it first, memory had faded. There were no real surprises, just plenty of happy reminders.
An excellent book. Still.
19aug21: Yes, I've read it again. Discovered (or re-discovered?) how clever it is. Still thoroughly enjoyable! Still worth nine out of ten :-)
Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
... Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved
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"Books suffer wear and tear, just the same as hip joints, cars and reputations." … Thursday Next per Jasper Fforde
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