]]>
]]>
bookshelves: currently-reading
]]>
bookshelves: to-read
]]>
]]>
by Robert Jordan
Thanks, Danielle.
It was nice for me to go back and read this review. Not only because I found and fixed a typo, but also because it proves that I was right about my prophecy! Mr. Sanderson WILL take at least 3 volumes to finish the epic! (It didn't take much prophetic skill to figure that out, did it?) ]]>
by Salman Rushdie
I dunno about wonderful yet. I almost quit because the reader (audio) is not good. It's hard to tell if the story's good when the reader doesn't relate it effectively. Just about the time I was about to give up and type up a review called "Reader Ruins Rushdie", the story got interesting. I'm about 1/4 the way through and should finish later this week. ]]>
I must confess that I had some preconceived notions about Fritz Leiber’s work. Because he’s credited with coining the phrase “Sword & Sorcery,” and because I never hear women talking about his stories, I imagined that they appealed mainly to men who like to read stuff that has covers like these:
But, four factors made me decide to give Fritz Leiber a try:
1. I feel the need to be “educated” in the field of fantasy, which means that I should read novels that are out of my normal repertoire.
2. A few guys I know are fans and I tend to enjoy what they enjoy even though they have Y chromosomes and probably like those covers).
3. The fantasy shelves are glutted with urban and teen fantasy and I’m feeling a bit nostalgic.
4. And (this one’s the clincher) Audible.com has recently produced audio versions of the Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories.
So, I downloaded Swords and Deviltry to my MP3 player and pressed play. Within two minutes, I was completely enthralled. The first part of the novel (which is really a compilation of short stories) tells the tale of Fafhrd’s liberation from the taboos, close-mindedness, and “icy morality” of his mother and clan (and the girl he got pregnant) in the northern wastes. He yearns for civilization, and finally gets a chance to “escape this stupid snow world and its man-chaining women” with a beautiful showgirl.
The second section introduces us to Mouse, who is apprenticed to the white magician Glavas Rho, but who feels the pull of the black arts — “the magic which stemmed from death and hate and pain and decay, which dealt in poisons and night-shrieks, which trickled down from the black spaces between the stars...” A murder and a betrayal force Mouse over the brink and he restyles himself as The Gray Mouser.
I was engrossed in the tales of both of these young men, so when the audiobook reader finally said “Chapter 4: Ill Met in Lankhmar,” I felt a thrill of delight! Of course I’m familiar with the name of this Nebula (1970) and Hugo (1971) award-winning novella, and I knew I’d be reading it in Swords and Deviltry, but for the first time the name had real significance for me and I couldn’t wait to witness the meeting of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. And it was, as promised, a lot of fun.
But most of all, even more than the adventure, I just loved Fritz Leiber’s prose. It supported the story in the few places where it dragged or at times when I was annoyed that all of the female characters were odious. For me, its cleverness and beauty was the dominant feature of Leiber’s writing:
"The Mouser dug into his pouch to pay, but Fafhrd protested vehemently. In the end they tossed coin for it, and Fafhrd won and with great satisfaction clinked out his silver smerduks on the stained and dented counter, also marked with an infinitude of mug circles, as if it had been once the desk of a mad geometer."Certainly these stories will appeal most to men who particularly enjoy fast-paced adventure, male camaraderie, sword-fighting, and easy women. But I found this first set delightfully refreshing. I’ve already downloaded the next Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser compilation (Swords Against Death) and I’m hoping to meet some worthy women in it. But if not, I’ll still enjoy Fritz Leiber’s way with words.
Read more Fritz Leiber reviews at FanLit. ]]>
Nobody remembers Tigana — a land bright with beauty, culture, and wealth — nobody but those who lived there before the land was cursed by the conqueror Brandin of Ygrath after the prince of Tigana killed Brandin's son in battle. When the now-oppressed Tiganese try to tell outsiders about Tigana, the name just slips out of the listener's mind. Only those born in the land are able to keep its beautiful name in memory.
But the prince of Tigana's son still lives and he and his companions plan to restore their land's name. But, not only must they kill Brandin of Ygrath, but also Alberico of Barbadior, who rules the other half of their peninsula. Otherwise, they will merely be consumed by a different tyrant.
I was entranced by Tigana right from the first page. What I noticed immediately was the passion — this is a story lovingly wrought by an author who loves language, loves his characters, and loves the world he's created. Guy Gavriel Kay's prose is heavy with imagery and emotion yet it reads, for the most part, easily (except for the occasional unexpected shift in point-of-view).
Kay's characters are distinct, well-developed, and likable. The prince's companions are a diverse group, each with his/her own personality, strengths, and weaknesses. The actions and motives of the villains are completely understandable — in fact, I felt sympathetic toward them.
The story of the struggle to free Tigana was fascinating. There were some slightly unbelievable or contrived plot devices, but the rest of the story was excellent enough that I was perfectly happy to overlook them. The end was surprising and bittersweet.
I listened to most of Tigana on audio (and read some of it in print). Simon Vance is the reader, and he is one of the very best. If you're an audiobook listener, I'd definitely suggest that format for Tigana. But, either way, Tigana is a must-read.
Read more GGK reviews at FanLit. ]]>