Finally, I've sort of cleared my desk and begun Sands. My initial impression from the Prologue was similar to Lindsay's -- unimpressed. I tend to turn off authors who spend the first chapter or two introducing the cast of characters. You feel you need a pad to write down their names, and to draw looping arrows to show how they relate to one another.
However, I've dipped at random into some later chapters, and the story-telling seems to get better.
So far, it looks like the sweet life meets fascism. Or, like watching Fellini's La Dolce Vita and Visconti's The Damned at once (perhaps you have to be really, really old to remember them).
Now, a question for you other guys: Do you think it would be a good idea to exchange impressions as we read through our books? I like the idea, as shown by the lines above. Ongoing chat is something an online book discussion group can offer, a little extra pleasure not available to those who attend a monthly book club meeting.
It will work only if we all feel we'd like to chat along the way. Otherwise it will be like a book group where one or two members hog the discussion.
As for what we call ourselves -- don't worry about it. "You other guys" worked above (I think), but I promise not to use it too often.
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