Friday, June 10, 2011

Poisoning the Well

I visited the library today in the mood for some classic SF. I thought I might pick up an Asimov book I've not yet read, or introduce myself to Robert Heinlein. My local library only carries three Heinlein works: Stranger in a Strange Land, The Cat Who Walks through Walls, and a collection of novellas and stories.  I opened the cover of The Cat Who Walks through Walls to find this inscribed in an elegant cursive script:

This is my first time to read Heinlein. For an author so celebrated with awards, he does little for me. I don't see a good plot, or in-depth character development. The theme is difficult to follow. The gimmicks and surprises only distract. 


Charles, Jan. 1986

I don't know if Charles defaced a library book, or if -- more likely -- he bought the book, wrote this in it, and then donated it to the library after finding it not to his taste. But it amused both myself and the librarians at the front desk. I hadn't intended on reading the book, but after carrying it around for a while and chuckling, I decided to see if his review matched my own response.

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