Has anyone fully read the Witcher series?

[CB]

No spoilers pls, I just haven't heard much abt it :)

[Monika]

Yes, I did, years ago. Rereading it from time to time.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

The first 2 books are anthologies, then it has a more traditional novel format, with the plot elements/characters you might be familiar with, if you've played the games or watched the show...

[Joseph]

Not me.

[CB]

Thanks guys :)

[Rachel]

Yes I have! On the last book now but it’s a re-read from years ago. Books 1-4 are like normal novels and the prequels are basically a collection of short stories and adventures (similar to the tv show)

[Marie]

I have and it's one of my favorite series. I cannot speak much for English translations as I only read it in Czech.

I enjoy the Slavic mythology inspired world. The themes of found family. The philosophical and ethical questions. It has quite a bit of humor too.

[Monika]

I never read English translation, prefer reading in original as I'm Polish 😁.

[Marie]

Monika wrote: "I never read English translation, prefer reading in original as I'm Polish 😁."

Nice! I think the Czech one is good since, honestly, it's easier to translate similar languages but I have a Goodreads friend who read both saying it's much better in the original. I did hear people saying English one is kinda bad.

[Monika]

Some things are hard to translate I think. Lots of things are missing.... It's bit like in one of Witcher story about mermaid and prince when Geralt was translating... He couldn't translate like word for word what angry prince said cause that would be totally silly for mermaid - this 'dry yourself' instead 'drawn (drown) yourself' . Hope you know what part I have in mind.

[Marie]

Yeah, I remember that part. It's true some things are very hard to translate. Some sayings and cultural things especially. Some can be changed to the other language's closest approximation, others just get really lost in translation and has to be replaced with something quite different. The more distant the language is the harder it gets. I studied Japanese so I should know lol.

Also, the prose can suffer by translation. Good translator needs to be a good writer too.

[Monika]

Very true Marie, very true.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I read the first couple anthologies and maybe the first novel... it didn't wow me, and the Buddy Read I was a part of fizzled out...

I wouldn't be surprised if it was lost in translation... it's a bit of a cultural phenomena thanks to the games (which I've barely played the first one of, for a few hours, so also out of the loop there, too)...

[Marie]

Well, the first game was great for its time but it could get tedious. I never finished it. Not the second one either, because I was just playing it to prepare for the third and got tired of the older game mechanics. I love the third one but I am yet to finish it. I rarely finish games as I get too sidetracked with the optional stuff lol.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I hear that... I played Elder Scrolls alot, over the years... and modded versions...

[Marie]

Timelord Iain wrote: "I hear that... I played Elder Scrolls alot, over the years... and modded versions..."

Yeah, I played Skyrim a lot. Always started with the side quests, then took a break, and never came back to it... Then when I returned a year later I felt like I needed to start from the beginning. I played through that thief quest line like 4 times but I have never finished the game...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I played Skyrim when it was XBox exclusive... only game I ever got 1000/1000 achievement points on console... also led to me not modding it as much as Morrowind/Oblivion...

I might have beaten Morrowind... if not, I got close... close enough to go to the far north and progress the prophecy and find the god locked away in the Venice town... might have never headed to the final boss in the middle of the map / Wasteland...

[Marie]

I only played a bit of Morrowind and Oblivion because I only got to those after Skyrim came out.

Did you ever try Enderal? The total conversion mod for Skyrim? I loved it, so obviously I haven't finished it... I have my eyes on the kind of prequel book to it, though, Dreams of the Dying.

Somehow this turned into a gaming thread lol

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I'm good at tangents... not sure the group has a dedicated gaming thread, the way it has a TV & Movies thread...

I don't play story-based games the way I used to... play alot of story-free/lite games and games where I can ignore the story for the most part (ARPGs and MMOs back in the day just to collect things)...

I had Morrowind 20 years ago, and got Oblivion & Skyrim as they released... Morrowind was clunky... Oblivion was the one I played the most...

My brother also had Morrowind on XBox... we literally damaged an old CRT TV, thanks to enchanted Nightvision gear putting a green tint on the game for such long periods of time...

[Monika]

Not a big screen player me... My man did some of the Witcher games, Skyrim and Elder Scrolls. I prefer handhelds and puzzle games, fact I like old Final Fantasy and some of tactics games, but mostly I'm bookworm 😁

[Marie]

I prefer story based games even though I also like active combat games so mostly RPGs like The Witcher. But in recent years if I have time I mostly invest it to reading rather than playing. Still enjoy rhythm games like Osu. I get sometimes into some more casual games but then get annoyed at the time I wasted on it rather than reading. But game with a story is almost like reading so it checks out. Only, I can't add it on my Goodreads challenge as completed lol.

Rip TV.

There should be a gaming thread.

[Marie]

@Monika Throughout my life, I have had these seasons of interest. I was a big fantasy reader when little then got into games, mostly MMO. Then I got into anime and manga. Learned English that way. Then I started discovering books not available in translation. Had some movies and tv shows watching seasons too. But for the last 7 years or so I am all books and it feels like it's a more or less permanent thing with some short gaming sprees thrown in.

[Monika]

I'm late gamer 😁. My man put me into it, geez what a nasty language I used when we played Baldur's Gate together 🤣🤣🤣. I still have soft spot for Harvest Moon. My little man is in games, anime etc tech generation 🤣. He loves Godzilla (Japanese one).

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Marie wrote: "@Monika Throughout my life, I have had these seasons of interest. I was a big fantasy reader when little then got into games, mostly MMO. Then I got into anime and manga. Learned English that way. ..."

Idle games / mindless story-free games let me do both... listen and play...

[Marie]

It's nice to try and get a bit into each other's hobbies. I am still trying and failing to get mine to read one book. He even got interested in one non-fiction but never finished it. At least he reads manga occasionally.

To whoever it may concern, the gaming conversation has been moved to a new gaming thread:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Marie]

Timelord Iain wrote: "Marie wrote: "@Monika Throughout my life, I have had these seasons of interest. I was a big fantasy reader when little then got into games, mostly MMO. Then I got into anime and manga. Learned Engl..."

Now it makes sense why you would prefer no story games. Would have to stop listening for a sec 😆

It's why I initially gave up on audiobooks. I tried listening while playing to multitask but wasn't enjoying myself that way. Only later I rediscovered audiobooks when I started doing chores in my own house. Chores + Audiobooks are an amazing combo. Sometimes I even look for more chores to do to continue my audiobook lol.