false613744158567986097815856798677223The Solitudes (The Aegypt Cycle: Book 1)
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/613744.The_Solitudes
52074John Crowley261156130falseThu May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008Tue Apr 15 15:12:28 -0700 2008Thu May 22 19:17:32 -0700 2008 However, I persevere.
Interestingly enough, I had never heard of Dr. John Dee before and the other evening, I was watching a documentary of odd things at the British Museum. I switched away at a commercial and when I switched back, they were talking about Dr. Dee. I would have liked to have seen a whole program or at least a more lengthy segment on him. Quelle coinkidink...
At the very least, they showed a number of the obsidian mirrors and balls used at the time for "scrying", including a mirror owned by Dee, himself, later owned by Horace Walpole.
I am still reserving judgment. After starting to read "Love and Sleep", I am somewhat Ho-hum about this, the "first", volume.
Apparently, Crowley was dissatisfied when the originally published trilogy was published as a single volume and the three parts assembled differently from his intention. However, the "first" volume doesn't see to get anywhere much. Unless I completely change my mind after this and the "third" volume, much of this book could have simply been incorporated into "Love and Sleep" without too much difficulty.
I think I find his decision to start our introduction to Pierce, the main character, in adulthood rather arbitrary and it becomes that much more difficult to get to know him.]]>