Update 8 March 3.02 a.m.: Belated entry: Before I asked bro to return the book, I slipped in a little handwritten note between pages 7 and 8, or 8 and 9: Sorry for recommending this book to the library. Didn't know it contains expletives.
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There is nothing worse than reading an expletive in a novel, of all things, in a novel that gets published. What sort of publishers/editors are around these days that could have allowed it to be publish, to publish it? (I can't even bring myself to type out the author's name).
*frowning mouth* I am not happy. A book that does not bring joy in the reading of its words (does not deserve to be published).
Why would a purportedly medieval book have characters spouting the "f***" word?
Once, was barely passable, but it passed. Twice was a little difficult. Third time, I put the book down. Only until page 8, and I started skimming right after the first expletive. It is impossible to read.
Somehow, I had a feeling this book, I might not finish, might not be good. Intuition was right. That was after I got it, held it in my hands.
This book and 2 others that I recommended to the National Library to buy. To readers who have in their hands these books from the library and enjoy them, you have me to thank. Without my recommendation, the library would not have bought them. You would not have them in your hands.
Saw this book and another one at Kinokuniya @ Liang Court a month ago. Thought The Red Knight was good from its synopsis at the back of the book (a smaller paperback version than the one the library got. The library had e-mailed they would get the "hardcover" version when it was released in January but didn't say why it wouldn't acquire the paperback version that I mentioned was selling @ Kino Liang Court. Turns out the "hardcover" the library got is also soft cover like the paperback but bigger.).
Submitted these two (and the 3rd from Kinokuniya @ Takashimaya) to the library to be purchased so I could read them. The inevitable result would be that others would also be able to read them. But nevermind if I could have them first.
So I watched online for when the library acquired them so they could be immediately reserved once it became possible. Then all that was left, was to wait until I got them.
I love the library.
For The Red Knight, oddly, somehow I didn't need to reserve it (even though I reserved the other 2).
After I had gotten the other 2 books that I recommended, I waited for The Red Knight until I stopped checking online for a while. When I next checked on 9 Feb, it was already available but not on loan even though it had been released on 7 Feb at my nearby library.
It meant it was still sitting on the "new arrivals" shelf, so I hurried over.
It wasn't on the "new arrivals" shelves downstairs and upstairs, so it must have been put back on the usual shelves. Sometimes, new arrivals would be taken off the "new arrivals" shelf after a time, and put to their respective shelves by alphabetical order (a.k.a. the usual shelves).
Found it on its shelf of the usual shelves, under its alphabet.
Somehow seeing a photo of the author in medieval armor in the back flap, made me doubt the writing. I doubted a role-player would be able to write well. Don't ask me to make a more detailed connection between the two because there doesn't seem to be any.
It didn't matter that beneath the photo, it said he is a full-time writer. That photo said everything more than what the author's introduction did.
Turned out, I was right. To hear an expletive spoken these days, even by women, is grimacing enough. To have to read it as well, when one expects to be made love to by the beauty of the intelligence of crafted words, is unbearable.
Only a line made me smile from the first: "...absorbed in the parallel exercises of withholding the need to vomit and committing the scene to memory.". I thought "parallel exercises" was brilliant and committed it to memory because so far, nobody has written it that way before and in such a succinct and beautiful way of describing two difficult motions/acts together.
I can only hope upon the other books I got, that I would gain more from them than here.
It has disturbed me so much (even more than having to type a Kim Robinson salon review) that I have typed this "review" instead of doing my own writing at this time. *glances at clock* 1.45 a.m.. *hovers mouse over computer clock on right side* Monday 18 Feb.
Well, at least with this book, I won't be owing the library any fines (since returning it very soon). One down and ... *thinks* 4 more to go.
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