Most helpful customer reviews
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5.0 out of 5 stars
The definitive version of Silverlock, May 4 2004
By A Customer
Having first been recommended this book by a close friend in the early '80s, and after borrowing her copy and finding a copy for myself, I have since run through 3 entire copies of this book in paperback. In addition, I have loaned out two other copies to friends over the years, and never had those returned. However, like Ben Franklin, I never begrudge the loaning of a book to a friend and never getting it back.Now, I have it in hardback, and hope that this one will last much longer. The addition of the Silverlock Companion just makes the overall intristic value of the novel go up by several notches. Now, after running across a litterary reference that I like, I can actually track it to the source to find yet another diamond in the rough. Good for all ages from high school on up, I recommend this to anybody interested in literature and/or a ronp of an adventure story. Whether you recognize all, some or none of the persons, places and things in the Commonwealth, it's one of the best reads in the last century. Enjoy.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
A unique, amazing, and little known masterpiece, May 1 2004
Upon first discovering Silverlock 22 years ago, I was struck with a sense of amazing wonderment which must have filled the discovers of the New World when they first saw a new land totally unlike any they had seen before.
A master work of fantasy on par with Tolkien in quality, yet trully unique, being derivitive of nothing else, Silverlock is a classic that works on several levels. First, it is a bang-up good adventure yarn, following the misadventures of the title character from his ship wreck in unknown waters through many close scrapes, battles, drinking bouts, and wenchings in the enchanted realm of the Commenwealth of Letters. Secondly, it is an allegory, following the development of Silverlock from a cold cynic with no respect for or knowledge of the world of literature, to an enthusiastic aspirant maker of tales. And finally, it is an incredible literary game of 'identify that reference', as every person, place, and thing in Silverlock, outside of the protaganist is lifted from the vast range of literature and myth, from Gilgamesh to Mark Twain.
These literary references and the way Silverlock interacts with them create the unique magic of this book. Typical of the scenes that you will find here is Silverlock emerging from the forest where the night before he has been the guest of Robin Hood and his merry band, stopping at a tavern and lunching with the Mad Hatter and his party, and pushing on for an evening feast at Heorot Hall, where the revellers are cellebrating the death of Grendel by recounting the tale of the Alamo in Norse verse. All this and more in but one chapter.
Nesfa Press' new edition of Silverlock has the added advantage of including The Silverlock Companion, which amoung other things includes an alphebetical listing of all the literary allusions, and a bibliography of books containing the poems, stories, and legends to which allusion is made in Silverlock.
Silverlock is a book you will come back to many times. I just finished my third reading of it, which certainly will not be my last. This is a book to keep, treasure, and share. Buy two copies, one for you, and one to lend and share the magic.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
A wonderful, mindbending romp, Mar 25 2004
A family member introduced to me to this book several years back, and I've since snatched up every copy I've been able to get my hands on! This is a marvelous lagniappe of allusions and illusions, with nods to everyone from Homer and Beowulf to Robin Hood and Tom Jones. How many characters and places can you recognize? I stopped after thirty-five. . . perfect for the literature buff, the trivia maven, the avid reader, or anyone looking for a fun read.
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