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A review by corita
Infernal Devices by K.W. Jeter
3.0
J. W. Jeter wrote Infernal Devices in 1987. He also coined the term Steampunk to describe the new Victorian books he, Tim Powers, and James P. Blaylock were writing. I wanted to go back to Steampunk's beginnings, and since Jetter is one of the touchstone authors, I decided to read Infernal Devices first.
The Story
The narrator, George Dower, runs a clockwork shop, which he inherited from his father. His primary problems is that he knows little about clocks and makes a living accepting small jobs his assistant can handle. George's life is uneventful until an "Ethiope" comes into the shop and convinces George to try and fix one of his father's complicated clockwork mechanisms. The "leather-skinned" man gives George a strange coin, and the Victorian adventure begins.
George is curious about the coin, and, putting the mechanical device aside, sets out to investigate the coin's origins and meaning.
His adventures twist and turn in every imaginable way. He winds up in the seedy part of town, is in trouble with A Ladies Union for the Suppression of Carnal Vices, falls in with a criminal who speaks in 20th century American vernacular, repels numerous sexual advances, and is betrayed by nearly everyone.
The story might be described as Monty Python meets the Pink Panther in Victorian England. Humor runs throughout the tale. There are lots of clockwork devices, which George cannot manage and often destroys. Most of the social problems and issues of the era are addressed in a dark brooding atmosphere.
"The Complete Destruction of the Earth" chapter is funny, and for a while I thought the story might take a better turn, but alas, for me, it didn't.
My Response
On an intellectual level I like the story and see value in what Jeter is doing. However, to be truthful, it took me an agonizingly long time to read it.
Here are the strengths of the book:
•the humor,
•an honest look at the dark side of Victorian life and the social issues,
•the automatons and clockwork gadgets,
•Scape and the sexually aggressive women, who were far more interesting characters than George.
Here are the issues I had with the book:
•the Victorian language--I know I'm supposed to love Dickens, but I don't; the language is tedious and puts me to sleep;
•the first person narration; George is an unsympathetic character, which was my biggest issues--I really didn't care what happened to him;
•the unrealistic and often contorted plot twists, which I either figured out or suspected.
Since I love Monty Python, Douglas Adams, and Terry Pratchett, it's a little odd that I found this a difficult read. I think, if you like Victorian language and are engaged with a protagonist who is thick and naive, you'll enjoy the book. It's not bad. In many ways, it's excellent, but for me it was flat.
The Story
The narrator, George Dower, runs a clockwork shop, which he inherited from his father. His primary problems is that he knows little about clocks and makes a living accepting small jobs his assistant can handle. George's life is uneventful until an "Ethiope" comes into the shop and convinces George to try and fix one of his father's complicated clockwork mechanisms. The "leather-skinned" man gives George a strange coin, and the Victorian adventure begins.
George is curious about the coin, and, putting the mechanical device aside, sets out to investigate the coin's origins and meaning.
His adventures twist and turn in every imaginable way. He winds up in the seedy part of town, is in trouble with A Ladies Union for the Suppression of Carnal Vices, falls in with a criminal who speaks in 20th century American vernacular, repels numerous sexual advances, and is betrayed by nearly everyone.
The story might be described as Monty Python meets the Pink Panther in Victorian England. Humor runs throughout the tale. There are lots of clockwork devices, which George cannot manage and often destroys. Most of the social problems and issues of the era are addressed in a dark brooding atmosphere.
"The Complete Destruction of the Earth" chapter is funny, and for a while I thought the story might take a better turn, but alas, for me, it didn't.
My Response
On an intellectual level I like the story and see value in what Jeter is doing. However, to be truthful, it took me an agonizingly long time to read it.
Here are the strengths of the book:
•the humor,
•an honest look at the dark side of Victorian life and the social issues,
•the automatons and clockwork gadgets,
•Scape and the sexually aggressive women, who were far more interesting characters than George.
Here are the issues I had with the book:
•the Victorian language--I know I'm supposed to love Dickens, but I don't; the language is tedious and puts me to sleep;
•the first person narration; George is an unsympathetic character, which was my biggest issues--I really didn't care what happened to him;
•the unrealistic and often contorted plot twists, which I either figured out or suspected.
Since I love Monty Python, Douglas Adams, and Terry Pratchett, it's a little odd that I found this a difficult read. I think, if you like Victorian language and are engaged with a protagonist who is thick and naive, you'll enjoy the book. It's not bad. In many ways, it's excellent, but for me it was flat.