[darryl]

I enjoyed the Book for what it was. A fun read. Yes, it has its flaws. But I was more forgiving than some of you in relation to implausibility. This book seems to have been a pioneer in many aspects of the super hero genre. One constant in this genre is the incredible good luck of the hero as good always triumphs. I'm also not too concerned by historical inaccuracies in a work of this kind.

The discussion of the author's political sympathies has been an interesting one. I actually thought the author was a little conflicted. Though her sympathies are plain, she did not totally ignore the other side. Indeed it is interesting that she felt the need to justify her sympathies by emphasising the particular brutality of the reign of terror, not entirely accurately. For instance, from reading the book one would assume that the execution of children was common. In fact it seems that there is no real agreement amongst historians on this point. Though it is likely that some children were executed, this does not appear to have been common practice.

The other thing I enjoyed about the story is the overall tone in which it was written, including some wry humour and irony I seldom encounter in more modern works.

All in all an enjoyable read not to be taken too seriously.