Scan barcode
slipperbunny's review
3.0
Not nearly as funny as I thought this would be and I was surprisingly annoyed with Malcolm most of the time. I feel like there was something lacking with the characters and sometimes things happened a bit too easily.
lemonflower's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death
suryapandian's review
4.0
People who are neither particularly driven/ambitious nor lazy and dormant are fascinating. Malcom Fisher, the protagonist of this novel is one such fascinating guy. One day due to some truly unexpected turn of events he finds himself in a very powerful position. His adventures is this humorous, mythological, satirical fantasy novel.
Luckily, the wikipedia link for this novel did not have the plot, so I ended up reading the book without knowing the climax. Although many a times I just wanted to know how it is going to end, I must say that I was not at all disappointed..
Why why why should the dynamics between Wotan and Valkriyes be very well written.
It made me introspect on certain aspects that I DID NOT find amusing.
Overall, a fun read.
Luckily, the wikipedia link for this novel did not have the plot, so I ended up reading the book without knowing the climax. Although many a times I just wanted to know how it is going to end, I must say that I was not at all disappointed..
Why why why should the dynamics between Wotan and Valkriyes be very well written.
It made me introspect on certain aspects that I DID NOT find amusing.
Overall, a fun read.
archergal's review
3.0
I really liked this book when I first read it years ago. But the years haven't been kind to it, or maybe to me. Now it just seems a bit silly. I'm oddly disappointed.
kikicarparelli's review
5.0
Absolutely love this book - super fun to read and love the humour in this book.
Definitely my favorite Tom Holt book so far.
I love how he added bits of myths and folklore seamlessly and made it really accessible and funny.
Definitely my favorite Tom Holt book so far.
I love how he added bits of myths and folklore seamlessly and made it really accessible and funny.
smcleish's review
3.0
Originally published on my blog here in April 1999.
The first of Holt's comic fantasy novels, Expecting Someone Taller is based around the ideas of Wagner's Ring operas. The main character, Malcolm Fisher, is basically a failure, someone that has spent his whole life being compared unfavourably with his elder sister. Then, one night, he accidentally runs over a badger on a country road in Devon; going to see if he can do anything, he is rather surprised to hear the badger speak. It turns out to be the giant Ingolf, who took the Ring (which basically controls the universe) and Tarnhelm (which allows the wearer to transform their appearance into any form they like) from Siegfried's funeral pyre. With the Tarnhelm, he turned himself into a badger to hide from the Elder Gods, particularly Wotan, who want to get their hands on the Ring.
The rest of the book is about Malcolm's attempts to understand the power of the Ring and to use it to improve the world, and the attempts of the gods to trick or force him to give it up to them. The comedy Holt generates centres mainly around the relationship of these primeval gods to the twentieth century and its institutions. This is a reasonably rich vein for comedy, used by other writers as well, but it doesn't disguise the soft centre of this novel.
Malcolm is basically a nice guy, who tends to fall in love with any pretty woman who takes an interest in him. What he does with the Ring - putting an end to disasters and wars - is not of such interest as his love life. The Ring is connected to the unconscious of the owner, and disasters reflect anger and such emotions, and this leaves Holt with not a great deal of leeway when it comes to using it as the basis of an interesting plot. (Mind you, in Wagner's Ring operas, the Ring is at least as passive, hardly used at all except as some vague kind of powerful talisman. Its plot purpose is to be the focus of desire, not to actually do anything.)
Expecting Someone Taller is funny and fun, but it is not as good a novel as some of Holt's later stories in the same line.
The first of Holt's comic fantasy novels, Expecting Someone Taller is based around the ideas of Wagner's Ring operas. The main character, Malcolm Fisher, is basically a failure, someone that has spent his whole life being compared unfavourably with his elder sister. Then, one night, he accidentally runs over a badger on a country road in Devon; going to see if he can do anything, he is rather surprised to hear the badger speak. It turns out to be the giant Ingolf, who took the Ring (which basically controls the universe) and Tarnhelm (which allows the wearer to transform their appearance into any form they like) from Siegfried's funeral pyre. With the Tarnhelm, he turned himself into a badger to hide from the Elder Gods, particularly Wotan, who want to get their hands on the Ring.
The rest of the book is about Malcolm's attempts to understand the power of the Ring and to use it to improve the world, and the attempts of the gods to trick or force him to give it up to them. The comedy Holt generates centres mainly around the relationship of these primeval gods to the twentieth century and its institutions. This is a reasonably rich vein for comedy, used by other writers as well, but it doesn't disguise the soft centre of this novel.
Malcolm is basically a nice guy, who tends to fall in love with any pretty woman who takes an interest in him. What he does with the Ring - putting an end to disasters and wars - is not of such interest as his love life. The Ring is connected to the unconscious of the owner, and disasters reflect anger and such emotions, and this leaves Holt with not a great deal of leeway when it comes to using it as the basis of an interesting plot. (Mind you, in Wagner's Ring operas, the Ring is at least as passive, hardly used at all except as some vague kind of powerful talisman. Its plot purpose is to be the focus of desire, not to actually do anything.)
Expecting Someone Taller is funny and fun, but it is not as good a novel as some of Holt's later stories in the same line.
latepaul's review
5.0
20-sep-2019: Surprised I don't have a review for this already.
My rating for this book is based on how much I like it not on how objectively good I think it is. This is not a great work of literature. Arguably it's a poor-man's Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett. But. I read it when it first came out and with the limited perspective of youth I loved it and I find that whenever I re-read it it brings me back a warm glow.
This book is comfort food reading for me.
My rating for this book is based on how much I like it not on how objectively good I think it is. This is not a great work of literature. Arguably it's a poor-man's Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett. But. I read it when it first came out and with the limited perspective of youth I loved it and I find that whenever I re-read it it brings me back a warm glow.
This book is comfort food reading for me.