Customer Reviews

A Walking Tour of the Shambles

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

...(The list of Wolfe's other books inside the cover doesn't include anything currently in print by the famous sf author). This is a mock sightseers guide to a fictional part of Chicago. While it is well written and entertaining, it is also very short and filled with illustrations, so there is not a whole lot to read. I would recomend it for light reading, however I would not recomend that anyone pay [$$$] for this small amount of literature.

I found A Walking Tour to be amusing and clever, but there isn't much material for the price, which is my only real complaint. Recommended for diehard fans of Wolfe and/or Gaiman.

For anyone having a quirky, dark sense of humour, as most diehard fans of Gaiman and Wolfe do, this is well worth tracking down. I had a smile on my face the entire way through, and laughed out loud to myself in several places. Despite its brief length, I can honestly say it gave me more entertainment for the dollar than any blockbuster novel I've read in the last several years.

I think my title says enough, but I will elaborate for those who may have doubts or are prone to disagree.

It can be a quick read, to be sure, if you allow yourself to thumb through it mechanically, without taking the time to indulge in imagery. And perhaps, offhand, the idea of spending more than a few dollars on a 57 page paperback may not be exactly thrifty, but I challenge any reader of such genre to spend less on something frivolous and enjoy it more.

If you are already a fan of these authors (and perhaps already own everything else written by either one) I assure you, it does not disappoint. If it does then I would argue that there's something to be said of expectations, and knowing when they're being held too high.

This is a campy fictionalization of a walking tour guide of the shambles, a neighborhood in Chicago. In it there are a number of humorous horror elements detailing the various locales and some of the denizens of the area. One of my favorites was the Rent a Rifle at the top of the largest building where you would attempt to shoot sight seers of the sears building. Overall, I would probably say that this is one that most people could skip... but as it was written by two of my favorite authors it has been on my to read list for quite some time.

I followed this guide and I had an unforgettable experience... Now, where am I exactly?

This book reads like a whimsical guidebook (and is less than a centimeter thick), has playfully macabre art, and all the substance of a marshmallow. If you can't get enough of amusing depictions of dessicating and dying children, shrines to Cthonic gods, and lurking horrors, this might be for you. If you're looking for something mildly engrossing with actual content, keep looking.