Other people read me too...

[desperance]

Here's a review I hadn't seen, for 'River of the World' - not the unstinting praise that I prefer, but hey. It says "Issel ... is an unsatisfying protagonist because he is in constant pain and doubt throughout the book, and is always on the edge of collapse" - which is of course exactly why he is the protagonist, because pain and self-doubt are interesting. To me, at least. Hey-ho.

And if I didn't link to it before, here's the Publishers' Weekly review, which notes that this is a sequel and provides minimal backstory; which is true, and I think perhaps I should point it out to the person who got two chapters in and complained that they didn't know what the fuck was going on. Which as they hadn't read 'Bridge of Dreams' is not exactly a surprise. Sigh...

(And if anybody in the States or Canada can access the full review here, or indeed the other one here, which I can't, I'd be deeply grateful to see it...)

In other news: the cats are in disgrace, charged with wilful chillicide (not that they've noticed; Mac is frisking cheerfully in my lap as I type, damn his purry little wicked soul); and the theatre yesterday was just extraordinary, and I ought to blog about that in detail but I don't think I'm capable (but if you get a chance to see this current production of Tony Kushner's 'Angels in America', just go); and I was so going to have a day off today, only I had this little piece to write, and sometimes it's just hard to stop, y'know? So I did that. And then I built a bookcase. Oh, and I went up the hill to visit m'friends John & Michelle and pick up another box of Phantoms at the Phil, because I have outstanding orders, and they nearly seduced me into putting my name on the waiting-list for an allotment in their patch, only I already decided this week that I'm just going to make more new beds in my back yard and settle for what I've got. I don't eat that many vegetables anyway, y'know...?

Comments

[glinda-w.livejournal.com]

sorry, the AccessMyLibrary site doesn't accept my library login.

(grrrrrr.)

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Thanks for trying...

[woodrunner.livejournal.com]

The link you provided for Booklist kind of thumbs its nose at me when I try to access it using my library login, so I thumbed my nose back at it by going the roundabout route through my library's website.

I have the pdf in my, erhm, grubby digital hands. Where may I send it?

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Oh, you are a star! An email to chaz at chazbrenchley dot co dot uk will always find me in...

[woodrunner.livejournal.com]

Ack! I didn't get your response until now! Do you still need it, or has someone else delivered the article to you?

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Still need it, please...!

[durham-rambler.livejournal.com]

Well from here in Durham, I picked the Wellesley zip code and 'Wellesley Public Library' and it let me straight in. The reviews have been emailed to you.

Cheers, time for bed.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Um, the reviews haven't actually arrived at this end - though we much admire yr sneaky method of approach...

[gauroth.livejournal.com]

Hmmm... I can't say that I approve of that first reviewer's opinion, because apart from being rather sniffy about 'River of the World' he is also sniffy about C J Cherryh, whose 'Morgaine' books first introduced me to sensitive, intelligent men and women who worked together: that was in complete opposition to the books by Robert E Howard or Michael Moorcock, where the men were Speshul and the women were Prizes. (Mumble, mutter, rant, rant, rant.) I very much like the way you take aspects of history and warp them to your own liking. I especially appreciate the last sentence of the intro to the 'Outremer' books, where it's suggested that the Frankish kingdoms mightn't last for 100 years. That made me chortle, since the actual kingdoms (as you know, Bob) only lasted a century anyway.

Also - if you should ever happen perhaps possibly to write anything under a nom de plume, could you maybe recommend those books to us as by an up-and-coming author who we would enjoy?? I was just wonderin', ya know...

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Also - if you should ever happen perhaps possibly to write anything under a nom de plume, could you maybe recommend those books to us as by an up-and-coming author who we would enjoy?? I was just wonderin', ya know...

Don't worry,the hints will be so massive, they will be entirely unmisconstruable. I shall wear T-shirts in his favour.

[devonellington.livejournal.com]

The play is extraordinary, isn't it? I had to think about it for a few days before I could even talk about it.