Re: Bad Editing Indeed--Spoilers!

Posted by nitzsche from 1Cust69.tnt1.slt2.da.uu.net on February 15, 1999 at 20:12:19:

In Reply to: Re: Bad Editing Indeed--Spoilers! posted by Michaelson on February 15, 1999 at 19:51:07:

: : : 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

: : Thank you for that review. I finished the book 2 weeks ago and didn't have the strength to even comment. It REALLY bothered me. And YES, the editing was so bad, that I would have seen to it that editor was fired. Early on in the book, it says Indy brushes off his fedora and places it on his head. Then just paragraphs later, he picks it up off the table and places it on his head again. The lead female character is described with blonde hair in the beginning, but toward the end, she is brushing aside dark locks from her face.

: : Yes the ommission of time-travel plots was sloppily done. The story is riddled with residual elements from this huge edit. It's extremely distracting, and totally confusing if you don't have the inside scoop on the situation.

: : In all honesty, the beginning situation with the Japanese was obviously fleshed out to make up for the loss of storyline. The villains were just thrown into the Sphinx ordeal without any necessity except to have villains. The Japanese had nothing to do with the quest for the rod of Aaron or the Omega book, but in the end they are just there to plunder the relics and kill Indiana Jones! Whatever.

: : Since the main plot was so jumbled, the Crystal skull resolution came off badly. It was like reading three very short novel adaptations of the comic books.

: : He had such great maneuvering within a story about the Sphinx, but barely even scraped the surface. I was absolutely heart-broken, and feel badly for McCoy. Oh well.

: : --nitzsche

: Though I appreciate the insights and comments you both have regarding the book, please bear in mind a lot of us haven't either had access to, or the time yet to read this book, so please stop giving out details and allow the rest of us to make up our own minds as to the book. I for one am tickled that they even bothered to publish the book at all, considering how long it took to get to us. Spoilers, indeed! Regards. Michaelson

I apologize, Michaelson, for jumping the gun on some readers, but that is precisely why I labeled my post "Spoilers" so that one could avoid the post entirely if they didn't want to know any plot elements. I'll make that more clear next time. Until then, best to you, and good luck with the auctions. --nitzsche

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My Apologies- No Harm Intended BMan 19:30:07 2/16/99 (0)

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: : : : 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

: : : Thank you for that review.  I finished the book 2 weeks ago and didn't have the strength to even comment.  It REALLY bothered me.  And YES, the editing was so bad, that I would have seen to it that editor was fired.  Early on in the book, it says Indy brushes off his fedora and places it on his head.  Then just paragraphs later, he picks it up off the table and places it on his head again.  The lead female character is described with blonde hair in the beginning, but toward the end, she is  brushing aside dark locks from her face.

: : : Yes the ommission of time-travel plots was sloppily done.  The story is riddled with residual elements from this huge edit.  It's extremely distracting, and totally confusing if you don't have the inside scoop on the situation.

: : : In all honesty, the beginning situation with the Japanese was obviously fleshed out to make up for the loss of storyline.  The villains were just thrown into the Sphinx ordeal without any necessity except to have villains.  The Japanese had nothing to do with the quest for the rod of Aaron or the Omega book, but in the end they are just there to plunder the relics and kill Indiana Jones!  Whatever.

: : : Since the main plot was so jumbled, the Crystal skull resolution came off badly.  It was like reading three very short novel adaptations of the comic books.

: : : He had such great maneuvering within a story about the Sphinx, but barely even scraped the surface.  I was absolutely heart-broken, and feel badly for McCoy.  Oh well.

: : : --nitzsche

: : Though I appreciate the insights and comments you both have regarding the book, please bear in mind a lot of us haven't either had access to, or the time yet to read this book, so please stop giving out details and allow the rest of us to make up our own minds as to the book. I for one am tickled that they even bothered to publish the book at all, considering how long it took to get to us.  Spoilers, indeed! Regards. Michaelson

: 
: I apologize, Michaelson, for jumping the gun on some readers, but that is precisely why I labeled my post "Spoilers" so that one could avoid the post entirely if they didn't want to know any plot elements.  I'll make that more clear next time.  Until then, best to you, and good luck with the auctions. --nitzsche

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