This is the shortest Holmes story collection: only eight stories and a preface written by Watson, explaining that Holmes is now retired to Sussex and keeping bees, and here are some stories he hasn’t yet published about their adventures, including their very last one. (All the stories in the last published book, The Case-book of Sherlock Holmes, apparently take place before “His Last Bow” as well.) Because of the shortness, you feel it a little bit more when a story is a dud. In particular, […]
“To Yelena, our newest food taster. May you last longer than your predecessor.”
I’d been meaning to read this for years, ever since Malin reviewed it back in like CBR4 or something, but I just never got around to it until now. And I should have read it sooner, because I really liked it! Poison Study takes place in some unnamed world where about fifteen years previously, the corrupt monarchy was overthrown by a man named Commander Ambrose, who disliked the abuses they committed on their citizens. The government he instituted is a bit of a dictatorship (citizens […]
The madwoman in the attic.
I don’t know why I’m surprised I didn’t enjoy this. I nearly always react poorly to post-modernism. But, I really *wanted* to enjoy it. Every time I’ve read Jane Eyre, I’ve thought Bertha Rochester, née Mason, got a really shit deal. I’ve also thought it was really suspect that we don’t actually get any evidence of her going mad prior to being locked in an attic for years and years. I mean, if I’d been locked in an attic for that long maybe I would start […]
No.
Betrayal. Just, betrayal. That is the main feeling I have at this point. Well, the main feeling in like 75% of my brain. The other 25% understands logically why what happened in this book happened, but that 75%, it is PISSED. Just, how dare you. Maybe it is a good thing that Vaughan and Staples are taking a year-ish hiatus on this series, because my main impulse right now is to go over to their houses, knock all the books off their bookshelves in a […]