Thumbs up for Roadmarks by Roger Zelazny. Science fiction.
The hallmark of the books I’ve read by Zelazny is that they are almost entirely dialogue, and nothing is explained, so reading them is like doing an enjoyable logic puzzle. As, indeed, was my experience with Roadmarks. However, even one week after reading I discover I retained none of it except for the delightful fact that the characters include two sentient books, Flowers (Les fleurs du mal) and Leaves (…of Grass) which help their human companions interface with their cars. (The cars do not themselves time travel, but they do permit travel on the titular cross-time Road.) An enjoyable evening, but not a keeper.
“…And that, basically, is what has happened so far,” he said, picking up his cigar, inspecting it, relighting it, “and what I have to look forward to. Eight more [assassins]. It would be nice if I could just go stand in a field somewhere and have them come up and take numbers and do their things one at a time, but it doesn’t work that way. So I decided—”
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