Un Lun Dun - Who's In?

[Odette]

Who's reading Un Lun Dun with us?

[Mary]

I'll play again this month. Hopefully we'll get some more responses towards the end :)

[Claire]

I've read this one (and now have aspirations to become a bookaneer!). I'll participate in the discussions when they start up.

[Ramona]

I've put it on reserve at the library but there's a very long wait list, so I probably won't get it read until near the end of the month.

[Kimberly]

Well, since I picked this one, I think I'll read it! I've requested it from the library and it should be in my hands soon!

[Roby]

I just checked this out and will start reading tonight! Being a librarian has its advantages ;)

[S. Kay]

I plan to start reading this one tonight or tomorrow-- Mieville has been recommended to me a few times, so I'm really excited to start!

[S. Kay]

I didn't want to post this in the discussion section in case I do finish it and don't want spoilers, but I've been having trouble connecting with the characters in this book. I just realized I'm on chapter 24 and still don't feel like I know them, or care what's going to happen. I was just curious if this was something I had to keep reading to get into more, or if the involvement is similar throughout the book? Like I mentioned, a lot of people have recommended China Mieville to me, so I'd like to finish, but it seems to be taking me quite a while.

I've been distracted, so it could be that I'm not reading closely enough.

[Emilie]

i didnt feel that there was much character development or complexity in this book. yes, i too felt surprised, was expecting so much from china mieville. wonder if his other books are different in this regard...

for me, this book was focused on adventures, ideas and being clever (wont give example of what i liked bc dont know where in book chapter 24 is) but continues as episodic adventure type stories with some cerebral word play and some original cool and sweet ideas (play on fantasy tropes)...but that, the characters themselves, no, i didnt feel that they were ever much more then one sentence kind of characters, which made it hard for me too, to get really into the story. the way i related to to it was more like, oh, these are a lot of interesting different things that china mieville likes, but not really relating much to characters...

[S. Kay]

Thanks for your thoughts, Em... I'm still trying to decide if I'll continue reading. I have such a hard time stopping a book in the middle, but I'm trying to tell myself that it's okay if I don't connect with everything I begin. Saves time ;) My Mieville fan friend says that she much prefers his adult books, so perhaps they're more character driven.