jdcorley's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Sheckley is charming enough, as is his central character, but there's something rather careless about the idea of a bunch of counterculture burnouts forming a network of favors and information to facilitate an international detective. You get the feeling that if you scratched the surface of any of them that they would turn out to be the demand-to-see-the-manager/borderline sex tourist American/English expat type that we now loathe more than are charmed by. The plot's a shaggy dog story and Sheckley does it better than most, but all in all I rather would have just seen our hero work it out on his own.
More...