Like Climbing Everest...
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some hard going, but that's why people do it.
Most of the hard reading in this fabulous book can be attributed to neither Bull nor Brust, but rather to 19th century German philosophy. Anything is easy reading compared to that! Nevertheless, the letters and news clippings which tell the story require some work as they are written in 19th century English - and 19th century English is quite different from modern English (is this a surprise to anyone?). Despite the somewhat difficult reading, it is well worth it - Hegelian philosophy and all.
Regarding the negative reviews, this book is definately not for everyone. If you have never read anything written prior to the latter half of this century be prepared to work hard - this doesn't come with Coles Notes to help you through like so many people needed to get through Shakespeare in high school. You are reading English that is 150 years old (or, rather, styled after English that is 150 years old) - it is understandable but not comfortable for a 20th century English speaker.
I agree that billing this as fantasy is a misnomer, but Brust and Bull have been pigeon-holed - much like you'll find Bob Dylan in the Folk section at too many record stores (Shot of Love = Folk?). Regardless of the genre it has been assigned to, it is a fantastic book - period. Not an OK Historical, great Fantasy - just a great book regardless of the genre. It's just that too many books, even historical fiction, are written in modern English which make them easier to digest.
The 19th Century letters and news clippings add a feeling of reality - there's not some omnipotent Narrator detailing everything that happened. I think it is a great way to tell the story and Brust and Bull pull it off with great flair. Think The Blair Witch Project - what is so powerful about it is it seems like it did happen, or at least like it could happen, because of the raw nature of the documentation (very "primary source" in History speak). But as to the originality of this device of telling the story through letters and news clippings, has no-one read Bram Stoker's Dracula? No, I am not refering to Bram Stoker's Dracula the movie, book, and marketing extravaganza from 1992, but rather the original from 1897.
Overall, a great tale that gradually reveals more and more of an Epic plot (yes, only a few cities may be visited, but the Fates of Nations, the Clash of Idealogies, Revolution, and the questioning of Reality are the backdrop!). And the device of letters and journals revealing this Epic, while not entirely novel, is most certainly daring in the late 20th Century. Coupled with Hegelian philosophy, mysticism, the Occult, independance versus Love, Marx and Engels' Communist ideology, et cetera this is a book you should not miss.
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long but fun
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I didn't like how the story was presented in letters et al, and the words were a little hard to get through (of course I read it with a caffeine-head at around midnight) but the sheer WAHOO! adventure pace of the plot was a serious plus. Of course, it had a happy, suitably romantic ending... and one of the best parts was having Friedrich Engels, co-writer of the "Communist Manifesto", not portrayed as a killer anarchist but as a nice guy and a sympathetic character. Read this. NOW.
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Labyrinthine, 19th-Century Noir and loving it!
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I know a lot of people will knock this book for being tough to get into and stick with, but if you can, you're in for a ride. The plot, which develops by way of letters, journal entries, and newspaper clippings, follows the adventures of an English playboy, who, in 1849, finds himself an amnesiac in a small village. He contacts his cousin, and the two begin to unravel the secret of where he has been for two months of his life which have disappeared. Add two heroines, some secrets, and you're on your way. The language is beautiful, and there's a bonus treat for fans of Steven Brust and Emma Bull--you can figure out which one wrote the part of which characters, kind of like a role-play. (That's actually how they wrote the book!) A most worthy addition to the works of Brust and Bull.
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read it! read it! read it!
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There are some books that stay with you long after you read the last page and gradually sink into your subconscious to become part of your life. This is one of them. Read it! I guarantee that you will never look at things the same way again--you will always think, "What would Susan have thought?" or, "That man reminds me of Richard." or, "My writing style is similar to Kitty's." I laughed and cried and stayed up all night with this one. It is terrific.
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Dont' let the heft fool you
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Be sure to give yourself time with this book - it will take over your reading time. Brust and Bull produced an excellent work filled with some of the best characters I've ever found. I'm happily midway through my 12th re-reading now.
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