Purtroppo sono venuto meno al mio proposito iniziale di leggere un capitolo al giorno dall'inizio alla fine di ottobre, facendo coincidere le mie giornate e nottate dedicate alla lettura con quelle che fanno da sfondo alle vicende narrate fra queste pagine, e l'ho invece finito in una manciata di giorni. I didn’t love this little book, but I liked it. The aforementioned format was engaging and unique, and the plot was very original. But those were honestly my two favorite aspects of the book. Snuff, our canine narrator, was an entertaining and charming, and the Game he was involved in remained mysterious even at the novel’s end. All of the players were well known characters or tropes from classic horror fiction, which added to the fun factor. For a Game that had a possibly apocalyptic outcome, the way the story was told seemed very slice-of-life, which removed some of the tension needed to fully absorb a reader in a cosmic conflict. Paper-Thin Disguise: Played With. Every costume The Great Detective dons seems to be convincing to the humans he interacts with, but Snuff immediately sees through all of them because he still smells like himself. Feigning Intelligence: Bubo pretends to be the Good Doctor's familiar and freshman to the Game. In reality, he saw something he thought he could use to his advantage and knows nothing about the Game. The below exchange is one of my absolute favourites. It shows the tongue in cheek vibe of the story and is completely amusing. I smile each time I think of it.

This is what I would consider a cozy fantasy book, as the stakes are high - as in the literal fate of the world - but it never really feels that way. It’s obviously not meant to, and that’s what makes it work. This is just a lovely, entertaining, often funny, occasionally moving, spooky, lovely little Halloween story. We summarized the book, one day at a time, discussing the characters, their names & more about the book in the Roger Zelazny group in the spoiler topic.

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Language Fluency Denial: Questioned by the police, Rastov suddenly (and conveniently) understands a lot less English than he used to. Now, I respect the Great Detective's use of disguises and have no problem with seeing him spend nearly the entire book as a sweet biddy named Linda Enderby. But I really object to the ultimate disguise in which he appears at a climactic moment; Roger, you can only pull someone`s leg so far before it hurts a bit.)

The Game takes place in a year when the moon is full on Halloween night. The preceding new moon is also a significant marker; certain things may only be done before the new moon, and others only after. There was a big fellow lurching about the place-drunk perhaps. Biggest man I’ve ever seen. He was only about for a little while, during the height of the storm. Then he lay down on that fancy bed in the basement, and the Good Doctor covered him up, entirely, with a sheet. He didn’t stir again.

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Where do I start??? Let's begin with my thanks to Evgeny, who had the good sense to invite several of us for the Halloween Read and made us read it! Thank you!!!

There is an Awful lot of Capitilization that Goes On, which just Adds to the Utter Quirkiness of the Storyline.The book presented the story of a strange Game, a shrewd and sometimes dangerous fight between two groups of players. When the right time comes, they prepare for one special Night in the Lonesome October when the fate of the world is to be decided. I liked the players and their companions. And the most interesting parts to play, went to the awesome talking companions <3

Mundane Utility: As the players build the bonfire that will be the centerpiece of the climactic ritual, Snuff spends a paragraph describing its esoteric significance and the ways it can become involved in the night's magical events. Then he adds that it's also useful for disposing of inconvenient evidence and keeping off the autumn chill. Some have come to open the gates. Some have come to slam them shut. And now the dread night approaches – so let the Game begin. Praise for A Night in the Lonesome October:Evil Versus Evil: When the Things escape, the Thing In The Wardrobe winds up brawling with the Thing In The Steamer Trunk.