Book Overview
The nightmare metropolis called the Well-Built City exists because the satanic genius and Master, Drachton Below, wished it so. And few within its confines hold the power of Physiognomist First Class Cley. With scalpels, calipers, and the other instruments of his science, Cley can divine good and evil, determine character and intelligence, uncover dark secrets and foretell a persons destiny, through the careful study of facial and bodily features. But now the Master has ordered the great physiognomist out of the City on a seemingly trivial assignment into the rural hinterlands. but there, removed from Belows omnipresent scrutiny, even the most loyal servant of logic and order can fall prey to seductions of the flesh and spirit. And in this strange and unfamiliar place possessing terrors uniquely its own, there are stark truths awaiting the eminent Cley--and inescapable revelations that could shatter his perceptions of himself, his profession, and his world.
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0380793326
ISBN13:9780380793327
Release Date:August 1998
Publisher:Harper Voyager
Length:256 Pages
Weight:0.31 lbs.
Dimensions:0.7" x 4.2" x 6.8"
Related Subjects
Contemporary Fantasy Fiction Literature & Fiction Science Fiction Science Fiction & FantasyCustomer Reviews
4 ratings
FORD IS AMAZING
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 20 years ago
I have always been on the look for the right book-- the right author. Someone who would come up with a page-turning plot while being able to utilize the beauty of prose in every chapter. FORD did it all. Ford doesn't 'talk' too much, leaving the reader enough space for them to follow the story with intelligence.. his philosphies can also be seen.. scattered on unique characters like arla and cley. If you are in for an intelligent fantasy novel, the physiognomy is the perfect choice.
Fantastic, But Not For Everyone
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 25 years ago
Most people who pick up the book will probably be confounded by its uncompromising vision, and most of those who aren't will be offended by its unflinching sensibility. The rest will have to admit that the book is bizarre at the least. But the prose is so good that the experience of it is almost like reading poetry (don't worry, you won't notice if you don't like poetry), and many chapters have a closure that almost makes them stories of their own, even while leading the reader further into the labyrinth of the story. As a whole the book is a stunning vision of an alternative -- really alternative -- reality, and although the ending was not perfectly satisfying to me, the book is nevertheless a brave and brilliant achievement, and very much worth reading.
Supremely imaginative
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 25 years ago
One of the most unique books I've read in years, it defies any specific genre. Ford is a masterful writer, creating some scenes that evoke such a sense of adventure that I found myself peeking around my room half-expecting to see the more frightful scenes of the book coming to life. A must-read.
Amazing!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 25 years ago
The morals of this book are that Beauty Is Only Skin Deep and People Should Forgive Each Others' Failings--simplistic enough to be potentially sickening. The imagery of the Fruit of Eternal Life/Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Earthly Paradise likewise could be overly familiar. Nonetheless this book is a masterpiece, largely due to a hallucinogenic atmosphere, strange settings, and a sardonic sense of humor. Frankly, I preferred Cley while he was still wicked and the Well-Built City to the Earthly Paradise.
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