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A review by kikiandarrowsfishshelf
King Solomon's Carpet by Barbara Vine
3.0
If you have ever been in any underground system then you know the mystery. Okay, maybe it lacks the history of London’s – for instance, my city’s underground system(s) has never been used as a bomb shelter - , but it has many similarities – “lost” stops, a schedule only a psychic can figure out, a what is that smell feel, an in comprehensible map.
You get the idea
King Solomon’s Carpet is book where the subway system plays an important part. In fact, it’s the central character. Don’t let the blurb on the back cover fool into thinking otherwise. The star of the show is neither Alice nor her lovers. It’s not Tina and the kids. It’s not Jarvis.
It’s the UNDERGROUND!
It’s the threatening nature of the Underground, any underground really, that makes the book work. It makes all users equal, and it has its own rules that you don’t really know until after a while.
And then I’m sure that SEPTA (my local public transit) is using its underground to call forth the dreaded Schuylkill River Monster!
Go ahead, laugh at me, but when Philly is taken over by the hideous monster, flooding the tunnels, ringing the Liberty and making me head of the library system, we’ll see whose laughing at whom then, won’t we? Especially when we take over the cheese steak market!
Seriously, no Philly Cheese steak is authentic unless you got it in Philly.
Seriously, though, the Underground and mood are the stars of the novel. It is curiosity and familiarity that compels the reader to finish the book. Not Rendell’s best work, but not bed.
You get the idea
King Solomon’s Carpet is book where the subway system plays an important part. In fact, it’s the central character. Don’t let the blurb on the back cover fool into thinking otherwise. The star of the show is neither Alice nor her lovers. It’s not Tina and the kids. It’s not Jarvis.
It’s the UNDERGROUND!
It’s the threatening nature of the Underground, any underground really, that makes the book work. It makes all users equal, and it has its own rules that you don’t really know until after a while.
And then I’m sure that SEPTA (my local public transit) is using its underground to call forth the dreaded Schuylkill River Monster!
Go ahead, laugh at me, but when Philly is taken over by the hideous monster, flooding the tunnels, ringing the Liberty and making me head of the library system, we’ll see whose laughing at whom then, won’t we? Especially when we take over the cheese steak market!
Seriously, no Philly Cheese steak is authentic unless you got it in Philly.
Seriously, though, the Underground and mood are the stars of the novel. It is curiosity and familiarity that compels the reader to finish the book. Not Rendell’s best work, but not bed.