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39 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
More than just entertaining, July 4, 2001
This review is from: Sir Apropos of Nothing (Hardcover)
After I finished reading Peter David`s novel "Sir Apropos of Nothing" it took me a while before I was able to move on to reading another book. It left a very strong impression on me, something that is not unusual with his books. But this one is not the next chapter of my favourite series, New Frontier, or any other Star Trek written by him, this is something completely different. Peter David created his own universe, his own characters. He has written other non-media books before, but "Sir Apropos of Nothing" is his first non-media book I have read so far. Here we enter a world where we meet kings, knights, squires, witches and some more phantastic creatures. But Peter David`s version is not as simplistic as meeting a noble king who is surrounded by noble knights who go out into the world in order to do heroic deeds, slay dragons and save the odd damsel in distress. I am quite tired of that pattern and therefore I welcomed it that this book is different, much more complex. I often had the feeling that Peter David was challenging this pattern deliberately. We find out quickly that appearances can be very deceiving, that people who seem to be nice have some dark secrets. Sometimes good and evil can`t be separated easily. Sometimes good people are pushed into doing something bad. Peter David put very complex people into his book, people with strength and weaknesses, people who make mistakes. Peter David`s strength has always been characterizations and this book is no exception. The people in his book are very alive. This is first of all the case with the main character, a young squire names Apropos. I liked him immediately. He is a very positive character but he has some darker layers as well which make him even more interesting. Apropos has a wonderful sense of humour. On top of that he is able to deal with all kinds of adventures and problems, mainly by using his wit. This makes the book fun to read. Some parts really made me laugh. On the other hand, "Apropos" is not a comedy. Therefore I think comparing it with "Blackadder" is not accurate. The book also has some very serious scenes, a mix I find very intriguing. I find it remarkable with how much ease and skill Peter David combined the fun and the serious parts in this book. He is able to insert humour in some very dark scenes without ever giving me the feeling that it is forced. Sometimes I was caught between laughing and being touched by the seriousness of the situation. Not only is Apropos a very likeable character, also because of his weaknesses, he is on top of that a very strong character. He makes mistakes and there are setbacks as well, but his determination, his cleverness is remarkable. We can see during this story that this character grows, that he is learning from mistakes. This is especially visible at the end of the book. What I find also remarkable is how Peter David handled the topic disability in this book: Apropos was born with a physical disability. Being disabled myself I know what I am talking about, and I think he handled this aspect in a very realistic but also appealing way. I hate it when people with disabilities are shown as objects of pity and being helpless victims. Apropos learned from very early on to see and treat his disability as a challenge. In time he became more and more able to defend himself if he has to. But first of all he learned to use his wit and how to evade physical confrontations. I find this very interesting. Apropos reminded me in some ways of Miles Vorkosigan, the main character in Lois McMaster Bujold`s series. Peter David is openly challenging cliches and prejudices, not only concerning the "heroism and chivalry" stuff in fairy tales and about disabled people, but there is a lot more. The book often made me think. One other aspect is that Peter David obviously shares my opinion that having feelings is not a weakness, it is a strength. He is also challenging the cliché of the overly male hero who is only allowed to show feelings of the more aggressive kind. Apropos also has a very sensitive side. The richness of his character also left such a strong impression on me because Peter David wrote the book from the first person perspective. He already showed me in the past that he is very skilled at using the advantages this form of storytelling has to its full potential. "Apropos" is a whole story. It has a definite end. But it can also be seen as the first chapter in a series of books. Peter David is considering writing a sequel. I am very much hoping he will do that. I think it is an excellent book, very cleverly written with some surprises especially at the end. To me it is much more than just entertaining. In other words, if you ask me, it is definitely worth buying.
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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fun, but disturbing, August 22, 2001
This review is from: Sir Apropos of Nothing (Hardcover)
David's Apropos is a thoroughly unlikeable character, an anti-hero with nearly nothing to recommend him. David manages to run him through one situation after another to reinforce this impression, allowing Apropos to demonstrate, over and over, that he's a selfish manipulator who would betray a friend at the drop of a hat. And yet ... We can all relate to Apropos. I think most people wish, sometimes, that we could allow the bitterness of the past to rule our present actions, that we could use the excuse of "Well, other folks screwed me, so I'm gonna screw other folks first" to justify being right bastards to each other. If anyone has such an excuse, it's Apropos. Therefore, that at times Apropos rises above his selfishness and self-serving ways to actually do good -- sometimes inadvertently, sometimes seized by a destructive fit of morality, sometimes because ... it's the right thing to do -- keeps this book from being a mere celebration of an anti-hero and gives us the same hope that we can rise above our own pettiness and greed, no matter how good the excuses for it are that we carry with us. I'm not sure how soon I'll revisit Apropos. But I'll remember the final lessons he teaches.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very funny! A *must read* for all fantasy readers!, July 25, 2002
I had never heard of Peter David before reading this book, and now I find myself looking for his novels whenever I go to bookstores. The book is well written, it has an exciting story line, and one of he most interesting main characters I've ever read about. How many fantasy novels tell a tale of bold heroes, born from nothing only to achieve everything they set out to accomplish? Probably a vast majority of novels follow this model. Not Apropos. Not only does this book deviate from the beaten path, this is a book where you feel the emotions right with the character. He carries with him so many emotions. You will find yourself cheering for him, feeling his pain, his anger, and sometimes wishing he were right in front of you so you could kick him right in the rear for some of the crazy things this young man does (all these insane adventures take place before he is even twenty years of age). Another thing I enjoyed about this novel were the few, well placed references to other fantasy works. For example: at one point in Apropos, Apropos and Entipy are dealing with some irate unicorns, and the comment made by Entipy was directly from Beagle's "Last Unicorn." I don't think I have to go any further to show you that I loved this book. Any true fantasy lover will enjoy it!
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