The Folding Knife
Ratings11
Average rating4.2
Basso the Magnificent. Basso the Great. Basso the Wise. The First Citizen of the Vesani Republic is an extraordinary man. He is ruthless, cunning, and above all, lucky. He brings wealth, power and prestige to his people. But with power comes unwanted attention, and Basso must defend his nation and himself from threats foreign and domestic. In a lifetime of crucial decisions, he's only ever made one mistake.One mistake, though, can be enough.
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This was my first experience reading a book by K. J. Parker and I enjoyed it immensely. It was grim but also had some funny dialogue, and it was more compelling than I would have expected for a book so heavily focused on the politics and economics of a country.
Full Review
I don't normally write reviews before I've finished, but this book has me frustrated.
So, at the 55% mark, the book is incredibly episodic; this feels like it should be serialized in a magazine. I won't deny that the writing is very good, displaying humour and intelligence, however there is no real overarching story, other than a life lived. Each sub-story is basically the same: something unexpected happens; Basso does something off the cuff; by pure good fortune the result happens to be beneficial for both Basso and the majority of Vesanians. The only real over-arching story line is related to Basso's sister, but even this can be summed up: sister does something; Basso reacts; everything turns out alright for Basso; repeat.
I keep expecting something to happen to throw a spanner in the works of Basso's good fortune (which the very first scene of the book implies will happen), but there is no sign of this so far. It feels like I have read a series of short stories and I am now at the point where I can predict what will happen with such regularity that half the time I am reading diagonally.
Just to reiterate, each individual story is very well written and enjoyable on its own, but they are beginning to wear me down. This may be the first good book that I DNF. For the time being I will persevere, but I really hope something unexpected happens soon...
Update upon completion: well, I made it until the end but I still don't know whether I like this book or not. It is well-written and intelligent, however it is still episodic, although less so in the final act. I also don't like the main character, although I'm not sure you are meant to; his first instinct is always self-interest and it is unfailingly chance that sees him ultimately prevail. In conclusion, I'll give this a generous 4 stars, since I can imagine that others would find this more involving than I did, but it had insufficient heart for me to recommend it wholeheartedly.
