The Green Pearl (Lyonesse, #2)

by Jack Vance

book data

180 ratings, 4.08 average rating, 11 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		42%
4		30%
3		22%
2		3%
1		1%

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published

April 28th 1985 by Underwood Books (first published 1985)

details

Hardcover, 406 pages

isbn

088733010X (isbn13: 9780887330100)

description

In THE GREEN PEARL, King Aillas of Troicinet defends the peace of the Elder Isles against both the Ska marauders who once enslaved him and the wicked …more

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SciFi and Fantasy...: What I'm Also Reading in January 2009	58	352	Jan 31, 2009 12:54PM

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Apr 15, 2009

Kat at FanLit rated it:

Read in April, 2009

The Green Pearl is another engrossing adventure in Jack Vance's whimsical world. This installment of Lyonesse mainly follows Aillas, now King of Troicinet, as he seeks revenge on the Ska, tests his infatuation with Tatzel, deals with a couple of traitors, and tries to thwart the ambitions of King Casmir of Lyonesse who, unbeknownst to Casmir, is Aillas's son's grandfather. We also spend quite a bit of time with Shimrod, Glyneth, Melancthe, and some new and excellent characters such as the duplic...more The Green Pearl is another engrossing adventure in Jack Vance's whimsical world. This installment of Lyonesse mainly follows Aillas, now King of Troicinet, as he seeks revenge on the Ska, tests his infatuation with Tatzel, deals with a couple of traitors, and tries to thwart the ambitions of King Casmir of Lyonesse who, unbeknownst to Casmir, is Aillas's son's grandfather. We also spend quite a bit of time with Shimrod, Glyneth, Melancthe, and some new and excellent characters such as the duplicitous innkeeper Dildahl, the dogged but distractible Visbhume, and The Notable and Singular Zuck (Dealer in Objects Unique Under the Firmament).

There are two main reasons that I love Lyonesse. First, I admire Vance's florid imagination. His world and its creatures are unique and, while not as bizarre as Lewis Carroll's, there's plenty of weirdness. Second, I love Jack Vance's odd but irresistible style. There's no message, no lesson, no pretensions — it's just pure fast-paced entertainment. But best of all, Vance's deliberately peculiar and droll prose makes me laugh:

A crippled ex-soldier named Manting for ten years had served the county as executioner. He did his work efficiently and expunged Long Liam's life definitely enough, but in a style quite devoid of that extra element of surprise and poignancy, which distinguished the notable executioner from his staid colleague. ... [then Manting comes into possession of the Green Pearl which Long Liam had carried:] ... Thereafter, all who watched Manting declared that they had never seen the executioner's work done with more grace and attention to detail, so at times Manting and the condemned man seemed participants in a tragic drama which set every heart to throbbing; and at last, when the latch had been sprung, or the blow struck, or the torch tossed into the faggots, there was seldom a dry eye among the spectators.

And the dialog is truly humorous — so many authors try, but Vance gets it right. Just two short examples:

• The barber said politely: "Sire, I suggest that you hold your feet motionless while I am cutting your toenails."
• When the beautiful but empty-headed Melancthe tries to seduce Shimrod, he says: "My character is intensely strong, and my will is like iron; still, I see no reason to demonstrate their strength needlessly."

Again I shake my head in bewilderment that this charming trilogy can not be acquired by the usual book-obtaining methods. What a shame!
Read my other Jack Vance reviews.(less)

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Aug 22, 2009

Nick rated it:

Read in August, 2009

Book Two of the Lyonesse series shows Vance at his best. He's got the magicians-and-swords epic genre down pat, and the tale rolls along with all the energy of a magician on a tear. This is great, classic fun. If you like Harry Potter, or the Lord of the Rings, then you'll feel right at home in Lyonesse.

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Jan 29, 2010

Bryan rated it:

(review of other edition)

bookshelves: ebooks, fantasy

Read in February, 2010

Sheer pleasure! Highest possible rating! Jack Vance is a master - his writing has a style of its own. He loves language, and no other author I've read matches his command of English. Humor and action, wit and wisdom, through worlds strange and fantastic. This is a truly enthralling tale, a masterwork to be treasured and reread again and again.

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Dec 04, 2009

Anthony Haden rated it:

The continuation of an overly dull, overly wordy, and overly action-less tale of boredom. Got mildly interesting near the end when in the alternate universe/dimension of Tanjecterly (sp?). Absolutely no momentum or story arc of any kind.

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Apr 08, 2009

Bettie marked it as to-read

bookshelves: to-read

H:\bookies\sci-fi and fantasy\L2 - Lyonesse - The Green Pearl

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Jan 05, 2009

Terence rated it:

(review of isbn 0586067515)

bookshelves: sf-fantasy

Owns a copy — Read in January, 2009

See Lyonesse III: Madouc for the review.

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Apr 14, 2007

Alex rated it:

bookshelves: fantasy

recommends it for: adult to old

The second part of the Lyonesse series.

Fantasy for adults.

Kingdoms come to fall, war, a child is born, wizards, man on a mission.

Read the story and enter a world of all of that.

Good book to have on the shelves

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Mar 27, 2007

Dave rated it:

Jack Vance has better command of of the English language and its possibilities than any other author I've ever known.

Of all his books, this series is my favorite:
1) Lyonesse
2) The Green Pearl
3) Madouc

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