Don't read everything that even tangentially touches the Tower, you'll go mad.
Stuff like Rose Madder just isn't worth anyone's time, no matter whether there are extremely shady and vague references to the Tower in it or not. Same goes for From A Buick 8 and a few others. But Insomnia, oh heavens. You'll be wondering what the hell is going on in this book about an old man who can't sleep, then all hell breaks loose.
I love that book for one thing: how many times have we seen a character finally track down someone in a story and demand answers, only to have that character dodge the question and escape, or be killed after giving only the briefest clue? In Insomnia, the lead character finally tracks down someone very important and demands answers...and they proceed to lay the whole damn thing out, in detail. It's just so damn refreshing to finally have so many questions answered.
As for Umbrage, eh, it's just a little over the top. The book could be three chapters shorter if they'd just cut some generic 'Umbrage does something else outrageous to students' stuff. You get the idea that Rowling listened to Floyd a little too much. But the rest, oh the rest...so very, very much goodness lies in store. I only wish I could go back and read it for the first time again.
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Date: 2005-09-29 06:56 pm (UTC)Stuff like Rose Madder just isn't worth anyone's time, no matter whether there are extremely shady and vague references to the Tower in it or not. Same goes for From A Buick 8 and a few others. But Insomnia, oh heavens. You'll be wondering what the hell is going on in this book about an old man who can't sleep, then all hell breaks loose.
I love that book for one thing: how many times have we seen a character finally track down someone in a story and demand answers, only to have that character dodge the question and escape, or be killed after giving only the briefest clue? In Insomnia, the lead character finally tracks down someone very important and demands answers...and they proceed to lay the whole damn thing out, in detail. It's just so damn refreshing to finally have so many questions answered.
As for Umbrage, eh, it's just a little over the top. The book could be three chapters shorter if they'd just cut some generic 'Umbrage does something else outrageous to students' stuff. You get the idea that Rowling listened to Floyd a little too much. But the rest, oh the rest...so very, very much goodness lies in store. I only wish I could go back and read it for the first time again.