Archive for October, 2007
Tom Holt: Earth, Air Fire and Custard
by Michael on Oct.05, 2007, under Books
I admit, I have a weakness for British Humour, there is something rather attractive to me in the way brits see the world. Maybe it has to do with the fact that they once had an empire and lost it. If you don’t have anything to defend your view on the world tends to be a different one than when you still try to cling on to something.
To that end, let me introduce Tom Holt, if you don’t know him yet. I came across his books a few months ago, but only know did I find time to finally read one of his fine writing. The best way I could describe his stories is “funny fantasy”. In “Earth, Air, Fire and Custard” Tom Holt continues the story of Paul Carpenter who happens to work for J.W. Wells, the magic firm from The Sorcerer by Gilbert & Sullivan. I admit, I didn’t realize that this was the fourth book in a series, but it really didn’t do anything to dampen the humour in the book.
In Earth, Air, Fire and Custard Paul finds out that custard is definitely in teh eye of the beholder. And that it really stings. Okay, now the last one was adapted from the back of the book. Essentially (without trying to tell too much of the story) Paul falls in love, falls out of love, visits an alternate dimension (Custard Space), gets two parts of a living sword and visits the Bank of the Dead a few times, only to realize that he really really doesn’t want to be dead (just yet), all the while discovering that not everything is as it seems, or maybe it is, but who knows?
Tom Holt has a subtle sense of humour, one can identify with Paul’s plight (though I have never been to another dimension to the best of my recollection) and feel for the rather (obscure) challenges that it brings. Holt isn’t really slapstick humour, rather it is this little undercurrent that swells over the pages and then bursts with laughter. It is not a Monthy Python in it’s absurdity, but it clearly is cut from the same cloth, albeit a few more muted patterns.
If you enjoy “off the center” humour without the gross out factor that things like “Jackass” provide Tom Holt’s your man. I will definitely try and find the other books.
Rating: 4/5
