Freedom and Necessity by Steven Brust & Emma Bull
Attendees: A. T. Campbell III, Shirley Crossland, Debbie Hodgkinson, Karen Meschke, Willie Siros, Lori Wolf
Freedom and Necessity is a 19th-century tale of political intrigue and secret societies in Europe. The story is told through a series of letters and newspaper articles, with no traditional narrative. Our group’s opinions were sharply divided on this book. I personally found the unusual narrative style impenetrable; the letters were boring, there was little discernable plot, and once I figured out that there was no speculative element I gave up on reading it. The rest of the group, who’d finished the book, loved it! Positive comments included “interesting philosophical discussions,” “seems like a Victorian novel”, “fascinating strong-willed female characters,”, “swell historical romance,” and “interesting insights into Prussian history.” Obviously, tastes vary.
— A. T. Campbell, III