chai@utflis.UUCP (Henry Chai) (03/12/85)
Yes folks, Xanth #8 has hit the bookstores already.
This ones is called "The Crewel Lye" (the cruel lie)
and features Jordan the ghost as the central character.
I refuse to buy it; I stopped buying after the 6th.
I'll just wait for the public libraries to get it, but meanwhile if
any of you die-hard Xanth fans out there would like to tell me what
you think of it, just mail me; I'll be gald to hear from you.
BTW, does anyone find the Xanth novels sexist? I do.
The women characters are (almost) always of the pretty, buxom, not-too-bright
type, who loved nothing more than to show off their legs or
to look for husbands. (Princess Irene is a prime example)
The comparison between women and nymphs is also rather degrading
to the female sex.
However, there is very little sexism in the other Piers Anthony novels,
so I wonder whether he did it tongue-in-cheek or not?
___________
Henry Chai o.-
Faculty of Library and Information Science \_/
U of Toronto
{decvax, ihnp4, allegra}!utcsri!utflis!chaiandrew@orca.UUCP (Andrew Klossner) (03/18/85)
"Yes folks, Xanth #8 has hit the bookstores already. This ones
is called "The Crewel Lye" (the cruel lie) and features Jordan
the ghost as the central character. I refuse to buy it; I
stopped buying after the 6th. I'll just wait for the public
libraries to get it, but meanwhile if any of you die-hard Xanth
fans out there would like to tell me what you think of it, just
mail me; I'll be gald to hear from you."
"Crewel Lye" is as good as many of the Xanth novels, and better than
the last couple. But it's certainly not more than a "light read".
"BTW, does anyone find the Xanth novels sexist? I do."
In this respect, "Crewel Lye" has a refreshing twist. Anthony
introduces one his biggest, dumbest, "all-male" heroes yet, then brings
on another luscious female ... then, through the evil magic of a foe,
they switch bodies and start raising their consciousnesses. I liked it.
On the other hand, my wife finds it to be offensively sexist. So if
the earlier Xanth books really bothered you, this one probably will,
too.
-- Andrew Klossner (decvax!tektronix!orca!andrew) [UUCP]
(orca!andrew.tektronix@csnet-relay) [ARPA]