tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938060587020568315.post7490970433152847722..comments2023-12-14T10:28:43.397+00:00Comments on Declan Burke: Around The Web In 80 Seconds*Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938060587020568315.post-49785762204577296352008-07-23T08:42:00.000+01:002008-07-23T08:42:00.000+01:00I dunno, folks. For me it's a classic case - and m...I dunno, folks. For me it's a classic case - and maybe THE classic case - of a literary author appropriating the tropes of crime fiction for narrative purpose, without really understanding the crime fiction narrative. Starting out, I thought I was going to love THE SECRET HISTORY, but it took me almost a fortnight to read it. I mean, a fortnight. Cheers, DecDeclan Burkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14322645323239292406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938060587020568315.post-38046411991587682372008-07-22T21:21:00.000+01:002008-07-22T21:21:00.000+01:00I liked the start of the Secret History. But it wa...I liked the start of the Secret History. But it was portraying itself as a "literary" novel, and in the process thinking itself very clever to come up with its crime-investigation plot with an intellectual twist, which kind of petered out. I think the author was thinking she was being clever. But I, as reader, felt I'd been there before. <BR/>I quite liked the book because the quality of the writing is good, but it is far too long and pretentious, because it thinks it has a "grand message", whereas it is a simple story. Nothing wrong with that, but I did not like the dressing.<BR/><BR/><BR/>These comments are from harsh but fair dominatrix M. Clarke, to her adoring public. <BR/><BR/>We missed you in Harrogate, Declan, but I am sure that in Lily and Lily's lovely mother, you had far more interesting and compelling companions ;-)<BR/><BR/>Thus writes the HBFD.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938060587020568315.post-3228121383813685752008-07-22T11:28:00.000+01:002008-07-22T11:28:00.000+01:00I am in a combative mood. The Secret History? Bori...I am in a combative mood. The Secret History? Boring? Blasphemy, I tell you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com