Too much going on, so I still haven't finished (almost half way I think).
I liked the introduction; I like non-fiction to set out its path clearly so you have a good idea why you're spending time on aspects that may otherwise seem distractions. So for this much of the book I actually liked the foreshadowing ... but for the rest of the book I find the foreshadowing a bit annoying. I've been told what to expect, now get on and deliver it; don't treat me as if I have the attention span of a 5 year old (if I did this is not the sort of book I would be reading).
I noticed this comment:
Quote:
Originally Posted by issybird
[...] Not enough primary resources on Kober, and the Evans and Ventris sections, necessary because the Kober story would be meaningless without that context, were only secondary source retellings. [...]
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which highlighted another aspect I've found annoying: the constant "what this person said about that person" sort of text. Non-fiction often has a fair amount of this sort of thing, but it's not handled as well as it could be in this book, and it really does show how reliant the book is on secondary sources.
That aside, I am enjoying learning about the cracking of this puzzle and I think it is structured quite well. On one hand the author seems intent on emphasising that Kober was critical (and I don't doubt it), and may have solved the problem if she lived longer (anyone's guess), but has also (it seems to me) managed to show that Evans' lack of sharing is quite likely the biggest contributor to the delay in cracking the code, while Kober's sharing (published articles) aided subsequent work. So one of the very good things about this book is the demonstration that science is best played as a team sport.
Quote:
Originally Posted by issybird
[...]But also interesting to me in that context is how Ventris was a throwback to the earlier age of archeologists, that of the wealthy amateur. I wonder to what extent the antipathy between Korber and Evans was that of one marginalized person for another? [...]
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Yes, even from the introduction these aspects have tantalised. Evans, so rich that getting permission to dig is merely a matter of buying the property! A man of privilege, and of his time and class in his prejudices and expectations. Kober always struggling, trying to get scholarships but continuing even without, because she wants to work her way right through the problem. What I'm going to find with Ventris is still to be read, but I am definitely intrigued.
I am pleased to be reading it, and so far I'd have to say the book is probably about as good as one can hope for in presenting such potentially dry material. As has already been said: it's good but not great.
On a technical level, my Kobo makes the symbol font and images far too small to be useful on the e-reader screen ... but since I'm not actually trying to solve the puzzle I'm just ignoring that problem, and taking a look at the symbols occasionally on my computer screen.