Barrow

Barrow #1

by John Deakins

The Master of the Mysteries watches the comings and goings in the city of Barrow and on the other planes of Elsewhen and sometimes intervenes

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction

336 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 3, 1990

Reviews

[Dave Reinhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a student of John Deakins when this book was being written. So my review is a bit biased. I read this book in many different forms as it came together and it was always a wonderful tale. The series, (yes there are more books that came after this one) creates a world that one can get lost in. The Old Man, tells his stories in the voice of my teacher and friend. Sometimes its hard to separate the two. John was certainly the Old Man described in the scene where Krovik finds his love "in school"

Read it, then read it again... there is always a subtle lesson to be taught in each of the stories...

[Jenny Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up at a used book sale a few years back because I liked the cover. This collection of interconnected short stories was entertaining, but not quite my cup of tea. I appreciated the variety of stories, as well as the construction of the city of Barrow itself. Given the direction of some of the more interesting character arcs, it would not entirely surprise me to learn that Deakins was the pseudonym of a woman.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember this one fondly enough from decades ago and it looks like he’s written several sequels. I’m going to have to find e-books for them.

[K. Axel]

A First-page Review (#4)
They say, don't judge a book by its cover, but how about judging a book by its first page instead? It seems like I have an infinite amount of books on my shelves and no time to read all of them, so this is my attempt at finding the good ones that is actually worth my time. And furthermore, first-pages always gives very good hints at what is to come, if only you take the time to really read them and not just pass them on the way to the second and third page. Anyways, this is a new idea I am testing out, might work... might not.

Also, if I one day decide to read the entire book, which I might if it gets a good first-page review, expect this review to be replaced with a proper review of the entire book.

The Book
Barrow is a fantasy novel, but promises to be more than just your average fantasy novel. The cover is a faded image of an old man sitting in a chair, white beard and leaning on a beautiful cane. He is grabbing his head as if pondering the greatest mysteries of life.The old man reminds me of an old mage, some incarnation of Merlin.

The Story
The first page is part of the prologue and introduces us to the narrator, an immortal Master of the Mysteries. He is a meddlesome old man and has recently meddled in someones business even though he doesn't really want to. This old man lives by himself, only surrounded by his minions. He has few friends, and has recently lost one of them, a fellow magician.

Language and Style
The language of this novel (or maybe more precisely... the prologue) is very fitting for an old man. He is rambling, shifting from one subject to the next, leaving the reader dazed and confused. It gives you hint of things that have happened before the story starts, but even better it gives you an insight into the mad mind of this old magician.

Expectations
I am not really sure what to expect from this book, except to read more of the thoughts of the old magician (probably the old man on the cover). I also want to find out what kind of business he is meddling in and what it means to be a Master of the Mysteries. I am not really sure what the plot will be, except that it might have something to do with the dead magician.

I also expect the book to continue in the same tone and style, with the old magician as the narrator, but hopefully, his voice will start to make more sense as I get to know who he is.

First Judgment
This book looks interesting, especially the narrator. I love it when authors use narrators, as it gives us the chance to really explore the mind of the character. However, I also get the feeling that I really need to concentrate to keep up with his ramblings and fear that he might lose me along the way. I give this book 3 stars, but also think that it could go either to 4 or maybe to 2. It might not be first on my list of books to read, but I'll get around to it some day.

[Brian Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

The faded bookstore receipt used as a bookmark tells me I bought this back in May 1993.
Has been read many times since then, and is always a good read.
The book is a collection of joined short stories, told by someone only known as The Old Man, about characters in the town of Barrow and surrounding slums and swamps.

They segue into one another well. All are good stories on their own, but as a whole they really shine.
It's good to see how one characters actions inadvertently start the ball rolling in someone else's life.

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the interconnected short story format

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clever collection of stories that culminate into a cohesive story. It's a good, pretty quick, read.

[Brian Turner]

Re-reading an old favourite, have to select a different version to mark it on this years list

[Brian Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read. See my review at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...