David Merrill > Recent Status Updates

I seem to find myself in the middle of three very different books. The other two, Lord Valentine’s Castle and Warriors OF God both jumped out at me on the to read pile and demanded to be started. I’m not sure which will dominate my reading. The other two seem to be taking precedence right now.

The covers lived on in my mind and over the past couple of weeks I ordered a lot on eBay. I started LVC when I received them, interrupting my reading of The Dinosaur Artist. I’ve interrupted my reading of his book with Warriors Of God by James Reston, Jr. about the 3rd Crusade. I guess I’ll be bouncing back and forth.

This book has a rhythm you need to sync with in the first 50 or so pages. As Valentine learns to juggle, you get into it. You have to just go with it the same way he does. It soon pays off as you get to know the characters and this world, Majipoor. I’ve had this book since it came out and never did that before. I even sold off its sequels thinking I just might never manage it. But the covers lived on in my mind.

This is not the version I’m reading. I’m reading the 7th printing of the 1886 edition published by Houghton Mifflin, The Riverside Press sold by Chas. E. Lauriat Co, Boston. I find some of the descriptions of this book on line are way off, probably AI written. It’s actually seeming journal entries written by a woman with the power to see and speak to dead people, including her Mom and Dad.

The first part describes Edgewood, a house of many different styles, really many houses combined into one. I’m finding the book itself is broken into chunks too. Smokey’s journey, followed by a flashback to John Drinkwater’s past. Both about falling in love.

I'm not sure what it is that has me finding myself winding my way out of the book and putting it down half way through it. Hopefully it won't happen this time.

This will be my third attempt to read this book. I’ve read half of it twice. Both times I am completely enchanted by the first half. In the space of just a few pages Crowley makes ordinary things magical. You can’t help but fall in love with Smokey Barnable and Daily Alice as they fall in love with each other and that love extends to the book in your hands just as quickly. This is Urban Fantasy at it’s best.

This will be my third attempt to read this book. I’ve read half of it twice. Both times I am completely enchanted by the first half. In the space of just a few pages Crowley makes ordinary things magical. You can’t help but fall in love with Smokey Barnable and Daily Alice ad they fall in love with each other and that love extends to the book on your hands just as quickly. This is Urban Fantasy at it’s best.