October Books 1) Veniss Underground
1) Veniss Underground, by Jeff Vandermeer
Having insisted in my last two reviews that I don't want to read books that make me work too hard, of course then along comes one that breaks that rule. I really enjoyed Vandermeer's City of Saints and Madmen (and was then very annoyed to discover I had bought only the abbreviated UK version), and although it took me several goes to get properly into Veniss Underground it was well worth the effort - weird senses of Iain Banks (surreal train journey as in The Bridge) and even perhaps CS Lewis (oddly talkative if severed head as in That Hideous Strength) and perhaps even Larry Niven (organlegging). Not one to read on lonely winter nights.
Having insisted in my last two reviews that I don't want to read books that make me work too hard, of course then along comes one that breaks that rule. I really enjoyed Vandermeer's City of Saints and Madmen (and was then very annoyed to discover I had bought only the abbreviated UK version), and although it took me several goes to get properly into Veniss Underground it was well worth the effort - weird senses of Iain Banks (surreal train journey as in The Bridge) and even perhaps CS Lewis (oddly talkative if severed head as in That Hideous Strength) and perhaps even Larry Niven (organlegging). Not one to read on lonely winter nights.