Reader Question: Judith Tarr

[rolanni]

This question was buried in the comments of the last thread.  I can't choose my favorite Tarr book.  Who can suggest a good place for Claire to start?  It would probably be helpful to give a non-spoilerish synopsis, and/or why you particularly like this one, rather than just titles.

Question: What is your favorite Judith Tarr novel? I've never read any of her work. the one she's writing now sounds great.

Comments

[djonn]

I like nearly everything from the Tarr canon, but for "favorite" I really have to vote for A Wind in Cairo. I have a particular weakness for the "Arabian Nights" style and flavor, and Wind has that in spades...and hearts and diamonds and clubs besides. It is also, I think, a good entry point into her work, as for all the pitch-perfect prose style it's remarkably accessible, whereas in some of the books her narrative is dense enough that one simply can't race through it. (This is a Feature, not a Bug; it's just that Tarr prose can be so rich and complex, in the way that really good cheesecake is, that scarfing it down doesn't give you a chance to appreciate it properly.)

I'd also recommend the Tarr/Harry Turtledove collaboration Household Gods, whose classical Rome I found more entertaining and accessible than most. [Also, the framing device is amusing, and gives one a relatively rare look at a Tarr protagonist from the present day.]

[baobrien.livejournal.com]

Household Gods is one of my favorites, too.