King Solomon's Carpet
by Barbara Vine
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Book Summary Information
Author: Barbara VineEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1992-10-01
ISBN: 0140156917
Number of pages: 368
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Book Reviews of King Solomon's Carpet
Book Review: Mystery Man Unsolved
Summary: 3 Stars
In London there's a young man writing a history about all the subways of the world, who owns a rambling, old house -- appropriately situated by a subway line. All (but one of the characters -- an old woman) live in this house. They are: a young woman who has run away from her baby and husband to find a musical career in the big city; a young busker earning a meager living playing music in the Underground; a "free-love"-styled mother with two young children; a forlorn man whose only emotional attachment seems to be with his pet hawk; and, the world subways writer.
Of course there are entanglements, misunderstandings, lies, missed opportunities, near-misses -- this IS Barbara Vine, after all! But, for me, the most exciting parts were the joy rides in the London Underground taken by the young boy. The tension, fear, the thrill beckoning to dangerous adventure, then, the grand exhilaration when victorious, are so well realized, that I felt I was there. Sprinkled throughout this book are fascinating tidbits of information and anecdotes about this -- the world's oldest subway system. The most fascinating character was the dark, dangerous stranger -- a Byronic type found so often in Gothic literature. He goes around the Underground system trailing with him a grotesque-faced man covered head-to-foot in a bear costume. They perform very odd vignettes in the cars and on the platforms -- apparently not for money. Even though wealthy, he decides to go live in the crumbling old house.
Now more complications and questions enter the story -- who is this charismatic guy? -- who is the person in the bear costume? -- why do those two go into the subway system apparently not for money?
It was a Big Letdown when, at the end of this book, I didn't know the answers! I suspect that B.Vine didn't come to understand just who this character was -- deep down. That she created him, then didn't know what to do when she got to the part where she's supposed to reveal his motivations ... HIS SOUL. It's as if she "threw him under the bus", so to speak. I really resented the book ending without seeing this character unmasked at the end. This is something every good writer should do ... not leave it to the readers' imagination! Shame on you, Barbara Vine -- that's lazy (non)writing!
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