Post by Hermes on Aug 6, 2012 12:59:47 GMT -5
Sora has an interesting review of the book here
I rather agree about the lack of realism. In fact, it's a bit worse than he suggests; they do have cellphones and the internet, but only occasionally, it seems. If it were not for that one could suppose it was set in the past, when DH himself as at high school (as I think The Basic Eight is), or in a fantasy world half-way between here and Snicketland. But these references bring it down to earth in an annoying way.
It is, though, beautifully written, and I found the story itself quite moving.
There are a few ASOUE shout-outs (though the voice - unlike the voice of TB8 - is not Snicket-like at all). Apart from the general form of the work, which clearly recalls Beatrice, the most striking is the scene where Ed and Min steal - something. But I noticed two others - Lottie Carson's real name is Bettina Vaporetto, and in a passage where Min is discussing the language of flowers, she suggests as one possible meaning 'I'm sorry I embarrassed you in front of your friends'. There may be others I have missed.
There is also at least one striking reference to another author; one of the items in the box is a coin from Zembla, an unreal country featured in Nabokov's Pale Fire.
It does recall The Basic Eight a bit - the crowd Min belongs to are a bit like TB8, though there are normally only four of them. However, no one is murdered.
I rather agree about the lack of realism. In fact, it's a bit worse than he suggests; they do have cellphones and the internet, but only occasionally, it seems. If it were not for that one could suppose it was set in the past, when DH himself as at high school (as I think The Basic Eight is), or in a fantasy world half-way between here and Snicketland. But these references bring it down to earth in an annoying way.
It is, though, beautifully written, and I found the story itself quite moving.
There are a few ASOUE shout-outs (though the voice - unlike the voice of TB8 - is not Snicket-like at all). Apart from the general form of the work, which clearly recalls Beatrice, the most striking is the scene where Ed and Min steal - something. But I noticed two others - Lottie Carson's real name is Bettina Vaporetto, and in a passage where Min is discussing the language of flowers, she suggests as one possible meaning 'I'm sorry I embarrassed you in front of your friends'. There may be others I have missed.
There is also at least one striking reference to another author; one of the items in the box is a coin from Zembla, an unreal country featured in Nabokov's Pale Fire.
It does recall The Basic Eight a bit - the crowd Min belongs to are a bit like TB8, though there are normally only four of them. However, no one is murdered.
