I used to love Steven Brust books. For those who don't know, Brust lived in Minnesota for a long time -- he was considered a local author when I bought his first book, Jhereg, back in the early-80s.
Over at Perverse Access memory, Ginger Stampley writes how much she enjoyed the book. Ginger, I'm afraid I need to disagree.
Brust is trying too hard to find something new to write about. I loved his original style, but the Dumas style drives me insane. The typical dialogue goes something like this:
"You will?"
"Yes, I think I will."
"And when will you tell me?"
"Well, when would you like me to tell you?"
"I'm not sure, when do you think might be a good time to tell me."
"Well, I'm not sure I'm ready to answer that."
"And why aren't you ready?"
"Well, I don't know if you're ready for me to tell you what I might need to tell you. In fact, I'm quite certain you're not ready."
"Oh surely, if you give me but a moment, I'd be ready to hear your important news."
"Well, surely I could give you that moment."
"Why, thank you."
"Please tell me when you have begun to prepare yourself for the news, so that I can be prepared to tell you the news when you are ready."
"I do believe I will begin to prepare now."
"Oh, please do."
"Well, if that is what you wish, then I will begin immediately."
At this point in the story, gentle reader, you may feel the need to take a brief nap. If you should choose to do so, by the time you awake, I'm sure our story will be ready to continue.
"I believe I am ready to hear your news now."
"If you are quite certain."
"Yes, I am certain. Please proceed."
"Well then, you would like me to proceed immediately?"
"Yes, immediately would best suit me."
"Well then, I will proceed. I believe I'll have the stew."
"The stew?"
"Yes. Unless you think the stew has gone bad."
"No no, the stew is excellent."
"Very good. Then I think I shall have the stew."
Okay, I've exaggeratted. But not by all that much.
Steven, I loved Jhereg. You once gave a talk in Minnesota where you talked about an interaction between Vlad and one of the other characters in the story -- possibly Sethra Lavode. You explained how originally, the two of them just sat and talked. But your writing group wasn't impressed. So you modified the section and had a servant come in, pour tea, then leave. They still weren't impressed. Then you read to us the final version, and it was fabulous.
I loved that about your books. I loved all your books up until Vlad's wife left him. After that, they just turned weird.
Please, your latest style isn't "characterization". It's mind-numbing drivel.
