Re: Indy novels

Posted by belloq from spider-tq053.proxy.aol.com on October 22, 1998 at 21:01:04:

In Reply to: Re: Indy novels posted by Michaelson on October 22, 1998 at 09:55:38:

: : Greetings,
: : Since my last question turned into open rebellion against George
: : Hall, I deceided to stir up the masses again. My question this time
: : concerns the Indy novels "Sky Pirates" and "White Witch". Weren't
: : they awful? I mean, it was like Franz Kafka had written them. Those
: : of you too young to have read Kafka are the lucky ones. Like Martin
: : Caiden (the author of the afore-mentioned Indy novels), Kafka spends
: : dozens and dozens of pages telling the reader something without
: : ever actually saying something. Why was Caiden picked to write these
: : books? No offense to him intended, but it is obvious that he was
: : unfamiliar with the character of Indiana Jones. Indy was some sort
: : of agent for the government in both these books, instead of a mild-
: : mannered archaeologist by day and a thug-whupping adventurer by
: : night. And what about that Jack Shannon cameo in "Sky Pirates"?
: : These two books left me feeling confused and cheated. Anyone
: : agree? I sure would like to get Michaelson's two cents on why I'm
: : being unfair to Mr. Caiden. Thanks for your time, and sorry that I
: : sometimes ramble on too long. (But if I don't ramble, who will?)
: :
: : -graml

: Well, since you did ask me directly, I'll have to say I really am not a huge fan of any of the novels. Rather than attempting to continue stories about Indy, they had many different writers with many different ideas trying to flesh out our hero, and as you point out, several attempts were pretty lame to even be polite about it. I collected and read them only because they were Indy related. They did have a lot of thought provoking items regarding other beliefs and past practices that I did find interesting. Of the group of writers, I did like McCoy's writing better than the others. Other than that, I think they created limits to Indiana that have stuck in the minds of several readers and fans of Indy, and I think that is a shame. Once again, only my opinion, for what it's worth. I've discussed at length what I thought the limits were over the past year or so, so there's no need to dreg those up again. Thanks for asking. My opinion isn't asked for very often. Regards. Michaelson

: : One more opinion: I have always considered Raiders to be the gold reference standard for my perception and understanding of the Indiana Jones character. Even compared the other films, Raiders seems to be the least contrived, the least forced description and story of the adventuring archeologist. The other outlets (literature and TV series) seem to fill in a rabid fan's need for more background and tales, but nonetheless are just further retrospective iterations of the original conception depicted in Raiders. That said, I love all of it regardless. belloq

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: : : Greetings,
: : :      Since my last question turned into open rebellion against George 
: : : Hall, I deceided to stir up the masses again.  My question this time
: : : concerns the Indy novels "Sky Pirates" and "White Witch".  Weren't
: : : they awful?  I mean, it was like Franz Kafka had written them.  Those
: : : of you too young to have read Kafka are the lucky ones.  Like Martin
: : : Caiden (the author of the afore-mentioned Indy novels), Kafka spends
: : : dozens and dozens of pages telling the reader something without 
: : : ever actually saying something.  Why was Caiden picked to write these
: : : books?  No offense to him intended, but it is obvious that he was 
: : : unfamiliar with the character of Indiana Jones.  Indy was some sort 
: : : of agent for the government in both these books, instead of a mild-
: : : mannered archaeologist by day and a thug-whupping adventurer by
: : : night.  And what about that Jack Shannon cameo in "Sky Pirates"?
: : : These two books left me feeling confused and cheated.  Anyone 
: : : agree?  I sure would like to get Michaelson's two cents on why I'm
: : : being unfair to Mr. Caiden.  Thanks for your time, and sorry that I 
: : : sometimes ramble on too long.  (But if I don't ramble, who will?)
: : :         
: : :                                                       -graml

: : Well, since you did ask me directly, I'll have to say I really am not a huge fan of any of the novels. Rather than attempting to continue stories about Indy, they had many different writers with many different ideas trying to flesh out our hero, and as you point out, several attempts were pretty lame to even be polite about it. I collected and read them only because they were Indy related. They did have a lot of thought provoking items regarding other beliefs and past practices that I did find interesting. Of the group of writers, I did like McCoy's writing better than the others. Other than that, I think they created limits to Indiana that have stuck in the minds of several readers and fans of Indy, and I think that is a shame. Once again, only my opinion, for what it's worth. I've discussed at length what I thought the limits were over the past year or so, so there's no need to dreg those up again.  Thanks for asking. My opinion isn't asked for very often. Regards. Michaelson

: : : One more opinion: I have always considered Raiders to be the gold reference standard for my perception and understanding of the Indiana Jones character.  Even compared the other films, Raiders seems to be the least contrived, the least forced description and story of the adventuring archeologist. The other outlets (literature and TV series) seem to fill in a rabid fan's need for more background and tales, but nonetheless are just further retrospective iterations of the original conception depicted in Raiders.  That said, I love all of it regardless.  belloq

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