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spacecomics's review against another edition
5.0
Repeat Performance is one of the best books I've read of it's kind (psychological crime drama). It's a real page turner, suspenseful, insightful, and entertaining. There's an element of fantasy (or is it?) as the protagonist finds himself a year in the past. Does he have a chance to change the outcome of his prior choices? He hopes and tries. Great for fans of noir, time-loop stories, and psychological thrillers.
Here are a couple of my favorite quotations, no significant spoilers:
PAGE 74
‘What’s it all about?’ '
‘What’s what all about?’
‘Everything,’ he said. ‘Look here. I’m supposed to be a poet and, as such, to have an insight into things which lesser mortals-are blind to. I’m supposed to have an understanding of large, nebulous, and knotty problems like Life and Love spelled with capital letters. Well, I ain’t got it.’
‘That’s tough.’
‘Yes,’ he said, ‘it is. And what makes it tougher is the fact that, every once in a while, Somebody or Something drops the veil, and, just for a fraction of a second, things get clear. I’m able to see what it all means. Then, before I'm able to take it in, up goes the veil again and I’m just as much in the dark as ever.’
‘Sort of a celestial strip-tease,’ I suggested.
‘Exactly,’ he agreed. ‘And that’s what I’m driving at. In a burlesque show, a strip-tease act, there are people working backstage. They know how and why the show works; they see the things the audience never sees. They’re on the inside.’ He paused for a moment, thinking.
PAGE 206
‘Don’t worry.’ He put his arm over my shoulder. ‘Cultivate an objective viewpoint and take things as they come. You’ll be all right.’
‘Look here,’ I said. ‘You’re the one who’s in the hospital, not me. I’m visiting you, remember?’
‘Yes.’ He walked with me to the door. ‘But don’t let it upset you. These little discrepancies are always popping up. Goodbye, Barney.’
The nurse unlocked the door and let me out. William
stood inside the ward and smiled at me until it closed. The key turned in the lock, and he was on one side and I was on the other. The wrong side, it seemed to me, in both cases. This isn’t just a discrepancy, I thought, this is criminal negligence. I’d better get out of this place before they change their minds.
Here are a couple of my favorite quotations, no significant spoilers:
PAGE 74
‘What’s it all about?’ '
‘What’s what all about?’
‘Everything,’ he said. ‘Look here. I’m supposed to be a poet and, as such, to have an insight into things which lesser mortals-are blind to. I’m supposed to have an understanding of large, nebulous, and knotty problems like Life and Love spelled with capital letters. Well, I ain’t got it.’
‘That’s tough.’
‘Yes,’ he said, ‘it is. And what makes it tougher is the fact that, every once in a while, Somebody or Something drops the veil, and, just for a fraction of a second, things get clear. I’m able to see what it all means. Then, before I'm able to take it in, up goes the veil again and I’m just as much in the dark as ever.’
‘Sort of a celestial strip-tease,’ I suggested.
‘Exactly,’ he agreed. ‘And that’s what I’m driving at. In a burlesque show, a strip-tease act, there are people working backstage. They know how and why the show works; they see the things the audience never sees. They’re on the inside.’ He paused for a moment, thinking.
PAGE 206
‘Don’t worry.’ He put his arm over my shoulder. ‘Cultivate an objective viewpoint and take things as they come. You’ll be all right.’
‘Look here,’ I said. ‘You’re the one who’s in the hospital, not me. I’m visiting you, remember?’
‘Yes.’ He walked with me to the door. ‘But don’t let it upset you. These little discrepancies are always popping up. Goodbye, Barney.’
The nurse unlocked the door and let me out. William
stood inside the ward and smiled at me until it closed. The key turned in the lock, and he was on one side and I was on the other. The wrong side, it seemed to me, in both cases. This isn’t just a discrepancy, I thought, this is criminal negligence. I’d better get out of this place before they change their minds.
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