tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534509012046591314.post1709314171923442568..comments2023-11-05T10:11:31.578+00:00Comments on Just William's Luck: 'the insignificant weft and weave'William Rycrofthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15056188088340973039noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534509012046591314.post-53199071382234862462010-06-05T00:29:08.919+01:002010-06-05T00:29:08.919+01:00I too loved Darkmans, Leyla, but have never been t...<a href="http://justwilliamsluck.blogspot.com/2008/01/joker-in-pack.html" rel="nofollow">I too loved Darkmans</a>, Leyla, but have never been tempted by her back catalogue, suspecting esactly what you seem to have encountered when you read through it. Although this book plays to those strengths you mentioned (dialogue and dysfunction) it was very disappointing. Maybe she can win me back with her next one.William Rycrofthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15056188088340973039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534509012046591314.post-58213864743336977512010-06-04T16:55:42.126+01:002010-06-04T16:55:42.126+01:00Thanks for the thoughtful review, William. I think...Thanks for the thoughtful review, William. I think I'll give this Barker a miss. Darkmans was the first one of her novels I'd read and I loved it. I found it inventive, hilarious and irreverent (although I didn't buy the mystical bit.) I was so impressed that I promptly obtained most of her back catalogue, and was somewhat disappointed. Many of the stories seemed so doggedly focused on the bizarre (eg people who follow others about) that they lost touch with reality to the point that I didn't care about the characters. I think she is excellent at dialogue and at painting dysfunctional people but sometimes it seems she goes for kooky topics for the sake of it.leyla sanaihttp://www.rocksbackpagesblogs.com/?author=20noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534509012046591314.post-11838456044912924502010-04-29T00:50:02.419+01:002010-04-29T00:50:02.419+01:00My limited experience of Barker lends me to believ...My limited experience of Barker lends me to believe that she's clearly a talented writer but has a hankering for gimmicks. If she could drop those, or push them so far that they become genuinely interesting, as I think they did in Darkmans, then she'll always be one to keep an eye on.William Rycrofthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15056188088340973039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534509012046591314.post-31389673152035738402010-04-28T16:14:02.212+01:002010-04-28T16:14:02.212+01:00Super review - I did love some of the little quote...Super review - I did love some of the little quotes you picked out - I lost interest in marking bits to quote in my review after the dog turds(!) but there were bits of lovely writing hidden in there. <br /><br />Although I didn't really enjoy reading it, I'm glad I did persevere, and I will definitely read Darkmans as there's something in her writing that I really identify with - apart from the London suburbs links - but I can't put my finger on it!<br /><br />Thank you for the link on your sidebar too, I really appreciate it.Annabel (gaskella)http://gaskella.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534509012046591314.post-5637152043918377662010-04-28T15:54:39.043+01:002010-04-28T15:54:39.043+01:00I liked Darkmans, not her previous books and had t...I liked Darkmans, not her previous books and had this one on the "maybe" scope. Your thorough review has moved it to the not-for-me pile. Like Stewart, I find that Barker "drags the same old whimsy" and formate from book to book -- and more often than not it doesn't work. Many thanks for saving me both the money and time. Of course, if the Booker jury promotes her again this year, I'll probably have to change my mind again.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534509012046591314.post-91998408342522426942010-04-28T13:34:19.617+01:002010-04-28T13:34:19.617+01:00I loved Darkmans but really didn't enjoy this....I loved Darkmans but really didn't enjoy this. I've never really been tempted to go back and read any of her earlier work either and your use of the word whimsy, Stewart, keeps me even further away!William Rycrofthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15056188088340973039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534509012046591314.post-91526063471466405512010-04-28T08:21:23.877+01:002010-04-28T08:21:23.877+01:00Well, I loathed the experience of reading Darkmans...Well, I loathed the experience of reading Darkmans. Based on this, it looks like I'm going to enjoy the experience of not reading this. Sounds like she drags the same old whimsy from book to book.Stewarthttp://www.booklit.com/blog/noreply@blogger.com