Stamping Butterflies - Jon Courtenay Grimwood
Jon Courtenay Grimwood was added to my list of authors I'll buy sight unseen after the stunning Pashazade. Despite some good stuff since then, nothing has quite lived up to that book. So, how did I like Stamping Butterflies?
Well, it begins in an intriguing way, several plot threads: one far future, one present day, one in 1977 Marrakesh, and it's not entirely clear how they are related. At the beginning I liked the Chinese flavoured far future thread, a nice contrast to the African plots, but unfortunately that plot seems to lose itself, and becomes a meanderingmish mash. Yes there are some cool ideas, and the 2023 Worlds is a great setting, but it seemed to descend into angst and not do anything interesting. The other plots meanwhile gain focus and get better, but are slim on Science Fiction.
I found myself wondering how the plots were going to tie together, rather than enjoying the stories. In fact half way through I was bored, and had to force myself to keep reading. The ending does pull things together, but not in a very satisfactory way, and I was left feeling disappointed. Maybe this would have been a better book with the far future thread removed, and turned into a non-SF novel?
On the plus side, the writing is, as usual for JCG, excellent, full of atmosphere and details that transport you to Northern Africa. But in the end it wasn't enough to make me like the book. However, I'm still going to read (the award winning) End Of The World Blues.
Well, it begins in an intriguing way, several plot threads: one far future, one present day, one in 1977 Marrakesh, and it's not entirely clear how they are related. At the beginning I liked the Chinese flavoured far future thread, a nice contrast to the African plots, but unfortunately that plot seems to lose itself, and becomes a meanderingmish mash. Yes there are some cool ideas, and the 2023 Worlds is a great setting, but it seemed to descend into angst and not do anything interesting. The other plots meanwhile gain focus and get better, but are slim on Science Fiction.
I found myself wondering how the plots were going to tie together, rather than enjoying the stories. In fact half way through I was bored, and had to force myself to keep reading. The ending does pull things together, but not in a very satisfactory way, and I was left feeling disappointed. Maybe this would have been a better book with the far future thread removed, and turned into a non-SF novel?
On the plus side, the writing is, as usual for JCG, excellent, full of atmosphere and details that transport you to Northern Africa. But in the end it wasn't enough to make me like the book. However, I'm still going to read (the award winning) End Of The World Blues.
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