| Author | Message | ||
     John Llewellyn Probert (John_l_probert) Username: John_l_probert Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 213.253.174.81 |
Has anyone else read these 'rattling tales of sorcery, flogging, high adventure, whipping, facial disfigurement and spanking'? I rattled through them this weekend. For the uninitiated they're sex, murder and outrageous behaviour-filled romps written by Mark Gatiss and starring Lucifer Box, bisexual secret agent, bon viveur and general rake and scoundrel. I loved them. The Vesuvius Club is a spin on Jules Verne, The Devil in Amber takes on Dennis Wheatley, and the final slighter novel Black Butterfly is a more straightforward James Bond affair. Whether or not you will appreciate them will depend on if you find gags like a Cornish Village being called 'Suze-Ann Pennhaligon' funny, or organisations like the 'Jung Turks' amusing (they try to get inside the mind of theoir opponents to anticipate their next move and when that fails they resort to good old fashioned Balkan violence). | ||
| Mick Curtis (Mick) Username: Mick Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 194.106.220.19 |
I've had 'The Vesuvius Club' on my tbr pile for a couple of years; sounds fun - must get on it soon. (And Ally's book. And Simon B.'s. And Gary F.'s. And cetera.) | ||
| Weber_gregston (Weber_gregston) Username: Weber_gregston Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 194.176.105.47 |
I read the Vesuvius club, thought it was OK but I was disappointed that it wasn't better considering that one of the league of Gents had written it. Jeremy Dyson's books are much better. | ||
| Barbara Roden (Nebuly) Username: Nebuly Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 216.232.182.134 |
I've read the first two; thought "Vesuvius Club" was a good romp, but preferred "Devil in Amber" as being a bit more thoughtful and less silly. I'll have to look out for the third book. | ||
| John Llewellyn Probert (John_l_probert) Username: John_l_probert Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 90.199.0.95 |
'The Devil in Amber' is by far the best of the three, with 'Black Butterfly' coming a poor third, so I wouldn't get your hopes up Barbara. I love Jeremy Dyson's books too - I thought both 'What Happens Now' and his collection 'Never Trust a Rabbit' were excellent but I don't think you can compare the two authors as what they're doing are worlds apart | ||
| Barbara Roden (Nebuly) Username: Nebuly Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 216.232.182.134 |
Thanks for the tip about the third book, John. I enjoyed Dyson's two books; although I liked "Never Trust a Rabbit" a bit more than I enjoyed the novel. | ||
| Weber_gregston (Weber_gregston) Username: Weber_gregston Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 194.176.105.47 |
I just kind of assumed that two members of the same writing team wouuld write to the same standard even if what they were writing was so different. It's gatiss' fault for being one of the LOG. It creates the expectation of a certain level of quality... |