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Zdumiewająca Sprawa Nakręcanego Człowieka (2011)

by Mark Hodder(Favorite Author)

3.95 of 5 Votes: 3

languge

English

genre

Horror

publisher

Fabryka Słów

series

Burton & Swinburne

review 1: Given that I'm currently trying to write a steampunk novel, this seemed like an appropriate piece of research, and it's probably been the most enjoyable research I've conducted for quite a while. The second instalment in the Burton & Swinburne series, The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man takes the reader to a 19th century London bearing the scars of a present altered and a future threated by time travel and bizarre scientific advances. Admittedly, some of the terminology invented for this series escaped me, which is why I'm particularly anxious to start reading the first book as soon as possible. What really fascinated me, though, and what seems to be a popular technique in the steampunk literature I've read so far, is the incorporation of real people (in the case of this... more novel, we see a young Oscar Wilde selling newspapers on the streets, and discover that Burke and Hare have become the Prime Minister's personal henchmen), as well as the liberties taken by Hodder when manipulating historical events. The latter did initially make me a little uncertain, but as the various layers of plot continued to develop the logic of such manipulation suddenly and weirdly seemed to fall into place.All in all, it's fairly safe to say that I've got my work cut out for me if I want to join the ranks of Hodder and Blaylock in my literary career.
review 2: Good fun! Utter nonsense! Robots, lizard-men, zombies! (of course zombies. What did you expect?) Time travel! Stuff!Possibly better-written than the first volume, although I still think the hero is over the top and the author bit off more than he could chew with the revolution of the working classes against the aristocracy. There's nothing wrong if you want to write a book for pure fun with no intent to get into social philosophy at all, but then I do think it's best to avoid starting to include bits and pieces of social commentary (on how the working classes are robbed of their choices in life, and all), especially if it's all going to come down to the upper class heroes patronising their working-class sidekicks and being right about it in the end. But then the comedy worked fine, I certainly had a few good laughs, and if something can be said for Hodder, it's that he has a great sense of how to write a visual representation of a slapstick sequence. Also, he can promise a wild ride and actually deliver it. That has to count for something!So, yeah: grating at times with the simplistic political commentary and patronising tone, but completely successful with the comedy. Will read the next volumes with pleasure one of these days! less

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