Swordspoint
by Ellen Kushner
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Book Summary Information
Author: Ellen KushnerEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2003-02-04
ISBN: 0553585495
Number of pages: 368
Publisher: Spectra
Book Reviews of Swordspoint
Book Review: no fantasy at all, still...
Summary: 5 Stars
(I am not a native speaker, please overlook my style)
Many reviewers have pointed out this to be rather a Regency novel than a fantasy and they are quite right: there is no magic at all, no quest; nothing endangers the world as it is known to everyone.
I feel like adapting the subtitle chosen by the author herself: "Drama of Manners" (instead of "melodrama": there is nothing extravagantly passionate in her writing).
The world depicted here bears many resemblances to a preindustrial England, not only because of the English sounding names and titles of honour; the city itself, with its murky river and its socially marked districts looks very much like a xvii century London would, not to speak of the characters' continuous talking about weather and wool manufacturing.
Manners are nearly everywhere: it is a constant care of the author to describe each of her characters by the way s/he speaks or acts or feigns, the last being the most usual of the three: psychological insights and flashbacks are quite rare, which is fortunate because she is not always proficient in them, whereas she shows a subtle mastery in dialogues and twists of humour.
Drama is its undercurrent: people die in this world, sudden, cruel, unjustifiable deaths; luckily enough Ms Kushner avoids any direct judgement and the moral flaws seem to gain prominence through this device.
The main flaw of this novel lies in the two main characters: St Vier is a rather pale one, though he gets better defined later on; his lover Alec is a bigger than life neurotic and one never really understands why. Their relationship, once one manages to suspend disbelief, is finely depicted but I always sense a woman's sensitivity in what is supposed to be a gay passion.
The villains are masterly outlined: all of them, with a special mention for the duchess: a splendid, poisonous butterfly with a wit as sharp as her malevolent tongue: I was charmed against my will and I expect only Glenn Close (or an older Kidman) could bring her to the screen.
A shame this novel has not been filmed yet: in the expert hands of the director of "Dangerous Liaisons" it could reap Academy Awards. It is true that unless the director be a real genius all the masterly writing of Ms Kushner would be lost: the plot is convincing, the set is dashing but what really makes this novel worth reading is the writer's skill; she reminds me of Jane Austen (a very crude, cynical Austen, of course) and if she fails to compare, the sheer reminding is boundless praise.
A note on this Bantam Spectra edition:
the novel is rather short, so the three short stories added, though disappointing in themselves, are a most welcome addition.
The quality of the book (paper/ink) is very poor as seems to be the (bad) habit with U.S. paperbacks (OUP's are just as poor but cost half as much); I did not expect to have to complain about an oversized praise placed right on the cover, be it one of george R.R. Martin: call me conservative but I wish front covers to show only author's name, book title, publisher and an illustration.
Summary of Swordspoint
The classic forerunner to The Fall of the Kings now with three bonus stories.Hailed by critics as ?a bravura performance? (Locus) and ?witty, sharp-eyed, [and] full of interesting people? (Newsday), this classic melodrama of manners, filled with remarkable plot twists and unexpected humor, takes fantasy to an unprecedented level of elegant writing and scintillating wit. Award-winning author Ellen Kushner has created a world of unforgettable characters whose political ambitions, passionate love affairs, and age-old rivalries collide with deadly results.
Swordspoint
On the treacherous streets of Riverside, a man lives and dies by the sword. Even the nobles on the Hill turn to duels to settle their disputes. Within this elite, dangerous world, Richard St. Vier is the undisputed master, as skilled as he is ruthless--until a death by the sword is met with outrage instead of awe, and the city discovers that the line between hero and villain can be altered in the blink of an eye.
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