tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2956288600403860320.post79028775797927027..comments2023-12-26T12:18:55.616+00:00Comments on Doyleockian: Book review - Rendezvous at the Populaire by Kate WorkmanAlistair Duncanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16199962410016780822noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2956288600403860320.post-37714023328233679152012-05-18T20:11:44.999+01:002012-05-18T20:11:44.999+01:00I received your books, though I've only read o...I received your books, though I've only read over Eliminate the Impossible. It's actually coming in very handy to me for Jack of All Trades, and even gives me a good Canonical reasoning for something in the next one that I just happened to randomly come across. Honestly, while I feel you left out some actors in the film section, the synopses of the stories and who's in them has become invaluable to me.<br /><br />Were you able to get my second one? As I've said before, I look forward to the review(even if you don't care for it.)Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04291262762143375183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2956288600403860320.post-83864075600101398092012-04-19T09:08:27.722+01:002012-04-19T09:08:27.722+01:00I emailed Steve as soon as I saw this, so hopefull...I emailed Steve as soon as I saw this, so hopefully one will be shipped out to you. :)Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04291262762143375183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2956288600403860320.post-6555741304813081052012-04-18T19:15:06.042+01:002012-04-18T19:15:06.042+01:00Pop Steve a line and get him to send me one. I'...Pop Steve a line and get him to send me one. I'll get round to it as soon as I can.Alistair Duncanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16199962410016780822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2956288600403860320.post-22571926617348879562012-04-18T05:29:09.506+01:002012-04-18T05:29:09.506+01:00I believe I have one spare copy left. If you'...I believe I have one spare copy left. If you'd like it, or would ask Steve to send you a copy, I'd love to hear your opinion of it. That scene I mentioned above, where Holmes is inspecting a pair of pants? After reading your comments, I went over it and made sure all uses of 'pants' were changed to 'trousers.' :)Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04291262762143375183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2956288600403860320.post-76746729830906055682012-04-15T13:20:15.208+01:002012-04-15T13:20:15.208+01:00Hello. No I'm afraid I've not read it. I o...Hello. No I'm afraid I've not read it. I only read what I'm sent by MX and that one has not come my way. Given my oft stated preference for conventional pastiche maybe the decision has been taken not to send me any others that are not so.<br /><br />Am now following your blog. :-)Alistair Duncanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16199962410016780822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2956288600403860320.post-39248227805602357262012-04-14T19:30:46.681+01:002012-04-14T19:30:46.681+01:00I know that I'm coming to these comments well ...I know that I'm coming to these comments well after the fact, but I was just curious if you've read I Will Find the Answer? I'd love to hear you comments and criticisms on that one, and if it's closer to being a Holmes pastiche featuring other characters, rather than, as you said of this one, a Phantom pastiche featuring Holmes and Watson.<br /><br />Honestly, looking back over my Phantom one, I'm tempted to completely rewrite it once the others are done. Make i what it should have been instead of what I favored. Here's a link to my blog, if you care to follow it. I'll follow yours as well, as soon as I figure out how...<br /><br />http://bakerstreetthoughts.blogspot.com/Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04291262762143375183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2956288600403860320.post-28157370710216206522011-07-13T09:04:33.389+01:002011-07-13T09:04:33.389+01:00Re the narrating issue. Perhaps it's a persona...Re the narrating issue. Perhaps it's a personal thing. With hindsight I now know that all Watson's chapters are stated as coming from his journal and that Raoul's is headed with his name but when you're reading for the first time you don't automatically know that all the others are therefore Holmes. <br /><br />In most cases, when such a chapter arises, the context makes it clear within a couple of sentences but the chapter beginning on page 81, which concerns the Masquerade, follows on from a Watson chapter and gets almost to the bottom of the page before it becomes clear that we are now in Holmes's head. As both Holmes and Watson are attending the ball the confusion arises because either of them could be describing events.<br /><br />I know how easy it is to get so familiar with what you're writing that you forget how it will strike someone for the first time. Perhaps it is just me being a bit dense. If no one else has mentioned it maybe it isn't a serious problem. For me however it was a little jarring. If you had headed Holmes's chapters "From the recollections of Sherlock Holmes" or some such heading this confusion would have, for me at any rate, been eliminated.Alistair Duncanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16199962410016780822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2956288600403860320.post-8179768759275335512011-07-12T09:03:28.111+01:002011-07-12T09:03:28.111+01:00I admire your reaction to my review. You're cl...I admire your reaction to my review. You're clearly better at keeping your cool than I am :-) As MX Publishing well knows, I am notoriously tough on pastiches so please don't take it too badly. I also know all too well what it is like to be on the wrong end of a critical review. Just have a look at some of the comments on Amazon.com for my first book (Eliminate the Impossible).<br /><br />Regarding the "whose head am I in?" bit I shall check but I'm fairly sure there was at least one place where it wasn't clear and threw me off. I shall get back to you on that. If I turn out to be in error I will of course amend the review. I like to be as fair as I can be.<br /><br />Re the swordfight, I appreciate the fine balance to be drawn. As I said in the review, I suspect most people would fail to notice anything amiss. It is just the case that I fenced regularly for seven years so I am much harder to please. However I know full well that if you'd written "Holmes executed a parry in quarte and enveloped Erik's blade" you would have tried people's patience.<br /><br />As for the American Vs English "English", I have already offered my services in that direction to MX Publishing and I believe the idea was going to be put to you at some point.Alistair Duncanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16199962410016780822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2956288600403860320.post-68757548000394098062011-07-11T17:50:00.735+01:002011-07-11T17:50:00.735+01:00I'm glad that you reviewed my book. You'r...I'm glad that you reviewed my book. You're right, I never truly thought about the subtle differences between American English and British English. Obviously, I know some of the differences. 'Color' and 'colour,' or 'favorite' and 'favourite' for instance. But 'pants' and 'trousers' I didn't even think of, and I thank you for pointing that out. There's a scene in my next one where Holmes is focusing on a pair of pants, and your paragraph above made me realize I had to go back and replace the word with 'trousers.'<br /><br />I wish I did know someone familiar with both British English and American English to help me find other things like that.<br /><br />I did find it interesting, though, that you mention having trouble keeping straight who is narrating. As you said, it's Holmes, Watson, and in one segment, Raoul. I always labeled Watson's segments with "From the Journal of John H. Watson, M.D.," and Raoul had one small segment with his name at the top. Since that just leaves Holmes, I'm confused how there was any question of who was narrating?<br /><br />All in all, thank you for the complimentary things in this blog, and even moreso for the constructive criticisms. (For the sword fight, I did look up what I could from books, but not being able to see it firsthand and truly experience what I was reading about, I felt it better to gloss over what moves were done instead of blundering through detailed descriptions that would surely have huge mistakes that Holmes would never make, given his fencing experience.)<br /><br />Even though my second novel does stray into including another literary character, I hope you'll read and review it, and I hope it holds up better to British standards. :)kworkman2https://www.blogger.com/profile/02580309148447487869noreply@blogger.com