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A review by dknippling
The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers
3.0
A scholar of Coleridge is paid an absurd amount of money to serve as a tour guide...to the past!
I wanted to like this but didn't. I like the historical period and time travel stories; this should have been right up my alley. But the novel has too many juggled plot lines, and not enough setup or informational organization to hold my interest. One of those books so detailed (and I speak as someone who errs in the same fashion) that I felt like I had to memorize every word in order to keep up. Very Dickensian, too, but without the thematic resonance of Dickens's subplots or care for his colorful characters. In short: this book felt like one of those video game quests where so many arbitrary complications were thrown in, that I got frustrated.
I can't say that I can be even remotely objective on this book. It's too close in many areas of technique that I'm currently criticizing myself for, so this book could be just getting caught in backlash. I would search out other reviews in order to determine whether you might like it.
I wanted to like this but didn't. I like the historical period and time travel stories; this should have been right up my alley. But the novel has too many juggled plot lines, and not enough setup or informational organization to hold my interest. One of those books so detailed (and I speak as someone who errs in the same fashion) that I felt like I had to memorize every word in order to keep up. Very Dickensian, too, but without the thematic resonance of Dickens's subplots or care for his colorful characters. In short: this book felt like one of those video game quests where so many arbitrary complications were thrown in, that I got frustrated.
I can't say that I can be even remotely objective on this book. It's too close in many areas of technique that I'm currently criticizing myself for, so this book could be just getting caught in backlash. I would search out other reviews in order to determine whether you might like it.