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29th out of 45 books
—
28 voters
Ink (The Book of All Hours #2)
by
Hal Duncan
With his stunning debut novel, Vellum, Hal Duncan shattered the boundaries between genres. Fantasy, or science fiction, Vellum shocked with the boldness of its ideas, seduced with the sensual beauty of its prose, and astonished with its imaginative sweep. Now Duncan returns with another epic tour de force that surpasses all expectations.
INK: The Book of All Hours
Once, in t...more
INK: The Book of All Hours
Once, in t...more
Paperback, 530 pages
Published
February 27th 2007
by Del Rey
(first published January 1st 2007)
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This is definitely the best pair of books I've read in a long time. It was a lot of fun learning to read the parallel stories throughout the first book until you began to understand the idea of time as a 3D construct. And then in Ink, you have to start thinking of it as a fractured structure which still holds a formidable sort of order. I loved the characters, and how their plot lines come together in the end. It constantly read like a different book than the 50 pages right before it, and I love...more
Originally published on my blog here in November 2009.
Book two of The Book of All Hours continues in the same vein as book one, Vellum. Like that, and you'll like this. Find that incomprehensible (which is quite possible), and this will be the same. (Note that it is a while since I read Vellum, so my description of how the two books relate together might not be entirely accurate.)
The Book of All Hours (the book within the book) describes, controls, or perhaps is, the multitude of universes. In t...more
Book two of The Book of All Hours continues in the same vein as book one, Vellum. Like that, and you'll like this. Find that incomprehensible (which is quite possible), and this will be the same. (Note that it is a while since I read Vellum, so my description of how the two books relate together might not be entirely accurate.)
The Book of All Hours (the book within the book) describes, controls, or perhaps is, the multitude of universes. In t...more
VELLUM, the first book in this series, was my favorite book of the year and I was dying for INK to come out. But while there were many wonderful moments in this book, it just couldn't keep me engaged. I cannot live by meta-character alone, I guess. I'm sorry to say, it's one of the few books that after months of slogging through it, I gave up. That's right. Didn't finish it. Sorry. So many seeds of brilliance, so much potential, but far too indulgent.
See my review for his first novel in this set, 'Vellum'. 'Ink' is really the second half of the one BIG novel that is 'Vellum/Ink'. Neither makes much sense without the other. Together they're brilliant. Separately, the reader will be completely lost. They really should be published together in a massive, gold-stamped (swirled?), leather bound volume and read annually,aloud over a month, like 'Ulysses' or 'Finnegan's Wake'. Not a book for the faint of heart, impatient or those who must, by neces...more
It seems petty to criticise Ink for being too indulgent, as that is the thing that many readers will love about it. But I wished Duncan had found a bit more structure and maybe cut about a third of the book. I found a lot of the individual scenes to be absolutely beautifully written, and I think Duncan has an amazing talent. But I get the feeling nobody knew how to edit this book, or else they were just too in love with it to touch it. Anyway, give it a try; maybe other readers will love the exc...more
This book was really similar, style-wise, to Ink. The main difference was that the plot was even less apparent... that's why I gave it only three stars. But even when I was frustrated because I didn't know what was going on or who the characters were (because they changed names and I would sometimes get them confused) or anything, I kept reading it because the prose was all twisty and beautiful.
Here are some random examples that I liked a lot:
"Out in the Hinter, seasons are lands. You live in th...more
Here are some random examples that I liked a lot:
"Out in the Hinter, seasons are lands. You live in th...more
Might as well talk about 'Ink' and 'Vellum' together, since they're really one work.
Conveniently, Duncan describes his work himself, within the text of the book:
"...the Book has as many histories as the world itself, and it contains them all in its Moebius loop of time and space, of contradicting stories somehow fused as one confused and rambling tale, a sort of truth but full of inconsistencies and digressions, spurious interpolations and interpretations, fiction told as fact, fact told as fict...more
Conveniently, Duncan describes his work himself, within the text of the book:
"...the Book has as many histories as the world itself, and it contains them all in its Moebius loop of time and space, of contradicting stories somehow fused as one confused and rambling tale, a sort of truth but full of inconsistencies and digressions, spurious interpolations and interpretations, fiction told as fact, fact told as fict...more
I actually hated Vellum. It felt like a muddled up stream of consciousness all the more infuriating because the potential for greatness was right there on the surface and yet not realised. There were bits I loved, but mostly it was a slog to get through and it's taken me about 2 years to work up the courage to try the sequal, Ink. For the most part, though, I'm glad I did. It's just as disjointed and all over the place as Vellum, and yet it somehow manages to be what Vellum wasn't; it comes acro...more
After spending so much thought exploring the thread and twists of Vellum's plot (review), Ink's more straight-forward narrative was a letdown. I was left at the end of Vellum wanting to know so much more about the surviving world and what the characters were going to do next, but Ink didn't pick up at all where Vellum left off. Instead of the myriad threads of narrative that made up Vellum's plot, Ink juggled only a couple -- but of that couple, half failed to capture my interest entirely.
A larg...more
A larg...more
Dec 27, 2007
Craig Couden
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
scifi/myth lovers who want a challenge.
Wow. This book is really good.
To try to sum up the plot of Ink and its precursor Vellum would take up much more space and time than I care to expend. But in a nutshell: The world has ended, reality has shattered, and seven people try to put together pieces of themselves that are shattered and scattered across reality while they try to find the mythical/ real Book that is the map/key to the universe. In a nutshell.
Ink is one of the more difficult simply to read. narration jumps back and forth bet...more
To try to sum up the plot of Ink and its precursor Vellum would take up much more space and time than I care to expend. But in a nutshell: The world has ended, reality has shattered, and seven people try to put together pieces of themselves that are shattered and scattered across reality while they try to find the mythical/ real Book that is the map/key to the universe. In a nutshell.
Ink is one of the more difficult simply to read. narration jumps back and forth bet...more
Quite excellent, although it took me a while to get through. This also was not for the faint of heart, but has a lot of storyline references and in some ways I think was easier to follow than Vellum. References to classic Commedia Dell'Arte - Harlequin, Columbine, Pierrot, and Pantalone - alternate realities, slipping through timelines, and a rescue of the main characters from Vellum from the aftermath of the events in that book. It definitely brings everything together and gives a sense of fina...more
I have no words for how utterly delighted I am with this book.
This is the best thing that can happen when you trust an author and keep reading even though your confused about what's going on, concerned that it might all just be pretentious pomo wank, and tempted to read something that's not so friggen heavy (in every sense of the word). Duncan pays dividends as The Book of All Hours resolves itself into a story that's not just about playing with mythology and intertextuality, but also a poignant...more
This is the best thing that can happen when you trust an author and keep reading even though your confused about what's going on, concerned that it might all just be pretentious pomo wank, and tempted to read something that's not so friggen heavy (in every sense of the word). Duncan pays dividends as The Book of All Hours resolves itself into a story that's not just about playing with mythology and intertextuality, but also a poignant...more
So this is the "sequel" to Vellum. I put it in parenthesis because in all honesty both books read like their one. There is no coherent end to Vellum & Ink doesn't really have a story start. Which makes me glad that I realized that this was a sequel when I got it from the library BEFORE I started reading it.
The story seems a little convoluted while your reading it, but by the time you get to the end it makes perfect sense. Every story seems entirely different, but really it's all the same jus...more
The story seems a little convoluted while your reading it, but by the time you get to the end it makes perfect sense. Every story seems entirely different, but really it's all the same jus...more
Just like Vellum, this is hard to get. It was somewhat difficult to follow the multidimensional storylines and I got lost at times. When I thought I got it I'm still thinking that I'm too supid for this book. Still I enjoyed this a great deal, I liked the style of writing and the atmosphere.
Wow, this is an insanely ambitious book. There were elments of it I liked: the creativity; the assimilation of classics and history into the characters; the rewritings of the Torah; the preponderance of literary refernces; the sheer "I really can't believe this guys is saying that he's virgo" pomposity, etc.
Ultimately though, I think the book just squanders too much good will in making it as dificult as it is too read. I was also disapointed that some of the resolutions of the sotry lines were...more
Ultimately though, I think the book just squanders too much good will in making it as dificult as it is too read. I was also disapointed that some of the resolutions of the sotry lines were...more
Mindblowingly complex, but each section compulsive reading. Tremendous style,and fast paced even though he revisits the same/similar/parallel action time and again
This book was great, but I really have no idea what was going on. At all. Utterly confused for the first half of it, but engrossed. Second half, slightly less confused, but still enjoying it. It may have made more sense if I was familiar with some of the literary references. Or it may not.
This story line is a bit harder to follow than the first one, as it jumps around quite a bit more. Despite that fact, I still loved it.
Confusing but Fabulous! I really loved this book. for adluts only though- some very heavy subject matter.
Oct 19, 2007
Joshua Carlson
is currently reading it
Well, despite my enthusiasm for Vellum, part 2 of The Book of All Hours is not living up to my expectations. The narrative is just as intriguing, but over 200 pages in and the lack of mythological ties makes the narrative simply needlessly complex. While I wished for more Jack Flash in Vellum, I'm left wondering why so much, and why isn't he anywhere near as cool? And finally, 190 pages in and Phreedom finally makes an appearance. Hopefully it will get better and live up to the promise of the fi...more
Fascinating read, along with Vellum. Weill be re-read some day I'm sure.
At times, very confusing, but quite brilliant at others. The ending left me a bit disappointed, but not enough to detract from FIVE stars. I love his challenging and poetic writing style.
Omniscient words... what more can I ask for.
Like it's prequel, Vellum, I basically spent the whole time reading this book trying to piece together what was actually going on. It is a bit like being outrageously drunk... I have no idea what happened, but I must have had a good time... right? Some time next year I will read the whole thing again, and try to work out what the hell it was about.
Despite this confusion, it does have great imagery and awesome characters, it's just that I could actually follow the plot.
Despite this confusion, it does have great imagery and awesome characters, it's just that I could actually follow the plot.
A nice conclusion to the story begun in Vellum. Duncan tones down the incessant switching between narratives and characters, which makes book 2 of the Book of All Hours a more legible counterpart and more focused. The pleasure of reading his smartly researched prose did not diminish the slightest from having fewer narrative strands and mythologies to follow. I will be interested to see what he comes out with next.
Just as riveting, dreamy and excellent as the first book, but I wish I'd taken my friend's recommendation and not read that last chapter. That was the first time I've ever actually thrown a book across the room in disappointment. WTF Duncan? Don't you know that's exactly the kind of cop-out finish that makes readers want to punch you directly in the mouth?
There were a lot of really redundant and over-the-top scenes and lines in here, and a really dark take on the angels, but at the same time, there's plenty to love too. Not sure how I feel about the ending.
Jan 25, 2012
Kori Klinzing
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Mythology buffs, word nerds, and the disciples of Jung.
4.5
Once again, I was left elated, delighted and very slightly confused. A really wonderful read.
Once again, I was left elated, delighted and very slightly confused. A really wonderful read.
Follow-up to Vellum. Also good, but I started getting tired of the format.
did not draw me in at all.
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Hal Duncan is the author of Vellum, which was a finalist for both the William H. Crawford Award and the Locus Award for Best First Novel. He is a member of the Glasgow SF Writers’ Circle. He lives in the West End of Glasgow.
(Picture taken by Szymon Sokół.)
More about Hal Duncan...
(Picture taken by Szymon Sokół.)
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“A ship with two of every animal in the world, my friend? That would have to be a very large ship indeed. Is that how you would save a world? A bull and a cow, a sheep and a ram, and so on? The people who wrote your Torah, my friend, must have had poor livestock if they raised their herds from only one dam and one sire, breeding sisters with their brothers, any herdsman knows that this does not produce a healthy flock.
No, my friend to save the world you save the knowledge of that world, the knowledge that there were bulls and cows in it, that there were sheep and rams in it, that there were men and women who lived and died. If your world is to be destroyed, all you can save my friend, is the knowledge of it, to restore what you once had, to mourn what can never be restored.”
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3 people liked it
No, my friend to save the world you save the knowledge of that world, the knowledge that there were bulls and cows in it, that there were sheep and rams in it, that there were men and women who lived and died. If your world is to be destroyed, all you can save my friend, is the knowledge of it, to restore what you once had, to mourn what can never be restored.”
“We are our own worst enemies. How banal and trite that sounds, but [...] have come to believe that all the greatest truths are trite and banal, when spoken aloud in their simplest and most honest terms. Perhaps they can only be imparted in the Cant, in a language which writes itself onto your heart so that you understand not just the words but all the shattering ramifications of of a sentence which, when heard without true understanding, seems quite risibly simplistic.
We are our own worst enemies.
People die.”
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3 people liked it
More quotes…
We are our own worst enemies.
People die.”
