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- Path: sparky!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!geraldo.cc.utexas.edu!geraldo.cc.utexas.edu!usenet
- From: ginsu@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Wes Simonds)
- Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
- Subject: Re: Mostly Harmful?
- Date: 26 Jan 1993 00:32:22 GMT
- Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX
- Lines: 19
- Message-ID: <1k20qnINN9vj@geraldo.cc.utexas.edu>
- References: <1993Jan25.211715.5956@cobber.cord.edu>
- NNTP-Posting-Host: mickey.cc.utexas.edu
-
- rkallberg@vax.cord.edu writes:
-
- >Anyone who says Adams has lost his touch as a comic writer has not read
- >"Last Chance to See", the environmental book he wrote about his jaunts
- >around the world to look at vanishing wildlife. It's not only socially
- >relevant, it's funny, charming, and haunting, and it is in my view some
- >of the best comic work written by anyone, ever. And it's mostly true.
- >Adams' fable at the end about the books containing all the knowledge in
- >the world is a minor masterpiece.
-
- Comments: Yes, LCTS is extremely good in parts. The line about the Latvian
- students and gorilla dung, for example, was superb. However, it is not a
- novel, and therefore cannot be cited as contrary to the idea that Adams'
- comic novels are not what they used to be. Novels involve plotting
- characterization, and dialogue, not just style. They are much much harder.
-
- As for the fable, it's interesting, but Adams admits he didn't write it.
-
- Wes
-