Book reviews of novels by Amitav Ghosh and Robert Asprin
Book reviews from April 1999
The Calcutta Chromosome
fiction/science fiction
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It is really hard to define what kind of book this is, something lika a Victorian science fiction/fiction label might come somewhat close.
The story jumps back and forth in time and follows different characters, weaving everything together beautifully. In a future an egyptuian clerk (named Antar) in New York City bumps into a lost ID card. It belongs to a strange man that Antar met a long time ago. The man claimed to be the world authority on Ronald Ross, the man that solved the mystery with malaria in Calcutta 1898. While Antar digs up information about what really happend to the man, a mystery unravels and by the time Antar finds himself involved into it, it's to late to get out.
I'm glad that I read this book, it was really a joy to read. Amitav Ghosh tells the story in a way that you have a hard time putting the book down, you get completly caught up in the book.
The story jumps back and forth in time and follows different characters, weaving everything together beautifully. In a future an egyptuian clerk (named Antar) in New York City bumps into a lost ID card. It belongs to a strange man that Antar met a long time ago. The man claimed to be the world authority on Ronald Ross, the man that solved the mystery with malaria in Calcutta 1898. While Antar digs up information about what really happend to the man, a mystery unravels and by the time Antar finds himself involved into it, it's to late to get out.
I'm glad that I read this book, it was really a joy to read. Amitav Ghosh tells the story in a way that you have a hard time putting the book down, you get completly caught up in the book.
Another Fine Myth
fantasy/humourous
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This is the first book in Robert Asprin's Myth-series.
Published in 1978 and one fun piece of humourous fantasy.
Skeeve is the ex-thief, now apprentiece that has his doubts about the real use of magic. Naturally his master decides to teach him a lesson and he summons a demon to show the power of magic. In the middle of the summoning, an assassin sneaks into the cottage and kills the magician, luckily the magician manages to kill the assassin before he dies. This leaves Skeeve with two corpses and one nasty-looking demon and a great amount of "I-wish-I-were-somewhere-else"-feelings.
Things are seldom what they seem to be, and a demon is simply someone from another dimension. The demon Aahz is from the dimension Perv, but it doesn't make him a Pervert, it makes him a Pervect as he points out often and with very little effect on other peoples way of looking at him. Together they sets out on an adventure for revenge, and will find themselves ending up in many humourous events and dimensions.
This book ended just like that, I read it in no time. I'm glad I got the omnibus since I could dig into volume #2 of the series right away. If you like humourous fantasy, and who doesn't? know what I mean, nudge, nudge. say no more, you'll surely like this one and since Asprin was one of the first of the new bunch of humourous sf/fantasy-authors you should get your hands on a copy of this book.
I give this book four and a half happy dragons out of five.
Skeeve is the ex-thief, now apprentiece that has his doubts about the real use of magic. Naturally his master decides to teach him a lesson and he summons a demon to show the power of magic. In the middle of the summoning, an assassin sneaks into the cottage and kills the magician, luckily the magician manages to kill the assassin before he dies. This leaves Skeeve with two corpses and one nasty-looking demon and a great amount of "I-wish-I-were-somewhere-else"-feelings.
Things are seldom what they seem to be, and a demon is simply someone from another dimension. The demon Aahz is from the dimension Perv, but it doesn't make him a Pervert, it makes him a Pervect as he points out often and with very little effect on other peoples way of looking at him. Together they sets out on an adventure for revenge, and will find themselves ending up in many humourous events and dimensions.
This book ended just like that, I read it in no time. I'm glad I got the omnibus since I could dig into volume #2 of the series right away. If you like humourous fantasy, and who doesn't? know what I mean, nudge, nudge. say no more, you'll surely like this one and since Asprin was one of the first of the new bunch of humourous sf/fantasy-authors you should get your hands on a copy of this book.
I give this book four and a half happy dragons out of five.
| Read my other reviews of Robert Asprin's books: My review of Myth Conceptions, the second novel in the myth series. My review of Myth Directions, the third novel in the myth series. My review of Catwoman: Tiger Hunt, a crime novel by Robert Asprin & Lynn Abbey Reviews of books written in a similar style: More information: |
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