June 2010 - What are you reading?

[The Evil Hat]

Can Wert, or someone else who's read it, shed a bit of light on this? I'm fairly curious, because I'm usually not bad at spotting foreshadowing (when it's pointed out to me).

I'm about halfway through The Naked God (finally got a hold of it Monday). So far, it's on par with the prior books (which is to say impossible to put down). That being said, (and though I don't mind her character,) the plot grins to a screeching halt whenever Louise is within twenty feet of the spotlight. So far, her storyline's been a hundred some-odd pages of doing nothing and failing to impact any other character in any way.

As for the resolution of the cliffhanger, can someone who's read the trilogy tell me what the clues were for it in the second book? I must've totally missed them. I thought:

It would be something like what happened on Valisk, where they worked out how to get back, or maybe even did something with the Laymil when there. I know Tranquility was far better guarded than Valisk, but it was also being attacked by an actual invading force, not a few psychotics running out of a bar.

Anyway, I just started Toll the Hounds, for the slightly cowardly reason that, if it was as awful as everyone says, I'd still have classes and such to help me power through it (I read about a hundred pages a day during random lulls in school) that I wouldn't if started a week later. Thankfully, that's proven totally unnecessary. I'm about 260 pages in so far, and I'm actually really enjoying the writing and atmosphere of it, as well as loving the part

with the "dying god" and the black lipped scarecrows

that I just read. Is this all about to go to hell soon, or am I just weird?

[Lightning Lord]

I'm about halfway through Going After Cacciato by Tim O'Brien. His more known work, The Things They Carried, was recommended to me, but no one I know has a copy. So I borrowed this one from a friend. It's excellent, thus far. I am not sure I am reading deeply enough, I am a little confused.

Anyway read The Things They Carried? Worth about $20?

[Old Nan]

Anyway, I just started Toll the Hounds, for the slightly cowardly reason that, if it was as awful as everyone says, I'd still have classes and such to help me power through it (I read about a hundred pages a day during random lulls in school) that I wouldn't if started a week later. Thankfully, that's proven totally unnecessary. I'm about 260 pages in so far, and I'm actually really enjoying the writing and atmosphere of it, [...] Is this all about to go to hell soon, or am I just weird?

Have you read much set in Darujhistan yet? The main complaint about the book that I recall is that Kruppe narrates every scene set there to a third party, in his singularly annoying voice. And all the usual silliness. Dust of Dreams is worse, if you ask me, even though it returns to Erikson's normal (iffy, but fairly standard) prose style.

[The Evil Hat]

I have, and I had no problems with the prose. Actually, I kind of liked it, though I suppose that I could picture it grating after a thousand two hundred and ninety pages...

[BookWyrm]

He demonstrates his dumbness more often as the story progresses.

Well yeah I can see that point, but my big problem is how jaded he is and reacts to just about everything. I'm starting to wonder if Gaiman chose his name to match the personality.

[Bellis]

Swan Song by Robert McCammon. This book desperately wants to be a Stephen King novel, and is plotted like one, but it lacks Kings ability to paint diverse, well-rounded, realistic characters. I never thought I'd be complimenting King, but The Stand this is not (despite the superficial plot similarities). It's also much more overtly middle-American Christian-centric than even King's work.

It could also be that I've started to watch The Wire and so the bar has been raised.

[Gormenghast]

Is this all about to go to hell soon, or am I just weird?

Toll the Hounds is the favorite book in the whole series for a number of readers, it's also the one Erikson himself is proud the most (he repeats this in his last blog post, commenting on the fact that Toll the Hounds received a substantial backlash: http://lifeasahuman.com/2010/arts-culture/books/steven-eriksons-notes-on-a-crisis-part-vii-scraping-hard-at-the-veil/

But one element holds to both options: and that is that this audience is human and as such shares the human condition. Accordingly, I do not hesitate in using a narrative point of view to directly challenge the reader – the witness to this history – and, in the one novel where I made that a central point to the entire narrative (Toll the Hounds), why, the fur did fly.

I knew the risk I was taking, and to this day the jury’s seriously divided on that novel.

I don’t care. I’m prouder of that novel than any other I’ve written.

So no, you aren't weird. Just not the majority, I guess.

[kcf]

I finished up The Passage last night. It's really good - the buzz is justified. Review

Next up is Riddle-Master by Patricia A. McKillip - a bit of a project with a few other bloggers to read the SFF Masterworks series of books.

[Xalinor]

Still plowing through Midnight Tides, and in my detached mental state I'm enjoying it.

[Procrastimancer]

Is this all about to go to hell soon, or am I just weird?

I enjoyed Toll the Hounds, especially the narrative style. It may not have been the best in the series, but it was hardly bad.

[Deedles]

Was in England for the weekend, and finding myself with 24.15 left at the airport decided to pick up some books to finish it up. WH Smith had a 4 for 3 offer so off I went.

The Tudor Wife - Emily Purdy. Please, for the sake of your sanity, avoid this. It's truly awful - though admitedly the lesbian scene between Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard was unintentionally funny. I wish I was joking. About the only positive for it was it took about 90 minutes to read. Still, 90 minutes of my life I'm never getting back.

Tickling the English - Dara O'Brien. About half way in - enjoying it so far. It's made me guffaw a few times, but I'm not sure if you'd have to be Irish to find some of it funny. The phrasing is distinctly Irish. Still, it's a good fun read.

Moving Pictures - PTerry. Bought it for my younger brother.Skimmed and enjoyed it, though not one of the stronger Ankh Morpok books imo.

The Slap - Christos Tsiolkas. Really liked this one. Very energetic with a well paced narrative. I found some things a little far fetched, some a little hard to take and some disturbing. It did however challenge me to think about themes such as adultery, drug taking, child discipline, growing older and so on.

[williamjm]

Anyway, I just started Toll the Hounds, for the slightly cowardly reason that, if it was as awful as everyone says, I'd still have classes and such to help me power through it (I read about a hundred pages a day during random lulls in school) that I wouldn't if started a week later. Thankfully, that's proven totally unnecessary. I'm about 260 pages in so far, and I'm actually really enjoying the writing and atmosphere of it, as well as loving the part

with the "dying god" and the black lipped scarecrows

that I just read. Is this all about to go to hell soon, or am I just weird?

I thought the ending was better than the start, actually, so if you like the start then you should be fine with the rest of it. It did have quite a few flaws, but I still liked the book overall, I think I prefer it to the books immediately before and after, anyway. I did think the Dying God bit was mostly fairly effective with a nicely sinister atmosphere, although the explanation for the identity of the Dying God was a bit rubbish.

[Gatsby]

I'm reading two books as of now.

One is Pride and Prejudice. It started off in an extremely slow and boring fashion, but after about fifteen or so chapters I've finally been able to get a hold on the cast, and have warmed up to the characters. Definitely becoming more and more enjoyable the further I get into it.

The other is a book called Darling Jim, which is a shitty, pulpy ,neo gothic romance book. At the beginning it seemed like it'd be this interesting look into the dark side that people can have and how most people will do their best to avoid acknowledge it.

Instead though, it's just a jumbled mess of "story within a story" nonsense with a series of completely unbelievable characters. I've heard some people argue that it's unrealistic elements are a strength, but I can't really buy into that. There's a difference between purposefully being over the top, and just not having a concept of how characters realistically react to eachother.

There's one ongoing sequence where a character goes bar to bar, having everybody halt their entire night so he can tell them a story about a man who turns into a wolf. Of course, each person in every bar is completely spell bound by this story and I'm thinking "Alright, this story isn't even interesting me. What chance would there be that the exact same story would have a bunch of extremely drunk Irish people having a night on the town is so spell binding that they all disregard what they're doing and even make plans so they can follow the storyteller around.

I'm about a third of the way through the book right now and have absolutely no desire to finish it, but think I will anyway.

[Bellis]

The Real Story, the first Gap novel by Stephen R Donaldson. Not really my cup of absinthe. This coming from having read and liked the first couple Thomas Covenant series. I understand this series gets better as it goes on, but it just doesn't sound that interesting to me.

[Eponine]

I just finished The Human Stain, and am starting on The Scar.

I liked The Human Stain while I was reading it, but upon finishing, my impression was mixed. Much of the writing is excellent, although I felt that the two antagonists eventually became silly caricatures. In a lot of ways, the prose outdid the plot and characterization. I never stopped remembering that I was reading a work of literature. Part of this may have been because of the nature of the narrator and the continual psychoanalysis. But I was always on the outside of the work - admiring it, but not part of it.

[Gormenghast]

Finished, after a long time, House of Chains. Review here.

Oh yes, praises. This is my favorite yet and my preference follows the natural flow 1 < 2 < 3 < 4.

Reading queue wants me to move onto Night of Knives now, then The Red Tree by Kiernan, but I think I'll swap that. I'm a bit overwhelmed by Malazan stuff right now.

[The Evil Hat]

Finished, after a long time, House of Chains. Review here.

Oh yes, praises. This is my favorite yet and my preference follows the natural flow 1 < 2 < 3 < 4.

Reading queue wants me to move onto Night of Knives now, then The Red Tree by Kiernan, but I think I'll swap that. I'm a bit overwhelmed by Malazan stuff right now.

Good review, and I agree with you: House of Chains is my favorite Malazan novel (so far), as well. I'm fairly curious to see how you react to the Esslemont stuff, seeing as one of the things you seem to cherish most about Erikson is his depth.

[Gormenghast]

I didn't have the chance to include in the review, but one amazing aspect is how Erikson can wave tragedy with laughter. One page it's tears, the next you're laughing like an idiot.

The ending scene with the Liosan was GREAT.

'Brother Jorrude?'

'Yes?'

'I want to go home.'

And Karsa in front of Tavore... Speechless.

'We are relieved.'

[pat5150]

That's Karsa being Karsa. . . ;)

Patrick

[Teng Ai Hui]

I recently finished Different Seasons by King. I guess I now need to rent Shawshank Redemption, Apt Pupil, and Stand by Me. Now, I'm about half way through Gaiman's Anansi Boys.