What Are You Reading? (March 2005)

[replicant2]

Just finished Three Hearts And Three Lions, by Poul Anderson, my very first experience into the D&D-inspiring literature apart from LotR.

If you liked Three Hearts and Three Lions -- heck, even if you didn't like it -- I urge you to find a copy of Anderson's The Broken Sword. It's fantastic epic fantasy that combines Norse mythology, inexorable tragic fate, races of faerie vs. encroaching humanity, and Christianity vs. paganism.

Cursed re-forged sword? Check.

Changelings and trolls? Check.

Journey to the ice lands of Jotunheim? Check.

Sprawling, long-winded and thick as a telephone book? Nope. It's downright short (206 pages) by today's standards, and loaded with enough stuff to spark a whole campaign.

 

[Draken]

Currently reading The Dying Earth, by Jack Vance, stuck at "The Eyes of the Overworld". Not falling in love with it actually...

After that, Terry Pratchet's Soul Music. I'm really looking forward to that.

Also, reading Complete Adventurer.

 

[Pielorinho]

I liked it fine enough. I enjoyed the portrayal of Victorian Wizardry a lot. If there's one thing I would hold against it, it'd be its moderation. There's no real tension, the funny moments make you smile, not laugh, etc. But very well written, I thought.
8/10 to me.

Interesting! I found it the best fantasy I've read since Perdido Street Stations, and before that, The Golden Compass. I was constantly laughing while reading it: her dry-as-dust wit is far more appealing to me than Pratchett's absurdism. And I definitely thought there were moments of great tension in it, although they mostly come in the second half of the book. If I were to level a criticism against it, it'd be that the book takes too long to get started. But once it does, it's superb, in my opinion.

Currently I'm reading Tigana, and loving it: it'll probably go up with Sailing to Sarantium as one of my favorites of Kay's works. I definitely understand its popularity (unlike the whole Fionavar tapestry trilogy, which I hated).

And my wife and I are reading A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court together. It's very funny, even if all the characters are kind of loathsome.

Daniel

 

[Berandor]

Interesting! I found it the best fantasy I've read since Perdido Street Stations, and before that, The Golden Compass. I was constantly laughing while reading it: her dry-as-dust wit is far more appealing to me than Pratchett's absurdism. And I definitely thought there were moments of great tension in it, although they mostly come in the second half of the book. If I were to level a criticism against it, it'd be that the book takes too long to get started. But once it does, it's superb, in my opinion.

Currently I'm reading Tigana, and loving it: it'll probably go up with Sailing to Sarantium as one of my favorites of Kay's works. I definitely understand its popularity (unlike the whole Fionavar tapestry trilogy, which I hated).

And my wife and I are reading A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court together. It's very funny, even if all the characters are kind of loathsome.

Daniel

Hey, 8/10 is a very good grade in my book! I didn't rate it among fantasy novels only, and I actually recommended the book to all my friends.

That said, I still thought the wit detracted from the tension somewhat, especially in the scenes with Stephen Black and the Elf - but I don't think the scenes were meant to be full of tension, anyway. I'd agree with you that the book picks up steam, but to me only after

Spoiler

Mrs. Strange dies

. But that might have something to do with the translation, I'm not sure.

But I found Strange & Norrell a delightful read, indeed

 

[Pielorinho]

Hey, 8/10 is a very good grade in my book!

Fair enough--and the translation issue didn't even occur to me. I'm guessing her wit translates well (especially into German), but I don't know for sure.

Daniel

 

[Berandor]

It's more a case of whether they used a good translator or not. Neil Gaiman, for example, seems to be known for having bad translations in Germany.

Anyway, I think the translation was well enough.

 

[Erekose13]

Just started into R. Scott Bakker's The Warrior Prophet. It's the second book in his Prince of Nothing series. The first book - The Darkness that comes Before - was excellent and I am really looking forward to this one, just wish I had more time to read.

 

[merztrumpet]

It's nearing the end of March and I'm finishing up Mumbo Jumbo written by Ishmael Reed. How'd everyone else fare this March?

 

[Jdvn1]

Started Children of the Mind and so far it's not as bad as I thought. At least, I'm not disappointed, but maybe my hopes were too low?

 

[Tetsubo]

Technics and Civilization by Lewis Mumford