K
KAFKA, Franz
B The Trial 1925 Novel
Dim on why I kept it – pleasure or pretension?
KAY, Guy Gavriel
B Tigana 1990 Fantasy
Coherent world, OK plot, but cliché characters, windy exposition and sentimental adolescent perspective
B+ Lake Wobegon Days 1985 Short Stories/Historical Fiction/Humour
Nostalgic, languid, imaginative, warm, whimsical, indulgently tangental
B- Leaving Home 1987 Short Stories/Humour
Didn’t work for me this time – maybe just my mood?
A- We Are Still Married 1989 Humour/Short Stories (Essays)
Inconsistent but often manages warmth & whimsicality without sentimentality
B- The Book of Guys 1993 Short Stories/Humour
Improvisations around an indulgent theme: occasionally inspired technique but ultimately childish perspective
A- Wobegon Boy 1997 Novel
Slow moving but warmly funny, and even some kick
KENEALLY, Thomas
B The Playmaker 1987 Historical Fiction
Time and setting overwhelm characters
KERR, Katharine
A- Daggerspell (Volume 1 of the Deverry series) 1986 Fantasy
Original, capable karmic fantasy
B+ Darkspell (Volume 2 of the Deverry series) 1987 (Revised 1994) Fantasy
Still coherent, and some nice moments
B Dawnspell: The Bristling Wood (Volume 3 of the Deverry series) 1989 Fantasy
Still nothing wrong, but without the novelty not as compelling
B Dragonspell (Volume 4 of the Deverry series) 1991 Fantasy
OK plot and climax, poor romance, too many superswordspeople
KRESS, Nancy
B+ Crossfire 2003 SF
Old school SF without the wafer thin characters
KING, Steven
B- The Gunslinger 1982/2003(Revised) SF/Fantasy
Impressive façade
KIPLING, Rudyard
B Many Inventions 1893 Short Stories
Can’t remember specifics
A- The Jungle Book 1894 Juvenile/Short Stories
Entertaining, skilful, moving. Profound underlying myth
A- The Second Jungle Book 1895 Juvenile/Short Stories
Sequel atypically as good as original – ‘Undertakers’ brilliant
B Captains Courageous 1897 Juvenile
Ripping yarn of a teen in an ocean fishing vessel
B+ Short Stories: Volume 1 1901-1912 Short Stories
Pretty consistent
B Traffics and Discoveries 1904 Short Stories
Can’t remember specifics
B Puck of Pook’s Hill 1906 Juvenile/Short Stories
Glimpses of English historical figures
B Rewards and Fairies 1910 Juvenile/Short Stories
Sequel to ‘Puck of Pook’s Hill’
KNAAK, Richard A.
B The Legend of Huma 1988 Fantasy/Juvenile
Deliberate cliché fantasy. Not awful
B The Joke 1967 Novel
He’s good but it’s been too long for me to remember why
B The Farewell Party 1976 Novel
He’s good but it’s been too long for me to remember why
B Ignorance 2003 Novel
Insight or projection?