Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Stravaganza: City of Masks by Mary Hoffman
I bought City of Masks when I was at a wedding held in a bookstore. Isn't that a great idea?
City of Masks is first in a series by Mary Hoffman.
Lucien is suffering from cancer and the chemotherapy cure. He comes into possession of a beautiful Venetian notebook which transports him, in his sleep, into an alternate universe AND into the past. Lucien's body remains at home but he seems to be in a deep sleep or coma until he returns. In Bellezza Luciano becomes involved with intrigue and political scheming and he learns about a roup of (presumably all) men who travel to different times and universes using talisman's like Lucien's notebook. In fact the notebook was a talisman seeded into his world in order to draw other time travellers. Some of the plot twists are telegraphed though the motivation for them are gradually revealed and some come as complete surprises. Mary Hoffman does not take the easy path of having Lucien cured of his cancer. With another main character she does not gloss over the problems caused by finding out that your mother never told your father about your existence and then she abandoned you (to a good home). Another tricky bit of thinking comes when it is revealed that not only the "evil" characters take life lightly.
These are intriguing characters and the similarities between this universe and the other are very interesting. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
City of Masks is first in a series by Mary Hoffman.
Lucien is suffering from cancer and the chemotherapy cure. He comes into possession of a beautiful Venetian notebook which transports him, in his sleep, into an alternate universe AND into the past. Lucien's body remains at home but he seems to be in a deep sleep or coma until he returns. In Bellezza Luciano becomes involved with intrigue and political scheming and he learns about a roup of (presumably all) men who travel to different times and universes using talisman's like Lucien's notebook. In fact the notebook was a talisman seeded into his world in order to draw other time travellers. Some of the plot twists are telegraphed though the motivation for them are gradually revealed and some come as complete surprises. Mary Hoffman does not take the easy path of having Lucien cured of his cancer. With another main character she does not gloss over the problems caused by finding out that your mother never told your father about your existence and then she abandoned you (to a good home). Another tricky bit of thinking comes when it is revealed that not only the "evil" characters take life lightly.
These are intriguing characters and the similarities between this universe and the other are very interesting. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
# posted by JJ @ 9:06 AM 
