Like Jane Austen's Mr d'Arcy, Van Humphries must make a transition from an unpleasant character at the start of the book to a much nicer person at the end. And unlike Jane Austen, Ben Bova shows us the workings of Van's mind during the whole of this process, by making the entire book a first-person narrative from Van himself.

Unfortunately, I still don't like him! At the start of the book, he's an arrogant playboy, and although he becomes a true leader of men towards the end, he never becomes at all nice. (And some of the assumptions behind his transformation into a leader feel too far towards the political right for comfort.)

Bova's descriptions of conditions on Venus are very good, although I'm not convinced by some of the technology the characters use to cope with them; but the wider setting of the book is less convincing, and in the end I was left feeling somewhat unsatisfied.

Released on Sunday, May 23, 2004 at Steamboat museum in Windermere, England United Kingdom.

On the propeller in the car park

Located on a wall at Bowness-on-Windemere, just jumped out and asked to be read! Took it back to my home town in Exmouth Devon, read and thouroughly enjoyed the book and this concept. Will be "released" for its next journey tonight 26/06/04, thank you.

CAUGHT IN WINDERMERE LAKE DISTRICT ENGLAND

Found the book on 26th in a kitchen. Took it home and enjoyed the read. Releasing it tonight on the seafront in Exmouth 3rd July.

CAUGHT IN EXMOUTH DEVON UK