To label The Great and Secret Show a horror novel would be to do it a disservice. "Arty horror" would be closer to the mark but that sounds silly and To label The Great and Secret Show a horror novel would be to do it a disservice. "Arty horror" would be closer to the mark but that sounds silly and would still be inadequate. “Dark fantasy� sounds good to me though it deemphasizes the horror aspect of it a little too much, may be it is more phantasm than fantasy. Not that labels really matter, a good book is a good book regardless of whatever label you slap on it. I am only going on about it just to have some kind of intro!
To tell you what this book is about is a fairly complicated undertaking (best left to undertakers perhaps). It starts with one Randolph Jaffe’s quest for mastery of “The Art�, not just any old art but a craft or power that has the capability to tear a hole in the fabric of reality and create an opening to another dimension called Quiddity. Quiddity is a mystical dream sea, a sea of the mind that most people visit twice in their lives. “Once the first night you slept out of the womb. The second occasion the night you lay beside the person you loved.� That does not make much sense out of the context of the book so just imagine the weirdest goddamn sea you can and then pile on extra weirdness on top. The Quiddity sea changes you and is generally extremely bad for your complexion: [image] (from graphic novel adaptation)
That little synopsis barely scratches the surface of the novel’s plot. The Great and Secret Show is a dark fantasy of epic proportions (though “epic fantasy� has an entire different connotation, usually associated with Tolkien’s or George R.R. Martin’s kind of fantasy). With this book is Clive Barker is at the peak of his creativity, here he has created a brand new mythos about the nature of dreams and reality that is mind blowing. The storyline is quite complex but clearly narrated so there is never any problem following it. Fans of bizarre critters should have a field day with this book which is populated by some very bizarre and often disgusting creatures. For example you know how low budget horror movies from the 80s often feature shitty monsters? This book literally has shitty monsters made from actual fecal matter! There are also various other bizarre creatures made from fear and others made from dreams that I can not even begin to describe.
The book is full of horrific moments, surreal dream-like moments and even comical moments and romantic bits. I would not recommend it to anyone who is easily offended though. If you avert your eyes at Game of Thrones� most outrageous scenes then leave The Great and Secret Show on the shelf. Barker's prose style is hard to pin down, sometime he takes flight into lyricism, other times he dives into the language of the gutter (he certainly seems to use the “C word� a lot). The multiple protagonists are all well drawn. The most memorable one being the evil Randolph Jaffe (AKA The Jaff) and the kickass heroine Tesla. I am quite impressed by how quickly Barker can introduce and develop characters that are vivid and believable, in a few pages within a single chapter mostly through dialog.
At the end of the day I can whole heartedly recommend The Great and Secret Show to anyone looking for a fantastical � or perhaps phantasmagorical � read. You won’t be disappointed (if you are, you shouldn’t be!)....more
One of those very popular titles that tend to show up in the "Best Fantasy Books" lists ( is one list I rely on). This could be the book that brinOne of those very popular titles that tend to show up in the "Best Fantasy Books" lists ( is one list I rely on). This could be the book that brings me back to reading more fantasy novels (as I tend to have a preference for sci-fi). The Lies of Locke Lamora hits the ground running from the lengthy prologue which is reminiscent of Dickens� Oliver Twist but with the Artful Dodger as the protagonist rather than Oliver. There is even a -like character called Thiefmaker who teaches little orphans to “pick a pocket or two� among other things. The protagonist is of course the eponymous Locke Lamora, a boy with a tremendous instinct for trickery. Asking “Please sir, can I have some more?� is certainly not his style, instead he is always cooking up ingenious new schemes to get more without obtaining anybody’s permission. Being young, clever and reckless eventually gets him and his mentor into trouble and is sold to a gang leader called “Father Chains� who teaches him to refine his confidence tricks and become a “Gentleman Bastard�. [image]
After the riveting prologue the novel switches back and forth between the present day where Locke is an adult super-thief and the flashbacks which tells of Locke’s training under Father Chains. Initially I was thinking how I would prefer a more linear structure but obviously Scott Lynch knows his business better than I do and the dual timelines begin to intertwine impressively, showing how the past directly impacts the present.
My favorite aspect of this book is how Lynch integrates tropes from other genres of fiction like the Dickensian bildungsroman, the gangster fiction of Mario Puzo and the “heist films� like Ocean’s Eleven and such. Archetypes are more interesting if they show up where they are not expected, as in this case; I never expected to see Don Vito Corleone in a fantasy setting. [image]
I also love that there is no sign of a quest to save the world in this book and the fantastical aspect is very low key. When I was in my teens I enjoyed the Xanth series of fantasy books by Piers Anthony where magic is very common. As I grew older and more cynical such “high fantasy� begin to seem rather childish to me and I find that I much prefer science fiction where the fantastical element tend to be backed by actual science and more believable. Wizards conjuring chairs and things out of thin air, turning people into frogs etc. just get my cynical eyes rolling. With The Lies of Locke Lamora by the time magic shows up it seems to be very discreetly used, and besides, I was already deeply immersed in the story and quite happy to suspend my disbelief. I also like the mysterious references to a disappeared ancient race called “the Eldren� which remind me of Lovecraft’s Cthulhu and even Stephen Baxter’s Xeelee absentee aliens.
The prose is very readable and often humorous, the main characters are very well drawn and dialogue is sharp. However, I have one minor quibble about the writing, I find that most of the characters tend to sound the same when they talk. Practically everybody seems to be ready with sardonic or witty repartees of a similar style, even the uneducated characters seem to be similarly articulate. It is not a major problem and the frequent banters are quite entertaining, I just wish that the characters' voices are more distinguishable.
Clearly a lot of thought has gone into the plot twist and turns and I had no idea how things will eventually turn out except that Locke Lamora will survive as this is a multi-volumes series bearing his name. Over all I had an excellent time reading this book and my aforementioned minor quibble does not amount to anything. I am definitely on board for more of this Gentleman Bastard series. [image] ...more
I remember reading this book as a child and loving it, and that is all I can remember, the reading and the loving. Anything about the contents has sliI remember reading this book as a child and loving it, and that is all I can remember, the reading and the loving. Anything about the contents has slipped through the old grey cells somehow. As it turned out my brain knew what it was doing when it jettisoned all the details of the book so yesterday I was able to read it as if for the first time. Like A Virgin.
Nowadays any fantasy book that features a school of wizardry can not help but bring up Harry Potter comparisons (I can't help it anyway). A Wizard of Earthsea was published several decades before Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's / Philosopher's Stone, and I wonder how much of it inspired the Rowling books. No disrespect to the deservedly popular Potter series but certainly Earthsea's Roke Island's school of magic seems like a precursor to Hogwarts, and Le Guin's protagonist Duny / Sparrowhawk / Ged starts off as a boy with an unusual degree of natural talent for magic. In all fairness, the similarities dwindle to nothing by about half way point through A Wizard of Earthsea though. OK, got that out of the way, no more pointless HP comparisons henceforth. [image] Ged
A Wizard of Earthsea is - to some extent - a bildungsroman about a boy name Duny who has an unusually high aptitude for learning and using magic. After saving his village from invaders, he was discovered by a wizard who gave him his true name Ged. After travelling with the wizard for a while and not learning very much magic thanks to the wizard's "Mr. Miyagi" style of teaching he was sent to the Roke Island to enroll in a wizardry school. He learned magic very quickly of course but soon make a huge mistake and accidentally invoked Something Better Left Alone. Much gnashing of teeth and a search for redemption ensues. (I am appallingly bad at synopsizing as you can see).
When Ms. Le Guin wrote this book in the 60s there was not much of a fantasy genre, some Tolkiens here some Lewises there, very little else. This makes A Wizard of Earthsea something of a landmark for the now thriving fantasy genre. Also, in those days, the term "magic system" did not exist but Le Guin knew even then how thoughtless, frivolous use of magic in a book can render the story unbelievable. So she cleverly imposed some logic and limitation to the use of magic and thereby created one of the earliest magic systems.
"Listen, I don't understand: you and my brother both are mighty wizards, you wave your hand and mutter and the thing is done. Why do you get hungry, then? When it comes suppertime at sea, why not say, Meat-pie! and the meat-pie appears, and you eat it?" "Well, we could do so. But we don't much wish to eat our words, as they say. Meat-pie! is only a word, after all... We can make it odorous, and savorous, and even filling, but it remains a word. It fools the stomach and gives no strength to the hungry man."
See what I mean? Genius! The magic in the Earthsea universe is based on the "words of power" and "true name" idea. "One who knows the true name of an object has power over it." is fairly self-explanatory, this applies to people's names also; giving someone your true name is a little like giving them your Paypal password, not something to be done lightly. [image] Art
The book is necessarily fast-paced and eventful due to minimal length though the climax is not as spectacular as I thought it would be, it is quite satisfying and leads to an elegant wrap up of the story. The prose is beautifully written as you'd expect from Le Guin, the book was written for children so it is more easily accessible than her adult science fiction books. Don't let the "for children" label put you off, though, there was no YA category at the time, or this book would have been hailed as the best of them. Characterization is very nicely done, Ged starts off as a fairly typical arrogant young whippersnapper and grows into a kindhearted, responsible (and melancholy) adult. If you have kids this would be a great book to read to them. The principle of "with great power comes great responsibility" is much better learned here from Ged's experiences than from Peter Parker's.
Another thing I remember from my first reading of this book in my teens is that I could not get into the second book The Tombs of Atuan due to the switch to a new protagonist, I wanted so much to know what Ged is going to do next. I was a stupid kid. At least now I have more Earthsea books to look forward to.
[image] Art
Notes: � Margaret Atwood Explains � � "a rival to Tolkien and George RR Martin" � Beautiful ...more
Now and then I come across a book that is a distillation of what I like in fiction, genre fiction in particular. I previously raved about Jonathan StrNow and then I come across a book that is a distillation of what I like in fiction, genre fiction in particular. I previously raved about Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell and then some people told me they think it's a load of ol' crap. It puzzled me a bit that some people don't see the greatness of the books I deemed to be great, but then I realize that such things probably puzzle most of us, we are all arbiters of good taste in our own little universe. So given that after reading this book you may not agree with my assessment of it (much to my astonishment) I am going into "rave mode" again.
Firstly I am going steal SF Signal's one sentence synopsis:
"A teenaged girl in 1979 deals with her witch of a mother, faeries, a difficult boarding school life, and the joys of discovering science fiction and fantasy."
Any mention of boarding school and fantasy in the same sentence will tend to trigger the name "Harry Potter" in people's minds, well you can fuggedaboudit, it's just an ordinary boarding school, no Defence Against the Dark Arts classes here. In fact, the setting of the boarding school resonates with me very much as a former pupil of such a school. It is a tough environment for geeky sci-fi loving kid that I was and Morweena� the protagonist and narrator of this book—is. The loneliness, the bad food, the discovery of like-minded friends all ring very true to me.
From the synopses of this book at Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ, Amazon etc. fantasy fans are probably unsure whether this really is a fantasy novel at all and not just some rambling of a delusional girl. Well, the author has stated clearly in interviews that the fantasy element is not meant to be ambiguous, even if it may seem that way. You see, Jo Walton has done something very different with the so-called "magic system" trope here. In the universe of this book, the magic is very discreet and always has "plausible deniability" in that the effect of the magic may look like a normal coincidence. This makes the magic even more dangerous than in your average fantasy epic, the effect can be devastatingly wide ranging with everybody none the wiser about the cause. I am not going to give any example of this, it is really worth discovering by yourself.
The most important aspect of this book is that it is a love letter to science fiction and fantasy books, I have never seen so many books and authors mentioned in a single book and they are mostly books I am very familiar with. Like Asimov's Foundation, Delany's Babel 17, Tolkien's LOTR etc. At the time the story is set, in late 1979 and early 1980 fantasy was not the massively popular genre it is today and the fantasy books were far outnumbered by the sf books, so interestingly this book is actually about a science fiction reader in a fantasy world. Most of the books mentioned are sci-fi classics with only the odd LOTR and Narnia books thrown in. The little comments about the books and the love the author via her characters show for the books make me want to read sf/f until my eyes fall out.
The book is beautifully written in eloquent yet fairly simple prose in an epistolary format (diary entries), the characters are very well developed and believable. I can actually imagine what it feels like to be a teenage disabled girl in spite of my many disqualifications for identifying with such a character. As I understand it the story is partly autobiographical in that many of the key events are based on Ms. Walton's own experiences as a teenager. I found the climax to be oddly conventional in its spectacularity and it does not seem to conform with the relative quietude of the preceding chapters. Still, no real harm done.
Jo Walton clearly loves the sf/f genre and reading in general with a passion, a feeling I share and this book is another one to be cherished. A solid 5 stars for a well deserved 2011 Nebula Awards Winner.
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Further reading:
Update, September 4, 2012 Among Others just won the 2012 Hugo Award for Best Novel, a few months prior to that it won the Nebula Award. It has also been nominated for the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel. That should be enough accolades for anyone considering reading this book!...more
When it comes to an epic tale with moral clarity set in a supremely realised fantasy world, he (Tolkien) pretty much knocked it out of the park. Bu
When it comes to an epic tale with moral clarity set in a supremely realised fantasy world, he (Tolkien) pretty much knocked it out of the park. But that means there’s not much point in my writing it again, is there? Forgive me for saying so, but it feels as if folk have been writing Lord of the Rings again for a while now, and I think we could probably, you know, stop.
- Joe Abercrombie,
The above quote is the author's response to a columnist's criticism that his work is morally bankrupt and an insult to the classic fantasy tradition laid down by J.R.R. Tolkien. You tell 'em Joe. This blog alone spurred me to read The Blade Itself, a character-centric fantasy, low on magic, high on horrific dentistry and body parts extractions. This book is clearly not for the faint of heart, there is a lot of violence and "plain speaking" language within, but no more so than GRRM's now legendary A Song of Ice and Fire series.
If you read the negative reviews of this book, some of them will mention that the main characters are unlikable. I disagree with this criticism, I find the characters development to be the best aspect of this book. Perhaps some of the protagonists are supposed to be unlikable, but I like them anyway, some of the most interesting people are unlikable. Besides, I find them vivid and believable.
As the book is comprised of multiple non-intertwining plot strands and the focus is more on characters than events, I would like to highlight the four major characters:
Glokta - The crippled inquisitor was a handsome soldier before he was tortured and mutilated for years under enemy captivity. Logen Ninefingers - a Conan-esque barbarian with more flaws and fewer fingers Captain Jezal dan Luthar - the Bertie Wooster of fantasy Bayaz - a mysterious and obnoxious wizard who is fond of baths
There are several more characters of note but a long list of unfamiliar characters would probably lose your interest (typing them all out would lose mine). Like a lot of fantasy novels, this is a multiple perspectives points set up. Part epic journeys, part political maneuvering, lots of fighting, occasional bits of wizardry and a smidgen of romance (surprisingly charming if not exactly sweet). The story does not drag at any point. The combat scenes are very skillfully written, you can almost feel the weight of the heavy swords being wielded. The prose style is witty and often humorous. As mentioned earlier, many of the negative reviewers seem to seem to be under the impression that the book, the characters, perhaps even the author himself are morally bankrupt. I disagree completely, there is definitely a moral compass here, some of the characters strive to do the right thing even if they go about it the wrong way. Doing the right thing is often hard and the characters in this book are just as fallible as we are.
I have this feeling that my luck is none too good. This sword here at my side don’t act the way it should. Keeps calling me it’s master, but I feel
I have this feeling that my luck is none too good. This sword here at my side don’t act the way it should. Keeps calling me it’s master, but I feel like it’s slave. Hauling me faster and faster to an early, early grave. And it howls! It howls like hell!
[image]
How many authors do you know who gets to write lyrics for a song based on his book to be record by a legendary metal band? Elric has to be just about the coolest most bad ass mofo in the history of fantasy fiction. He is clearly not a graduate from the Cimmerian School Barbaric Fantasy Heroism though, he is more the regal melancholy type, a tall red eyed albino with a penchant for navel-gazing between slicing & dicing sessions. Elric is armed with an accursed soul sucking black sword called Stormbringer, a weapon so fearsome Excalibur would want to put a restraining order on it.
Considering the gargantuan length of your average fantasy epic these days it is amazing how much plot, characterization and action Moorcock managed to squeeze into less than 200 pages. Elric's character its developed quickly and vividly. The plot of this book is like Games of Thrones on speed and the end is a beginning for many more adventures to come.
Elric is one of Michael Moorcock's Eternal Champions, essentially one hero in different versions protecting parallel universes. Most Eternal Champions books do not have to be read in order but as far as Elric is concerned this one is the best starting point. I am looking forward to reading them all....more
“I need words that mean more than they mean, words not just with height and width, but depth and weight and, and other dimensions that I cannot even n“I need words that mean more than they mean, words not just with height and width, but depth and weight and, and other dimensions that I cannot even name.�*
That is Lois McMaster Bujold effortlessly describing what I often feel about excellent writing but lack the skill to articulate. What I like best about starting a Bujold book is that feeling of homecoming. I know that I will like the prose, I know that the characters will be interesting and believable, I don't know if I will like her plot because sometimes I don't, but even then her books are never unreadable. So a Bujold book is always a safe purchase.
This not being a Vorkosigan book it took me a while to settle in, to get used to the unfamiliar world, people, and situation. However, there is never a problem of initial inaccessibility, Ms. Bujold's clean, smooth witty prose with a touch of Jack Vance-esque floweriness always keep me afloat.
For a change, the book is focused on a single character's POV, instead of the currently in vogue numerous multi-protagonists POV setup which often causes a book to feel fragmented and can play hell with continuity. Another Bujold trademark is unconventional protagonists, she tends to stay away from the fearsomely skilled and well endowed sexy heroic type. Cazaril, the protagonist of this book is a somewhat meek and subservient sympathetic middle age scholarly type with little or no fighting skills and a tendency to cower under quilts in extreme fear. However, when the chips are down he really shines.
I generally read more sf than fantasy as I find it difficult to suspend disbelief with a lot of the magical shenanigan that goes on in a lot of fantasy books. All that SHAZAM! some poor dude turns into a fruit bat business is not for me. So I love how discrete magic is in this book. It takes a lot of effort and the result is unpredictable. This being a Bujold book an element of romance is to be expected. Fortunately, she is too mature, intelligent, and classy to write endlessly about lovers staring into each others' eyes and other ghastly StephanieMeyerisms.
My only gripe with this book concerns the pacing of the first third which seems overly leisurely for my taste. The book ambles along amiably for a hundred or so pages with no sign of the ass kickage that follows later on in the book. Also, I am not a fan of fictional politics and court intrigue stories, so this minor aspect of the book is not so appealing to me. I do wonder why the author felt the need to invent terms for royalty like royesse, royina, royse, and royale with cheese (OK, not that last one which is a Dutch burger).
So, all in all, a very good book with a beating heart, Bujold's attention to details and craftsmanship is as evident as ever. I am definitely going to read the Hugo/Nebula award-winning sequel Paladin of Souls.
....
* Back to that “I need words that mean..." quote. I just want to mention that it is not highlighted in my Kindle edition of this book. It's funny the sort of crap that people do highlight on Kindle books. For non-Kindle users, I should explain that the highlight is a feature where users highlight their favorite sentences or passages of books and these are upload into the "cloud" at Amazon after the same passages have been highlighted by a few users the highlight appear on the e-book edition as "popular highlight". So far I find this to be a useless feature which I should turn off but don't because my curiosity always gets the best of me.
Neil Gaiman said that this book is , I will make an attempt thus:
While I was reading the second half of this book it occurred to mNeil Gaiman said that this book is , I will make an attempt thus:
While I was reading the second half of this book it occurred to me that I don't actually need to read any other novel ever again, I could just read this one book over and over again for the rest of my days and when the Grim Reaper calls I shall have this book clutched possessively in my stiff, unyielding fingers.
Momentary insanity of course, but it is indicative of the devotion I feel toward this book. With in the first page or two I was already feeling very friendly toward this book because of the prose. Ms. Clarke seems to be channelling Jane Austen by way of Oscar Wilde, P.G. Wodehouse, Hans Christian Andersen, with some dark sprinkles of Poe and Lovecraft. I grew increasingly fond of the book page by page until I was ready to put it on a pedestal and worship it by the time I reached in end.
The basic outline of the story is that it concerns the titular Jonathan and Mr. Norrell. Mr Norway brings magic back to England, takes on Mr. strange as his pupil, the two gentlemen later become rivals. Their interrelationship is the backbone of this long book that features wonderful characters, humour, sadness, heroism, redemption and magic, not to mention non-stop dancing and cameos by Napoleon Bonaparte Lord Byron and crazy King George III.
Normally when I read a long book of more than 700 pages in length I like to pause at about half way through, pick up a shorter book to read to the finish and go back to the long book. For me it helps to relieve the impatience from spending so much time with just one book. However, with this book* it is impossible, I could not extricate myself from it. I am a slowish reader and I spent about two weeks living and breathing this book and now that I have finish it I feel a little disoriented. Also, I tend to feel more comfortable reading SF than fantasy, the problem I personally have with a lot of fantasy is suspension of disbelief when magic manifests in some way. The pacing of this book is so perfect and the magic so skillfully and gradually woven into the story that I no problem throwing disbelief out the window and just settle down and immerse into this magical version of England.
Overpraise this book? Impossible! _______________________ * I read the Kindle edition, the footnotes are hypertext links that jump to the back of the book (after the novel is ended), I had to ensure that I bookmark the page before I click on any footnote otherwise it would have been difficult to find my way back.
Footnotes(!) â€� A footnote about the footnotes. I am tempted to knock off one star for the over abundance of footnotes, I am personally not keen on them as they interrupt the flow of the story for me. However, it would be ill-bred of me to use my own preferences as the standard for quality assessment. The fact is that lots of people like them and I think that justify their existence; not to mention that they are as beautifully written as the main body of the book. It is also worth mentioning that you can skip them entirely and still follow the story without missing a beat. I skimmed them and I intend to go back to read them all. Besides, this book deserves at least a billion stars rating and Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ can only cope with five, so if I did knock off one star nobody would notice.
� Have a look at Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell . A is also available for in-depth info. _______________________________ Update June 2015: � Neil Gaiman:
� Susanna Clarke
� I love the BBC adaptation. The .
� Susanna Clarke is working on another book set in the Strange & Norrell universe (so the word sequel may be inappropriate). Don't hold your breath waiting for it though because it took her ten years to write Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by the time she publishes this second novel there may be flying cars and hoverboards on the street....more
Interestingly, with all this weirdness going on I am surprised that the most resonant part of the book for me is the brief scene where a young cabin boy (Shekel) learns to read and discover the joy of reading. Now that is something most of us Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ punters can identify with.
There are numerous wonders waiting to be discovered by the unsuspecting reader, and it all ends in a somewhat optimistic yet melancholy note. I find this book endlessly fascinating and I look forward to visit Bas-Lag again in the Iron Council. ...more
Previously Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ listed this book as â€�Anansi Boys (American Gods #2)â€�, this has since been fixed by Raven the ace GR librarian. Anyway, Anansi BoyPreviously Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ listed this book as â€�Anansi Boys (American Gods #2)â€�, this has since been fixed by Raven the ace GR librarian. Anyway, Anansi Boys is not American Gods #2, the character Anansi does, however, appears in American Gods (as Mr. Nancy) so the two books are related but there is no need to read one to follow the other.
Anansi Boys is about Anansi’s two sons, the absence of an apostrophe-S after Anansi’s name notwithstanding. The first one we are introduced to is Charles Nancy, usually called “Fat Charlie� in spite of not being fat. The other is called Spider who is a god and can do magic. When Spider enters Fat Charlie’s life he promptly turns it upside down because that is the sort of guy he is:
Anansi Boys is a tremendously fun wild ride. It is not as complex or nuanced as American Gods but, for my money, it is more fun. As always, Gaiman is overflowing with ideas and his prose tend to have a light, whimsical touch that often made me laugh (out loud even). He is a dab hand at characterization, the book’s main antagonist Graham Coats is absatively particularly vivid and hilarious but also very dangerous. Anansi himself is based on a popular West African folklore character, a fun-loving trickster god who loves to steal other gods� stories and make them his own; hence Gaiman’s theme of the power of storytelling, which he connects to the theme of storytelling through music. I love the musical references in this book, after I read a certain chapter I suddenly had an irresistible urge to listen to , which I have not heard for years, what a lovely, evocative song (even though I’ve never been under one). The prose style of this book is generally lighthearted and humorous but Gaiman switches into a fable or folklore style when the narrative is told from a god’s point of view.
Anansi Boys is not objectively better than American Gods, which is indeed great, but I personally enjoy it more and it is my favorite Gaiman book. [image][image][image][image][image]
Notes: � that Anansi Boys is not a sequel to American Gods. Thank you Raven for the link.
� Besides being inspired by African Folklore Gaiman also seems to have been inspired by Terry Pratchett’s witches books. There are several comical witches in this book.
� There was a radio play adaptation of Anansi Boys in 2005 which Gaiman hated as it was abridged into a one hour play! This led him to write his own movie screenplay. Hopefully there will be a movie one day. Anansi Boys is not objectively better than American Gods, which is indeed great, but I personally enjoy it more and it is my favorite Gaiman book. [image][image][image][image][image] Quotes: “Daisy looked up at him with the kind of expression that Jesus might have given someone who had just explained that he was probably allergic to bread and fishes, so could He possibly do him a quick chicken salad: there was pity in that expression, along with almost infinite compassion.�
“Some hats can only be worn if you’re willing to be jaunty, to set them at an angle and to walk beneath them with a spring in your stride as if you’re only a step away from dancing. They demand a lot of you.�
“He had arrived , at the age of ten , with an American accent , which he had been relentlessly teased about , and had worked very hard to lose , finally extirpating the last of the soft consonants and rich Rs while learning the correct use and placement of the word innit . He had finally succeeded in losing his American accent for good as he had turned sixteen , just as his schoolfriends discovered that they needed very badly to sound like they came from the � hood .�
“Of course , everyone’s parents are embarrassing . It goes with the territory . The nature of parents is to embarrass merely by existing , just as it is the nature of children of a certain age to cringe with embarrassment , shame , and mortification should their parents so much as speak to them on the street .� [image] Fat Charlie and Spider...more
I have always wondered if there is any point in reviewing a book that has thousands of other reviews. It is ridiculous to think that my review will beI have always wondered if there is any point in reviewing a book that has thousands of other reviews. It is ridiculous to think that my review will be the one that rules them all. Then I think perhaps this is akin to uploading my rendition of My Way or Bohemian Rhapsody on YouTube, it may be subpar but it is my precious! Still, it is a monumental task to take on reviewing this entire series because: [image]
“It's the job that's never started as takes longest to finish, as my old gaffer used to say.� Thank you, Sam!
I first read The Fellowship of the Ring in the 80s, I have to admit that while I enjoyed the early part of it I became less appreciative as the world building and the narrative became increasingly complex. In those days I was more familiar with simpler fun fantasy books like A Spell for Chameleon and did not adjust well to Tolkien’s sophistication. Now, of course, I am more capable of appreciating the monumental world building that Tolkien did, the wonderful characterization, the plotting, the pacing, the language, I even like some of the songs!
Most of my memory of the story comes from Peter Jackson’s blockbusting 2001 movie adaptation. These movies are also the reason I have delayed reading the series for so long, I already knew the major plot points. Having just reread “Fellowship� I need not have worried really, the movie left out quite a few interesting scenes and made changes which would have been better left unchanged (especially where Arwen is concerned).
The first few chapters of The Fellowship of the Ring reads like a children’s book, tonally similar to The Hobbit prequel (the 4 pages of intro and the preceding 20 pages infodump notwithstanding). The entire epic saga starts on a lighthearted note with Bilbo’s “eleventy-one� (111) birthday bash, his stunt with the One Ring, his interesting chat with Gandalf, and his departure from the Shire for parts unknown. As for the precious troublesome Ring, he bequeaths it to poor unsuspecting Frodo. After a time jump of more than ten years, Frodo also leaves the Shire accompanied by Sam, Merry and “fool of a Took� Pippins. Strider/ Aragorn soon joins up with the wee men and they head for Rivendell together and the now legendary “The Fellowship of the Ring� is formed by the Council of Elrond and the series epic quest to dump the Ring begins.
This book is so eventful if I put all the main plot points in I would be here all day. I find the tonal change from the first half of the book to the second quite strange (in a good way). As mentioned earlier, the first few chapters set in The Shire read like a children’s book, as we are introduced to the Hobbits characters with their twee cutesy duo-syllabic names, their love of fireworks, parties, good food and such. As soon as Frodo and friends leave the Shire the narrative switches to a darker tone. [image] By the time we get to the Council of Elrond, the juvenile tone has completely evaporated; any child reading this has to be extraordinarily attentive to keep up with all the names of places, people and other details.
It is often a rollicking adventure with some long-ish stretches of nicely written dialogue. In spite of the variation in the pacing, I don’t recall any dull moment, though when I read it as a young lad I was not all that appreciative of the “talky bits�. I believe this book has some of the best buildups of narrative momentum ever. Most of the highlights of the book are already anticipated from watching the more recent movie; the Ringwraith sniffing out Frodo, the Balrog vs Gandalf, the business with Boromir etc. I also particularly enjoy the scenes that were not filmed, particularly the Old Man Willow swallowing Merry and Pippin. If Peter Jackson was to be 100% faithful to the book The Fellowship of the Ring movie would have to be a musical because characters often burst into songs at the drop of a hat (also when no hats are being dropped). Most of these songs do not have any chorus (except Tom Bombadil’s chart-topping “Ring a Dong Dillo!�) so I imagine them as some kind of weird rap. [image] The Balrog vs Gandalf.
A major advantage of reading the book over watching the movie is to experience the sheer beauty of Tolkien’s language. His prose is often lyrical, witty, charming and basically a pleasure to read. Better still, even with all these literary qualities, he somehow manages to make his writing accessible as well. Tolkien’s characterization is of course, top notched, that is why so many of them are popular even among non-readers, Gandalf, Frodo, Bilbo, Aragorn, Legolas etc. are all well known. Even Bill the pony is a memorable and likable character. (Ooh, I hope he’s alright!). Tolkien’s dialogue is a work of art, he is able to give each character their own distinctive voice and personality without overreliance upon verbal quirks or speech impediments.
I have run out of accolades for the moment, I will surely think of some new ones for my The Two Towers reread. If you have (or haven’t) seen the movie do read this book, you will appreciate the movies even more. If you consider yourself a fantasy fan but have not read LOTR you’d better reconsider.
Phew! Now I need a sip of miruvor and a second breakfast, if you take my meaning.
[image] Notes: � Interesting to think that The Lord of The Rings trilogy is the one single series that defines the entire fantasy genre. There is no equivalent in any other genre. Talk about ruling them all!
� The four pages of introduction are quite charming and not too long. The twenty pages of background info about Hobbit architecture, what they like to eat, the type of weed they like to smoke, and where they get the weed from etc. do overstay their welcome a bit.
� Samwise Gamgee is my hero, he is much cooler than Frodo. That said, the book version of Frodo is considerably more badass than the wimpish Elijah Wood version.
� Who is Aragorn's Dad again? I just need to be reminded every now and then (͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) � of this book is the chillest. LOL! [image] Quotes: “The prime motive was the desire of a tale-teller to try his hand at a really long story that would hold the attention of readers, amuse them, delight them, and at times maybe excite them or deeply move them.�
“But I cordially dislike allegory in all its manifestations, and always have done so since I grew old and wary enough to detect its presence.�
“Elves seldom give unguarded advice, for advice is a dangerous gift, even from the wise to the wise, and all courses may run ill.� No elf reliance then.
“Since it was primarily linguistic in inspiration and was begun in order to provide the necessary background of 'history' for Elvish tongues.� [image]
Weaveworld is one of the very few books that I can claim to enjoy from the first page to the last, all 700+ pages of it. Even the introduction is greaWeaveworld is one of the very few books that I can claim to enjoy from the first page to the last, all 700+ pages of it. Even the introduction is great, normally I skim through lengthy intros to get to the story, but Clive Barker puts his heart and soul into this one, including this beautiful passage about the genre fiction:
“I have been, I think, altogether disparaging about the ‘escapist� elements of the genre, emphasizing its powers to address social, moral and even philosophical issues at the expense of celebrating its dreamier virtues. I took this position out of a genuine desire to defend a fictional form I love from accusations of triviality and triteness, but my zeal led me astray. Yes, fantastic fiction can be intricately woven into the texture of our daily lives, addressing important issues in fabulist form. But it also serves to release us for a time from the definitions that confine our daily selves; to unplug us from a world that wounds and disappoints us, allowing us to venture into places of magic and transformation.�
As a lifelong devotee of SF/F/H fiction, I sometimes have the same doubts about preferring this type of fiction above all others but the above passage really puts it in perspective for me.
Weaveworld is about another dimension called “The Fugue� which has been transformed into a carpet in order to hide from an unstoppable creature called “The Scourge�. The residents of the Fugue are called the “Seerkind�, a race with magical abilities who view mankind with disdain and refer to humans as “cuckoos�. The Fugue in carpet form works a little like suspended animation or dehydrated food in which places, animals and most of the Seerkind are woven in as patterns on the carpet; to be reconstituted by an appointed guardian when the world is safe. The storyline concerns two human protagonists who become involved with the Fugue and the Seerkind and their struggle against powerful enemies who are trying to destroy both.
I first read Weaveworld around fifteen years ago and certain elements and scenes have stuck with me through all these years. It is a dark fantasy with several horrifying scenes � definitely not for the faint of heart � and scenes of surreal beauty. The most memorable element of the book for me is the magical jacket worn by Shadwell, the main human antagonist of the book, the lining of the jacket is able to enslave anyone who look at it by showing their heart's desire and allowing them to delve into it and obtain that very thing.
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The central characters are very well written and believable, the antagonists are suitably warped, formidable and devious. In spite of its considerable length Weaveworld still manages to move at a fair clip. Something bizarre is always happening on almost every page and boredom never sets in. There is also more artistry in his prose than you would find in most genre books. The best thing about this book is that it is wonderful escapism, this book can sweep you away from a dull rainy day, or a slow day at the office. If you are a fan of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods this book is likely to be right up your alley, though it is much more horrific, packed to the gills with horrible slimy, sticky, drippy � not to mention horny � monstrosities.
With an average rating of 4.13 Weaveworld is generally very well liked. However, all books have their share of negative reviews and while I respect opinions contrary to my own, I take exception to one review that says this book “is lacking�. The trouble is the reviewer does not say what it is that the book is lacking. Is “lacking� an adjective now? In any case I don’t think it lacks anything and I heartily recommend it.
Cover art for the 25th anniversary edition of Weaveworld by (click on image for larger size).
As I write it has been about a week since Ray Bradbury passed away, as you can expect for such an influential author, numerous tributes are being writAs I write it has been about a week since Ray Bradbury passed away, as you can expect for such an influential author, numerous tributes are being written by famous authors, celebs, columnists, and of course fans. Instead of adding another drop to the ocean of tributes I would rather pay my own little tribute through rereading and reviewing my favorite Bradbury books. This one is my favorite of them all.
Something Wicked This Way Comes is one of Bradbury's best-known works. Like Fahrenheit 451 this is a fully fledged novel rather than a collection of interconnected stories like The Martian Chronicles or Dandelion Wine. If this was written recently it would probably be classified as YA. Fortunately, it was first published in the 60s, so it escapes such unnecessary stigmata and was read far and wide by readers of all ages.
This is a story of two boys Will Halloway and his best friend Jim Nightshade. How their lives are turned upside down when a mysterious carnival arrives in their Midwestern town and all hell proceed to break loose. [image] From the
Novels centered around a friendship between two kids like Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn can be very wonderful if done well. There is something about friendship at that young age when walking always seems too slow to get to where you want to go to do what you want to do, so you must always run. If you have a "bestie" to run with better still; the race is always on and winning it is unimportant. Those days stay with you for the rest of your life even if the friend has gone his separate ways. [image]
Reading about Jim Nightshade and William Halloway makes me feel nostalgic and brings back a lot of happy childhood memories even though I did not have to battle creepy supernatural gentlemen from a dark carnival. That said, the fantastical element of this book makes the story even more vivid for me because that is how my mind works. The book is written in simple yet evocative prose, there is a poetic rhythm to Bradbury’s writing which is characteristic of him. Practically every paragraph contains something quotable as an example of written elegance. The book is also highly atmospheric, I love the portentous feeling of the impending arrival of the mysterious carnival; I can almost hear the creepy calliope music described in the book.
The characters are beautifully drawn, Will Halloway is intelligent and earnest without being a mere cipher for the readers, his friend Jim Nightshade is impulsive, impatient and loyal. Will's father Mr. Charles Halloway is a lovable melancholic janitor who finds grace under pressure. Mr. Dark (AKA The Illustrated Man*) the villain of the piece is suitably suave, evil and formidable, his witchy henchwoman is even more creepy than he is. [image]
Beside a great story, there is plenty of food for thought, moral lessons and philosophical issues to ponder. I envy the boys their friendship, I do not want to go on that weird merry-go-round, and I love this book from first page to last. R.I.P. Mr. Bradbury. [image] Art by
[image] Art by
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* Not to be confused with the eponymous The Illustrated Man from Bradbury's famous anthology.
This would be my Halloween pick for any year.
Notes: � If you like spooky circuses, check out The Night Circus. � If you type in GR's code for this book's title in a review or a comment, like this: [image] GR will generate a link to this identically titled " Something Wicked This Way Comes" by Jenika Snow, which looks like a godawful book! 🤣...more
David Gemmell is a legend (much like the title of one of his books). I know GRRM, Rothfuss and Brandon Sanderson are all the rage but Gemmell is a giaDavid Gemmell is a legend (much like the title of one of his books). I know GRRM, Rothfuss and Brandon Sanderson are all the rage but Gemmell is a giant among men. His books are always action packed, intelligent and passionate, extra points also for them generally of being of medium lengths (300-600 pages). I love every one of his books that I have read but for the purpose of constructing my top 20 goodreads shelf I choose Lion of Macedon as being representative of his greatness.
Lion of Macedon is based on Greek mythology with Parmenion being the main protagonist, his development from a lowly half-Spartan into "The Death of Nations". The story is full of magic, strategies and tragedy, the complete story spans just two books, this one and the sequel Dark Prince, which features a semi-possessed Alexander the Great. There is no question of reading just the first volume and abandoning the rest of the story, I can not imagine anybody wanting to do that....more
I didn't expect to like this book all that much, it seems to be too easy to read for its own good. I usually like to struggle a little bit to come to I didn't expect to like this book all that much, it seems to be too easy to read for its own good. I usually like to struggle a little bit to come to terms with a book so that I feel like a solid relationship has been formed. Books which are easy to read from page one where no effort is needed to understand the settings or the characters tend to be quickly forgettable. Fortunately not the case with this book. The protagonist (Arlen) becomes more complex and interesting as the books goes on. The "magic system" is not wildly original but quite interestingly employed. What is perhaps missing is an intimidating main nemesis (Boss Monster in games term) though not having a Dark Lord is a nice change. The book is not free of fantasy tropes and cliches though. A scene near the end even reminds me of the movie Braveheart. Still, at the end of the day this is a very entertaining and often gripping fantasy novel. I have already bought book #2 "The Desert Spear"....more
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