Subject: THE EXILE KISS by George Alec Effinger

From: [email-masked] (Evelyn C Leeper +1 908 957 2070)
Date: 4 Mar 92 22:28:16 GMT

THE EXILE KISS by George Alec Effinger
                        A book review by Evelyn C. Leeper
			 Copyright 1992 Evelyn C. Leeper

        This, the third novel in Effinger Marid series, takes place in large
   part outside the Budayeen, that great Arab metropolis of the future.  Mariid
   Audran and Friedlander Bey are kidnapped at the start of the novel and left
   to die in the desert.  The first half of the book covers their struggles and
   adventures there; the second half is about their revenge on those who
   arranged for their kidnapping.  The first part seems to draw rather heavily
   on the film LAWRENCE OF ARABIA at times, but works well and even events that
   seem superfluous turn out to be important.

        Effinger has done his research well, but may expect more knowledge of
   his readership than they have.  For example, he follows Arab custom in
   referring to a mother as "Um Jirji" (where Jirji is her eldest son's name),
   but since she is also sometimes referred to by her own name, this may lead
   to confusion.  And he keeps his calendar based on the Hegira, which requires
   some mental arithmetic at times.  But all this also means that THE EXILE
   KISS feels authentic.  Effinger doesn't give the reader New York or London
   with a couple of minarets stuck on and a reference to Friday prayers.
   Instead he extrapolates from Cairo or Damascus, and achieves a much better
   result.  (He also has his final manuscripts read over by Arab friends for
   errors--a highly commendable practice that other  authors would do well to
   emulate.)

        As with the first two books (WHEN GRAVITY FAILS and FIRE IN THE SUN,
   both Hugo nominees), the story follows Marid's character development and how
   he is changed by events.  Unfortunately, THE EXILE KISS probably does not
   stand well on its own.  Fortunately, I can recommend that you read all three
   books, and since Effinger writes clear prose with no padding, it will take
   less time to read all three than to read a single bloated novel from the
   best-seller list.  In fact, it's probably worth re-reading them even if you
   have already read them--Effinger is a solid writer.

   %T      The Exile Kiss
   %A      George Alec Effinger
   %C      New York
   %D      May 1991
   %I      Doubleday Foundation
   %O      trade paperback, US$11.00
   %G      ISBN 0-385-41424-2
   %P      265pp
   %S      Marid Audran
   %V      3

Evelyn C. Leeper   |   +1 908 957 2070   |   att!mtgzy!ecl or [email-masked]