The Malazan Fallen discussion
Malazan Chatter (General stuff)
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Chit Chat
Well... since the nobel prize is one of the finest awards there is in literature, I as a rule purchase at least one novel by the year's winner. I haven't come round to read all the works I've purchased since I started, but I will.So, I'm currently reading Red Sorghum by Mo Yan. I haven't got that far yet, but can already smell a remarkable read. Mo Yan is a fantastic storyteller! He has a vivid style, and very descriptive. It's so easy to visualize what he describes - I've been forced to look away because I can see whatever horror he describes so clearly.
I'll post a review once I have finished it, but so far, the story is very captivating.
I also picked up these two youth novels which are an entirely different read - Unearthly and it's sequel Hallowed. An easy, quick-paced read about a girl that discovers she's part angel and sets out on a journey towards self discovery. As in almost every youth novel, there's romance - but I was surprised to find that the romance depicted in these two is different to that of many other youth novels with supernatural elements. It doesn't stem from an extraordinary power or such, or is as desperate and nastily sugary as they usually are. It comes gradually and is very sweet. I definitely recommend them to anyone who has kids around 13-15 (or anyone that, as I am, is a sucker for dreamy romance)!
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That's like 42 hours on Audible!
Well... I got a little behind on my reading of Gardens. Need to catch up. I will. And I'm reading WoT too. Or trying to. I'm only on the fourth book right now though. It was my first epic fantasy and I'll always love it for that. I stopped somewhere around book 6 the first time and this time I am determined to finish it. I agree with Lee on Ruthfuss. His books might not be the best stories, but he is such a great "story teller". His words are like music to my eyes.
I tried Ruthfuss, I really did, but couldn't get into it at all! I then found a copy at GoodWill so I own it now, and will try it again. I remember I was bored and impatient, it seemed to fall into the usual cliches, but I also don't remember my mood at the time, or what I had been reading which very definitely effects my reading temperament. Who knows, it might have been at the time of my Malazan year!Traci - unfortunately WoT suffers greatly around bk 6 -somewhat like Martin Jordan lost his focus and just kept adding more characters and plots until it was a joke! I would start a new one (because I started when he did, there were gaps between each release) and I'd have forgotten half the people (there were just so many! Especially the Red AJah!) that I stopped trying to keep track, and somewhere after the middle start remembering certain things. I felt that Jordan had become a cash cow! And I got sick of the teenage fantasy where Rand had all these girls in love with him! But how I loved that world so I kept at it. Then came the long long gap. And then he DIED!!!! The horror! Brandon Sanderson has done a great job finishing it up, it's better than everything Jordan did after bk 4. He brought the focus back to the main characters, kept things moving. I can't believe in a week I will soon finally finish this series. Sheesh, like 1/2 my life, kinda scary!
Kat - I tried reading another book of his, but at the time I needed something light and this was most definitely not, I intend to try again.
Lori - Ah, no I would imagine not. But you are right to try again, when the time is better.I find myself drawn to them. The heavy, dark, emotional novels that have a foundation in the horrors of our history. They are usually heartbreaking to read, but as I described reading A Thousand Splendid Suns;
"I hurt when I read this novel, even felt sick at times - but it has to be read. We owe it to ourselves and those around us the awareness of what goes on in this world in which we live, no matter the pain it may cause us."
Summons up why I read them, pretty much. Not that I only read such novels of course - I wouldn't be able to bear the emotional stress. But the darkest stories are those that move and inspire me the most, and that's ultimately what I look for when I read.
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I did not know that his wife was the editor. So maybe it went something like this:
Jordan writing: Rand couldn't help himself, he looked at Nyneave and realised he had never really seen her as a woman before. He began to visualise her in his bed. "enough of that" he thought and turned to his horse.
Mrs Jordan edits: Rand couldn't help himself, he looked at Nyneave and realised he had never really seen her as a woman before..."stop that you bloody fool, what are you thinking? blood and ashes man, it's Nynaeve, stop thinking like a tavern rat". Nynaeve caught Rand looking at her with a flush to her cheeks, a sudden spark of irritation racing through her, which Rand caught immediately with the flash in her eyes. It was replaced just as quick with her own flush, as color rose to her cheeks, Nynaeve had suddenly realised she was wearing the red dress that exposed just a little bit more cleavage than she would like. "ha, what am i thinking?" Nynaeve scolded herself "I look like a tavern wench, no wonder this wool headed fool is looking at me with puppy eyes, flashing my bosom like I am some bloody serving girl". Nyneave quickly pulled up the lacy shawl to just below her neck, hiding the necklace of rings she wore, snuggled warmly between her breasts. "Rand al thor, you will do as I say or I will switch your bottom!" she shouted as Rand turned to his horse.
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Thank god for being able to speed up audio.
Lee - hahaha!!!!Kat - see I just couldn't continue Splendid Suns, I have a hyper active imagination and sensitivity to the point of weakness, I was just so horrified and depressed. There are scenes like that in Malazan which I can barely get through but that's such a fantasy I can squeak by. But something set I the real world or close to it? I get dragged into hopelessness. I'm very up on world news, I get depressed from that enough.
So I can't read books of such despair. Or where horrible things happento children or animals that have no hope.
Lori - Ah, OK. We differ, then. Although I get where you're coming from. I'm dreadfully bad at keeping up with the world news. I hear or read about the headlines, but I don't delve into them too much. Shames me whenever I think of it. I should do more.So I guess I compensate by reading the novels instead? Often I cry so hard my face dries up and cracks the same way it does when you've applied a face mask and try to say something. I think I might've wept my way through the last hundred or so pages of A Thousand Splendid...
Guess I'll get to do that reading Malazan too, then! ;>
Lee - Haha, the art of editing!
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After Lord of Chaos the series did seem to drag, but A Memory of Light was a great book, Im just disappointed its over. But I hope no-one keeps writing WOT books, Jordan wrote the ending before he passed and thats how the series should be left.
An example of this would be the Dune saga's first 6 books by Frank Herbert, they were brilliant and then all these damn prequels came out (by Herbert's son and Kevin Anderson)and all but ruined the series for me. The final two that ended the original series were ok but after reading the crap that came out for years before those was enough to drive anyone insane.
Heh I'm not even sure the 3 that Frank wrote following Dune itself were that great. I've reread dune but not Messiah,Children etc. Hmmm then again I read all those when I was a teen and I don't think I quite got what happened or I was disappointed at how absolute and tyrannical it became. I did try Brian's - now that's what I call cash cow!I don't think Harriet would allow WoT to continue.
Lori wrote: "Kat - see I just couldn't continue Splendid Suns, I have a hyper active imagination and sensitivity to the point of weakness, I was just so horrified and depressed. There are scen..."I have a similar issue. I cannot read war books, cannot watch war movies. It definitely is avoiding reality, but i just cannot handle it. It means weeks of nightmares and a dip in my general mental state, which is also not going to help the world. :)
the worst movie they did talk me into seeing was The Deer Hunter. brilliant movie, but never again. gave me three weeks of nightmares.
But i don't have the same issue with fantasy. I watched all the battles scenes in LOTR (i mean, they're orcs! it's not real!), and i can read violent fantasy books like The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie (although this was not my favorite of his, and i did skim some of the heavier battle scenes)
I like reading contemporary fiction, but there are some type of books i will still avoid. thousand suns is one of those, there are a few African-set books out here now as well which receive a lot of praise, but i don't dare getting myself into it.
I have been listening to 1Q84 but I think I have now officially abandoned it. It was frustrating me so much with over-description, with endless character introspection without insight and with contradictory, inaccurate and awkward language (I can't give specific examples to this because I don't have a physical copy to flick through and I wasn't taking notes but there were many occasions of me exclaiming in exasperation whilst on my iPod). Its pace was laborious and after about 8 hours I'd been given no reason to be interested or to keep going for another 40 hours. Other opinions are available and some people love this book; I am not one of them.I'm also currently about halfway through Habibi which is incredibly beautiful and absolutely worth reading for the art alone but some of the sexual and racial politics leave a bit of a bad taste. I haven't made up my mind yet whether to condemn it for those aspects yet but I will finish it soon and make up my mind about the book as a whole once it has seen some of its themes through to conclusion.
As for Rothfuss, my major problem is with the framing device. It takes nearly 100 pages in The Name of the Wind for us to settle into the story where we are to spend most of our time and interest. I don't think it is clear that what is going on in the current world is important, Rothfuss certainly doesn't seem that interested in it but then we spend so much time getting to the story he wants to tell in the first place. Subsequent forays into the framing device are much briefer thankfully because even after two books they still feel purposeless. His writing style is very, very good but I think his overarching structure is a mess. After two books I don't really have faith that he will lead us somewhere satisfying but the journey to get there is certainly rich and enjoyable in itself.
Hmmm thanks for that info on Rothfuss, I know I didn't give it 100 pages. Probably more like 50.I love Murakami so liked 1Q84 but I think it's a book that needs to be read. I agree it's repetitive, and not one of his best, but he always manages to transport me.
@ HanneWhew! Interesting, I never heard of that before. But I can see why you avoid reading them, I wouldn't either if it made me feel hollow and depressed for weeks. I feel hollow in the moment, but once I've taken in what I've read, I feel enlightened and inspired. Not happy, but stronger somehow. I can't really describe it.
Ah, The Deer Hunter! Such a brilliant movie!...
Oh, which novels? The african?
@ General
I haven't read Rothfuss, but I'm curious. Saw his novel at the airport a while back, but since my sister picked it up I picked up a few others instead. A lot of people keep praising him, and it seems he's a big name - I had no idea.
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Are there questions I still have? Sure. Are they critical? No.
I think it's best to leave people wanting more anyways.
I just finished reading the WoT finale, A Memory of Light and loved it! I pretty much agree that the series kind of bogged down a bit in the middle books, but that sure didn't stop me from buying and avidly reading each one. I'm also one of those that began reading the series with the first book when it first came out in early-1990. I would also completely agree with those who believe that Brandon Sanderson did a magnificent job in taking on the job of finishing the series. I can't even begin to imagine how difficult it must have been to take all of Jordan's notes, outlines, and so forth, and then try and craft an ending that is internally consistent with all of the books that came before. All in all, it is pretty seamless and really respects all of the work that Jordan had done before he died. Had to have been a Herculean task, to say the least.
I'm still in the first third, but I've already read the end,,, (nasty habit I know!) - it seems that the prologue and ending was pretty much written by Jordan. Interesting, eh? Sanderson did such a terrific job but now he needs to get back to his own stuff, I'm still waiting for Book 2 of Stormlight!
Lori wrote: "I'm still in the first third, but I've already read the end,,, (nasty habit I know!) - it seems that the prologue and ending was pretty much written by Jordan. Interesting, eh? Sanderson did such a..."Hey, Lori, how did you like The Way of Kings? I have had that big fat hardcover on my TBR ever since it came out. I bought it precisely because I was so impressed with what he was doing with the WoT books. I just haven't picked it up though...
I liked it a lot, but you're smarter than I am, I'll have forgotten everything by the time the 2nd book comes out! At least we know Sanderson is prolific (like SE yay) and now that WoT is out of the way he'll be back at his own stuff.
Lori wrote: "I liked it a lot, but you're smarter than I am, I'll have forgotten everything by the time the 2nd book comes out! At least we know Sanderson is prolific (like SE yay) and now that WoT is out of th..."Lori, I don't know about the "smarter" bit, but I appreciate your recommendation for TWoK. I think I'll push it up closer to the top of my teetering TBR pile. Gracias! Cheers! Chris
I also have a big fat The Way of the Kings waiting for me. But I don't think I will read it until an update of when the second book is released. I appreciate what Sanderson is doing with his shared universe novels. Hope all the world and magic system featured in his previous books will be involved in Stormlight. That'll be massive.I like Ruthfuss' Name of the Wind. I agree, he is a spectacular writer. I think I might have abused the highlighter function of my reader when I was reading that. My only frustration with it is that Kvothe is such a Gary Sue.
Aaron Vincent wrote: "My only frustration with it is that Kvothe is such a Gary Sue."Kvothe is a total Gary Sue.
that is my issue with Name of the Wind as well...I liked the writing, and bought the 2nd book, but never got around to reading it.
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In book two Kvothe is no where near as arrogant. However, he has just learnt how to be an amazing lover from the Fae, so he'll probably take his sixteen year old ass around shagging in every town now.
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I don't know what I was thinking, but reading Les Misérables in five days is a quest too large even for me this week.Shoot. I had wanted to finish it before I see the musical tomorrow, but no way I'll be able to. Real life got in the way. Sigh!...
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Lol. I'm Quick Ben. So far that seems like a compliment to me. Unless she did it spoilers for chapter 12 (view spoiler)
David Sven wrote: "So I'm guessing from Hanne's new title that she has been busy editing the moderators again."No, sorry it wasn't me! (really!)
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I just started the last Harry Bosch(The Black Box) in between reading Garden of the Moon chapters.I have to reread WoT but I figured I would wait a few months to start that or the only books I will be reading in the next 3 months will be WoT and MBoF.
Maggie wrote: "that is my issue with Name of the Wind as well...I liked the writing, and bought the 2nd book, but never got around to reading it."Yep me too, still siting there unread and meanwhile ive gone through a lot of other books. The Wise Man's Fear is just not drawing me back to read it.
Ive suddenly been drawn back to David Gemmell for some reason. Those heroic fantasy books where the main character is a good guy (however flawed) and kicks some serious ass, with bodies dropping all around. No other author has managed to create so many memorable characters...Druss, Waylander, Shannow, Skillgannon...
David wrote: "Maggie wrote: "that is my issue with Name of the Wind as well...I liked the writing, and bought the 2nd book, but never got around to reading it."Yep me too, still siting there unread and meanwhi..."
I tried Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind and it just didn't hook me. I had the second book too. They both went to the used book store. The new fantasy author that I've really enjoyed over the past couple of years is Joe Abercrombie. Gritty, dark, and uber-grim, but terrific plotting and characters.
Lee wrote: "I know eh! I nearly spluttered cereal over the iPad. Have to say, I love my name :) being the fan that I am."Is this the one who talks to himself, I'm assuming.
I think all members need names from the current book being read - my friend (who reads Malazan) and I just went through naming all our friends as Malazan characters and it was really really fun. :D Thanks for the idea.
I ended up getting Whiskeyjack at first (yes!) but then we realized I'm more of a Bugg. :) Which I'll take!
Kat wrote: "I don't know what I was thinking, but reading Les Misérables in five days is a quest too large even for me this week.Shoot. I had wanted to finish it before I see the musical tomorrow, but no way..."
Wow, that is a mammoth undertaking for only five days. I haven't read the book but I know its size and reputation. You're in for a treat at the cinema though. Anne Hathaway's sequence is one of the best things I've ever seen in the cinema.
Yeah.. I know. But I like a dare ;)It is? Wonderful, thanks. I can't wait to see it!...
There are so many movies I want to see screening atm; Beasts of the Southern Wild, Life of Pi, Django Unchained, Lincoln, Gangster Squad and so forth.
I can confirm that Life of Pi is also excellent.
I can imagine; the novel is outstanding!
I thought the novel was very good (4/5). I thought the film was better.
Really? Nice! Such a difficult novel to film, but if anyone has the chops to, it's Ang Lee.
And Suraj Sharma deserves awards. He is really compelling as Pi.
I just finished the unabridged Les Miserables(all 1,400 pages of it!) for our local book club recently. It was a fantastic read. Beast of the Southern Wild is an excellent film. The girl who plays Hushpuppy -- the main character in that film -- is the youngest actress to be nominated for Academy Awards.
The Malazan Fallen
Books mentioned in this topic
The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories (other topics)Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (other topics)
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (other topics)
The Scar (other topics)
The Wise Man's Fear (other topics)
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I thought we could have a general chit chat thread where we could talk about other books. I just got the final WoT book, my god it's been 23 years! Anyone else reading it now?
And I see from my status updates at least 2 members are reading Use of Weapons, I absolutely love Banks and the Culture.