Review: Entertainment encapsulating an important allegory
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 23, 2014
As usual, this book came to me free in exchange for a review.  Also as usual, my scrupulously honest opinions follow in spite of the kindness of receiving a free copy of the book.In a nutshell, this novella is a standard Faustian tale in which our protagonist regrets the bargain he made centuries ago.  The story is amusing because the author has chosen a familiar and popular premise.  One can almost never lose when the devil appears in your book.  The one twist we see is that we view the story from the perspective of the aftermath of the bargain rather than the time which led up to it.The writing style of this book is rather perplexing.  Within the first 5 pages, the narrator speaks much like a man would who has had the benefit of centuries to hone his mode of speech.  His erudition is vastly conspicuous and his sentences ramble on interminably as if the utterer had nothing better to do for several more centuries.  Personally I found the effect to be most literary and refreshing but after that brief introduction the text settles down into something quite pedestrian.  To illustrate this point, from page 1:"An ill mind acts in accordance with its forsaken nature, but is inhibited from the capacity to predict the long-term effects of an erred volition."Then about half-way through the story:"He stepped into the cavern and waited, half expecting a booby trap to seal the portal shut behind him."This is not to say that one is qualitatively inferior to the other, but merely to point out that there is a wide swing in tone from the beginning to the end.  So if you're reading a sample that includes page 1 and don't understand a word of it, fear not.  It does come back down to Earth.  Personally I would have preferred it had stayed in its lofty prolixity but if that were the case then I am confident that I really would be the only one who wanted to read it.Moving beyond the writing itself, the story, while entertaining, seems to lack subtlety.  I judge much about the quality of a book based on the images which come unbidden to mind as I read the text.  In this case the images were those you might see in a graphic novel.  The plot raced along but seemed to lack details and artistry.  That is no doubt because the author's real intent is more allegorical than descriptive, but that theme didn't seem sufficiently strong to distract me from the rather surface treatment of the action.In summary, it's a worthwhile buy at its current price point but I think that the writing style within the first 5 pages caused my own expectations to ascend to unattainable heights.  This novella is a unique blend between descriptive action and poignant allegory but I'm not sure it has attained exactly the right blend between the two.  It definitely spurs further interest in the author and I am anxious to see what else he may produce in the future.PS: It is always my endeavor to provide helpful reviews. If you find my review helpful then great! If you do not, then please leave me a comment indicating what you want to know and I'll be sure to do better next time.