I'm still not sure why I finished this book instead of jumping to the end. I guess I'll have to give Matheson kudos for being a good enough author to make it interesting in spite of its many annoyances.
The story itself was fine. Short on horror, but still fine. What I found nearly unbearable was the continuous author-within-the-story commentary.
The hero, Alex White, wrote several books under the pseudonym Arthur Black, a fact which he reiterated in nearly every paragraph (and in parentheses). It was as if there were two narrators: One to tell the story and one to comment on every turn of phrase and use of alliteration.
It was not quirkily quaint (an Arthur Black combo!); it was particularly painful phrasing (wow, a triple!) and really distracted from the story.
The story itself was fine. Short on horror, but still fine. What I found nearly unbearable was the continuous author-within-the-story commentary.
The hero, Alex White, wrote several books under the pseudonym Arthur Black, a fact which he reiterated in nearly every paragraph (and in parentheses). It was as if there were two narrators: One to tell the story and one to comment on every turn of phrase and use of alliteration.
It was not quirkily quaint (an Arthur Black combo!); it was particularly painful phrasing (wow, a triple!) and really distracted from the story.
