Fionavar Tapestry - whole trilogy (SPOILERS FOR ALL THREE BOOKS!)

[Shel, Moderator]

Here's a spoileriffic thread for anyone who can't wait until March to discuss the entire trilogy. Have at it!

[Daniel]

For as much as I have enjoyed Kay's other works, this one I did not like. It was my first exposure to Kay, I did read all three, and I am quite glad I tried him again (with Tigana). I may come back to it some day, but I am using the 'series read slots' to read Lois McMaster Bujold fantasy trilogy The Curse of Chalionand sequels.

I am interested to see what other people say about Fionavar, as many of my friends love this series.

[Shel, Moderator]

What didn't you like about it? It's certainly quite different from his other books, so I'm not surprised when people love one and dislike the other.

[Daniel]

If memory serves me correctly, I thought the first book was ok. It had some interesting concepts, but I found the atmosphere was not....there. It was the second and third books that fell apart for me, with the spin on the Arthurian legend. It caught me as a bit out of left field, shattered my suspension of disbelief, and I did not get it back.

What I liked about this book is I found the antagonist interesting, but it was not enough for me.

I may pick up this book again in the future, and maybe it will have more to offer me at that time. Being a Canadian fan of Fantasy, I think I am required to like it or something :P

[Shel, Moderator]

That's funny, because the first time I read the books I hated the Arthurian spin as well. I waited quite some time - at least 5 years or so - before I read it again, and then, knowing it was coming, was able to pick up little bits of foreshadowing in book one that made it seem less like it came out of nowhere. Now it's one of my favorite aspects of the trilogy.

*shrug* To each their own!

[Daniel]

So there is hope if I pick it up again. That is comforting. :)

[Helen]

After the first book, I realised that the second might take some getting into but grrrrr! I've not been able to bring myself to pick it up for three nights. Not sure if it's the writing style, whether there are too many characters- I don't particularly like any of them, or what. I don't want to abandon it if only for the fact that the books are the most expensive paperbacks I've ever bought! On that note, I'd still like to know why they are unavailable in UK shops.

[Siv]

I liked them when I first read them - many many years back and in Swedish translation.

Yes, they're a bit ... less polished. Yes, there's a lot of characters. And a few other tings...

Maybe it's because it was one of the very first Fantasy books I ever read, and I was still younger than the main characters then, but I still love it. The Arthutian spin was one of the things I liked best then (now it's a bit more annoying) but that's likely because I hadn't been exposed to much Arthurian legends at all at the time ;)

There are a few scenes that's heartbreaking to me, where I find myself always crying. Even now, even when I know what will happen. Not many other books manage to do that with me.

[Janny]

Siv wrote: "I liked them when I first read them - many many years back and in Swedish translation.

Yes, they're a bit ... less polished. Yes, there's a lot of characters. And a few other tings...

Maybe it's..."

I also enjoyed the shifts on the Arthurian spin - tremendously! It took EVERYTHING I was always frustrated enough to chew nails over - regarding the legend - and put it 'right'. Very satisfying way to scratch what had been an unredeemable itch. The relief could not be imagined - and Kay did.

What I enjoyed best about this series was that it had threads of legend from many cultures - went back to some of the mythic material that fantasy is built on, and wove it all together into one story. Many claim this is derivative of MODERN writers - well...in fact those modern authors used the same material - those mythic roots were there first. If one is familiar with the material, then all of the pieces staged together is a puzzle in itself.

[Shel, Moderator]

I think the lack of polish is part of what makes the book so powerful for me. It's kind of like Matt's crystal dragon offering at Calor Diman - a rough approach to something transcendent.

[carol.]

I encourage people to read Kay's Afterward to the 20th anniversary edition. His style in this series and its relationship to the rest of his writing make more sense to me now that I realize he was going for a more mythic archetype feeling. It also helps me understand that the specific concerns some people have of lack of character development or lack of detail were intentionally done. Which is kind of fascinating, really--it demonstrates that sometimes what an author does just isn't going to work for all readers.

[Janny]

Carol. [All cynic, all the time] wrote: "I encourage people to read Kay's Afterward to the 20th anniversary edition. His style in this series and its relationship to the rest of his writing make more sense to me now that I realize he was ..."

That happens. What an author strives for isn't going to fit the preference, or the timing, or the given taste of what a specific reader may be seeking. Or trends in the marketplace coloring what exists.

When Fionavar Tapestry was released, there was not a massive amount of fantasy written in the Mythic archetype, nor so many fantasies done in this style of setting. The plethora of material that has followed has, in many ways, done this work no favors.

When I read it, I came from a very wide background of reading myth and legend, so many of the elements were familiar, and even, recognizable as forerunners of Tolkien's and other works.

[Kerry]

I'm one of those who first read these books when they came out. Fantasy was starting to really blossom, I was in my late teens, Arthurian echoes were in and I fell for these books hook, line and sinker.

So I mostly just want to say I want to agree with what Siv and Janny, Shel and Carol have said.

I call these "books of my heart". They may not be perfect, but they spoke to me in a way that will always remain with me and I still love them each time I reread them.

[Helen]

It's the picking up and starting that I'm finding hard, actually reading is okay. Although I don't especially like the characters. I'm about a third through book two, but have read two books this weekend that would have completed series in page count!

[Bev]

Kerry wrote: "I'm one of those who first read these books when they came out. Fantasy was starting to really blossom, I was in my late teens, Arthurian echoes were in and I fell for these books hook, line and si..."

Kerry you said that so well - me too!

[Misty]

I absolutely agree w Kerry. they are not perfect, but I love that about them. When I read then the 1st time they had such an emotional impact on me that they will always remain w me!

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

I loved the inclusion of the Arthurian legend and the way it was resolved. I have read many, many versions of the story and it always is heartbreaking, heart wrenching, and so this was like a balm for the soul.

I loved this trilogy when I first read them, when they were first published. Kay became one of my favorite authors, and while I have loved a few of his other books and enjoyed all of them, none had the emotional impact that this trilogy did.

The Fionavar Tapestry, to me, is really about the many faces and facets of love, the various shadings and forms of love--parental, filial, romantic, idealistic, fraternal, unbidden, unknown, sacrificial, generous, remorseful, forgiving, unyielding, ever-changing, ever-constant. The story is multi-layered, familiar as a friend relating the events of a recent trip, distant as an ancient myth or legend.

[carol.]

beautifully stated, Kathi.

[Chris, Moderator]

Oh, brightly woven indeed!

I was not familiar with these books, and hearing them has been like rediscovering an old friend -- these have become some of my new favorites. My hat is off to the person who recommended the series read!

Guy Gavriel Kay weaves heartbreak into his stories like no one else. Paul on the tree, Jennifer's rape, sacrifices of Lancelot, Loren, Diar .... the list goes on and on. And yet the appealing nature of the Light is that those of the Light are willing to sacrifice themselves, while the Dark only sacrifices others.

I can quibble with minor points -- recruiting the five was a very weak point indeed -- but the world was lush and imaginative. I'll be thinking warm thoughts about this read for some time to come.