The Warning!

[Otto]

I thought that we could use this thread to warn Luke and other SFBRP listeners of bad books. Books that people thinks is good but really isn't.

Okay ill start. I am here to warn you. Don't read Tigana. Its Guy Gavriel Kays worst book. Nothing happens, there is no story or plot and the characters hardly changes at all. Just don't, read something else.

[Otto]

Pardon my english.

[Sandi]

I'll take your warning about Tigana, Otto. I read Under Heaven and was bored to death by it. It got two stars from me. In fact, between that and The Prestige, I was convinced that Simon Vance was the most boring, overrated audiobook narrator on the planet. Fortunately, I listened to his narration of The Blinding Knife and realized that he's not boring if he's got good material to work with.

[T.L.]

Actually, I didn't mind it that much. It is really an exploration of a world book more than a plot driven piece, but if you go in knowing that it's not that bad.

[Isabel (kittiwake)]

In one of the recent sfbrp episodes Luke gave an anti-recommendaton for any Arthur C. Clarke book that was co-written with another author. I totally agree when it comes to Cradle, whic hwas written by is written by Arthur C. Clarke and Gentry Lee. I think I received it as a BookCrossing Secret Santa, and it sounded interesting (something to do with dolphins, I seme to remember?). But I never made it to 100 pages let alone finished it. The cardboard cut-out characters didn't speak or think like anyone real and I couldn't face carrying one.

The GoodReads blub says "It reaffirms his clear sighted vision of past, present and future, and will become a classic to rank with 2OO1: A SPACE ODYSSEY, RENDEZVOUS WITH RAMA and CHILDHOOD'S END" but all I can say is NO WAY!

[Peter]

i really liked both tigana and under heaven

[Otto]

Of course we all just sound our own opinions here. If you like Tigana and Under Heaven means you just have a different taste. Means you are brave enough to stand up for your opinion. I like that, keep it up!

[Preston]

What helps is hearing why. What's great about your comments is it gives us a feel for your tastes and, agree or disagree, we can form our own opinion based on those reasons. Almost every book I think is awful I have friends who think they are great and vice versa.

[Otto]

Its not that I dislike Guy Gavriel Kay as an author. I read The Summer tree and really enjoyed it. But Kay is an uneven author.

Kays strength is often in the characters. But the characters have finished evolving at the beginning of Tigana.
He just tell us about their backrounds and what they have done before. Nothing happening in the present. The story dose not really know what it wants to be. I want more focus in my books. And he writes often in familiar fantasy tropes. Its like the worst parts in Wheel of Time. The plot is all over the place!

There is a 50 page story in the book that just leads up to a s&m(no one i Kays books have normal sex) sex scene with a complete stranger that is never mentioned again. And in my book that cant be a well constructed novel. But like most Guy Gavriel Kay books there is one standout scene or in this case a sequence: The destruction of the tower of Avalles(don't remember the exact name).

But he can write better, I have seen the evidence. Its like he wrote a book about a story he would like to write.

[Otto]

Preston wrote: "What helps is hearing why. What's great about your comments is it gives us a feel for your tastes and, agree or disagree, we can form our own opinion based on those reasons. Almost every book I th..."

I agree, its not that I cant enjoy slow book. I have read book like The Magicans(Lev Grossman) and Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrel(Susanna Clarke)and really enjoyed them. But I know at least one person who hates them both. Its a strange world.

Everyone with a brain hates Twilight in my humble opinion.

[Otto]

Im probably gonna get a lot of hate because of this but I don't care.
When I read Lord of the Rings it was the most boring reading experience in my life. I had to read ever line three times trying to remember them. The description are too long and to detailed. Clunky dialog, boring poetry, never the sense of danger and LOTS of walking.
The fantasy genre would probably have better of without Tolkien.
At lest Peter Jackson made the story enjoyable and exiting.

You can't be a critic and keep your soul. Let hating begin!

[Otto]

If you didn't read Lovecraft in your teens, you probably should not bother now.
This guy can't write a scene or a story, its all about mood and Lllloooooonnngggggg descriptions. Ill say that thou, he was extremely creepy when I did read him in my teens.

But i would recommend reading the grahic novel adaptations if your interested.