Ohhh-KAY then.

I returned a couple library books this evening, and picked up Callahan's Con. I was thinking as I went to do it that it's a pity that the series ever changed people and places - the original books in the original bar are still by far the best.

If I'd known it was that prophetic, I might have left this book in the library. I am only four pages in, and so far, I am debating stopping. It's silly, it's stupid, it's not funny - it's absurd, I must grant it that, but I fail to see what's amusing about the punch lines - it's a bunch of what he's done, only on steroids, and without the humor or (as yet) the plot.

I should have known, really, they've been going downhill. And maybe the book gets better after this and maybe it doesn't, but...gah.

Okay, I concede, the book got better.

I finished Callahan's Con. In one night, yes, and skimming chunks - large chunks. Around page 175 or so, I think it was, the plot actually picks up, and the book becomes much more interesting. It's still fluff and not half as pleasing as the original books, but it's much more pleasing and less annoying fluff, as having a plot keeps Spider from obsessing over the trivial details to such a point that it kills them. Really, a page can only hold so many punchlines before it's a punch, and he botched the balance badly at the start of the thing.

I enjoyed the last 75 pages of the book enough for the price of admission (that being no money and my entire evening). Just, but I did.

Tomorrow I have a game. I suppose I ought to return this book on my way to or from work in the next couple days. It's been a while since I had no books checked out at the library - I tend to swap them off - but that would do it.