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Memory
Series Read: The Vorkosigan Saga
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Memory
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This is my favorite book of the series, as well as my most re-read LMB story. I love the exploration of self and of honor. I also like the way Miles finally integrates the different parts of himself. Plus, lots of appearances by my favorite secondary characters.
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I am in.
I liked this one a lot. Miles finally stops running from and accepts his position as Lord Vorkosigan. Love the way he gains Gregor's trust! Too bad that Admiral Naismith has to retire -- I wonder if he will have occasion to return at some point in the future?Is Miles decision consistent with the character as he has been developed? If so, why did Cordelia bet he'd run back to the mercenaries?
Looking forward to this one.
My favorite, too, Bungluna! This one is so very difficult for Miles. I think that is why Cordelia did a little betting on the Little Admiral. That is Miles' comfort zone--Barrayar is not.
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I can tell there is going to be a lot of growth with Miles on this one.....
I find this one absolutely heart-breaking!
Alexa wrote: "I find this one absolutely heart-breaking!"Oh No! This book is a romance Novel :)
Certainly not a romance for Miles, but perhaps for Gregor. Miles does considerable growing up in this book. About time Lord Vorkosigan stops running and steps up!
I think this book explores turning points in people's lives. Miles stops running and finally decides upon his adult persona. Gregor finds something just for himself and reconciles his public and private lives. Simon finds a way out of a position into which he has been almost carcified, though granted not by his own volition. There are just a lot of turning points in this book.The book also explores, imo, what makes a person. Is Simon the sum of his memory chip? Is Miles only as good as his alter ego?
I really enjoy this book and re-read it at least twice a year.
About 20% in. I never want to say something that would spoil it for people that are not as far as I am, but man do I feel sorry for Miles.
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Maggie wrote: "I also felt sorry for Quinn. Right away you could see this wasn't going to go any direction that she might like.....even though Miles stays hopeful."Quinn's a realist, and I expect she will do just fine sans Miles. No way she would be able to "settle down" and be Lady Vorkosigan. She was born to live in space and is a smart and savvy commander. I just hope she continues to show up in the series! Same with Bel. They are characters I've come to enjoy a lot.
While Miles loves her, she is not the love of his live and as he matures into Lord Vorkosigan, I think he'll accept that.
Bungluna wrote: "I think this book explores turning points in people's lives. Miles stops running and finally decides upon his adult persona. Gregor finds something just for himself and reconciles his public and ..."I do agree with your summery of this book.
I am only a third of the way through this book. Finding time to read... arggg.
However, I wonder if this book is also a jumping board for the next book -Komarr? This book seems to be covering a lot of historical background and new characters from and about Komarr.
I loved this one! I had a difficult time reading the first parts and had to read other, happier things, because I was so sad for Miles. And then after that, it was hard to stop reading! I am very glad for the books we've read during the past year, so many of the plots were mentioned in glimpses. And it was wonderful to see Miles become...himself.
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he surprised everyone!
@Mikey, I think "Memory" is setting up the next stage of Mile's life.Everybody, including Miles, assumed that he would only find happiness in an active military career. Since his only hope for action was with the Mercenaries, loosing Naismith would have been a crushing blow. But Miles is much more than Naismith.
Like his father, he's made for service to Barrayar; it's been bred in his bones. He cannot divorce himself from Barrayar, therefore he must find his future there, in whatever form he may.
Bungluna wrote: "@Mikey, I think "Memory" is setting up the next stage of Mile's life."I agree. The term "mid life crises" come to thought. Also for anyone that sufferers a traumatic physical trauma that effects their health, is always a game changer.
However, I am half way through this book and I find it dull as can be. I like science in my science fiction. I like new ideas which is the hard part, I believe, in writing Science fiction. Reading this book so far is like watching a soap opera on tv.
To me, the recurring theme of most of the Miles books in the Vorkosiverse before this was how the brutality of life on Barrayar put too many pressures on the characters so that they deformed under the strain but still did their best to leave a better world for their offspring. This book, though, was about Miles' own unique mistakes and not about after-effects of brutality from a generation past. It's a very mature version of a coming-of-age story.
To Mickey's point, unfortunately Naismith is a very fun persona and I don't think Bujold successfully replaces his presence. I still like Memory very much but it's definitely not Warrior's Apprentice.
I see Warrior's Apprentice as a young man's shoot-em-up adventure. Lots of fun and a bit of growth - but the growing pains of an adolescent. Memory is more of his realization that he's a grown-up now - that he made some serious mistakes and he's got to stop playing with the universe and take his place and shoulder his responsibilities in it. And it was really, really sad!
Mickey wrote: "I like science in my science fiction. I like new ideas which is the hard part, I believe, in writing Science fiction."Even in "hard" science fiction, I prefer the new ideas to be character driven in the story, which is definitely what the Miles saga has going for it.
The one that comes to mind for me, and that may not be hard scifi, per se, is Karl Schroeder's Virga series (Sun of Suns). Tons of brand spanking new ideas, but still character driven with a space opera tone.
In "Mirror Dance" I found the concept of clones that have a place in a modern society an intresting idea.In "Memory" it is the making of a good soap opera. We have love, romance, the jilted ex boyfriend, the life and death medical emergencies, the caring women by their side, the weddings, the political buerocrats power struggles. The list goes on, yep "As the World Turns".
As the little admiral Napoleon... I mean Admiral Naismith cannot go on as a powerful leader in a old age without going into politics. So we now have a super cop, an Auditor, that does almost the same as a military commander. So the same old character moves on.
I also wonder if this is a male / female mindset in liking this book. Women are like crock pots, men are like microwave ovens saying. Women like the long slow romance stories like in this book. Men prefer the faster moving action stories like in the past miles books.
After Kommar, what miles gets married, more romance, I can see it coming.
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(last edited May 20, 2014 08:18PM)
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rated it 4 stars
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just such a moving, serious, adult novel... but written with such ease that it could be a YA novel in the clarity and straightforwardness of its prose.
loved that the mystery & intrigue of who is the villain was fairly insignificant when looking at all the psychological and emotional internal intrigue that was going on in Miles. and Simon.
especially loved the parallel and the differences between what was going on with Miles and Illyan.
such a moving book! now I'm wondering why I didn't give it 5 stars. well, I reserve my 5 stars for my very favorite books. this may get there. but I think I'll think on that after I finish the series.
Linda wrote: "Is Miles decision consistent with the character as he has been developed? If so, why did Cordelia bet he'd run back to the mercenaries?"
I think so, but only because I think people are capable of change if they've experienced great trauma. I feel like the old Miles would have gone back to the Dendarii and perhaps that's why Cordelia assumed Miles would. but this is a new Miles, one who has literally died and then who has seen his most cherished identity taken away from him because of his own mistakes. that trauma could change a person. I love how Bujold walks us through this change, through Miles' thought process as he changes. awesome!
equally awesome: Imperial Auditor! looking forward to that.
Also, Cordelia has much more of a love/hate relationship with Barrayar than Miles does. She still sometimes can't believe she ended up there, while it is deep in the bone with Miles. So I think Cordelia is doing a little projection of what she sometimes wishes she could do, rather than actually predicting what Miles will do.
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Sun of Suns (other topics)Aloha from Hell (other topics)
go, Miles, go! you can do it!