punisher5150 said:
I'll run the original file again. Many of the errors might have been caused when I saved it to word so I could format it for an e-book.
Along with the PDF, I wanted to bundle a version friendlier to ebook readers, but I don't have a reader myself, and I got overwhelmed by the number of formats. What format do you prefer?
As far as I'm concerned,
punisher5150's review is right on the mark. Hohlbein understands what makes a good Indy story, better than Steve Perry (whose
Army of the Dead spent more time following the various villains than it did following Indy) and better than Martin Caidin (whose
Sky Pirates was more
Mission: Impossible than Indiana Jones).
Hohlbein doesn't stray too far from the formula established in the movies. The MacGuffin (the titular labyrinth) is mysterious but appropriately rooted in history. Indy has personal reasons for pursuing it beyond professional ambition. The action set pieces appear about twice a chapter, almost like clockwork, and a handful of unexpected twists keep the story interesting. Indy even finds a use for his whip and at one point temporarily loses his hat.
Which is not to say everything is how it should be. There are no snakes or creepy crawlies of any kind. And there are precious few specific ties to elements from the movies. No familiar characters besides Indy. You'd think he might look up Sallah while he was in Cairo, but no, and he never mentions Marcus. His school is strangely referred to only as "the university in Washington," which means it can't be Marshall or Barnett.
But my biggest gripe is the creepy attitude Indy has toward Elizabeth Smith. She's not a love interest -- as mentioned, she's meant to be more of an obnoxious, reluctant sidekick -- but she's the only major female character, and Indy almost comes across as a sexual predator. He looks down her blouse, he paws at her chest, and when she complains, he slaps her across the face and later threatens to spank her. It's mostly played for laughs, but it's icky, especially when she's supposed to be just barely an adult, and Indy's 42. Indy shouldn't be a dirty old man, dang it!
One more thing I thought was a bit off (though I guess it's understandable, considering): Indy doesn't exactly hate Nazis in this story. For starters, they're almost always referred to as "Germans" instead of "Nazis." They are villains, but secondary villains at most, and when Indy has to confront them, he expresses a grudging admiration toward them. (In regards to the glider technology: "It could only come from German engineers.") He even quotes Nietzsche. Hard to square with the "Nazis: I hate these guys" Indy from
Last Crusade.
Stoo said:
OUTSTANDING, Icybro! Thanks a million!
I've been too busy to fully read the story yet but downloaded the document last week and it looks freaking fantastic! SUPERB job on the cover and page formatting! WONDERFUL WORK and appreciated from the very bottom of my heart.
Yes, your effort must be the 1st complete, English translation (unless someone has done it privately) so congratulations for that...
especially having done it solo! That said, how did you do it?
Thanks Stoo! It took some time to get the cover and formatting just right, so it's good to know somebody besides me appreciates such things.
As for how I did it, that's a long and boring story, but since you asked I'll spill all my secrets after work tonight, when I have a little more time.