I've always felt that Sinai Tapestry and Jerusalem Poker could have been bound by the same spine; they should certainly be read in strict sequence. Nile Shadows, I feel, to some degree lacks the fluidity and strict detail that bind the first two novels. But, I also think this is intentional.

As for the characters, we all draw our own conclusions. I find Strongbow's arrogance/confidence admirable, Wallentstein's devotion impenetrable, Haj Harun's aloofness uplifting, Joe's spirit heroic, and Stern's dream tragic. And what too can be said for Maud, Catherine, Sophia, Yakouba, Ziwar, and Sivi?

I hope you well stomach the final chapters.

Sincerely,
Joseph
--Previous Message--
: I am about 3/4 of the way through Sinai
: Tapestry, and while I was admittedly
: perplexed by the book's strangeness for the
: first 100 pages or so, I am in awe of
: Whittemore's imagination and prose style.
: He writes such fluid, readable prose, yet
: there are so many sentences that I read over
: two or three times, just to take in all the
: nuances and lyrical beauty. It really is
: deceptively simple. I can't really form an
: impression of the book yet. It is so
: surreal and unlike anything I have ever
: read. Not sure what i feel about the
: characters either. I guess my only
: criticisms are that most of the characters
: are hard to like, and, although I have about
: 80 pages left, i am not sure if there is a
: coherent plot in there somewhere(and i don't
: usually care for plot as much as
: characters/prose style).
:
: Is Sinai Tapestry merely an introductory
: book, or is it meant to stand alone? Does
: the plot of Sinai continue in Jerusalem
: Poker, or is that just another story with
: some of the same characters reappearing?
:
: Nice website by the way...
:
: Thanks
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