Quote:
Originally Posted by Catlady
Just what story was Klages telling? I'm not the only one who's said it was unclear. Is this fantasy, historical fiction, romance, mystery, what? The blurbs even mention it's inspired by the pulps, screwball comedy and film noir! (Don't see the latter two at all.) It's all over the place, and that's fine for a long, detailed novel, but in a novella, it's WAY too much. It's like having too many styles, patterns, colors, and textures in a small room; it's a mess.
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Indeed, I agree that what the story is, is unclear - especially first time through. I don't agree that it's a mess. Even on my first reading I was pleasantly surprised how - after some serious reservations earlier - it all came together at the end. For me, the strange nature of the story is part of its appeal. I like that it's not definitely one thing or another, I think that that is part of what makes it work (for me). It made it a story that stuck with me much longer than it might have otherwise.