tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post7464432705663911818..comments2023-10-03T11:41:21.191+01:00Comments on The Truth About Lies: The Last WerewolfJim Murdochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12786388638146471193noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-55009348303867827562011-10-05T18:41:19.602+01:002011-10-05T18:41:19.602+01:00I agree, Dick, and I find the only difference is e...I agree, <b>Dick</b>, and I find the only difference is establishing what the rules of this particular universe are going to be. I was watching an episode of <i>The Vampire Diaries</i> a few days ago (and don’t get me started on why I should hate it because I know I should hate it but for some reason I can tolerate it) and they’ve just introduced werewolves to the cast and, of course, we had to endure a ton of exposition letting us know just what the effects of the moon (and what particular moon) would have on them and for how long and did silver have any effect yada yada yada. That I find boring. Someone really needs to come along a create a new monster that will have the same staying power of werewolves and vampires. It’s about time. Rather that than this constant tweaking, reinventing and reimagining. <br /><br>Jim Murdochhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12786388638146471193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-35194789583769214962011-10-05T17:57:50.261+01:002011-10-05T17:57:50.261+01:00Fascinating stuff as usual, but I've always ha...Fascinating stuff as usual, but I've always had trouble with the vampire/werewolf genre. It takes writing of rare skill to imbue the protagonists with anything resembling recognisable character traits and to breathe new life (?) into the dreary old symbolism. <br /><br />I too found the trailer very chucklesome. Give me Warren Zevon any day.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-75085270668323391392011-10-04T18:10:34.015+01:002011-10-04T18:10:34.015+01:00Thanks for the comment, Sarah. Always nice to see ...Thanks for the comment, <b>Sarah</b>. Always nice to see a new name in my comments box. I’m not sure about book trailers. Too many look like <i>PowerPoint</i> presentations for my tastes but I do like the <i>idea</i> of them. I made one for my first book just to see what it looked like and it wasn’t too bad, a little amateurish, but then it was my first. I did do a couple of wee animations of two of my poems that were fun. You can see them on my website <a href="http://www.jimmurdoch.co.uk/read.html#lowest" rel="nofollow">here</a>.<br /><br>Jim Murdochhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12786388638146471193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-62135887296958048862011-10-04T17:57:09.410+01:002011-10-04T17:57:09.410+01:00You’ve hit the nail on the head, Art. I am a snob....You’ve hit the nail on the head, <b>Art</b>. I am a snob. Always have been. My mother’s war cry was always, “I don’t buy rubbish,” and I guess mine was always, “I don’t read rubbish.” The problem with books is that you can’t judge them by their covers so how else do you judge them? I made a judgement call when I was offered this book for review. I looked at Canongate’s record and decided that for them to publish a horror novel like this then there had to be something different about it not that everything they publish is a literary novel – they have published some stuff I consider tripe but I bet it bought in a few quid and so I don’t call them on it – but the standard is fairly high. I wasn’t so much commenting on whether a horror novel can be a literary work because clearly it can – what is <i>Frankenstein</i> if not a literary horror novel? – I’m just saying that <i>I</i> think that those reviewers who labelled <i>The Last Werewolf</i> a literary novel were, in my opinion (and it <i>is</i> only my opinion) being a little overgenerous in their praise. But then we have the old argument: What constitutes a literary novel? And let’s not go there. If an unsolicited copy of another book by this guy drops through my letter box be it a werewolf novel or whatever then I will read it and it will be a decent read I have no doubt but if I had ten quid in my pocket and a half hour in Waterstones to spend it I wouldn’t be rushing to the Horror shelves, that’s all I’m saying.<br /><br>Jim Murdochhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12786388638146471193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-7492449482512589622011-10-04T17:48:44.349+01:002011-10-04T17:48:44.349+01:00Very thought provoking review. Looks like an inter...Very thought provoking review. Looks like an interesting read! And I loved the trailer :)<br /><br /><a href="http://fromsarahwithjoy.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Sarah Allen<br />(my creative writing blog)</a>Sarah Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01185278849400551014noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-78860997384534812052011-10-04T17:24:08.639+01:002011-10-04T17:24:08.639+01:00Oh, the "literary" praise is just from t...Oh, the "literary" praise is just from the usual mainstream fiction critics who turn up their noses at "genre" fiction, but if something crosses over into THEIR bailiwick it's okay. Same old tired critical prejudices. Right down to the "reputable publisher" vs. the "pulp publisher" or publisher known for genre publishing. <br /><br />Meanwhile those who do read in genre fiction tend to roll their eyes when such books are "discovered" by the mainstream because they're almost always over-praised (there being other better examples already in existence), and often for the wrong reasons.Art Durkeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07463180236975988432noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-64704444720411227912011-10-04T11:40:55.947+01:002011-10-04T11:40:55.947+01:00I’ve never been one who has read books purely for ...I’ve never been one who has read books purely for entertainment, <b>Dave</b>. I <i>have</i> been entertained by books but I’ve always considered that a bi-product and never the main reason I was there. The idea of a ‘beach read’ is quite alien to me. I expect a book to enhance me, to make me think, and although this book made a reasonable attempt to raise the bar it was fighting against all that has gone before it. Now, if this is the <i>first</i> werewolf book you were ever going to read then it is a cut above the rest but I was never going to be able to set aside all my baggage and read it like that. I would be interested to see what else this guy’s done though because he can certainly string a sentence together. <br /><br>Jim Murdochhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12786388638146471193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-48084123116221955032011-10-04T10:52:33.903+01:002011-10-04T10:52:33.903+01:00I've read a couple of werewolf novels, and enj...I've read a couple of werewolf novels, and enjoyed them, yet I still do not turn easily to them. I tend to tell myself that I've been lucky with the couple I've read - which may well be true, though I can't off-hand recall their titles. Why this is so, I do not know. It must say something about me, but I think I'm probably happier not knowing! I think from what you say that I could easily read this book if it fell into my hands, but I don't think I shall go looking for it.Dave Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08430484174826768488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-50995481270641040702011-10-04T10:27:31.698+01:002011-10-04T10:27:31.698+01:00It’s not a book I would have jumped at either, Tit...It’s not a book I would have jumped at either, <b>Titus</b>. The fact that is was being published by a reputable publisher was really why I accepted the review copy. I reasoned if Canongate thought it was different enough then maybe it <i>was</i> different enough. I reviewed a vampire novel they published a while back and it was quite good, a very British take on the genre, and I was hoping the same might be the case here. I’m sure those who love this type of book will get a lot out of it. For me it was just something different to read. I don’t mind this kind of light stuff for TV viewing but I prefer my books with a bit more depth.<br /><br />And, <b>Angela</b>, it takes all sorts. I watched an interview with Diana Rigg a few days ago and she told an anecdote about a fan/stalker from when she was younger who bought tickets to everything she ever did. The problem was he was Hungarian, didn’t speak a word of English and one of the plays was the Greek tragedy <i>Medea</i> which he got into his head was a comedy and had to be ejected from the theatre and his money for all subsequent performances refunded. My brother thought <i>Jaws</i> was funny. He would have been thirteen at the time and the same would have happened to him if the usherette could have caught him.<br /><br>Jim Murdochhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12786388638146471193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-85494260687368562132011-10-03T23:40:54.068+01:002011-10-03T23:40:54.068+01:00Is it bad that I couldn't stop laughing during...Is it bad that I couldn't stop laughing during the book trailer?Angelahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12399082789777816445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-16002115620863942842011-10-03T22:53:40.979+01:002011-10-03T22:53:40.979+01:00Thanks for the review Jim, which I really enjoyed,...Thanks for the review Jim, which I really enjoyed, but I don't think this one's for me.Titushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16380213493011623153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-59005694895929190182011-10-03T13:07:12.359+01:002011-10-03T13:07:12.359+01:00Glad I found something to pique your interest, Lor...Glad I found something to pique your interest, <b>Loren</b>. I read the hardback a while ago but ran out of time to post it and so I held it back until the mass-market paperback was due for release.<br /><br>Jim Murdochhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12786388638146471193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-9420796998704296342011-10-03T01:45:52.944+01:002011-10-03T01:45:52.944+01:00This looks quite interesting. I think I'll add...This looks quite interesting. I think I'll add it to my reading stack.Loren Eatonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12488412683340389286noreply@blogger.com