Outside of a Dog: King, Laurie R.: (05-07) O Jerusalem; Justice Hall; The Game

David Tate

David Tate wrote on June 28, 2005 at 11:29 PM:

You’ve summed up my feelings here quite well.

O Jerusalem is a fine adventure novel, and furthers the characterizations. It even has a bit of Secret History, which I am overly fond of.

Justice Hall is an exceptional novel, completely independent of the ongoing characters and their portrayals/growth. For me, it justifies the entire series (if it needed any justification).

The Game was a bad idea, too much hommage and not enough novel. It nearly lessens the characters (and author) in my eyes. And I agree completely that dropping the framing device was an incredibly poor choice—it had such potential! I fear, from the sample chapters of Locked Rooms available online, that the framing device is gone forever. How sad.

Kate

Kate wrote on June 28, 2005 at 11:35 PM:

I haven’t read Kim; I thought about it, but when I flipped through it in the library, it felt like homework, so I put it back down.

One needn’t have read Kim to understand The Game, I think, but perhaps that is better, if Kim is the diminished character you’re referring to. I thought it had some lovely creepy moments, at least.

I wouldn’t want a framing device to be a straightjacket on the stories an author wants to tell, but the move away from it in The Game felt like just self-indulgence. And Holmes POV strikes me as an appallingly chancy thing to do.

Oh well, I have a request in at the library and we’ll see.

Elaine

Elaine wrote on June 29, 2005 at 5:59 PM:

I didn’t even miss the framing device in The Game, perhaps because I don’t tend to like framing devices in general.

Glad to know there is a new one coming in what is one of my favorite series: even if I am still squicked about the age difference.

Kate

Kate wrote on June 29, 2005 at 7:26 PM:

Elaine: I have seen Locked Rooms in stores now, in hardcover.

David Tate

David Tate wrote on August 2, 2005 at 12:50 PM:

I’ve now read all of Locked Rooms, and I was wrong about the framing device. It wasn’t shown in the sample snippet online, but there is a token reference to the framing story in the print book. I’m satisfied. :-)

Overall, a fine premise, decently executed, but [criticism edited to avoid spoilers]. I’ll be happy to comment after you’ve posted about it.

Kate

Kate wrote on August 2, 2005 at 12:52 PM:

David: Locked Rooms post is here: http://www.steelypips.org/weblog/2005_07_01_archive.php#link_112164723353391623.