Mother Cocanuts Posted September 30, 2017 Share Posted September 30, 2017 Books I couldn't finish? ...Winds of Winter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Seswatha Jordan Posted September 30, 2017 Share Posted September 30, 2017 35 minutes ago, Darth Richard II said: Wasn't that one controversial for how non controversial it was? Like I remember the author thinking a gay character in a fantasy would blow people's minds then it turned out fantasy has had gay characters for 20 years or so at least. I don't know about any controversy, but yea there were gay characters, and as you said there has been plenty of those. I think Morgan actually made them more realistic and didn't make a huge deal about them being gay. Thought it was well done. But, yea that's what I meant by controversy though. I'm sure some people would put it down as soon as they realized there are gays in the book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Richard II Posted September 30, 2017 Share Posted September 30, 2017 Well, I remember the author making a stink about no one making a stink, or something weird. 11 minutes ago, Mother Cocanuts said: Books I couldn't finish? ...Winds of Winter. I dunno I thought it picked up a lot in the second half. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polishgenius Posted September 30, 2017 Share Posted September 30, 2017 I wouldn't say he quite kicked up a stink, but there were definitely shades of Morgan thinking he was departing from fantasy norms far more than he actually was. Not so much about the gay stuff, but the whole tone of the series. Especially in the pre-release chatter, some of his comments made out like he'd never even heard of Joe Abercrombie or George RR Martin with how he was gonna shake up the farmboy norm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Seswatha Jordan Posted September 30, 2017 Share Posted September 30, 2017 45 minutes ago, polishgenius said: I wouldn't say he quite kicked up a stink, but there were definitely shades of Morgan thinking he was departing from fantasy norms far more than he actually was. Not so much about the gay stuff, but the whole tone of the series. Especially in the pre-release chatter, some of his comments made out like he'd never even heard of Joe Abercrombie or George RR Martin with how he was gonna shake up the farmboy norm. It was different, and I liked it. But, he didn't break any new ground or anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Marquis de Leech Posted September 30, 2017 Share Posted September 30, 2017 4 hours ago, Michael Seswatha Jordan said: I don't know about any controversy, but yea there were gay characters, and as you said there has been plenty of those. I think Morgan actually made them more realistic and didn't make a huge deal about them being gay. Thought it was well done. But, yea that's what I meant by controversy though. I'm sure some people would put it down as soon as they realized there are gays in the book. Oh, he did. To be fair, Ringil's society is supposed to be highly homophobic, so in that sense it's reasonable for Ringil to think about his sexuality all the time. It's just that there isn't much left if you take the gore and anal sex out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Seswatha Jordan Posted September 30, 2017 Share Posted September 30, 2017 12 minutes ago, Roose Boltons Pet Leech said: Oh, he did. To be fair, Ringil's society is supposed to be highly homophobic, so in that sense it's reasonable for Ringil to think about his sexuality all the time. Thats true. But, there is also a decent story in there also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry of the Lawn Posted September 30, 2017 Share Posted September 30, 2017 4 hours ago, Michael Seswatha Jordan said: Thats true. But, there is also a decent story in there also. Yeah, I thought the story decent, but just decent. I couldn't get through the second book. I just didnt really care about any of characters. Morgan's sci-fi stuff is some of my absolute favorite but Land Fit for Heroes just seemed a bit... Blah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Seswatha Jordan Posted September 30, 2017 Share Posted September 30, 2017 2 hours ago, larrytheimp said: Morgan's sci-fi stuff is some of my absolute favorite but Land Fit for Heroes just seemed a bit... Blah. I've been meaning to get to his sci-fi. Maybe after I'm done with The Expanse. Heard a lot of good about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jo498 Posted September 30, 2017 Share Posted September 30, 2017 17 hours ago, Notone said: I just remember that I really hated all the characters from the getgo. They all felt like poorly over the top exaggerated caricatures. Starting from reading the first few pages with that white self-obsessed phoney. I can't even remember his name (which is never a good sign). The only character I remember by name from that novel was Candido, and that's only because the teacher (who also taught Spanish) said, that the characters name also means something like simple. Anyway, let's agree to disagree on the literary value of Tortilla Curtain. Suffice to say, you would probably need to force me at gunpoint to pick up another TC Boyle novel again. Especially, if that one is considered to be one of his stronger novels. I am not at all sure if it is generally considered among his better ones. This was just my opinion. You are not wrong in your analysis, but I think especially for the white middle class couple it is precisely the point that the guy is self-obsessed and shallow although he thinks of himself as a great environmentalist and writer. You are basically supposed to hate the guy. Most of Boyle has this exaggerated satirical aspect, it's a feature, not a bug. The illegal Mexican couple is not satirized but they suffer an almost biblical array of misfortunes, so there is some exaggeration here as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedEyedGhost Posted September 30, 2017 Share Posted September 30, 2017 13 hours ago, Mother Cocanuts said: Books I couldn't finish? ...Winds of Winter. George, is that you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Argonath Diver Posted September 30, 2017 Share Posted September 30, 2017 2 hours ago, Michael Seswatha Jordan said: I've been meaning to get to his sci-fi. Maybe after I'm done with The Expanse. Heard a lot of good about it. Thirteen (or Black Man outside of the USA, I believe) is a standalone sci-fi of his that absolutely rocked. Kind of a pulp detective novel wrapped in a sci-fi, torn-apart America, with a lot of social commentary. And gore and over-the-top sex scenes, as Morgan does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myshkin Posted September 30, 2017 Share Posted September 30, 2017 On 9/28/2017 at 9:38 PM, Durckad said: The Idiot - My Kindle bricked about 20% into this and I ended up losing my place and just never went back to try and finish it. I'm not a mod, but I'm banning you anyway. It's a real pity, because I like you, but please never post again. Thank you for your cooperation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myshkin Posted September 30, 2017 Share Posted September 30, 2017 On 9/29/2017 at 0:06 PM, Theda Baratheon said: I had to double check this wasn't the Angela Carter book (bit confused, it's called Nights at the Circus'' because then I'd have my OWN ''omg how can you say this'' moment. Fevvers is my spirit animal. 17 hours ago, Michael Seswatha Jordan said: I don't know about any controversy, but yea there were gay characters, and as you said there has been plenty of those. I think Morgan actually made them more realistic and didn't make a huge deal about them being gay. Thought it was well done. But, yea that's what I meant by controversy though. I'm sure some people would put it down as soon as they realized there are gays in the book. What?! Being gay was the defining feature of and sole driving force for Ringil. Morgan was so busy proving how cool he was with gay people that he plain forgot to give Ringil any other character traits. It was not handled well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Seswatha Jordan Posted September 30, 2017 Share Posted September 30, 2017 1 minute ago, Myshkin said: Fevvers is my spirit animal. What?! Being gay was the defining feature of and sole driving force for Ringil. Morgan was so busy proving how cool he was with gay people that he plain forgot to give Ringil any other character traits. It was not handled well. , I liked Ringil as a character and felt there was more to him than being gay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Richard II Posted September 30, 2017 Share Posted September 30, 2017 42 minutes ago, Myshkin said: Fevvers is my spirit animal. What?! Being gay was the defining feature of and sole driving force for Ringil. Morgan was so busy proving how cool he was with gay people that he plain forgot to give Ringil any other character traits. It was not handled well. OK so yeah I am remembering that right. And it's not a book I couldn't finish thread unless someone mentions Russian Lit and The Goblin King comes in to slay them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Durckad Posted September 30, 2017 Share Posted September 30, 2017 1 hour ago, Myshkin said: I'm not a mod, but I'm banning you anyway. It's a real pity, because I like you, but please never post again. Thank you for your cooperation. A wild Myshkin appears! It is very acerbic! I figured that would wake you from your slumber. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jo498 Posted October 1, 2017 Share Posted October 1, 2017 The real Myshkin would never ban anyone... he was such a mild and nice guy. It's been more than 20 years that I read "The idiot" (twice, once with about 19, once about three years later) and I don't know if I would be as enthusiastic as I used to be about it. But back then I found the first part, beginning with Myshkin's arrival and encounter with Rogoshin and ending with that mad evening party at Nastassya Filipowna's the most enthralling and captivating thing I ever read. After this there is something of a "break" as far as I remember and it can take some effort for the reader to continue. Although it could not have continued at the intensity of the beginning for another 500 pages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dora Vee Posted October 1, 2017 Share Posted October 1, 2017 Most books I don't finish are usually those that ended up boring me or I lost interest. Marriet in Ecstasy, The Dragon reborn, the town beyond the wall, His Dark materials, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Queen of the Damned, and most recently, the Unholy Consult. That last one was the only book I ever RAGE QUIT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortstark Posted October 1, 2017 Share Posted October 1, 2017 Add me to the posters who bounced off Grace of King and Jonathan strange, i initially tried to read the original Long Price novel when it was just released and could not get past the first couple chapters, this state of affairs continued for a decade or more because it kept being recced by posters who i noticed had similar taste to mine, then i was on a flight from the UK to Jamaica and being a captive audience so to speak i read this book,the rest is history, i regularly read this series straight through, probably on a yearly basis, i would encourage anyone who has had difficulty getting through it to give it one last shot... Crown for Cold Silver made me ill, had to stop.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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