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Mycroft Holmes #1
Against the Brotherhood
Acknowledged by Sherlock Holmes himself as the smarter brother, and gifted with even greater powers of observation than the famous consulting detective, Mycroft Holmes appears in only four stories in the Canon and remains an enigmatic figure wrapped in the mysteries of international politics and conspiracies.
Now, in Against the Brotherhood , we learn of Mycroft's secrets throught the eyes of his new secretary, Patterson Guthrie, Guthrie's upper-class education has not prepared him for the rought-and-tumble world of international politics, nor for his encounters with the beautiful and cunning Miss Gatspy, thief, spy, assassin--whatever the situation calls for. Mycroft is revealed to be a vigorous playre at world politics and international skulduggery. Against the Brotherhood is full of attempted assassinations, secret spymasters, anarchist cabals, concealed identities, double- and triple-agents, burglary, and sabotage, all done in true Conan Doyle style.
Now, in Against the Brotherhood , we learn of Mycroft's secrets throught the eyes of his new secretary, Patterson Guthrie, Guthrie's upper-class education has not prepared him for the rought-and-tumble world of international politics, nor for his encounters with the beautiful and cunning Miss Gatspy, thief, spy, assassin--whatever the situation calls for. Mycroft is revealed to be a vigorous playre at world politics and international skulduggery. Against the Brotherhood is full of attempted assassinations, secret spymasters, anarchist cabals, concealed identities, double- and triple-agents, burglary, and sabotage, all done in true Conan Doyle style.
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
6 people are currently reading
205 people want to read
About the author
Quinn Fawcett
17 books12 followersQuinn Fawcett is the penname of a pair of authors, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro and Bill Fawcett, who also write separately.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
December 29, 2021
Все як завжди - чергова підступна секта хоче загарбати світ, але на сторожі здорового глузду стоїть Майкрофт Холмс і його вірний асистент і не менш вірний слуга. Асистент йде у секту під прикриттям, слуга пише мемуари (я ще його трохи попідозрювала у шпигунстві, бо багато знає), а Майкрофт нікуди не йде, йому і вдома в турецькому халаті добре. Симпатичний пастиш, де головна увага асистентові і Майкрофту, хоча сект забагато.
December 28, 2014
I have long been a devout Holmes fan, and having proceeded faithfully through the original canon many pleasurable times, I began reading pastiches, homages, and various renditions of the Greatest Detective; naturally, a series about Mycroft Holmes was bound to catch my attention. Part of the charm of Sherlock Holmes is his eccentricities, buffered by the much more staid and ordinary Doctor Watson. When we meet his brother, Mycroft Holmes, in the two stories he appeared in, he seems to be even more eccentric than his brother. He is profoundly intelligent, even more so than his extraordinary younger brother, lazy, antisocial (the Diogenes Club, of which he is a founding member, is famous for being the most unsociable social club in England), and happens to nearly single-handedly run the government from his quarters on Pall Mall. Sherlock himself described his brother’s duties: “All men are specialists, but his specialism is omniscience.”
Anyone could see why I was intrigued to read an entire series about him.
Unfortunately, Fawcett’s Mycroft bears little resemblance to the one we were shown glimpses of in Doyle’s canon – he is active, social, and rarely shows any eccentricity. His intelligence is prosaic, heard about but rarely demonstrated; there are only a few deductions sprinkled about, and rarely explained or clever. The book is narrated by an original character, Guthrie, an assistant to Mycroft, who is bland as white bread. As I said, Watson’s ordinariness aptly balances Sherlock’s eccentricity, but here, Mycroft is not eccentric enough to justify Guthrie’s dull nature. Had Fawcett chosen to employ a more Nero Wolfe-Archie Goodwin dynamic with Mycroft and his secretary, it would have been much more canonical and, quite frankly, made me more charitably disposed to the original character of Guthrie.
Instead, Mycroft himself is remarkably active and cuts a James-Bond-thriller-esque figure. I rather took him running the government as testament to his vast capacity for deducing embarrassing information on diplomats and an encyclopedic knowledge of treaties, diplomats’ foibles, and the cost of corn on the market, rather than engaging in bizarre plots perpetrated by an ancient brotherhood.
Which brings me, of course, to the case - an odd one to choose, rife as it is with elements of the supernatural and superstitious. Doyle was famously interested in such notions, but to his credit, they never crept into his Sherlock stories. Here it feels very odd, and while I do not assert that it could not be done, I think it is a very poor choice for a first novel. We are thrust into the point of view of a new character whom we know very little about, a Mycroft who seems very much foreign to what little we do know of his character from Doyle, and into a mystery that does not at all ring familiar. Additionally, it seems that the pacing is off – I felt as if I were starting in media res without any prelude or introductions whatsoever.
It would have been a problem if Fawcett had tread too carefully in Doyle’s footsteps, but he seems to have erred in the other direction too far.
Fawcett himself is a very good writer, with solid prose and dialogue that doesn’t sound forced. I do have a minor quibble that apparently every single statement had to have an explanation attached to it, which got very tiresome after a while. (Example: “Really?” I asked, endeavoring to make it sound as if this were the first I had heard of it).
If this had been an original novel, I might have enjoyed it. As a series purporting to be about Mycroft Holmes? I’ll pass.
Anyone could see why I was intrigued to read an entire series about him.
Unfortunately, Fawcett’s Mycroft bears little resemblance to the one we were shown glimpses of in Doyle’s canon – he is active, social, and rarely shows any eccentricity. His intelligence is prosaic, heard about but rarely demonstrated; there are only a few deductions sprinkled about, and rarely explained or clever. The book is narrated by an original character, Guthrie, an assistant to Mycroft, who is bland as white bread. As I said, Watson’s ordinariness aptly balances Sherlock’s eccentricity, but here, Mycroft is not eccentric enough to justify Guthrie’s dull nature. Had Fawcett chosen to employ a more Nero Wolfe-Archie Goodwin dynamic with Mycroft and his secretary, it would have been much more canonical and, quite frankly, made me more charitably disposed to the original character of Guthrie.
Instead, Mycroft himself is remarkably active and cuts a James-Bond-thriller-esque figure. I rather took him running the government as testament to his vast capacity for deducing embarrassing information on diplomats and an encyclopedic knowledge of treaties, diplomats’ foibles, and the cost of corn on the market, rather than engaging in bizarre plots perpetrated by an ancient brotherhood.
Which brings me, of course, to the case - an odd one to choose, rife as it is with elements of the supernatural and superstitious. Doyle was famously interested in such notions, but to his credit, they never crept into his Sherlock stories. Here it feels very odd, and while I do not assert that it could not be done, I think it is a very poor choice for a first novel. We are thrust into the point of view of a new character whom we know very little about, a Mycroft who seems very much foreign to what little we do know of his character from Doyle, and into a mystery that does not at all ring familiar. Additionally, it seems that the pacing is off – I felt as if I were starting in media res without any prelude or introductions whatsoever.
It would have been a problem if Fawcett had tread too carefully in Doyle’s footsteps, but he seems to have erred in the other direction too far.
Fawcett himself is a very good writer, with solid prose and dialogue that doesn’t sound forced. I do have a minor quibble that apparently every single statement had to have an explanation attached to it, which got very tiresome after a while. (Example: “Really?” I asked, endeavoring to make it sound as if this were the first I had heard of it).
If this had been an original novel, I might have enjoyed it. As a series purporting to be about Mycroft Holmes? I’ll pass.
August 25, 2015
I'm not sure if the man in the story is really Mycroft Holmes. He's different from the man presented in the Doyle canon.
February 12, 2019
Against the Brotherhood offers an intriguing picture into the machinations of Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock’s “smarter brother.” Whenever we see this distinguished sibling in the Holmes’ canon, we usually see him involved in some intricate government conundrum. In the first novel of a series of novels devoted to Mycroft, we see him as the mastermind behind an informal group of spies which he has recruited. We are most concerned with P. E. Guthrie, hired to be Mycroft’s secretary, who finds out that very few of his responsibilities will be performed at a desk. He has been ad hoc admitted into Holmes’ inner circle (or dare I say, manipulated into taking on a dangerous position without knowledge of said position and without specialized training. Yet, his lack of knowledge regarding Holmes’ intentions and methodology are part of what keeps one paging through this volume. We are also concerned with Holmes’ valet, Philip Tyers. Tyers keeps a journal that provides a nice conceit for a summary of what is going on back in London as both Holmes and Guthrie are away on their respective covert missions. It is not only an effective conceit, but it gives author Quinn Fawcett the opportunity to make the whole enterprise seem more human than a straightforward adventure.
I suppose we could call Guthrie, Holmes’ amanuensis, much like Dr. Watson was to Sherlock. After all, the story is told from his perspective, even to the extent of Guthrie being taken in by one of Holmes’ many disguises. Yes, the “Brothers Genius” have much in common. Yet, the Mycroft Holmes series seems more attuned to an adventure thriller set in the time period that Sherlock Holmes’ mysteries. This new series shows the shockingly balkanized (good word to use considering part of the plot in this novel) nature of Europe during this era. And, there is not one, but there are two insidiously, secret organizations – one of which boasts this series’ potential Irene Adler. That’s not a spoiler, that’s speculation, but see what you think.
This is a very nice start to what could be a terrific series of Victorian thrillers. It punches my ticket in every way except for my wondering if anyone would ever really undertake a covert mission with as little information as Mycroft Holmes provided our first-person protagonist, Mr. Guthrie.
I suppose we could call Guthrie, Holmes’ amanuensis, much like Dr. Watson was to Sherlock. After all, the story is told from his perspective, even to the extent of Guthrie being taken in by one of Holmes’ many disguises. Yes, the “Brothers Genius” have much in common. Yet, the Mycroft Holmes series seems more attuned to an adventure thriller set in the time period that Sherlock Holmes’ mysteries. This new series shows the shockingly balkanized (good word to use considering part of the plot in this novel) nature of Europe during this era. And, there is not one, but there are two insidiously, secret organizations – one of which boasts this series’ potential Irene Adler. That’s not a spoiler, that’s speculation, but see what you think.
This is a very nice start to what could be a terrific series of Victorian thrillers. It punches my ticket in every way except for my wondering if anyone would ever really undertake a covert mission with as little information as Mycroft Holmes provided our first-person protagonist, Mr. Guthrie.
April 23, 2018
Mycroft Holmes Takes Center Stage
“Against The Brotherhood,” by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro and Bill Fawcett, is the first in a series of novels featuring Sherlock Holmes’ older brother Mycroft and his able secretary Guthrie providing covert assistance when needed in the service of the British government.
While Guthrie has come to realize that working for Mycroft Holmes entails far more than the average duties of a government functionary, their latest assignment proves to be far deadlier than even his employer could have surmised as they fight to prevent a shadowy organization known as The Brotherhood from drawing the countries of Europe into war.
Sherlock Holmes was no stranger to intrigue and espionage, such as in “The Naval Treaty,” “The Greek Interpreter” and “The Bruce Partington Plans,” and neither is his brother. However, Mycroft appears to have far more energy in this novel than Arthur Conan Doyle’s initial introduction of the character would indicate, as he and Guthrie traipse across Europe in various disguises, working to thwart The Brotherhood’s evil goals.
Yarbro and Fawcett keep the story moving at a brisk pace, creating believable and colorful characters, and suspenseful plot twists. However, while the journal entries of Mycroft’s loyal butler kept the reader abreast of the events happening back in London, I would have liked to seen a bit more first person narrative from that character’s perspective as well as more on the actor Sutton, whom Mycroft hires on occasion to impersonate him when his duties force him to leave the confines of his office and London flat.
Still, I really liked the book and I would enjoy reading more from this series.
“Against The Brotherhood,” by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro and Bill Fawcett, is the first in a series of novels featuring Sherlock Holmes’ older brother Mycroft and his able secretary Guthrie providing covert assistance when needed in the service of the British government.
While Guthrie has come to realize that working for Mycroft Holmes entails far more than the average duties of a government functionary, their latest assignment proves to be far deadlier than even his employer could have surmised as they fight to prevent a shadowy organization known as The Brotherhood from drawing the countries of Europe into war.
Sherlock Holmes was no stranger to intrigue and espionage, such as in “The Naval Treaty,” “The Greek Interpreter” and “The Bruce Partington Plans,” and neither is his brother. However, Mycroft appears to have far more energy in this novel than Arthur Conan Doyle’s initial introduction of the character would indicate, as he and Guthrie traipse across Europe in various disguises, working to thwart The Brotherhood’s evil goals.
Yarbro and Fawcett keep the story moving at a brisk pace, creating believable and colorful characters, and suspenseful plot twists. However, while the journal entries of Mycroft’s loyal butler kept the reader abreast of the events happening back in London, I would have liked to seen a bit more first person narrative from that character’s perspective as well as more on the actor Sutton, whom Mycroft hires on occasion to impersonate him when his duties force him to leave the confines of his office and London flat.
Still, I really liked the book and I would enjoy reading more from this series.
July 7, 2022
Slow. Obsessed with unnecessary detail. Mostly the story of how Mycroft Holmes' assistant Paterson Erskine Guthrie travels across Europe and gets attacked every so often. I'm not a fan of "secret conspiracy group threatens world" thrillers. I also didn't care for how they claimed to be writing canon Mycroft (as seen by the "authorized by Dame Jean Conan Doyle" line on the cover) but had no issues showing him executing physical stunts and other feats of secret agent derring-do.
September 3, 2017
I read this over fourth of july, while holed up at a cabin. I generally like stories about the holmes brothers, and this one is exactly what you would expect. Not a page-turner, but a solid story.
March 14, 2022
Stunning
Edge-of-your-seat action, tension and drama. I read the 2nd of this series first si I was especially pleased to get background on these critical players in Mycroft's dramas. Highly recommended.
Edge-of-your-seat action, tension and drama. I read the 2nd of this series first si I was especially pleased to get background on these critical players in Mycroft's dramas. Highly recommended.
December 4, 2017
It was a very good book, riveting. It grabbed your attention the whole way through, anticipating what would happen next.
December 30, 2023
Best of the best
May 17, 2012
Against the Brotherhood is an enjoyable read. However, it does not fare so well as a story about Sherlock Holmes' older brother, Mycroft.
Mycroft appears in two of the original stories by Sir Arhtur Conan Doyle, and is mentioned in a few others. He is a genius, works for the British government and rarely varies his daily, sedentary routine.
Therein lies the rub. These books read like an espionage/spy series set in Victorian England. Mycroft is a far more active person than Doyle gave us. He crawls long distances, carries a body up a hill and travels across the continent. In the beginning of the second novel in the series, Mycroft literally turns into The Flash when a bomb is discovered. It feels like Quinn Fawcett (pen name for two authors) wanted to write a James Bond-type of series set in Victorian England and plugged Mycroft Holmes in.
Holmes isn't even the main character. Patterson Guthrie is Holmes' secretary and he narrates. Except for at the end of each chapter, when a 'journal' entry is made by Mycroft's manservant. This change interrupts the flow and is merely a cheap device to easily impart information.
If you are looking for more of Mycroft as Doyle created him, you won't find it here. And since each cover prominently notes that the series is authorized by Sir Arthur's daughter, you might reasonably expect that.
Thus, I found it to be a nice book, but misleading. Expect a good spy tale, not a Mycroft Holmes case, and you will be pleased.
Mycroft appears in two of the original stories by Sir Arhtur Conan Doyle, and is mentioned in a few others. He is a genius, works for the British government and rarely varies his daily, sedentary routine.
Therein lies the rub. These books read like an espionage/spy series set in Victorian England. Mycroft is a far more active person than Doyle gave us. He crawls long distances, carries a body up a hill and travels across the continent. In the beginning of the second novel in the series, Mycroft literally turns into The Flash when a bomb is discovered. It feels like Quinn Fawcett (pen name for two authors) wanted to write a James Bond-type of series set in Victorian England and plugged Mycroft Holmes in.
Holmes isn't even the main character. Patterson Guthrie is Holmes' secretary and he narrates. Except for at the end of each chapter, when a 'journal' entry is made by Mycroft's manservant. This change interrupts the flow and is merely a cheap device to easily impart information.
If you are looking for more of Mycroft as Doyle created him, you won't find it here. And since each cover prominently notes that the series is authorized by Sir Arthur's daughter, you might reasonably expect that.
Thus, I found it to be a nice book, but misleading. Expect a good spy tale, not a Mycroft Holmes case, and you will be pleased.
August 26, 2015
This novel set in the original times of Sherlock Holmes is a neat view of how politics and early aspects of MI5 may have been. A few men run by Mycroft Holmes trying to save England and all of Europe from the foolish follies of a few enemies of the country. A young man hired as a secretary acting as an agent can be counted on (with a little prodding and help) to save the day. There are a few different plot-lines that run through this novel that might make more sense if I were more acquainted with this series. As it is I am not certain why the one person's diary is kept throughout the entire novel. There are some aspects that show how powerful and needed Mycroft is, but little really advanced the plot within the diary entries.
While I am happy that I finished this book, I will freely admit that the only reason I finished is that I was able to play the audio back at 1.5X the normal speed. It is a good book, I do recommend it if a short Tom Clancy novel of the Sherlock time period appeals to you.
While I am happy that I finished this book, I will freely admit that the only reason I finished is that I was able to play the audio back at 1.5X the normal speed. It is a good book, I do recommend it if a short Tom Clancy novel of the Sherlock time period appeals to you.
March 20, 2016
Three & a half stars. This was a well-written and engaging story. I dont think I would actively seek out more from this series, but should one fall into my hands, I would certainly read it with pleasure. My reasons for not being more enthused are reflected in comments made by other reviewers here: as interesting as this character is, he is not the Mycroft Holmes that Conan Doyle created. Other than his description of himself as 'a large man' bears no resemblance to the Mycroft of 'The Greek Interpreter', corpulent and sedentary.
It is also the case that this doesnt seem to be a book starring Mycroft Holmes. It is more a book about an adventure of his secretary Patterson Guthrie, co-starring Mycroft Holmes. Maybe this is inevitable considering that it is in Guthrie's voice that this story is told. But Guthrie is without Holmes in most of this book.
That being said, if one can suspend their sense of disbelief enough to think of this character as a brand new one who happens to be named Mycroft Holmes, it is very enjoyable.
It is also the case that this doesnt seem to be a book starring Mycroft Holmes. It is more a book about an adventure of his secretary Patterson Guthrie, co-starring Mycroft Holmes. Maybe this is inevitable considering that it is in Guthrie's voice that this story is told. But Guthrie is without Holmes in most of this book.
That being said, if one can suspend their sense of disbelief enough to think of this character as a brand new one who happens to be named Mycroft Holmes, it is very enjoyable.
October 18, 2019
Paterson Guthrie is Mycroft Holmes' secretary. When an international crisis arises, Guthrie is sent out to infiltrate a dangerous group. It will take all of Guthrie's determination and wits to get him safely through this.
I was intrigued when I learned there was a series of books about Mycroft Holmes, a character we see so seldom in the originally Sherlock Holmes' stories. It was a bit of a shock to read of this man who had been described as "seldom leaving the Diogenes club" to travel incognito to see a matter accomplished in the best outcome.
There are bits of this story that take a strong stomach. Guthrie witnesses a brutal murder. he fights for his life, killing a man in the process. So for those of you who would prefer not to read such things, take warning!
Overall, I did enjoy it and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
I was intrigued when I learned there was a series of books about Mycroft Holmes, a character we see so seldom in the originally Sherlock Holmes' stories. It was a bit of a shock to read of this man who had been described as "seldom leaving the Diogenes club" to travel incognito to see a matter accomplished in the best outcome.
There are bits of this story that take a strong stomach. Guthrie witnesses a brutal murder. he fights for his life, killing a man in the process. So for those of you who would prefer not to read such things, take warning!
Overall, I did enjoy it and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
October 1, 2015
Wish I could give it no stars; I've not been doing a very good job picking out books at the library. Didn't get far in it before I found out how bad it was, thankfully. This could have been a good story, involving Mycroft Holmes, but not only did it creep me out in not a good way, it made me sick-I feel like I could throw up. I don't know that I've ever felt that way with a book before! Thankfully I flipped through it a little, as I got worried how it was going to be from the way the beginning was going-it was revolting. The story is about how Mycroft and his secretary fight against the Brotherhood-a cult. A vile, pagan cult, and dealing with them that should never be put into writing! Really, if he stuck to mystery's like Sherlock solved, his books would be so interesting-but this, this was so awful!
December 26, 2012
This is an entertaining book about espionage in England in the Victorian age. If you are looking for close adherence to the Holmes canon, you won't find it here. But still, it has the feel of Holmsian problem-solving and the Victorian aura. And it is Mycroft, after all, not Holmes. Fawcett's (a contrived name) Mycroft is actually more pleasant than Doyle's, and far more active, but if you can get past that, the pastiche works if you likes Victorian mysteries. I would recommend it to those who are not rigid Holmes' afficianados.
September 19, 2016
A quick read for individuals who like mysteries and can handle gruesome torture. It's the first in a series about Mycroft Holmes, the mysterious brother of Sherlock. I'm always skeptical about Holmes rewrites, but this one manages to be a good mystery without treading too closely in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's shoes. Mycroft of this series is not the Mycroft of the original, but if you can allow that he is a new character, he is well written in a tale of international intrigue more than mystery.
November 3, 2011
I've always wondered if books like this one fall under the "fan fiction" category?
Anyway, here you get to follow Sherlock's brother through some international intrigue. An ok story and really just worth reading to flesh out some of Doyle's secondary characters.
Mystery buffs will dig it the most.
Anyway, here you get to follow Sherlock's brother through some international intrigue. An ok story and really just worth reading to flesh out some of Doyle's secondary characters.
Mystery buffs will dig it the most.
Read
September 6, 2013"Fawcett's new series of pastiches, authorized by Dame Jean Conan Doyle."
I read this some years ago so I don't remember whether I liked it or not. Probably not enough to read the rest of the series:
Against The Brotherhood (1997, ISBN 0-8125-4523-0)
Embassy Row (1998, ISBN 0-8125-4522-2)
The Flying Scotsman (1999, ISBN 0-312-86364-0)
The Scottish Ploy (2000, ISBN 0-312-87628-9)
I read this some years ago so I don't remember whether I liked it or not. Probably not enough to read the rest of the series:
Against The Brotherhood (1997, ISBN 0-8125-4523-0)
Embassy Row (1998, ISBN 0-8125-4522-2)
The Flying Scotsman (1999, ISBN 0-312-86364-0)
The Scottish Ploy (2000, ISBN 0-312-87628-9)
October 12, 2015
A nice romp. The character of MH is nothing like what we expect from the original canon. The relationship between MH and his secretary Guthrie brings to mind the other great detective Nero Wolfe and his archetypal good man Archie Goodwin but the comparison stops there.
However - all things considered - it is a nice light read.
However - all things considered - it is a nice light read.
March 19, 2016
This series of books was authorized for publication by Dame Jean Conan Doyle, and feature the mysterious Mycroft Holmes. The author has attempted to create a Sherlock-like mystery novel, and although it is interesting to a certain degree, it just did not generate the same amount of interest in me. A passable read, but i would not continue reading the series.
March 21, 2012
I am a Sherlock Holmes nut but this was far from the mark. The story did not capture my interest and it seemed to take forwever to try and pick up speed. I started skimming pages around page 170 just to get through it.
June 18, 2012
Kind of disappointing. The main character is not Mycroft, but his secretary. I guess having this is not unusual in the Holmes-verse (as Watson writes about Sherlock after all), but I did not care too much about the secretary and his descriptions of Holmes did not fascinate.
July 24, 2013
introduction of Sherlock's brother extends the world of Holmes in whole new ways. Mycroft shares many of his brother's qualities, though he does play well with others. Great story, political intrigue of the last century, characters true to time period and place.
July 18, 2015
A wonderful addition to the Holmes universe. Much more adventure than classic mystery, though. Not sure I like the morphing of Mycroft from an unmoving sedentary genius to a man of action, though. Great book especially if you suspend the Conan Doyle version of Mycroft and just enjoy the action
October 15, 2015
A great book. I love all the ins and outs of political drama that goes on in this series. Mycroft Holmes and his band of loyal men make quick work of terrible deeds done in the name of evil. The Brotherhood is up against some very determined men.
February 15, 2009
Sherlock's brother. Worth the read
September 11, 2015
Interesting story, but a bit slow.
April 18, 2013
Mi reseña del año 2009: http://sherlockholmes.lacoctelera.net...
May 6, 2016
read SOMETIME in 1998
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