Joe Abercrombie the Blade Itself II

[RedEyedGhost]

Well I was going to post the news about the Sword of Truth TV series when I heard about it, but I wanted to be liked here.

If you would have ridiculed it mercilessly you definitely would have been liked

[KatieG]

I didn't want to start a thread just for this question but can you guys tell me...are Abercrombie's books hard to find? I was at the Powell's in Portland yesterday, the largest book store in America. No Abercrombie.

I guess it depends on where you look. I wanted this books for a while because of all the good reviews here, but my local book store, which specializes in SF/F, didn't have TBI. But I went to a Border's that was going out of business and got it for 40% off. Maybe it was fate? So I guess I would say just look around...

[kcf]

I didn't want to start a thread just for this question but can you guys tell me...are Abercrombie's books hard to find? I was at the Powell's in Portland yesterday, the largest book store in America. No Abercrombie.

only TBI is out in the US - BTAH hits the stores late next month. I'm surprised it wasn't there, but then I haven't had need to look for a copy. It is Pyr's best selling title to-date.

[beniowa]

I haven't needed a copy either but both my local B&N and my local independent have always had a copy of TBI when I look for it.

[Caligula_K]

I'm about 200 pages in, enjoying it so far- the prose is generally well done, though it gets a bit choppy at points, something I hope improves with BFTAH. Seems like its going to be a humorous, dark, character driven rampage through war and barbarians, good times ahead.

One thing thats been driving me nuts, though: The opening quotation ("The blade itself often incites men to violence"- Homer.) Its a great quotation, and I've been looking through my copies of the Odyssey and the Iliad for it. Two questions: Where exactly is it from and who translated it? Anybody know, by any chance?

[The Iceman of the North]

I believe Joe got it from the Total War games.

[niamh]

I believe Joe got it from the Total War games.

[Joe Abercrombie]

I believe Joe got it from the Total War games.

How dare you? It was my own interpretive translation upon reading the Oddysey in its original ancient Greek, which I do every couple of years along with Herodotus in Latin, Beowulf in Old English, all the surviving writings of Sennacharib on the original cuniform clay prisms, plus loads of other stuff too clever and obscure for you luddites to have even heard of.

Yeah, right. The only stuff worth knowing that you can't learn from Total War, you can learn from Street Fighter II.

The quote in question is from a scene relatively near the end - Oddyseus, having finally returned home, is discussing with his son how to get rid of his wife's suitors, and they observe that they should remove the weapons from the room where they are staying. It's usually translated as something along the lines of - "the presence of weapons themselves is an encouragement to use them." But Total War's translation is just way cooler. I mean, otherwise the book would be called The Presence of Weapons. Actually, that's quite good. But I prefer The Blade Itself, don't you?

[Werthead]

Actually, that's quite good. But I prefer The Blade Itself, don't you?

Clearly, so did a certain crime novel writer

[Caligula_K]

Yeah, right. The only stuff worth knowing that you can't learn from Total War, you can learn from Street Fighter II.

I mean, otherwise the book would be called The Presence of Weapons. Actually, that's quite good. But I prefer The Blade Itself, don't you?

Ha, I'm all for milking the Total War series- and I think its a seriously cool translation. Video Games: 1, Classics professors: 0. Though if you ever do a 20th anniversary re-release of the Blade Itself, you should re-name it "The Presence of Weapons," just to confuse people.

[Caligula_K]

Well, I finished the fucker. It was a very fun book- it took a bit to get going, but the last 300 pages or so pretty much flew by. The characterization was generally well done- my favourite characters are Logen (always nice to see a thoughtful barbarian), Jezel (what can I say? I love selfish pricks from the nobility) and Gloktra, who pulls off the bitterness quite nicely (on the other hand, there's Ferro, who's pretty much a pain in the ass to read). The other thing I enjoyed the most would be the humour- some great lines all around, and I laughed aloud consistently. That said, I think that I'm slightly disappointed, after all the hype. The book doesn't have much structure at all- it kind of just goes from event to event, skipping over a lot of the action, and then comes a relatively random (though exciting) climax. Its pretty clearly a set up novel, which is to be expected, but I think that there's a little too much set up and not enough plot progression. Anyway, Before They Are Hanged is next on my to read list, and I'm definitely looking forward to it. So, a good debut, but not as good as I was expecting- here's to hoping that Before They Are Hanged picks up the plot.

7.5/10

(And Joe, you made Iron Maiden documentaries? Bloody awesome, which ones?)

[zollo]

It's usually translated as something along the lines of - "the presence of weapons themselves is an encouragement to use them."

Best stay out of the "handgun ban in DC" thread with that one.

[UNIT81]

just ordered a UK import paperback of before they are hanged from amazon. now i'll have to scrounge around for the last one...and probably get crushed by the price.

[add-on]

I finished this near the beginning of the month and immediately order BTAH from the Book Depository. It finally got here sometime last week, and I finished it in about a day and a half. So I'm a bit late responding to this thread.

I really enjoyed TBI. I think the plot was a little weaker than the other aspects of the book. Pacing could've been better, and the ending was just sort of...there. But then, I'm not really a plot guy, so what do I care? First book in a series, anyways.

The prose was pretty much readable throughout, but what I really appreciated about it was Abercrombie's feel for voice. The style of prose changes with each POV to help us get inside that character's head.

Which leads to characterization, which I thought was really well done. Logen and Jezal were my favorites. I love the twist on the typical fantasy barbarian and assholes are always entertaining. Also, after this book, I was really excited to see where Abercrombie was going to take Jezal's character, as it seemed he was in for some pretty rough lessons. I couldn't really get a feel for Ferro's character in this book, though she easily became one of my favorites in BTAH.

For most of the book Glokta was my least favorite character. I get the humor, the sarcasm, I just didn't find it funny. It sort of felt like reading the same joke over and over again. I feel like he's at his funniest, not in his internal dialogue, but when he's going back and forth with Severard, who I thought was hilarious.

Also, that kind of biting sarcasm Glokta employs is a kind of double edged sword for readers, I think. The fact that he uses it so much in his internal dialogue, provides an insight into his character. It's obviously a defense mechanism he employs to keep the pain of his present and past life at bay, to keep him from having to think about anything too much or too deeply. Unfortunately, that defense mechanism works on the reader as well as it does on Glokta himself. It keeps us from really being able to get to know him. I understand why Abercrombie would do this with the character, but it still kept me from being able to enjoy reading about him.

However, there was one moment in TBI where Glokta's defense shield drops. It's in the second half somewhere (cannot find it for the life of me) right at the end of one of his chapters. The details of the preceding events escape me, but the last line or so of the chapter is Glokta repeating his line "Why do I do this?" Only this time, it's not being asked with the same hum drum "here I go back to the factory on Monday" kind of sarcasm. This time you can feel how bone-weary he is of his life, his work, walking up the goddamn stairs. It was just a great moment in the book and almost made all of the set up internal dialogue worth it for me.

So to recap my Glokta shpeal: I can appreciate the character, I just don't enjoy reading him.

Another one of Abercrombie's strengths is dialogue. This goes back to the whole voice thing. He just seems to have a really good feel for it.

Worldbuilding...I don't care all that much about. As long as it doesn't seem completely unvelievable, I'm all right. No problems here.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable book, and, especially after having read BTAH, one I'm very glad I picked up.

[Freudas]

Another one of Abercrombie's strengths is dialogue. This goes back to the whole voice thing. He just seems to have a really good feel for it.

Urrr.

Ah.

Urrr.

Ah.

Urrr.

Ah.

[add-on]

Hahahahahaha. You make a fair point. If I'm not mistaken, that is actually from the second book.

And I was thinking more along the lines of...

"I'm glad it's you, Ninefingers," hissed Blacktoe through gritted teeth, "for what it's worth."

"I'm not." Logen swung the blade down.

...and the like. YMMV.

[Atreides]

If all goes well I get Before They are Hanged when the mail comes tomorrow. Which means that I better get my astronomy done tonight.

[Werthead]

If all goes well I get Before They are Hanged when the mail comes tomorrow. Which means that I better get my astronomy done tonight.

I find night to be the best time to do astronomy

[/obvious]

[Caligula_K]

Urrr.

Ah.

Urrr.

Ah.

Urrr.

Ah.

Ha, yes, I'm hoping that BTAH cuts down on some of those unnecessary sounds. Still, at least Abercrombie hasn't turned "er" into a plot point (yet), unlike Rowling.

[aidan]

Don't count on it, Brahm. They're still out in full force even in Last Argument of Kings.