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nwhyte's review
http://nhw.livejournal.com/1116177.html[return][return]This was the Doctor Who novel which was turned down by the BBC and which Mortimore subsequently managed to get published privately, now downloadable for free thanks to those awfully nice New Zealand chaps. There is no way the BBC could have published it - by Mortimore's own (rather too extensively documented) account, it is about a million light years away from the novel he actually agreed to write. But it is a brilliant read all the same, though I think you would need to know who Lola McGovern and Cliff were to really appreciate it. It is the story of the First Doctor, his grand-daughter and the two people from 1960s England who travel together, in the Tardis after an adventure with Alexander the Great and several ambiguous outcomes, trying to cope with the disappearance of the entire universe outside the Ship. Mortimore takes the narrative to very peculiar structures and places, but it kept me reading.[return][return]The New Zealand edition includes both Mortimore's authorial notes, describing his bitter struggles with his muse (incarnate as a monkey), and an account of his dispute with the BBC publishers which I think could usefully have been summarised into rather fewer pages.
towards_morning's review
So erm, not rating this one because... you know what, I just refuse.
Like is it good? Is it bad? Is it mediocre? Who knows! Who cares! Mostly I'm just stuck like a scratched record on the fact that it exists and the knowledge that Mortimore had the guts to even send it in to try and get the BBC to put it out in the first place? Like, woah, kudos to him to be honest.
OK, here's the thing. On the one hand, this book has an immensely fascinating idea. On the other hand, the prose is really purple sometimes. On the other hand, it's going for surreality, so maybe that's good? On the other hand, maybe it's just pretentious. On the other hand, it weaves together so many meta ideas into its themes and its vision of Doctor Who. On the other hand, does it result in anything cohesive? On the other hand, on the other hand...
I can't work out if this is a book with a fantastic idea and muddled execution, a book with a fantastic idea and an execution that reflects its idea whether it meets expectations about 'good writing', or a book with a fantastic idea and good execution.
I do know it left me reeling. Which was presumably the aim. So it achieved its aim. I dunno. Mostly I'm just glad I read it. I think.
Like is it good? Is it bad? Is it mediocre? Who knows! Who cares! Mostly I'm just stuck like a scratched record on the fact that it exists and the knowledge that Mortimore had the guts to even send it in to try and get the BBC to put it out in the first place? Like, woah, kudos to him to be honest.
OK, here's the thing. On the one hand, this book has an immensely fascinating idea. On the other hand, the prose is really purple sometimes. On the other hand, it's going for surreality, so maybe that's good? On the other hand, maybe it's just pretentious. On the other hand, it weaves together so many meta ideas into its themes and its vision of Doctor Who. On the other hand, does it result in anything cohesive? On the other hand, on the other hand...
I can't work out if this is a book with a fantastic idea and muddled execution, a book with a fantastic idea and an execution that reflects its idea whether it meets expectations about 'good writing', or a book with a fantastic idea and good execution.
I do know it left me reeling. Which was presumably the aim. So it achieved its aim. I dunno. Mostly I'm just glad I read it. I think.
nukirisame's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
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