Yes. I've read FotH many, many times (it is one of the other books I have 3 copies of). Luckily, the fact that my now-ex bf and I took turns reading it aloud to each other hasn't tarnished my love of the book. It was a popular book on campus because it was set in our town, written by a student, etc.
I read Sewer, Gas & Electric recently. Reading it, as a new yorker, post-9/11 was just...odd. The book has weird unintentional resonances now. (The Empire State Building, hit by a plane, being rebuilt.) And I had more trouble keeping the characters straight because they're all human. I kinda missed the sprites, and the talking dogs and cats. And I've never read any AYn Rand so those jokes fell pretty flat.
Set This House is a great book, but it's interesting to me to look at Matt's growth as a writer. His skill at interweaving plots and different character voices is something that shows in his earliest work, and it's put to such different and unexpected use here. It's a much more mature book, and it's not actually fantasy or SF but it has that element of...possibility, playfullness, anything-can-happen.
I would have gotten around to reading it eventually because I'm a fan, but the Triptee and his attendance at Wiscon really seems to have pushed his recognition up a notch and convinced people to read this book who wouldn't have otherwise. I'm happy for him, and for the book.
(For the record, the third book that I've bough three copies of is Alanna.)
Have you read Judas Child? It's a stan-alone mystery by Carol O'Connell, who is known more for her Mallory books. It doesn't have anything in common with STTHIO other being a good book, a great read, and a book you don't want to know too much about before you start.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2004-10-07 02:00 pm (UTC)I read Sewer, Gas & Electric recently. Reading it, as a new yorker, post-9/11 was just...odd. The book has weird unintentional resonances now. (The Empire State Building, hit by a plane, being rebuilt.) And I had more trouble keeping the characters straight because they're all human. I kinda missed the sprites, and the talking dogs and cats. And I've never read any AYn Rand so those jokes fell pretty flat.
Set This House is a great book, but it's interesting to me to look at Matt's growth as a writer. His skill at interweaving plots and different character voices is something that shows in his earliest work, and it's put to such different and unexpected use here. It's a much more mature book, and it's not actually fantasy or SF but it has that element of...possibility, playfullness, anything-can-happen.
I would have gotten around to reading it eventually because I'm a fan, but the Triptee and his attendance at Wiscon really seems to have pushed his recognition up a notch and convinced people to read this book who wouldn't have otherwise. I'm happy for him, and for the book.
(For the record, the third book that I've bough three copies of is Alanna.)
Have you read Judas Child? It's a stan-alone mystery by Carol O'Connell, who is known more for her Mallory books. It doesn't have anything in common with STTHIO other being a good book, a great read, and a book you don't want to know too much about before you start.