Whitechapel Gods - S.M. Peters (2008)

Whitechapel Gods is an urban fantasy, set in an alternate Victorian London, where the titular gods have established a metaphorical beachhead in the world to expand their power. A small band of rebels are fighting against their oppression against seemingly overwhelming odds.

Peters handles his material well, blending elements of Lovecraftian Horror, steampunk and dark fantasy into a rich nightmare world. A soupcon of pulp fiction adds a little spice to the mix. The two "gods," Mama Engine and Grandfather Clock, are mechanistic monsters, a dream of industrialization gone horribly wrong. The rebels are a rag-tag bunch of broken, damaged outcasts and dreamers.

The story is driven by plot rather than character, since most of the major players are so fantastic as to be more plot-devices than fully developed personalities. This is not a fatal drawback by any means, but it does skew the feel of the book toward epic fantasy. The real strength of the book is in the setting. A dark, super-industrial Whitechapel, built and fueled by magic, policed by inhuman mechanical killers and covered in a permanent debilitating smog which is killing slowly those who are not killed more quickly by the servants of insane divinities, is painted vividly in a palate of browns and blacks with the occasional splashes of bright red arterial blood.

The story builds with increasing velocity, even if at times parts of it become a little incoherent, and an epilogue which is all sweetness and flowers is somewhat out of character, but overall the book is fairly satisfying and the setting completely engrossing.

Overall Grade: B+

The Great Train Robbery - Michael Crichton (1975)

Crichton's earlier works tend to be overshadowed by the massive success of the Jurassic Park franchise, which is a mixed blessing as producers dip into his back catalog and do things like make Eaters of the Dead into the movie The Thirteenth Warrior, but the blessing comes if it inspires people to take a look back at books like The Terminal Man or The Great Train Robbery.

Having said that, I'm not sure The Great Train Robbery stands as one of his best books. It is certainly a compelling read, and the intricate plotting is fascinating, as is the window into the Victorian era it provides. The book, clearly, tells of the complicated plot to rob a train of a payroll shipment of gold, a plot engineered by the enigmatic Edward Pierce. Therein lies the problem, the enigma of Edward Pierce. The novel unfolds like a piece of finely designed clockwork - and with the same warmth and humanity.

Which is not to say it's a bad book. Far from it! The unfolding story, with the turns and reverses, captures the mind and imagination. It is possible, even, that the enigma of the central character, and of the others as well, is a strength allowing the reader to spin fantasies of his own as to motive and emotion.

The end result, however, is not quite satisfying. It's good, and a fine quick read, and if it fails to hit the mark squarely perhaps it is because Crichton aimed too high.

Overall Grade: B

The Last Chronicle of Barset - Anthony Trollope (1867)

Trollope tends to be one of those writers you hear about but never read. Less well known, perhaps, than Jane Austen, William Thackeray and Charles Dickens, he was nevertheless a prolific (the introduction to The Last Chronicle of Barset claims that at his death he had written more words than any other English novelist) and successful author. His reputation staggered after his death, but then somehow righted itself and now marches on apace.

Barsetshire is the setting for many of his forty-odd novels, and The Last Chronicle is the final one in that series. The novel is, in many respects, a typical novel of the time. It is wordy and at times discursive, the characters are often fixated on issues that seem to the modern eye to be insignificant or simnply quaint, and it is long. It is somewhat unusual, at least to my not-too-educated-eye, in that there are numerous subplots in the narrative, all at least tangentially related to the central character and plot point. This allows the author considerable scope for digression and reflection of plot and character.

As with much of this type of literature, the plot is secondary to character. Essentially the plot is this: a poor clergyman is accused of pilfering a 20 Pound check and no-one can seem to find a way to clear him. Even he, himself, seems unable to account for his acquisition of the check. In my edition, this is good for nearly 900 pages. The real interest though is in the remarkably human stories affected by this simple problem. A clergyman accused of theft - much less convicted! - is a social pariah, and thus his daughter's wedding is endangered. His situation is use as a gambit in the ongoing power struggled between two factions who are genteelly, but dedicatedly, at war. It provides an opportunity for gallantry by those who are otherwise only involved via distant blood relation. Mixed in with all this, naturally, is social commentary on country life and the inequities and iniquities which afflict mankind.

It is, all in all, remarkably readable. Someone who has never dipped their toe into Victorian literature may find it takes a bit of time to get used to the flow and structure, but since there are more than 800 pages to accomplish this task, time is available. Those who have already essayed Austen or Dickens should find it easy enough to get stuck in. In fact, the style is, if anything more accessible than Austen and more character-driven than Dickens. The time and effort to read the book and make the acquaintance of Trollope - and the inhabitants of Barsetshire - are well rewarded.

Overall Grade: B+