Miles Watson > Recent Status Updates

The story finally picked up -- not surprisingly, when it shifted away from England to Egypt. I've seen two different cinematic adaptations of this book so I know it's not a traditional "mummy" story in any sense of the word but hey, it's still about a mummy's curse, so we NEED Egypt, tombs, treasures and horrible deaths resulting from violations of same.

One reviewer said of The Jewel of Seven Stars: "This story drags like a corpse." He wasn't lying. I'll forever be grateful to Stoker for writing Dracula, but this story couldn't be more sluggish, repetitive or over-written. There are moments where his talent shines through the clouds of mostly unnecessary words, but finishing this will be a battle unless the pace picks up.

This is a fascinating, informative and extremely witty look at the daily life of a Civil War soldier as told by one. It's not about battle, but everyday reality. The language is beautiful and the wit relentless and full of irony. Once in a while the author will remind the reader of more gruesome aspects of soldierly life -- punishments, executions -- just to keep it real.

Gave this a shot last night and am enjoying it, especially a) the prose style of the 19th century and b) the fact the author (a literal Yankee, from New England) is not even attempting to be objective in his assessments of the pro-Confederacy folk whether Northern or Southern. (Most post-CW books written by veterans are, in my experience, remarkably conciliatory. Not so much here.)