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| Asymmetry | Archive | March 21, 2005 | |
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"You know what your problem is," said the wizard. "You're too perfect."
Well, the rules say "no rewrites," so there you have it. OK, I've probably been reading too much Tom Holt. As if there could be such a thing -- though I have the feeling that he's never really caught on in the States, and I can't imagine why; Terry Pratchett has a slavering following here, many Americans are devoted fans of British TV shows -- the real ones, not the grotesque mutations that we make of them later on -- and Holt is funny, albeit in a mildly intellectual way. Maybe that's the problem. I like him, though, even if I do have to buy most of his books as imports. Yesterday I finished off Expecting Someone Taller and Who's Afraid of Beowulf?. I first read the latter many, many years ago -- I think I took it out from the Meadville Public Library, while I was in college. I have liked it ever since. A modest story, amusing and well-contained. Holt knows his limits, that's another thing I like about him. He tells a small tale well. And how many other people bother with Vikings these days? Let alone ones who have been asleep in the mound for twelve hundreds years and arise to fight a sorcerer-king and his timber wolf, who manage to be prosaic and truly heroic at the same time, who make you wonder if the grand stories have more truth in them than we let ourselves think. Time's up. It's Monday, which means work. Only four more days to get through until we find out What's Going On at the meeting (Thursday afternoon -- Friday would be slightly more ominous, but I suspect a lot of people will be out because of Easter, so perhaps that's why Thursday. I'm making a bet with myself that our department is to be gutted.). | Top |
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