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Underground > Books, Criticism & Writing >

Voice of the Fire

23:17 / 13.12.01

Just posted in comics about Alan Moores new project with Eddie Cambell on Austin Osman Spare and his new novel about '...the first rail link between Cardiff and Northampton'...

I'm really looking forward to his next novel and it got me thinking about Voice of the Fire again...

I liked it the first time i read it and recently read it again and enjoyed it even more. The 'front heavy' make up of the book with that first hard going chapter (which put a lot of people off i think) made much more sense the second time round. The gradual speeding up of events and infomation being reflected in the structure of the narrative easier to see when finished....

anyway...i've just read over the above few lines and realise i sound like a gcse student drunk on a bottle of cheap wine when i'm really a 30 yr old drunk on 3 bottles of cheapish wine...

theres progress for ya

any way...anyone else like the book?

11:09 / 14.12.01

I thought it was a very, very, very good book indeed.

Several of the stories completely blew me away, and the way certain objects/symbols keep occasionally reoccuring is very well done - intriguing, subtly magical elements..

There have been claims from certain quarters that the book wasn't very well written, but I found it to be excellent throughout.

One of the few bits of historical fiction I've read that really gives you a feel for the different periods, rather than just relying on cliches and assumptions..

"The first rail link between Cardiff and Northampton"? well that sounds, um, thrilling..

14:05 / 14.12.01

I read it the once when it came out, and liked it – by the time I’d finished it. I agree the first 50 pages or so was hard going. But it was all setup for later stuff, and the recurring images and themes were neat.

DBC

The Natural Way

08:35 / 17.12.01

Anyone who gave up because they found Hob's Hog "too hard" is a ponce and should shut it.

That's all I have to say and bloody interesting it is too.

yawn - thing's buddy

13:57 / 19.12.01

first story is a revolulation!!!

story about man who dress as bird is onta-orni-fuckin-thilogical!!!!

rest is very good indeed.