Another Review at MyShelf.Com

What Makes This Book So Great
Jo Walton

Corsair (Constable and Robinson)
16 January 2014/ ISBN 9781472111609
Non-Fiction/Literary Criticism

Reviewed by Rachel A Hyde

 

This is a set of essays about SF novels that originally appeared at Tor.com. Jo Walton is an award winning writer of SF herself, as well as a keen reader and re-reader. Part of the underlying theme of this collection concerns the joys of re-reading old favorites, and Ms Walton describes the two kinds of people, those who do this and those who don’t. Then there are discussions of how to read, fast or slow, and the merits of each. Also, why sometimes reading a book again after many years is not a good thing, you may have had a visit from the Suck Fairy!

There is a good bantering, informal tone here so to call it a collection of essays is perhaps unfair. It is more akin to having a friend, who has read more SF than you, telling you what they enjoyed and why. As such, it is a useful book to dip into when you want a recommendation for a new author. Certain authors tend to crop up more often than others, and if you have a yen to find out more about the works of Lois McMaster Bujold and Stephen Brust then look no further as a lot of space is devoted to these authors. Then there is Ursula Le Guin and Robert Heinlein, Tanith Lee, Arthur C Clarke, Jerry Pournelle and Poul Anderson. She wonders (as do I) why Susannah Clarke’s work has not been more influential, and takes an unusual look at The Hobbit. In Ms Walton’s own words this is not literary criticism, merely talking about books, which is why this is such an easy and absorbing book to read, instead of a real book of essays?

 
Reviewed 2014
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