Unfortunately, Turtledove writes too much like a college sophomore in a creative writing class. I've tried to ignore the turgid prose. I'm trying to ignore the formulaic introduction of characters one at a time in unconnected vignettes. (With more than a dozen characters in two chapters, I lost track long ago.)
Then I get to the paragraph where the President of the Confederate States is fondling his newly-published book (a Southern racist's Mein Kampf):
Maybe this was what women felt when they had a baby. He didn't know about that; he'd never been a woman. But this was pretty fine in its own way.Up to this point, Turtledove's prose has been utterly humorless, so I can't believe he's trying to be funny. (Or perhaps I've failed to appreciate his subtle and sophisticated wit.)
I hate not finishing a book once I've started, but I can't stand it any more. Unless one of you can convince me otherwise, I'm deleting this trash. Danielle Steel would be more pleasant.
29 comments:
Things are usually free for a reason.
I have only ever heard vile things about Turtledove. I suggest deleting with extreme prejudice.
I know nothing about the book or the author. I am commenting, however, to tell you how jealous I am that you have a Kindle. Do you have the new one? What do you think?
I tried a bit more, and I just can't stand it. It's deleted.
@Katie, yes, it's the new Kindle. It was my Christmas present (in March). It's fabulous. If it had a penis, I would have sex with it. I take it everywhere.
I gave myself permission a couple years ago to stop reading any pleasure book that wasn't bringing me pleasure. There's a lot to be said for it!
The prose in The Devil in the White City drove me to distraction. I gave up after two chapters. Life is too short to waste time on poorly written books, especially when the internet is available for all your time-wasting needs.
At least with Danielle Steele, the prose isn't the only thing that's turgid.
Good for you. I like his early Videssos work but can't stand his later alternate timeline world war or civil war books. Hope you find some better reading material.
I managed to finish the one Turtledove Alternate Civil Ware book I tried, but I'm nowhere near tempted to read another.
Well, I guess I can't really add much to the previous comment about the Kindle 2. Maybe you'll have better luck with the Kindle 3.
As far as Turtledove goes, I've suffered through a couple of his books, and you made the right move. The prose doesn't improve. In fact, I think a lot of the tired cliches get copied from book to book.
Good for you- I was going to vote delete! delete!
Put the "book" away. For a better written alt hist, try Phillip Roth.
I tried a bit more, and I just can't stand it. It's deleted.
I was going to suggest that very course of action. Turtledove is the kind of crap that gets published because dorks think anything in the sci-fi section is automatically high literature.
I can't get into Turtledove, but Eric Flint's alternative history series is pretty good. Take a look at 1632. This book actually got me interested in what really happened during the Thirty Year's War.
Oh, Lord. Just those few sentences are making my bowels gurgle.
Life is too short to read bad books. Delete and ignore.
Another good option which you might find interesting is Jo Walton's take on an alternate Europe in the Small Change series-the first one is called Farthing.
The idea is that Neville Chamberlain did accommodate with Hitler, and Churchill never became Prime Minister, leading to the no WWII, and the Nazification of Europe.
I'll avoid Turtledove, but, just from reading the passage you quoted, I wonder if he's ever READ another book--say, one by a decent writer. If he had perhaps he'd know how bad his own prose sounds. Even better, perhaps he'd learn how to master a few of the mechanical secrets about telling a story--like how to let the flow of the narrative do your work for you, like introducing characters.
Live is to short to drink bad wine or read bad books.
For historical fiction, you can't do better than Patrick O'Brien(albeit if it's Alternative Civil War History you want, he's no help.)
Off topic, but boy, I just looked over this blog and I gotta say, I wonder which of my instructors over the years have posted my emails to them on their blog. It's a cutthroat world out there, I'm tellin' ya. From now on I might think twice before raising my hand in class. It turns out there is such a thing as a stupid question!
> From now on I might think twice before raising my hand in class.
> It turns out there is such a thing as a stupid question!
Congratulations spokker, for making another step towards adulthood.
Try Robert Ferrigno's "Prayers for the Assassin" for a well written "alternative" timeline novel. (Premise - most of the U.S. converts to Islam except Bible Belt)
"Congratulations spokker, for making another step towards adulthood."
I believe the next step would be to post all egregious emails that are sent to me in confidentiality and whine about them on my blog instead of confronting those who annoy me, yes? I might intersperse these rantings with interesting thoughts about my cats and cholesterol levels.
Soon I will become a well-rounded, mature adult with the wherewithal to succeed!
..."he'd never been a woman." OY VEY IZ MIR!! I know how you feel about not finishing a book - I once let in some Religi-oids because when I opened the door they held up a small blue volume (hard-cover) titled, in gold, "TRUTH". But this? No. (I got rid of them eventually by offering to summon MY deity and hoped they weren't allergic to sulphur). I haven't read your other comments yet but will, and then perhaps make a recommendation.
(OH! my WV is "kinesque"; I believe I'll refer to myself that way from now on!)
I might intersperse these rantings with interesting thoughts about my cats and cholesterol levels.
Until we know your cats' cholesterol levels you just won't quite be there. Good luck with the maturity though!
"Maybe this was what women felt when they had a baby. He didn't know about that; he'd never been a woman. But this was pretty fine in its own way."
LOL! I won't say it's so bad, it's good, but it is funny!
"Maybe this was what women felt when they had a baby."
Hmmmm. My impression was that it felt like excreting a football out of your backside. Although to tell the truth, I've never been a woman either, at least not yet.
I have no idea what Turtledove's normal skill level is, but Guns of the South was pretty damn good. I haven't read any more, so it could be that it's the only decent book he's written.
Turtledove's "The Road not Taken" was a pretty good story in it's original form in Analog Magazine.
But you can read the whole thing in less than 30 minutes.
I'm not sure whether you realize this or not, but there were about 6 books leading into this one...there was a book on a second Civil War (after the South won the first one, since Lee's lost order before Antietam wasn't lost), followed by 3-4 books redoing WWI. Then there were several books covering the inter-war years. Then there is the Settling Accounts series. So those unconnected vignettes you are complaining about is just reminding people of a cast of characters established in over half a dozen books, and what they are up to.
I would be like starting Lost with a recent episodes and complaining about how confusing it is.
None of this is to conclude Turtledove was writing well...I put down the Settling Accounts series after I'd re-read the same piece in a few too many Turtledove books:)
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