Silence II

I read Smallville novels to learn more about Lex, Chloe etc. Nancy Holder's novel, Silence (Smallville Omnibus 2, London, 2006), is good reading for this purpose but she also devotes what I thought were too many pages to other characters specific to this story who take the action away from Smallville.

The novel is set:

when Reynolds is Principal of Smallville High;
after the Spring Ball at the end of Season One;
after Pete Ross has learned Clark's secret;
while Martha Kent is working for Lionel Luthor.

Of a new pupil at Smallville High, Clark wonders:

"I wonder if Chloe and Lana have talked about me around her. If she knows about how things are among the three of us.
"Heck, I don't even know how things are among the three of us." (p. 338)

He doesn't know because of his own secretiveness. From an early stage, Clark should have defied Jonathan and confided in Chloe, Lana and Lex. The deceitfulness of the Kents is the fatal weakness leading to the classical tragedy of Superman and Luthor.

Smallville: Silence

The second of three novels in Smallville Omnibus 2 (London, 2006) is Silence by Nancy Holder. I must have read it before but I have just (re)read Chapter One without any memory of a previous reading.

The viewpoint character is Chloe Sullivan, then Clark Kent. It is set some time after the first season because Chloe reminisces about Clark abandoning her at the Prom. It is also set after Pete Ross discovered Clark's secret, whenever that happened. This is so much better than the Superboy comics that we read in the 1950's.

Deciding not to publish an article, Chloe stuffs it in a public trash can. Bad idea. Of course, someone finds it. I am not sure whether this will be a big issue for the rest of the novel.

I look forward to how this novel presents the series' main character, Lex Luthor.