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A review by zoe_e_w
The Amulet by William Meikle
2.0
Spoiler Warning & Preface: I am clearly not the target audience for this book, primarily because this is a Lovecraft lore book, or a story which uses the Cthulu mythos as a springboard. There is no surer way to get me to put down a book than to name drop this one guy in a non-sarcastic way. Which partly explains why my review is harsh.
Also note that I have read many of Willie's short stories and liked all of them. But the Cthulu mythos leaves such a bad taste in my mouth. It's not just used as a springboard, either. This story takes Cthulu and snuggles drunkenly in bed with him. And then everyone smokes, a lot. Seriously, if you were going to AA meetings or are just quitting smoking, this is not a story to pick up. And if you're quitting whiskey AND ciggies this week, this really, REALLY isn't the right time to read this book. Maybe later, if you're a fan of Lovecraft and are nowhere near a pack of Camels.
The premise starts off well enough, if a bit predictably. Hot dame walks into a dick's office...private dick, I mean. The dame has a job for the dick, an amulet that was stolen from her home. The dick is clearly outclassed, but like most men with more balls than common sense, he takes the job. And this PI really is a dick in my mind even if he tried to paint himself in a halfway favorable light.
Part of my problem is the character talking winsomely about the good old days when people weren't such sex freaks and weirdos. He is suspicious of "kids" (anyone under 25, apparently) and freaks. And yet despite all this talk of chivalry, he drinks a lot because back when he had a woman, she needed to talk, and he left to go party and drink instead. She killed herself, and it tore him up so badly....he pretty much kept doing more of the same for a decade. BUT, like a decade later, he decided to become a PI, and he no longer parties. He still drinks a lot, and still hangs out in pubs. But now he's grim about it.
Yeah, still not a real sympathetic guy for me. But this has to do with the fact that I often felt like I could more readily identify with the "freaks" than I could with the dick...the private dick, I mean. But the story of the amulet and its history were fascinating right up until the Mad Arab was trotted out, and the story just kept snuggling up to Lovecraft more and more until the dick is buried hip deep in Cthulu's hot, sweet, mucus-wet folds of dhoom.
But more than that, the story is Lovecraft-aware, meaning that not only is this a story that proposes to be a part of the mythos, it is also a story that suggests "Hark! Lovecraft was psychic and predicting the story all Nostradamus-like!" And when the story suggested that the big conflict was to prevent the big C-guy himself from putting in an appearance, I sighed and put the book down. Then I lit up a ciggie...okay that was a lie. But I did drink some whiskey. Okay, that was a lie too.
The writing style is good, although a bit indulgent upon stereotypes of normal and abnormal. The pace is good, and if you like Lovecraft or old school PI stories, this will probably work for you. But I will not be reaching the final fight with the evil tentacled monster because Lovecraft and his whole wide tentacled world, are not my cup of tea.
Two stars, recommended for Lovecraft fans.
Also note that I have read many of Willie's short stories and liked all of them. But the Cthulu mythos leaves such a bad taste in my mouth. It's not just used as a springboard, either. This story takes Cthulu and snuggles drunkenly in bed with him. And then everyone smokes, a lot. Seriously, if you were going to AA meetings or are just quitting smoking, this is not a story to pick up. And if you're quitting whiskey AND ciggies this week, this really, REALLY isn't the right time to read this book. Maybe later, if you're a fan of Lovecraft and are nowhere near a pack of Camels.
The premise starts off well enough, if a bit predictably. Hot dame walks into a dick's office...private dick, I mean. The dame has a job for the dick, an amulet that was stolen from her home. The dick is clearly outclassed, but like most men with more balls than common sense, he takes the job. And this PI really is a dick in my mind even if he tried to paint himself in a halfway favorable light.
Part of my problem is the character talking winsomely about the good old days when people weren't such sex freaks and weirdos. He is suspicious of "kids" (anyone under 25, apparently) and freaks. And yet despite all this talk of chivalry, he drinks a lot because back when he had a woman, she needed to talk, and he left to go party and drink instead. She killed herself, and it tore him up so badly....he pretty much kept doing more of the same for a decade. BUT, like a decade later, he decided to become a PI, and he no longer parties. He still drinks a lot, and still hangs out in pubs. But now he's grim about it.
Yeah, still not a real sympathetic guy for me. But this has to do with the fact that I often felt like I could more readily identify with the "freaks" than I could with the dick...the private dick, I mean. But the story of the amulet and its history were fascinating right up until the Mad Arab was trotted out, and the story just kept snuggling up to Lovecraft more and more until the dick is buried hip deep in Cthulu's hot, sweet, mucus-wet folds of dhoom.
But more than that, the story is Lovecraft-aware, meaning that not only is this a story that proposes to be a part of the mythos, it is also a story that suggests "Hark! Lovecraft was psychic and predicting the story all Nostradamus-like!" And when the story suggested that the big conflict was to prevent the big C-guy himself from putting in an appearance, I sighed and put the book down. Then I lit up a ciggie...okay that was a lie. But I did drink some whiskey. Okay, that was a lie too.
The writing style is good, although a bit indulgent upon stereotypes of normal and abnormal. The pace is good, and if you like Lovecraft or old school PI stories, this will probably work for you. But I will not be reaching the final fight with the evil tentacled monster because Lovecraft and his whole wide tentacled world, are not my cup of tea.
Two stars, recommended for Lovecraft fans.