The Anubis Gates/To Love and Be Wise
Frances will be very disappointed because it is quite her favourite book ever, but I stopped reading "The Anubis Gates" after 139 pages.
Frances warned be about the heavy going exposition of Chapter One, but as a reader of George Meredith novels, it was a breeze. I enjoyed his 19th century world, especially with the professional beggary, but I did not enjoy Doyle. I found myself completely indifferent to his fate and so I stopped, despite the dramatic revelation that someone in 1810 was whistling "Yesterday" by a certain Lennon/McCartney. I have a pathetic need to identify, or at least sympathise with central characters and Doyle had no attractive qualities at all as far as I could see. Now I shall never know if he made it back to the 20th Century or else if he resigns himself to being William Ashbles in the 18th.
After ploughing through Mr Powers I thought that a good old fashioned detective novel would perk me up no end. "To Love and Be Wise" by sporadically fabulous Josephine Tey was just what I needed. Tey's novels tend to be very dull or else completely marvellous, a bit like Neville Shute who can uniquely glorify a dull character.
Tey wrote the book with the best title ever: "The Daughter of Time" which is about Richard III. Truth is the daughter of time and if you ever wish to see me cry spontaneously over nothing at all, just say that line to me and I'll weep on cue.
But I digress "To Love and Be Wise" is light, witty and well concocted. It should be read in front of a warm fire whilst eating crumpets and tea. What could be better than that?
Frances warned be about the heavy going exposition of Chapter One, but as a reader of George Meredith novels, it was a breeze. I enjoyed his 19th century world, especially with the professional beggary, but I did not enjoy Doyle. I found myself completely indifferent to his fate and so I stopped, despite the dramatic revelation that someone in 1810 was whistling "Yesterday" by a certain Lennon/McCartney. I have a pathetic need to identify, or at least sympathise with central characters and Doyle had no attractive qualities at all as far as I could see. Now I shall never know if he made it back to the 20th Century or else if he resigns himself to being William Ashbles in the 18th.
After ploughing through Mr Powers I thought that a good old fashioned detective novel would perk me up no end. "To Love and Be Wise" by sporadically fabulous Josephine Tey was just what I needed. Tey's novels tend to be very dull or else completely marvellous, a bit like Neville Shute who can uniquely glorify a dull character.
Tey wrote the book with the best title ever: "The Daughter of Time" which is about Richard III. Truth is the daughter of time and if you ever wish to see me cry spontaneously over nothing at all, just say that line to me and I'll weep on cue.
But I digress "To Love and Be Wise" is light, witty and well concocted. It should be read in front of a warm fire whilst eating crumpets and tea. What could be better than that?