My Secret of the Sphinx Review- Bad Editing

Posted by BMan from ppp2-09.ruralnet.net on February 15, 1999 at 08:46:11:

I finally finished Secret of the Sphinx, and thought I'd throw out my opinio of the novel.

As has been mentioned, it was rather on the short side. This may have been a result of the problem Lucasfilm had with the infamous time travel sequence. After it was cut, maybe there just wasn't enough length left to match the previous novels.

I think McCoy has a pretty good feel for Indy. I hate to see him not write any more Indy novels. I did enjoy seeing Indy finally digging in Egypt.

My biggest problem with the book was the editing, which I thought was atrocious. In the afterward, McCoy mentions that this novel had a different editor than his previous Indy novels. It shows.

I just don't think they cleaned the book up after Lucasfilm made them cut out the time travel sequence. You can almost feel where it went, and the loose ends are apparent all through the book.

I use the scene in the bank in India as an example. Why was Indy acting all confused, and sad about Marcus? Why did the banker tell him he had gray hair? Why was he off on the code sequence? I think because in an earlier draft of the book, he had time-travelled just before then. Somewhere in that sequence, Marcus must have died. That's the only explanation for Indy getting melancholy thinking about Brody. he wouldn't be sentimental because they hadn't seen each other for a few weeks- Brody was obviously dead, and Indy knew it.

It strikes me as sloppy. That scene was only a few pages long. It wouldn't have been that difficult of a chore to remove all indications of the time travel scene.

Plus, Indy refers to having a code he and Marcus use when transferring money. On page 89 Indy talks about a "pneumonic" device to help him remember.

That is terrible editing. A memory device is "mnemonic." Pneumonic refers to something dealing with the lungs.

Not a terrible book, but it had some problems. I am sorry that Max McCoy had to end his Indy series with this book- he had a workable story with great research- as always- and deserved better editing than he got.

Just my opinion.

BMan

Follow Ups:

Bad Editing Indeed--Spoilers! nitzsche 16:52:31 2/15/99 (3)
- Re: Bad Editing Indeed--Spoilers! Michaelson 19:51:07 2/15/99 (2)
  - Re: Bad Editing Indeed--Spoilers! nitzsche 20:12:19 2/15/99 (1)
    - My Apologies- No Harm Intended BMan 19:30:07 2/16/99 (0)

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Comments:

: I finally finished Secret of the Sphinx, and thought I'd throw out my opinio of the novel.

: As has been mentioned, it was rather on the short side.  This may have been a result of the problem Lucasfilm had with the infamous time travel sequence.  After it was cut, maybe there just wasn't enough length left to match the previous novels.

: I think McCoy has a pretty good feel for Indy.  I hate to see him not write any more Indy novels.  I did enjoy seeing Indy finally digging in Egypt.

: My biggest problem with the book was the editing, which I thought was atrocious.  In the afterward, McCoy mentions that this novel had a different editor than his previous Indy novels.  It shows.

: I just don't think they cleaned the book up after Lucasfilm made them cut out the time travel sequence.  You can almost feel where it went, and the loose ends are apparent all through the book.

: I use the scene in the bank in India as an example.  Why was Indy acting all confused, and sad about Marcus?  Why did the banker tell him he had gray hair?  Why was he off on the code sequence?  I think because in an earlier draft of the book, he had time-travelled just before then.  Somewhere in that sequence, Marcus must have died.  That's the only explanation for Indy getting melancholy thinking about Brody.  he wouldn't be sentimental because they hadn't seen each other for a few weeks- Brody was obviously dead, and Indy knew it.

: It strikes me as sloppy.  That scene was only a few pages long.  It wouldn't have been that difficult of a chore to remove all indications of the time travel scene.

: Plus, Indy refers to having a code he and Marcus use when transferring money.  On page 89 Indy talks about a "pneumonic" device to help him remember.

: That is terrible editing.  A memory device is "mnemonic."  Pneumonic refers to something dealing with the lungs.

: Not a terrible book, but it had some problems.  I am sorry that Max McCoy had to end his Indy series with this book- he had a workable story with great research- as always- and deserved better editing than he got.

: Just my opinion.

: BMan

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