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dustydigger
Posted 2019-01-28 4:27 PM (#20662 - in reply to #20635)
Subject: Re: Pick & Mix 2019 challenge		Quote Reply



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Location: UK		It took some work to read the Yiddish Policemen's Union,which did finally tie all the disparate themes together.Intricate and rather sad,but certainly thought provoking.
I was happy to take delivery of C J Cherryh's Emergence,#19 in the Foreigner series. I usually complain about books being too long,but not with Cherryh,I was really wishing it was double its 360 pages. I dived into the story and didn't surface for 3 days.lol
I have just finished Connie Willis Blackout,far too long and repetitious for my tastes,491 pages than could have been easily trimmed down to about 300 pages . And its only half the story ,I need to read All Clear,another 640 pages,There weren't any egregious errors in the wodges of wartime info involved, Willis certainly did a lot of research,but the characters were cardboard,the dialogue bland,so it was all a bit meh to me.Anyway,that makes 63/67 Hugos,51/54 Nebulas completed!.No awards for All clear,but I need to read it to complete the story.The two books could have been edited down to one 600 page book.What is it with modern writers that they feel the need to produce 700 page plus books to feel worthy of winning awards! lol.
At least Willis was smooth and moved quickly,whereas I am struggling badly with Susannah Clarke's Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. I can barely managed more than 10 pges at a time,and its a monstrous 800 plus pages.. Stodgy and boring as far as I am concernedAs it is a multi award winner I keep on trying to grasp any underlying themes etc. I'm no historical novel fan,and adding a few magicians to an 19th century tale doesnt cut it for me at all.I get the feeling I am going to take months to read this,and its a chore,not a pleasure at all.
Much more fun for me is Simon R Green's horror/SF/country house murder mystery tale,Death Shall Come,#4 in the enjoyable Ishmael Jones series,I should finish it tomorrow.Aliens and ancient mummys complete with curses. What fun.


Edited by dustydigger 2019-01-28 4:34 PM

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