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What are you reading? |
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Decrepit |
Oct 25 2019, 04:09 PM
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Master
Joined: 9-September 15
From: Mid-South USA
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As expected, a two-book Amazon shipment arrived late Monday morning. It included volume one of Katharine Kerr's The Silver Wyrm. However, the day prior I ceased reading Stephen Donaldson's Lord Faul's Bane, fearing I might become hooked and end up reading the entire First and Second Chronicles. Chose instead Larwence Watt-Evans' The Misenchanted Sword, a book read four times, most recently late Feb 2006. A safer bet, I thought. Nope, I'm hooked. Gonna finish it before tackling Kerr. (I'm maybe halfway through.) A plus; though I own several other Watt-Evans books set in same world, and they do relate to each other, they're all standalone novels. I'll be less tempted to read the lot before moving on. Or so I hope.
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Decrepit |
Nov 19 2019, 12:58 PM
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Master
Joined: 9-September 15
From: Mid-South USA
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At 2256 yesterday evening, lying on the sofa, I finished my initial read of Katharine Kerr's The Shadow Isle, book three of The Silver Wyrm, itself a component of her vast Deverry writings. Like its predecessors, I find it a decent novel. Worth reading, but I'll not go out of my way to recommend it.
I'm now several pages into what is, as of now, Ms. Kerr's final Deverry entry, book four of Silver Wyrm, The Silver Mage.
This post has been edited by Decrepit: Nov 19 2019, 01:02 PM
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Decrepit |
Nov 25 2019, 01:54 AM
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Master
Joined: 9-September 15
From: Mid-South USA
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I'm still reading The Silver Mage, but noticed this fine audio reading of Eye of the World, book one of Wheel of Time, at YouTube. Very nice narration. Don't know how legit this posting is. It might not be available for long. Then again, it might. Listened to it a while. Man is Jordan a fine writer!, as if I need to be reminded of that. He so outclasses Kerr (and most other writers) it might take me some time to readjust when I take up Silver Mage at bedtime.
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Uleni Athram |
Dec 1 2019, 04:18 PM
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Master
Joined: 19-September 11
From: From: From: From
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The Artesia comics. Dear lord, this is shaping up to be quite the journey!
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I wanna slap people and tell them I love them
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Decrepit |
Dec 5 2019, 10:10 PM
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Master
Joined: 9-September 15
From: Mid-South USA
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I settled on The Summer Tree, book one of The Fionavar Tapestry by Guy Gavriel Kay. I'm not far in, and find it slow going. For one thing, it's a book I like very much. I've read it six times before, most recently late 2015. That's a problem, in that I remember it TOO well. (A great rarity for me.) Also, it begins with a trope I'm not overly fond of - persons from this world and time being transported to an alternate reality, where they not only survive and thrive, but become movers and shakers in that world. I rarely find this scenario convincing. As fine a writer as Kay is, the lead-up to the crossing doesn't convince here. I thought so my initial read. Subsequent reads haven't convinced me otherwise. That said, once in their new environment things begin to improve. Pretty soon I'll be as hooked as ever. Or so I hope.
This post has been edited by Decrepit: Dec 6 2019, 12:06 AM
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SubRosa |
Dec 5 2019, 10:18 PM
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Ancient
Joined: 14-March 10
From: Between The Worlds
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QUOTE(Decrepit @ Dec 5 2019, 04:10 PM) I settled on The Summer Tree, book one of The Fionavar Tapestry by Guy Gavriel Kay. I'm not far in, and find it slow going. For one thing, it's a book I like very much. I've read it six times before, most recently late 12015. That's a problem, in that I remember it TOO well. (A great rarity for me.) Also, it begins with a trope I'm not overly fond of - persons from this world and time being transported to an alternate reality, where they not only survive and thrive, but become movers and shakers in that world. I rarely find this scenario convincing. As fine a writer as Kay is, the lead-up to the crossing doesn't convince here. I thought so my initial read. Subsequent reads haven't convinced me otherwise. That said, once in their new environment things begin to improve. Pretty soon I'll be as hooked as ever. Or so I hope.
I read the first two books of the Tapestry around a decade or more ago. So they are a little fuzzy now. But I recall feeling that there were just too many characters. They each did not seem to get enough time individually to show their adaptations and growth in the new world. Instead the story seemed to rush through their various acclimations. I think it would have been a better story with only one protagonist, or at the most two, so that a lot more attention could have been given to their development.
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Decrepit |
Dec 6 2019, 11:43 AM
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Master
Joined: 9-September 15
From: Mid-South USA
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QUOTE(SubRosa @ Dec 5 2019, 03:18 PM) QUOTE(Decrepit @ Dec 5 2019, 04:10 PM) I settled on The Summer Tree, book one of The Fionavar Tapestry by Guy Gavriel Kay. I'm not far in, and find it slow going. For one thing, it's a book I like very much. I've read it six times before, most recently late 2015. That's a problem, in that I remember it TOO well. (A great rarity for me.) Also, it begins with a trope I'm not overly fond of - persons from this world and time being transported to an alternate reality, where they not only survive and thrive, but become movers and shakers in that world. I rarely find this scenario convincing. As fine a writer as Kay is, the lead-up to the crossing doesn't convince here. I thought so my initial read. Subsequent reads haven't convinced me otherwise. That said, once in their new environment things begin to improve. Pretty soon I'll be as hooked as ever. Or so I hope.
I read the first two books of the Tapestry around a decade or more ago. So they are a little fuzzy now. But I recall feeling that there were just too many characters. They each did not seem to get enough time individually to show their adaptations and growth in the new world. Instead the story seemed to rush through their various acclimations. I think it would have been a better story with only one protagonist, or at the most two, so that a lot more attention could have been given to their development. Interesting comment. I hadn't considered single vs multi protagonists in literature before. Had someone asked me about it out-of-the-blue, I'd have announced myself neutral on the subject. However, thinking back on the many novels I've read, a large percentage of favorites fall in the 'multi viewpoints' camp. Enough so to consist in a preference. Maybe a substantial preference. Don't know where I'm going with this...or if it means much of anything other than the obvious.
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Decrepit |
Dec 22 2019, 11:23 AM
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Master
Joined: 9-September 15
From: Mid-South USA
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At 2058 yesterday evening, during one of my infrequent, failed, attempts to lie comfortably on my back in bed, I finished my seventh read of Gay Gavriel Kay's The Wandering Fire, book two of The Fionavar Tapestry. I read much of the third, final book's intro last night before falling asleep, and am now several pages into chapter one of The Darkest Road.
Fionavar is, of course, much influenced by Tolkien. I find it is at least as heavily influenced by Silmarillion as LOTR, maybe more so. Which is fitting, considering Kay cut his teeth helping Christopher Tolkien prepare Silmarillion for publication.
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haute ecole rider |
Dec 22 2019, 06:40 PM
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Master
Joined: 16-March 10
From: The place where the Witchhorses play
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And Tolkein himself was heavily influenced by the Icelandic saga The Eddas, so you could say most modern fantasy owes a great debt to the mythology of the Norsemen. Having read a translation of this saga, I can vouch for LOTR's and Silmarilion's roots in this ancient tale.
I'm sure other European tribes had their own sweeping mythological/fantastical traditions, but unfortunately much of these appear to have been subsumed or obscured by the hagiography of the Catholic Church.
Lately I've been seeking out fantasies that are inspired by what I call "nontraditional" sources - a series inspired by the Russian folk tales of witches and Rusalkas, another trilogy inspired by ancient Indian (the Asian subcontinent, not the American) tales, yet another inspired by old Chinese fables, and a most excellent series inspired by ancient Egyptian and Bedouin tales, and so on. After becoming jaded on the usual sword and sorcery fantasy tale years ago, I find these "new" traditions so much more interesting and even refreshing.
Currently, however, I'm reading something far removed from fantasy - The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses Simpson Grant, Complete. As a history buff, I find the recounting of Civil War events from one man's perspective, and that of a general to be very interesting. I finished the section concerning his C.W. years this morning, and felt rather awed by his recounting of Lee's surrender at Appomattox.
The recounting of the last twenty years of his life should go rather quickly. It's a good thing I found this book and purchased it, otherwise, had it been a library book it would have taken me much longer to finish it, what with losing it every two weeks and having to place a hold on it and waiting for it to become available again!
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