Customer Reviews

The Other Sinbad

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Everyone knows the stories about Sinbad the Sailor,but who knew about Sinbad the Porter who had aspirations to be an accountant? Dragged into one of the famous sailors' adventures Sinbad the Porter is entangled in one of the most amusing tales that rivals the sailors own. I thought that this was one of the most amusing and clever Sinbad that I have read.The characters are entrancing, funny and almost real! The story flows from one disastrous adventure to another pulling the reader along for a most enjoyable ride! Well worth the effort!

I really wanted to enjoy this book. The basic idea is wonderful: the real dirt on Sinbad the Sailor, as told by his less famous companion Sinbad the Dirt-Poor Porter. Why must Sinbad (the Sailor) keep going on dangerous voyages if he each time he finds greater wealth than any sultan?

The book has many characters for Sinbad to outwit, cozen or accidentally ally with: Ozzi the homicidal genii, the long-suffering Jaffar, the incredible two-headed Cyclops. Unfortunately, each has only one joke and an entire book in which to repeat it.

This would have made a delightful novelette or a killer short story, but appears padded out to meet the publisher's requirements. The author seems to hint at this in the continuing joke that Sinbad's audience falls asleep at his endless repetition of similar stories.

I can recommend this book as moderately amusing in the way that a TV sitcom is. Early on, you soon know what you're getting and if you like it, you can expect more of the same right until the series is cancelled.

I just wish there was a "best-of" version.