The Smyrna chapter is a remarkable piece of writing and very accurate in terms of what really happened. Whittemore is like that - his historical facts are always spot on even though he couches them in a fantastical way. You are in for a treat with Jerusalem Poker. A lot of people regard it as the best of the Quartet. Oh I wish I was reading it for the first time again. I'll have to wait until I have Alzeimers before that happens. Thanks for sharing your first impressions - it is always wonderful when Whittemore is discovered by a new reader. Anne --Previous Message--
: : Well, i've finished the novel, and, about 10
: minutes later, went on the internet to order
: Jerusalem Poker.
:
: Wow...those final chapters were stunning.
: Some of most beautiful (and brutal) passages
: i have ever read. I keep re-reading that
: last paragraph.
:
: Thanks for turning me on to such a wonderful
: writer!
: --Previous Message--
: Thanks for your informative responses. I
: guess my assessment of the characters being
: "unlikeable" is a little
: premature. I also think that their
: actions/behaviors must be viewed in the
: context of the novel's setting and the
: extremely unusual circumstances and
: situations that are presented.
:
: I was touched by Stern's relationship with
: Maud, and his overall idealism/ambition. I
: think, for now, he's my favorite character.
:
: I will definitely picking up Jerusalem
: Poker. Only about 40 pages to go with Sinai
: Tapestry....unfortunately, because of my
: work schedule and other commitments, i only
: have that precious hour or so at night
: before i go to bed to read. But this book
: is certainly keeping me up late! Thanks
: again for your input.
:
: --Previous Message--
: SB,
:
: Thanks for your message on the board and
: also for your complimentary comments on the
: site.
:
: The writing in Sinai Tapestry is indeed
: beautiful and does not pall after multiple
: re-readings. In fact Whittemore's writings
: become quite addictive.
:
: As for the characters being unlikeable, I
: never found that so. I was touched by Haj
: Haran, moved by Joe O'Sullivan Beare,
: awestruck by Strongbow and amused by
: Wallenstein. I encourage you to continue
: with Jerusalem Poker when it all may begin
: to make sense. The true hero of the novels
: is Jerusalem. The books are Whittemore's
: love letters to the city. He was very much
: affected by it and I believe it was love at
: first sight.
:
: Anne
:
:
:
: --Previous Message--
: 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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Message Thread First Impressions - sb October 11, 2005, 2:26 am
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