Frankenstein can create is a small wooden boy whose nose keeps growing. All on all, not a place you want to b This is another masterpiece from Tom Holt. All on all, not a place you want to be trapped in! I laughed out loud in places - it was so good. A brilliant concept and so recognisable that you could just imagine this happening - almost!! Jun 07, Carol rated it liked it. I really like Holt, although sometimes his books are hard to follow. This story was good, it was fun and it was messy, probably not that original given I have seen this before, but I've got to give credit where credit's due.
He knew exactly how to mix everything up and still not lose sight of them.
- How to Create a Magical Home?
- .
- Böser Traum (German Edition).
- See a Problem?.
- Review - Snow White and the Seven Samurai by Tom Holt!
- Dust.
I would've have lost half the characters halfway up the story, so that was impressive. It got a little tiresome towards the middle and it ended too easy for my taste, but since I wasn't expecting any I really like Holt, although sometimes his books are hard to follow. It got a little tiresome towards the middle and it ended too easy for my taste, but since I wasn't expecting any of that, it's good.
It made my brain think a lot. I first read this book twice at the age of 15, having taken it with me on French exchange, with nothing else to read once I'd finished it. A couple of weeks ago I was at home with nothing to read and picked it up again. The fairy tale references are still just as clever, although as another reviewer has said, the tech references are now fairly dated, but I think most of them are still understandable though I'm not sure if that I first read this book twice at the age of 15, having taken it with me on French exchange, with nothing else to read once I'd finished it.
The fairy tale references are still just as clever, although as another reviewer has said, the tech references are now fairly dated, but I think most of them are still understandable though I'm not sure if that will be true for later generations. I'd forgotten the plot twists, so still found it quite a page-turner, but the end was fairly disappointing - it all seems to happen too suddenly. I'd still recommend it if you want a light, unchallenging read though. Aug 18, Liana rated it it was ok. This book began with so much potential for wit and satire.
However, Holt tried too hard. There were far too many literary devices used as asides and one-liners, and many missed the mark and were very pedestrian. It became a book of one-liner similes and allusions, rather than plot and character. He also became bogged down in repetitive and over-explained pseudo-tech speak. The plot was difficult to follow, with so many interruptions. It lost its pace and flow. Such an unfortunate read from a goo This book began with so much potential for wit and satire.
Such an unfortunate read from a good author and great idea. Jul 04, Bookworm Heath rated it it was ok. It took me ages to read this book; I didn't dislike it as such, just found it incredibly difficult to read - to the point where I wanted to give up a few times.
As I got further into the story I became more absorbed in the plot however I found the chapters far too long and the storyline convoluted and confusing. I liked the idea and the characters but found it not involving enough to care particularly what happened. Oct 05, Blair rated it liked it. It might have been my state of mind over the last few weeks, but I just couldn't get into this book like I have with other Tom Holt works.
I usually enjoy his lunacy but I found this book to be disjointed and hard to follow. Too much stuff going on without a solid structure underneath.
Snow White and the Seven Samurai
I really liked the idea but I felt like the Benny Hill theme song should be playing throughout most of the book as a host of not well defined characters ran around willy-nilly. May 30, Jessewolff rated it liked it. At first, the story had convoluted sentence structure and confusing similes. As the story progressed, the writing became better. I had a feeling the author was trying for a style similar to Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett. Overall, a fun read though it would have been better with more editing.
Oct 14, Deb rated it liked it. This reminded me a lot of Jasper Fforde's work, although I think Holt had the idea first. It was entertaining but about half way through it started to get too complicated. Even though it was a short book, I wasn't sure at the end exactly what had happened. Jul 21, Brian rated it liked it. Feb 26, Nathan Dehoff rated it really liked it. That's a parody title I've come across several times in the past. I guess it's pretty obvious if your mind works that way. Holt went farther with it than most uses of the joke do, although the samurai are by no means the most important part of the plot.
Indeed, like a lot of Holt's books, it tends to switch between characters quite frequently. The main premise is that the fairy tale world exists in a computer simulation operated through a magic mirror, but it's been hacked multiple times, causin That's a parody title I've come across several times in the past. The main premise is that the fairy tale world exists in a computer simulation operated through a magic mirror, but it's been hacked multiple times, causing things to change.
The dwarfs are replaced with the titular samurai, who talk in mock Zen koans and trick the youngest into doing all the work.
Book Lists
The Magnificent Seven is also mixed in, with a dwarf assassin in a fantasy version of the Old West being hired by the Three Little Pigs to take out the Big Bad Wolf, and attempting to assemble a gang of seven. He recruits Rumpelstiltskin, but then has to settle for Tom Thumb who is much smaller than a dwarf and a mole.
- .
- Hamilcar's Books: Snow White and the Seven Samurai - Tom Holt.
- Obsession.
Meanwhile, the evil queen, one of the few people who knows how the world works, joins up with the sister of a child hacker to try to set things right. Her brother alternates between being Pinocchio and Frankenstein's monster. The plot is complicated, and while there is somewhat of an explanation at the end, it can still be difficult to follow all the threads.
Still, it's pretty funny. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I must say that even though it was not bad, I expected something funnier, maybe it was the fact that english is not my mother tongue and I did not get some inside language jokes the fact that Dumpty spoke in a strange way , anyway it was a funny lecture that, somehow remember me to Terry Pratchet.
All the characters have their charm in this book but I could not feel more sympathy for any of them, the book jumps very fast through the different plots until they all meet at the end in a chaotic way. Thats the way I would define this book, a chaotic mix of comedy and classic fairytales where nothing is what it seems. Spoiler I would have finished the book in the moment where Sis and Mr Dawes go to the room where the bodies from Snow White and both Grimms are resting, that would have been an interesting matrix-like ending, even though some questions get no answer how did Sis and her brother go inside the world?
As said before, a chaotic funny book to read for people who just want to have a easy good time and not think too much. Aug 02, Jeane rated it did not like it. This book was incredibly confusing! First of all it didn't really make any sense, and you were wondering what is going on until almost the end of the book! Plus the British slang, and I love British slang, don't get me wrong , was a little much to deal with.
Okay so dialogue hard to understand, plot hard to un This book was incredibly confusing! Okay so dialogue hard to understand, plot hard to understand, characters, hard to understand. But throughout all this confusion, it was still amusing! All in all more a bust then a good read.
Snow White and the Seven Samurai by Tom Holt
If i had read this book before reading any of Terry Pratchett I would liked it much better. Also, it happens I've read several of Tom Sharpe's books, so this book also pales in comparison. Not to mention that all the computer cyberpunk stuff is very much dated Anyway, it is a funny book that has his hilarious moments and it ma Hmmm Anyway, it is a funny book that has his hilarious moments and it made me laugh loudly, although, as other said, the resolution is a bit disappointing: I hope other Tom Holt's books are better than this.
Because this is "meh". Jul 30, Melissa Ng rated it it was amazing Shelves: I confess, I have a huge thing for fairytale retellings. Whereas this story really twists everything you ever knew about fairytales, and makes you wonder - hmm, why I confess, I have a huge thing for fairytale retellings. Whereas this story really twists everything you ever knew about fairytales, and makes you wonder - hmm, why didn't I ever consider this possibility?
Not to mention pointing out a Very big equivocation in one of the most popular fairytales ever. Add in all that wicked, snarky humour and that's one hell of a book you've got there! Jun 11, Therese rated it really liked it Shelves: If you enjoy both those authors you will enjoy this one. The fairy tale world which in matter of fact is a virtual program run on Mirrors gets turned on its head, upside down and inside out when a couple of teenagers hack into the system. The first half of the book seems like a regular spoof but the resolution towards the end is completely unexpected.
Tip for reading this book: It's light and fun reading so don't try not to think about the plot too much and enjoy the ride filled with pop culture references and fantasy stereotypes being meshed with fairy tale characters. Oct 26, Chris Branch rated it it was ok Shelves: Maybe I've learned my lesson that British comic fantasy is just not my thing.
Much of the dialogue seems to be straight out of a NaNoWriMo fantasy forum thread about how to increase your word count. To say this book is inane is probably too harsh, I'm sure Holt has plenty of fans; let's just call it too silly f Maybe I've learned my lesson that British comic fantasy is just not my thing. To say this book is inane is probably too harsh, I'm sure Holt has plenty of fans; let's just call it too silly for my taste. Human hackers have inadvertently crashed the wicked Queen's magic mirror. It was an interesting ride, that's for sure.
Lots of characters all jumbled up and criss crossing paths.
Blog Archive
It's a pretty clever idea having fairytale land as a computer operated dimension. Some of the references are a bit dated as one reviewer mentioned but it doesn't ruin the story at all. The humor is very British and dry which is fine by me, and the ending was kind of a disappointment, actually pretty dark w Human hackers have inadvertently crashed the wicked Queen's magic mirror. The humor is very British and dry which is fine by me, and the ending was kind of a disappointment, actually pretty dark which was a bit jarring tonally. But overall it was pretty enjoyable.
Holt yet again creates a whole world and a simple, yet complex, story within. The children who have hacked into mirrors 3. Overall I would give this book 8 out of In my opinion one of Tom Holts best. Helen 9th September The story seems a bit pointless, as do the characters. It all makes some kind of sense at the end but you really don't care. The only thing to recommend it is some funny one liners, which for a page novel is a bit of a cop out. The best is the Three Little Pigs hostage scene: It's funny in context, honest: In summary, mildly funny but not one of Tom Holt's best.
Nigel 9th March