Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site watmath.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!jagardner From: jagardner@watmath.UUCP (jagardner) Newsgroups: net.books Subject: Re: Mark Helprin's "Winter's Tale" Message-ID: <11894@watmath.UUCP> Date: Mon, 11-Mar-85 14:47:35 EST Article-I.D.: watmath.11894 Posted: Mon Mar 11 14:47:35 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 11-Mar-85 23:49:46 EST References: <435@cadovax.UUCP> Reply-To: jagardner@watmath.UUCP () Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario Lines: 16 [...] I'd like to second the recommendation of Winter's Tale and point out that the book is not "fantasy" (at least the way I think of fantasy). It is, in fact, that seldom-seen-in-modern-times beastie, a "tall tale". It has all the classic marks of the tall tale: the most beautiful (and strangest) girl in the world, the equally strange and evil villain, the mildly super hero, and the legendary horse that he rides. The writing is indeed astounding, never pretentious but always intelligent and amusing. I can think of no other writer with the ability to pull off the sheer flambuoyance that Helprin displays, with the possible exception of Tom Wolfe. Buy the book and read it. Jim Gardner, University of Waterloo