The Affair of the Mysterious Letter

DNF - PG 33

Why?

Because I really, really dislike this book.

I didn't really do a lot of research on this book before borrowing it. Basically, I heard ‘queer' and ‘Sherlock Holmes' in the same sentence and I was there. I started reading the book and had immediate whiplash as I expected a pretty standard quasi-historical and didn't realize that it was a strange Lovecraftian fantasy/sci-fi amalgamation. I was immediately excited. Perhaps too excited, as this story doesn't excel in the weird and wonderful, but in the stodgy and mundane ala ‘my editor tells me to info dump here as some of my readers might not be from the same interdimensional nexus of crazy as I am so I'd better give you page upon page of words without actually saying anything.'

I tried sticking around long enough to be introduced to the wacky and wild wide world - but my blasé feelings towards Wyndham (that could, admittedly, turn to hatred very easily) and my absolute disdain and disgust of Haas conspired against me. (Why force myself to read a book I'm not enjoying when my only reward is more of the same?)

Haas is irrational and absurd in her reactions (no, don't great a guest in just a dressing gown, add a single earring to be presentable) and homicidal in in her actions. (“I know of three people you have personally murdered, one you drove to madness for slighting you, six you left to die in the ash wastes of Telash-Ur, and at least four you fed to the Princes of the Mocking Realm.”)

This is not a character I want to read about.

(Especially not when Wyndham's reaction to this is: ‘I can only say that I have never made excuses for my friend's behavior and do, on some level, know that she has done heinous things. But I have also never known her to act without purpose nor with wanton malice, and I believe I must have understood this fact even then.'

...

“I know of [...], one [person] you drove to madness for slighting you, [...].”

‘[...]I have also never known her to act [...] with wanton malice[...].'

I'm out.)

Related, this is the second time I tried a Hall book and the second time I dnf'd a Hall book after less that 40 pages. I think I have to face the fact that this is not an author for me.