I wish Emma Holly would write something other than porn. She's a very strong writer, but there's only so much you can do with Tab A and Slot B (or eve...moreI wish Emma Holly would write something other than porn. She's a very strong writer, but there's only so much you can do with Tab A and Slot B (or even several tabs, slots, and so on).
I'm also dismayed that she hopped right on the bandwagon and seems to be doing nothing but paranormal erotica lately. I suppose there's a readership for that, but it would sure be something to see Ms Holly stretch, as a writer. She has the mad skillz. (Which is why I made myself give this rehash TabA/SlotB three whole stars. The writing is that good.)(less)
I read this book because I'd just finished American Gods and was temporarily in love with Gaiman. Happily, this book couldn't have been more different...moreI read this book because I'd just finished American Gods and was temporarily in love with Gaiman. Happily, this book couldn't have been more different.
There are too many excellent things about this book to list. Suffice to say, I never wanted a hell hound of my very own until I read about this one.
In the whole genre of speculative fiction -- and I've read a metric shitload of it -- this is the first book I recommend to others, followed by Stephenson's Diamond Age. I think that reading those two books pretty much sums up modern speculative fiction (apologies to Murakami and Garcia Marquez and Tolkien and the other literati faves).(less)
I loved the world and the daemons and the visuals and the magic items. I was annoyed with the author's heavy-handed antireligiosity and preachiness th...moreI loved the world and the daemons and the visuals and the magic items. I was annoyed with the author's heavy-handed antireligiosity and preachiness thereof. I guess this is meant to counter pro-religious juvenile fantasies, like C. S. Lewis? Well, consider this the opposite end of the philosophical teeter-totter: similarly magical and interesting, similarly whack-ya-over-the-head-with-message.
Characters were vapid, for the most part, and not entirely likable. Despite being able to imagine Lord Asriel's lines delivered by a scowling Daniel Craig (rowr), I never believed the character. I think he was just a plot device. Having said that, however, I have to mention how compelling the human/daemon interactions were. The Alamo scene with Lee and Hester was, I think, my favorite scene in the whole series.
The super-special items were interesting enough that I didn't mind reading another go-find-the-magical-doodad fantasy. Details like cold-weather (and warm weather) preparation, finding food in strange worlds, and the subtle discussion of free will throughout were handled well, I thought.
Overall, well, I read it. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it, but I think the movies will be very, very pretty.(less)
I finished it; I loved it. Yes, there were slow spots. Yes, she missed a few oppotunities, I thought, to really ram some emotion down my throat. I won...moreI finished it; I loved it. Yes, there were slow spots. Yes, she missed a few oppotunities, I thought, to really ram some emotion down my throat. I won't fault Ms. Rowling on that, though, because she did tie up all the loose ends I was thinkin' she'd forget about, esp. Petunia, Percy, and Neville's family. I loved how she worked through the Big Problem (spoiler for Half-Blood Prince: i.e., only one of them can survive). I'm elated that my theory of the Last Horcrux, which I developed shortly after reading Half-Blood Prince, turned out to be correct, even though so many people told me I was barking to think it. Ha! Go me. At any rate, that scene toward the end where Harry is all alone, but not really, marching toward certain destruction... beautifully done, Ms. Rowling. Thank you for this intricate but simple story, for these complicated but easy to understand characters. And after going into the Pensieve this last time, I think a little part of me is Severus Snape.(less)
I can still remember my thought when I saw this on the shelf at a mall book store when I was a teen: there's more! And this book, choppy and strung to...moreI can still remember my thought when I saw this on the shelf at a mall book store when I was a teen: there's more! And this book, choppy and strung together with far too many editorial asides by Chris T, was exactly what I hoped it would be. It was like going back to a favorite beach and finding it just as perfect and warm as it was the first time. (less)
I read Lord of the Rings first when I was about eleven or so, and then stayed up all night at a hip boy/girl party in the bathroom with Nathan O. ......moreI read Lord of the Rings first when I was about eleven or so, and then stayed up all night at a hip boy/girl party in the bathroom with Nathan O. ... talking about ents and elves and whether Tom Bombadil was God. Yes, I was a geeky child. However, all these years later, the story has stuck with me.
First a warning: Don't read Tolkien if you don't appreciate true-omnicient-narrator-style epics. Tolkienisn't a master character builder: he leaves all that to the reader's imagination. The agony in the Aragorn/Arwen romance -- so blatant and operatic in the movies -- was a longing look on Strider's face at Rivendell, an odd comment from Bilbo, and a short no-nonsense Appendix. As with many of the themes in this work, the romance and deep character relationships must be picked from between the lines.
And there is so much between the lines here. The world of Middle-earth lives, utterly lives. Instead of tugging on what-ifs, this fantasy forces readers to imagine. Tolkien's work is the fullest realization of literary world building ever penned.
It is also sophisticated writing, drawing on older forms (epic, romance, tragedy). Tolkien doesn't waste time writing snappy dialogue: the story is too epic to dwindle to individual persons. However, voice shifts subtly depending on point of view: chapters dealing with hobbits contain much more dialogue and detail; chapters dealing with Rohirrim have a poetic rhythm reminiscent of extant Middle English works; chapters dealing with elves are magic and blurry and hard to wrap a mind around. These shifts in style, far from being a novice writer's oops, are intentional and serve as mass characterisation of races and groups. So, what Tolkien foregoes in terms of dialogue he replaces with style and action: a classic example of show not tell.
Having just spouted all that praise, I have to admit that all the criticisms are true: the story does resound with Luddite anti-industrial metaphors, overt Christian themes of salvation and spirit, a structural decision to include songs that doesn't quite work, and fantasy tropes that are now cliche ... now that everyone else has copied them, that is. The thing to remember is that this book started the genre: everything fantasy, from Philip Pullman to George RR Martin, exists in the shadow of this opus.
So, no, it isn't a popcorn read. Get over it. If you invest the time and spirit to read this work, you will be glad you did.(less)
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