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Karl Glogauer
Breakfast in the Ruins and Other Stories: The Best Short Fiction Of Michael Moorcock Volume 3
The third and final part of Gollancz's definitive collection of Moorcock's short fiction, this selection features some of his finest work.
From 'The Time Dweller' to 'Breakfast in the Ruins', the stories here are incredibly varied in their style, execution and subject matter.
353 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1971
2 people are currently reading
394 people want to read
About the author
Michael Moorcock
1,210 books3,751 followersMichael John Moorcock is an English writer primarily of science fiction and fantasy who has also published a number of literary novels.
Moorcock has mentioned The Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Apple Cart by George Bernard Shaw and The Constable of St. Nicholas by Edward Lester Arnold as the first three books which captured his imagination. He became editor of Tarzan Adventures in 1956, at the age of sixteen, and later moved on to edit Sexton Blake Library. As editor of the controversial British science fiction magazine New Worlds, from May 1964 until March 1971 and then again from 1976 to 1996, Moorcock fostered the development of the science fiction "New Wave" in the UK and indirectly in the United States. His serialization of Norman Spinrad's Bug Jack Barron was notorious for causing British MPs to condemn in Parliament the Arts Council's funding of the magazine.
During this time, he occasionally wrote under the pseudonym of "James Colvin," a "house pseudonym" used by other critics on New Worlds. A spoof obituary of Colvin appeared in New Worlds #197 (January 1970), written by "William Barclay" (another Moorcock pseudonym). Moorcock, indeed, makes much use of the initials "JC", and not entirely coincidentally these are also the initials of Jesus Christ, the subject of his 1967 Nebula award-winning novella Behold the Man, which tells the story of Karl Glogauer, a time-traveller who takes on the role of Christ. They are also the initials of various "Eternal Champion" Moorcock characters such as Jerry Cornelius, Jerry Cornell and Jherek Carnelian. In more recent years, Moorcock has taken to using "Warwick Colvin, Jr." as yet another pseudonym, particularly in his Second Ether fiction.
Moorcock has mentioned The Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Apple Cart by George Bernard Shaw and The Constable of St. Nicholas by Edward Lester Arnold as the first three books which captured his imagination. He became editor of Tarzan Adventures in 1956, at the age of sixteen, and later moved on to edit Sexton Blake Library. As editor of the controversial British science fiction magazine New Worlds, from May 1964 until March 1971 and then again from 1976 to 1996, Moorcock fostered the development of the science fiction "New Wave" in the UK and indirectly in the United States. His serialization of Norman Spinrad's Bug Jack Barron was notorious for causing British MPs to condemn in Parliament the Arts Council's funding of the magazine.
During this time, he occasionally wrote under the pseudonym of "James Colvin," a "house pseudonym" used by other critics on New Worlds. A spoof obituary of Colvin appeared in New Worlds #197 (January 1970), written by "William Barclay" (another Moorcock pseudonym). Moorcock, indeed, makes much use of the initials "JC", and not entirely coincidentally these are also the initials of Jesus Christ, the subject of his 1967 Nebula award-winning novella Behold the Man, which tells the story of Karl Glogauer, a time-traveller who takes on the role of Christ. They are also the initials of various "Eternal Champion" Moorcock characters such as Jerry Cornelius, Jerry Cornell and Jherek Carnelian. In more recent years, Moorcock has taken to using "Warwick Colvin, Jr." as yet another pseudonym, particularly in his Second Ether fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
October 1, 2024
an extravagantly, outrageously depressing experience. the novel is experimental in form. nearly each of its 19 short chapters is structured like so:
- Karl Glogauer and a Nigerian he has met talk ambiguously with each other, in between bouts of gay sex.
- that is followed by a short story, or more precisely, a vignette featuring an incarnation of Karl. his identity varies, but he is essentially either oppressed or an oppressor; for example, a prisoner in a concentration camp, or a child refugee, or a murderous anarchist, or a slaughter-happy soldier in the Vietnam War. sometimes he is killed, other times he kills. each story is beautifully written; each is an illustration of the tragedy and pointlessness of life. the stories may either be empathetic or cynical, but they are always, inevitably, nihilistic. ruins indeed!
- then follows more dialogue between mercurial Karl and the mysterious Nigerian
- and finally a scenario posed as the question "What Would You Do?" these scenarios are a Morton's Fork, a false dilemma. they are cruel questions along the lines of You have three children and must choose one of them to die. Which would you choose?
this formula repeats itself across 17 of Karl's lives. the opening and closing chapters differ from the formula in that they detail the meeting and parting of Karl and the Nigerian. the latter may be an incarnation of Moorcock's Eternal Champion. or not! who knows? this is Moorcock at his most impenetrable. by the end of the book, white Karl is now black and the black Nigerian is now white. I think? maybe. who knows? this is Moorcock at his most provocative.
I don't particularly enjoy being provoked, so I didn't particularly enjoy the chapters and interludes focusing on Karl and his new weekend hookup buddy. but those 17 stories were very impressive. the compassion and the cruelty on display was often breathtaking. I'd read this book again if only to reread those 17 lives. what was their purpose though? to provide a portrait of humanity's many failings? to point an angry, accusing finger at humans - the tragic architects of their own despair? perhaps! I don't love that though.
- Karl Glogauer and a Nigerian he has met talk ambiguously with each other, in between bouts of gay sex.
- that is followed by a short story, or more precisely, a vignette featuring an incarnation of Karl. his identity varies, but he is essentially either oppressed or an oppressor; for example, a prisoner in a concentration camp, or a child refugee, or a murderous anarchist, or a slaughter-happy soldier in the Vietnam War. sometimes he is killed, other times he kills. each story is beautifully written; each is an illustration of the tragedy and pointlessness of life. the stories may either be empathetic or cynical, but they are always, inevitably, nihilistic. ruins indeed!
- then follows more dialogue between mercurial Karl and the mysterious Nigerian
- and finally a scenario posed as the question "What Would You Do?" these scenarios are a Morton's Fork, a false dilemma. they are cruel questions along the lines of You have three children and must choose one of them to die. Which would you choose?
this formula repeats itself across 17 of Karl's lives. the opening and closing chapters differ from the formula in that they detail the meeting and parting of Karl and the Nigerian. the latter may be an incarnation of Moorcock's Eternal Champion. or not! who knows? this is Moorcock at his most impenetrable. by the end of the book, white Karl is now black and the black Nigerian is now white. I think? maybe. who knows? this is Moorcock at his most provocative.
I don't particularly enjoy being provoked, so I didn't particularly enjoy the chapters and interludes focusing on Karl and his new weekend hookup buddy. but those 17 stories were very impressive. the compassion and the cruelty on display was often breathtaking. I'd read this book again if only to reread those 17 lives. what was their purpose though? to provide a portrait of humanity's many failings? to point an angry, accusing finger at humans - the tragic architects of their own despair? perhaps! I don't love that though.
April 14, 2020
Breakfast in the Ruins is one of Moorcock's least accessible or comprehensible books. It was rather shocking when it appeared for its depiction of an ongoing homosexual relationship and later cannibalism, so the story itself tended to be overlooked as a secondary consideration by the critics of the time. The main character is Karl Glogauer (Carl on the cover flap, leading one to wonder how carefully the publisher studied the manuscript), who was previously in Behold the Man, though the time travel in this one appears to be imaginary... or something. Some of the other multiverse characters appear as well, though we can't be sure what version of them appear, or even in what context. Each of the eighteen segments is followed by a "What Would You Do?' page, an attempt to more fully engage the reader in which a tense and difficult situation is described and the reader is tasked with answering the question. It does have some interesting parts, particularly for Moorcock enthusiasts (for example there's an "introduction" which simply states that Michael Moorcock died last year and we don't know the current whereabouts of Karl Glogauer), but I can't believe it can simply be enjoyed as a normal novel entertainment. This is an odd volume, even for Moorcock.
January 4, 2011
I kept waiting for this book to make sense, but it never did.
September 15, 2011
This is sort of a sequel to a much more successful novel, Behold the Man, as it has the same protagonist and involves time travel--though here only in the imagination. One gets the impression that Moorcock was fed up with humanity and put these vignettes together to vent his spleen.
May 16, 2015
I've been starting to read this over and over again since about 1985 but get distracted by some or other idea that the text brings up and end up losing my place. If publishers would restore the practice of including a bookmark ribbon this would never have happened.
April 27, 2025
Breakfast in the Ruins was a quirky and bizarre read, but I really enjoyed it. Moorcock weaves a clever, shifting narrative that blends past, present, and imagined lives into something strange yet thoughtful. It follows Karl Glogauer as he experiences multiple versions of himself across history, each life reflecting different forms of human cruelty and survival. The structure is unconventional, but it works—offering sharp commentary on violence, identity, and fate. Definitely a weird but clever book!
January 5, 2022
Incendiary Moorcock
November 27, 2024
Admittedly, I was a bit bewildered about where to start with Moorcock, so I grabbed this standalone novel off the shelf. The goal here was simply to get a taste of Moorcock’s prose before attempting to tackle his Eternal Champion universe.
Breakfast in the Ruins is a fractured storyline in which a continuous series of reincarnations propel Karl Glogauer (who also appears in Behold the Man) through the most unsavory corners of world history, predominantly focused on the 20th century.
It’s probably unfair to judge this as a traditional novel, as it feels more like a series of vignettes or slices of life that turbulently fold in and out of one decade to the next. Furthermore, it doesn’t seem like the strongest basis to judge Moorcock’s prowess as a writer. That said, the longest entry in the novel, entitled “London Sewing Circle: 1905,” is fantastically realized. It’s a deeply upsetting tale of wartime, centering on a young boy aiming to collect money for his family. It’s undoubtedly the high point of the novel and the most immersive. In hindsight, just read that story and move on.
Overall, it’s not clear what the book is trying to say, and the fractured correspondence between Karl and his lover is difficult to pin down.
If you’re not a fan of short stories, I’d pass on this one.
Breakfast in the Ruins is a fractured storyline in which a continuous series of reincarnations propel Karl Glogauer (who also appears in Behold the Man) through the most unsavory corners of world history, predominantly focused on the 20th century.
It’s probably unfair to judge this as a traditional novel, as it feels more like a series of vignettes or slices of life that turbulently fold in and out of one decade to the next. Furthermore, it doesn’t seem like the strongest basis to judge Moorcock’s prowess as a writer. That said, the longest entry in the novel, entitled “London Sewing Circle: 1905,” is fantastically realized. It’s a deeply upsetting tale of wartime, centering on a young boy aiming to collect money for his family. It’s undoubtedly the high point of the novel and the most immersive. In hindsight, just read that story and move on.
Overall, it’s not clear what the book is trying to say, and the fractured correspondence between Karl and his lover is difficult to pin down.
If you’re not a fan of short stories, I’d pass on this one.
May 29, 2020
I have a new favourite book.
I first encountered this novel as a 12 year old. I had just read my first Moorcock novel (Elric of Melnibone) courtesy of the school library. It had been deemed too adult and was languishing in the 6th Form library, but being a librarian had some advantages. I was captivated by its doom laden sword & sorcery tale so I eagerly looked for more. In the town library I found a hard back copy of Breakfast In The Ruins. Expecting more fantasy & demon swords I bounced off the novel hard. Even today I'm not sure what this is about, but its definitely NOT fantasy.
Now, almost 40 years later, I have finally attempted to read it again. This time something clicked and it all fell into place. I've been a fan of Moorcocks ever since I first read Elric. He has his pulp books (Corum, Elric). He has his Literary books (Condition of Muzak, Mother London). Then there is this study of inhumanity set amongst some of the more dangerous hotspots of the last 150 years. This is his best work.
I first encountered this novel as a 12 year old. I had just read my first Moorcock novel (Elric of Melnibone) courtesy of the school library. It had been deemed too adult and was languishing in the 6th Form library, but being a librarian had some advantages. I was captivated by its doom laden sword & sorcery tale so I eagerly looked for more. In the town library I found a hard back copy of Breakfast In The Ruins. Expecting more fantasy & demon swords I bounced off the novel hard. Even today I'm not sure what this is about, but its definitely NOT fantasy.
Now, almost 40 years later, I have finally attempted to read it again. This time something clicked and it all fell into place. I've been a fan of Moorcocks ever since I first read Elric. He has his pulp books (Corum, Elric). He has his Literary books (Condition of Muzak, Mother London). Then there is this study of inhumanity set amongst some of the more dangerous hotspots of the last 150 years. This is his best work.
December 9, 2011
In different places and times, we are shown scenes from the life of various incarnations of Karl Glogauer, citizen of the multiverse, growing up in a harsh world. Always at least partially of German Jewish origin, he usually finds himself in the midst of war or revolution. These scenes are linked by the story of an adult Karl in London in 1971 and there are also moral dilemmas (of the Sophie's Choice variety) at the end of each section, which I suppose are meant to make the reader think more carefully about the dilemmas Karl faces in his life/lives.
Karl Glogauer is the protagonist of another Moorcock book, "Behold the Man", which I preferred. I found Breakfast in the Ruins was interesting rather than enjoyable. It is not a book to read if you are feeling down; death stalks Karl throughout the multiverse.
Karl Glogauer is the protagonist of another Moorcock book, "Behold the Man", which I preferred. I found Breakfast in the Ruins was interesting rather than enjoyable. It is not a book to read if you are feeling down; death stalks Karl throughout the multiverse.
October 2, 2012
Breakfast in the Ruins: A Novel of Inhumanity is a work of historical and speculative fiction. The novel centres on Karl Glogauer, who is also the protagonist of Moorcock's Nebula Award winning novella, Behold the Man, It concerns his homosexual exploits with an unnamed man from Nigeria, and his fantasies of the past and lives that he could have led.
The novel is divided into nineteen chapters, the first of which is set in the 'present' (1971), the next seventeen spaced out at roughly ten year intervals from 1871 through to 1990, with the last chapter set once again in the present. The chapters begin and end in the present, with a short scene involving Glogauer and the man, which vary from philosophical discussion to sex involving dominance and submission. It is unusual but intriguing and further evidence of the wonderful imagination of Michael Moorcock.
The novel is divided into nineteen chapters, the first of which is set in the 'present' (1971), the next seventeen spaced out at roughly ten year intervals from 1871 through to 1990, with the last chapter set once again in the present. The chapters begin and end in the present, with a short scene involving Glogauer and the man, which vary from philosophical discussion to sex involving dominance and submission. It is unusual but intriguing and further evidence of the wonderful imagination of Michael Moorcock.
September 8, 2021
This is the last volume of the Michael Moorcock Collection, and the only one I got. It includes mostly leftovers. One good thing I can say is that "Behold the Man" is better as a novella than as a novel. "The Time Dweller" and "Escape From Evening" are, while old-fashioned, still readable SF. That's more or less the only good things I can say about this collection.
"Breakfast in the Ruins", which takes most of the volume, is a collection of pointless short period stories wrapped in a backstory which I didn't get. The rest are forgettable pieces which, well, I forgot. Two stars out of five, mainly because I keep the one star for the really unreadable ones.
"Breakfast in the Ruins", which takes most of the volume, is a collection of pointless short period stories wrapped in a backstory which I didn't get. The rest are forgettable pieces which, well, I forgot. Two stars out of five, mainly because I keep the one star for the really unreadable ones.
January 30, 2022
A series of often grizzly and depressing historical vignettes featuring alternate versions of Karl Glogauer (the protagonist of Behold the Man) across time and place, interspersed with a frame narrative about a 1970s Karl Glogauer having a night of sexual adventure with a Nigerian businessman and undergoing a transformative experience.
Bit different.
Bit different.
May 9, 2019
Less a novel and more a series of short stories or vignettes linked by a one night stand that takes its participants through a range of experiences and emotions. The vignettes place the same character in different locations and times that are all linked by the danger and inhumanity enacted during this time and at this place.
I think Michael Moorcock is asking the reader to acknowledge the darker side of humanity and then to challenge it. This thinking is encouraged by the thought experiments under the title What Would You Do?
I think Michael Moorcock is asking the reader to acknowledge the darker side of humanity and then to challenge it. This thinking is encouraged by the thought experiments under the title What Would You Do?
May 19, 2019
I found this one of the more obscure stories my Micheal Moorcock. Having read most of his works and enjoyed them all, this is a kind of an exception. I felt like I was reading it just to complete a collection. It wasn't that enjoyable. Thankfully the story was short which is typical of this author. Saying all that I did think it was very well written and it did make me think. So decent enough but most certainly not near the best Moorcock can offer.
August 21, 2021
A ‘sequel’ to Behold the Man.
Barely coherent. Plot missing, presumed dead. Presumably Moorcock wrote it whilst stoned out of his gourd. At the end of the nonsensical gibberish that this novel consists of there was a further reading section so you can read a load of stuff to interpret the book and understand what was going on, which is the ultimate sign that the entire shebang is so far up itself that it’s not worth bothering. Don’t waste your time.
Barely coherent. Plot missing, presumed dead. Presumably Moorcock wrote it whilst stoned out of his gourd. At the end of the nonsensical gibberish that this novel consists of there was a further reading section so you can read a load of stuff to interpret the book and understand what was going on, which is the ultimate sign that the entire shebang is so far up itself that it’s not worth bothering. Don’t waste your time.
July 13, 2009
Although I didn't enjoy this as much as a lot Moorcock's other books I still have a certain fondness for it in that it showed me that a writer from a commercial background could still produce challenging work.
August 12, 2016
Another New Wave Moorcock book that I liked more than I expected to. The individual vignettes in this book are powerful early on, though they get to be a bit rudimentary as the book progresses. The conflict between innocence and victimhood is what makes the book particularly intriguing.
March 27, 2019
Like a lot of people, I had read Moorcock's Behold the Man and was interested in more with Karl Glogauer. Unfortunately, this story seems only the slightest bit related. Like, maybe that the main character has the same name as that other one.
This Karl Glogauer encounters and enters into a sexual escapade with an African visitor to England. During the course of their liaison, Karl imagines himself as many different people living in the midst of important historical events. Each vignette is told in italics between descriptions of the present-day action.
I....kind of didn't get it? I didn't really see a thread or theme running through the stories. The ending was completely mystifying. I'm no prude, but some of the sexual stuff wasn't pleasant to read about. There also seemed to be an unseemly racial undercurrent that also didn't come off as particularly thematic or edifying. This was really disappointing after the total brilliance of Behold the Man. Seriously, read that twice, and skip this entirely.
This Karl Glogauer encounters and enters into a sexual escapade with an African visitor to England. During the course of their liaison, Karl imagines himself as many different people living in the midst of important historical events. Each vignette is told in italics between descriptions of the present-day action.
I....kind of didn't get it? I didn't really see a thread or theme running through the stories. The ending was completely mystifying. I'm no prude, but some of the sexual stuff wasn't pleasant to read about. There also seemed to be an unseemly racial undercurrent that also didn't come off as particularly thematic or edifying. This was really disappointing after the total brilliance of Behold the Man. Seriously, read that twice, and skip this entirely.
Currently reading
May 4, 20251. Breakfast in the Ruins. Another New Wave Moorcock book that I liked more than I expected to. The individual vignettes in this book are powerful early on, though they get to be a bit rudimentary as the book progresses. The conflict between innocence and victimhood is what makes the book particularly intriguing. [4/5]
2. The Time Dweller. An interesting post-apocalyptic story, though a bit heavy on the philosophy [3+/5].
3. Escape from Evening. More engaging than its predecessor, "The Time Dweller", which is set in the same world, but it fizzles out in an entirely philosophical finale [3+/5].
4. "A Dead Singer." A brilliant little story about Mo Collier touring a resurrected Jimi Hendrix around England. Except, not everything is as it seems, or not as it seems. [5/5]
2. The Time Dweller. An interesting post-apocalyptic story, though a bit heavy on the philosophy [3+/5].
3. Escape from Evening. More engaging than its predecessor, "The Time Dweller", which is set in the same world, but it fizzles out in an entirely philosophical finale [3+/5].
4. "A Dead Singer." A brilliant little story about Mo Collier touring a resurrected Jimi Hendrix around England. Except, not everything is as it seems, or not as it seems. [5/5]
January 13, 2024
Experimental, and somewhat confusing, as our white protagonist has a homosexual encounter in the present (1971) with a Nigerian, lives out 18 imagined (?) lives in the past, and gradually trades places, or races, with his partner. Even if I didn't entirely understand it, it was never less than interesting.
January 30, 2022
Very bizarre book by a strange novelist. This is not science-fiction no fantasy but a curious and mainly harsh serie of uchronic short stories. I liked and disliked... But I must recognize it's an interesting piece of literature.
February 5, 2022
WTF !?!
August 25, 2022
Although not as immediately gripping as the other Karl Glogauer novel (Behold the Man), this remains an interesting character study of a man who's not so much a flawed hero as he is a could-have-been-flawed-hero, had he but the moral fibre to step up and act like one. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/201...
December 8, 2021
Ho letto
Breakfast in the Ruins and Other Stories
in due tempi (1-2/06/'21 e 29/06-1/07/'21) e ora lo recensisco in due blocchi, per il semplice motivo che il volume stesso è bipartito: è un'antologia composta da un romanzo "principale" e racconti ancillari.
Iniziamo quindi il romanzo Breakfast in the Ruins, prosecuzione di Behold The Man e motivo principale per cui ho comprato questo volume; il primo libro della dilogia mi aveva estremamente convinto e ho voluto continuare subito la vicenda di Karl Glogauer, il mio hippie bohémien ebreo preferito, e ho trovato un netto miglioramento: rispetto al già valido Behold the Man il secondo romanzo ha una prosa più rifinita, un ritmo più veloce, una varietà di toni e situazioni che lo rende un piccolo racconto mondo, un simpatico accenno di narrazione interattiva, quel gusto per il dramma in costume che mi manda in solluchero e quel tocco di surreale che sbarella il cervello senza diventare pretenzioso. Per parte mia, un solido 5/5.
Passiamo ora ai testi "minori", che sono stati chiaramente selzionati per via di uno filo rosso tematico: tranne una vistosa eccezione parlano di viaggio nel tempo, figure messianiche o ambedue le cose assieme.
1 & 2. I due racconti interconnessi "The Time Dweller" e "Escape from Evening" hanno certamente un'architettura di trama elementare, ma trasudano atmosfere di Terra Morente, mettono in campo del tecnogergo simpatico e il finale del dittico ha un piacevolissimo sapore dolcemaro; 3,5/5 contandoli assieme.
3. "A Dead Singer" è sostanzialmente un veloce spaccato di vita sulla cultura hippie e rock 'n' roll londinese degli anni Settanta (probabilmente con basi autobiografiche) e a furia di raccontare di gente strafatta induce un piccolo trip mentale "di riflesso". 3/5 direi.
4. "London Flesh" l'ho trovato abbastanza una poracciata: è un racconto giallo di terza fascia in omaggio ai racconti gialli di terza fascia che Moorcock leggeva da ragazzino e gioca tutto sui riferimenti a un worldbuilding pregresso, in cui Londra ha una tecnologia dieselpunk e c'è una gilda di banditi che rapinano i tram vestiti da briganti dell'età hannoveriana (sic); forse a leggerlo dopo i testi principali da cui dipende per il worldbuilding (principalmente Fabulous Harbours) si apprezzerebbe anche, presentato come testo a sé stante vale un 2/5 scarso. Per altro è il racconto "fuori tema" che accennavo in partenza, ergo proprio non capisco con che ratio l'abbiano incluso in questa antologia.
5. "Behold the Man" è la prima stesura, di lunghezza breve, del romanzo omonimo – e con "stesura breve" intendo che il romanzo esteso prende l'interezza della prima versione, parola per parola, espande alcuni paragrafi e inserisce numerose scene nuove laddove stanno bene. La trama è sempre quella e funziona, ma la redazione lunga secondo me è nettamente migliore. 2,5/3
Facendo tutti i conti, quindi, il volume propone un romanzo principale di altissima qualità e dei testi di corredo o validi, seppur non indimenticabili, o relativamente superflui e interessanti solo per i completisti. Si conferma comunque la mia preferenza per il Moorcock autore di sci-fi e/o roba psichedelica.
Iniziamo quindi il romanzo Breakfast in the Ruins, prosecuzione di Behold The Man e motivo principale per cui ho comprato questo volume; il primo libro della dilogia mi aveva estremamente convinto e ho voluto continuare subito la vicenda di Karl Glogauer, il mio hippie bohémien ebreo preferito, e ho trovato un netto miglioramento: rispetto al già valido Behold the Man il secondo romanzo ha una prosa più rifinita, un ritmo più veloce, una varietà di toni e situazioni che lo rende un piccolo racconto mondo, un simpatico accenno di narrazione interattiva, quel gusto per il dramma in costume che mi manda in solluchero e quel tocco di surreale che sbarella il cervello senza diventare pretenzioso. Per parte mia, un solido 5/5.
Passiamo ora ai testi "minori", che sono stati chiaramente selzionati per via di uno filo rosso tematico: tranne una vistosa eccezione parlano di viaggio nel tempo, figure messianiche o ambedue le cose assieme.
1 & 2. I due racconti interconnessi "The Time Dweller" e "Escape from Evening" hanno certamente un'architettura di trama elementare, ma trasudano atmosfere di Terra Morente, mettono in campo del tecnogergo simpatico e il finale del dittico ha un piacevolissimo sapore dolcemaro; 3,5/5 contandoli assieme.
3. "A Dead Singer" è sostanzialmente un veloce spaccato di vita sulla cultura hippie e rock 'n' roll londinese degli anni Settanta (probabilmente con basi autobiografiche) e a furia di raccontare di gente strafatta induce un piccolo trip mentale "di riflesso". 3/5 direi.
4. "London Flesh" l'ho trovato abbastanza una poracciata: è un racconto giallo di terza fascia in omaggio ai racconti gialli di terza fascia che Moorcock leggeva da ragazzino e gioca tutto sui riferimenti a un worldbuilding pregresso, in cui Londra ha una tecnologia dieselpunk e c'è una gilda di banditi che rapinano i tram vestiti da briganti dell'età hannoveriana (sic); forse a leggerlo dopo i testi principali da cui dipende per il worldbuilding (principalmente Fabulous Harbours) si apprezzerebbe anche, presentato come testo a sé stante vale un 2/5 scarso. Per altro è il racconto "fuori tema" che accennavo in partenza, ergo proprio non capisco con che ratio l'abbiano incluso in questa antologia.
5. "Behold the Man" è la prima stesura, di lunghezza breve, del romanzo omonimo – e con "stesura breve" intendo che il romanzo esteso prende l'interezza della prima versione, parola per parola, espande alcuni paragrafi e inserisce numerose scene nuove laddove stanno bene. La trama è sempre quella e funziona, ma la redazione lunga secondo me è nettamente migliore. 2,5/3
Facendo tutti i conti, quindi, il volume propone un romanzo principale di altissima qualità e dei testi di corredo o validi, seppur non indimenticabili, o relativamente superflui e interessanti solo per i completisti. Si conferma comunque la mia preferenza per il Moorcock autore di sci-fi e/o roba psichedelica.
Want to read
October 21, 2012I removed the following rambling, spoiler-laced review from the default description of this work where it did not belong. I retain it here for the record; the words are not mine, and the author is perfectly welcome to repost them as their own review.
October 13, 2018
The last of the 3 volumes of Moorcock's Best Short Fiction is focused on Karl Glogauer- the main character of both "Behold the Man" and the titular "Breakfast in Ruins". I reviewed "Behold the Man" previously, but it's important to note that this is the much shorter, original novella and not the expanded, standalone work- 60 pages, as opposed to about 140 of the expanded work.
So the focus here is on "Breakfast in Ruins". It's essentially a collection of period vignettes, covering each decade from the 1870s to the 1960s. each short vignette involves a different incarnation of a Karl Glogauer, across the world, each successive one being a year older, starting from a seven-eyar old boy trapped in the fall of the Paris Commune and ending with a 22-year old G.I. participating in a civilian massacre during the Vietnam War. The backdrop to all of this has some shoutouts to the Jerry Cornelius stories, as in 1971 London the neurotit Glogauer encounters an enigmatic stranger in the rooftop gardens of the Derry & Tom's Department Store. This man introduces Karl to the technique that allows him to experience the lives of his earlier incarnations. As Karl masters the skill, his incarnations gain progressively more agency over the events in their lives- and as they act out in increasibgly selfish ways, so does the "real world" Karl assume a progressively more vampiric role in the strange relationship with his benefactor.
"Breakfast in Ruins" is overall confusing, feeling very much a cacophony (sharing its tone with the bulk of the Cornelius works). However, in terms of individual vignette pieces, Moorcock's writing is top notch as always. While I didn't particularly care for the meta-plot (or the philosophical "What would you do?" dilemmas at the end of each chapter, the sheer variety of settings and the quality of writing was enough to make "Breakfast in Ruins" a fairly quick read.
Of the rest of the works in the collection, "London Flesh" I read before in "The Metatemporal Detective" collection, and "Behold the Man" is, as mentioned, a shorter version of the standalone work I reviewed earlier. of the other 3 pieces, the duology if "The Time Dweller" and "Escape from Evening" were interesting pieces of sci-fi, presenting a vision of an Earth far in the future, and the approaches various branches of humanity took to adapt to the increasingly hostile conditions.
I didn't really get much out of "The Dead Singer"- a story featuring a ghost(?) of Jimi Hendrix, but it's likely due to me missing the cultural significance of him and his music to the time at which Moorcock wrote the piece.
Overall, an interesting compilation to round off the Best of Short Fiction collection, but nothing truly standout, unlike the earlier volumes.
So the focus here is on "Breakfast in Ruins". It's essentially a collection of period vignettes, covering each decade from the 1870s to the 1960s. each short vignette involves a different incarnation of a Karl Glogauer, across the world, each successive one being a year older, starting from a seven-eyar old boy trapped in the fall of the Paris Commune and ending with a 22-year old G.I. participating in a civilian massacre during the Vietnam War. The backdrop to all of this has some shoutouts to the Jerry Cornelius stories, as in 1971 London the neurotit Glogauer encounters an enigmatic stranger in the rooftop gardens of the Derry & Tom's Department Store. This man introduces Karl to the technique that allows him to experience the lives of his earlier incarnations. As Karl masters the skill, his incarnations gain progressively more agency over the events in their lives- and as they act out in increasibgly selfish ways, so does the "real world" Karl assume a progressively more vampiric role in the strange relationship with his benefactor.
"Breakfast in Ruins" is overall confusing, feeling very much a cacophony (sharing its tone with the bulk of the Cornelius works). However, in terms of individual vignette pieces, Moorcock's writing is top notch as always. While I didn't particularly care for the meta-plot (or the philosophical "What would you do?" dilemmas at the end of each chapter, the sheer variety of settings and the quality of writing was enough to make "Breakfast in Ruins" a fairly quick read.
Of the rest of the works in the collection, "London Flesh" I read before in "The Metatemporal Detective" collection, and "Behold the Man" is, as mentioned, a shorter version of the standalone work I reviewed earlier. of the other 3 pieces, the duology if "The Time Dweller" and "Escape from Evening" were interesting pieces of sci-fi, presenting a vision of an Earth far in the future, and the approaches various branches of humanity took to adapt to the increasingly hostile conditions.
I didn't really get much out of "The Dead Singer"- a story featuring a ghost(?) of Jimi Hendrix, but it's likely due to me missing the cultural significance of him and his music to the time at which Moorcock wrote the piece.
Overall, an interesting compilation to round off the Best of Short Fiction collection, but nothing truly standout, unlike the earlier volumes.
September 4, 2008
A follow up, of sorts, to Behold the Man, Breakfast in the Ruins, focuses on the past lives of protagonist Karl Glogauer. It certainly doesn't equal Behold the Man, but it is excellent speculative fiction in its own right.
September 29, 2010
Shocking to tears, to say the least. I thought to detect some mashup technique; a mixture of historical horrors, distress triggers and taboo breakers, dexterously weaved. Definitely would like to read much more of him.
June 24, 2016
Bought used from a local bookstore due to interesting premise and cover. Turns out only the framing story of the one night stand was actually interesting. The vignettes would have been good, but they neither increased in intensity or relevance as they went on, making them more and more of a chore.
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