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Read Discussion: Perdido Street Station (Spoilers)
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Wow... I won! You guys like me... You really, really LIKE me! :DI guess this means I'll actually have to read this now. :P LOL
Will it help to have read the first book King Rat, or will Perdido Street Station stand on it's own?
Perdido works well on its own. I thought it was the first in a loose triogy, though..
You could be right Jason, I was only going off the blurb you get when you click on the book picture. it says that "King Rat, was a lively debut and one of the most adventurous urban dark fantasy tales in memory. In his follow-up book, Perdido Street Station, Miévilleoffers a vibrant and vivid setting for an innovative, complex, and fascinating tale of a land that exists in the gray realm between sorcery and science."
according to the book cover, PSS is #1 in a series
Requested this one through interlibrary loan along with The Shirley Jackson book we're reading in HA :)Both sound awesome!
I finished this the other day and really enjoyed it. There were a good amont of overdone descriptions, but once you plugged through them the story was great
I feel really bad because I nominated this but I don't think I'll actually be able to read it with the group. I'm really looking forward to it, but I have too many books in the way... booo!
Maggie wrote: "I finished this the other day and really enjoyed it. There were a good amont of overdone descriptions, but once you plugged through them the story was great"That's my problem right now with Perdido, the overdone descriptions. I'm on chapter 11, so I should keep going?
YES! The story itself, and the action is good. Getting past the description is a trait of Meivilles.
Becky wrote: "I feel really bad because I nominated this but I don't think I'll actually be able to read it with the group. I'm really looking forward to it, but I have too many books in the way... booo!"Me too. I mean, I didn't nominate it (didn't vote for it, for that matter), but I want to read it too. I even have a copy staring at me from my bookshelf. Along with about 2 million others, alas. And that is the problem.
We can read it later and come back to this thread. Refresh it at that point.
Cool. I don't know when I'd be able to get to it though honestly. I keep getting books for review that keep pushing everything else back. LOL Oh well... I will put it on the "To get to when I can" list. :)
I don't even have a copy of this yet, lol. I just finished Monster Hunter International not too long ago then got siderailed. :-)
Maggie wrote: "YES! The story itself, and the action is good. Getting past the description is a trait of Meivilles."Ok, I'll keep going. The world that's being built in the story I'm really enjoining. The characters are fascinating, too.
I've started reading this but I'm finding it a very slow read - especially compared to Kraken and The City And The City, both of which I raced through. It's an intriguing set-up, though, and I'm looking forwards to finding out how Lin and Isaac's stories come together (assuming they will).
This is indeed a fascinating story, even though it's often bogged down by dense, over descriptive writing. I'd keep going, Eileen!
Jason wrote: "This is indeed a fascinating story, even though it's often bogged down by dense, over descriptive writing. I'd keep going, Eileen!"I thought it was fascinating too Jason. The love story, the crazy genius, the 'monster', the odd kind of betrayal that happened...that's a good question, come to think of it.
What do you think of the betrayal of Yagharek?
justified? mitigating circumstance? had he changed?
I agree...I think it was the irony that this happened right when they had used up all of Yag's money on the rescue...so I still felt bad for him, but yeah, unacceptable.
Just started this today so carefully noting this without reading any of the posts. *slips in and out of room quickly and with a hand over her eyes*
I remember that betrayal was a pivotal part of the novel. Or, at least it stands out in my mind. It disappointed me, but to the authors benefit because I didn't want it to happen and was sad that it did, if that makes sense. It also took my by surprise. Usually, in betrayal scenes, I groan. They can be so cookie cutter and cliched. But I didn't get that from the one.
I had a hard time getting into the very first pages ( I think the unusual races in this world were taking some extra visual work to imagine at first) but the world's really starting to become much clearer to me now that I've gotten a bit further in. In a way the world looks a bit like that of The City of Lost Children (an independent film from the 90s) in my head.
Jason and Maggie, I didn't give up! I am liking the story.
Awesome, Eileen. It does grow on you.
Although there wer etimes I wanted to put it down, I was glad I stuck through it!
ANyone know where I can get an ebook copy of this from anywhere besides Kobo and Amazon? I can't buy from amazon cause I don't have a kindle.I have a Kobo but I recently realized that Kobo is charging me a state sales tax as well as an international fee transaction. That takes the book from $7.99 to $8.47 plus the transaction fee. We're talking about $10 here! For a fricking ebook! The DTB is the same cost.
I found it at sony - not sure about that either because I don't have a Reader but I've heard the DRM stripping from Sony is a little easier and it is already in epub.
This is getting out of control. If I can't find it for a reasonable price I am going to pass this one buy. "Lost Book Sales"
I think I'm going to have to do that...
I'm still slogging through it. Feels a bit like wading through treacle... I sort of want to know what happens, but not quite enough to pick it up often. I'm about 1/4 way through, and the only plot point that's really gripped me is what the caterpillar is going to turn into. Hmm. Considering how much I loved the other Mieville books I've read, I'm disappointed.
Rachel wrote: "I'm still slogging through it. Feels a bit like wading through treacle... I sort of want to know what happens, but not quite enough to pick it up often. I'm about 1/4 way through, and the only plot..."I thought it was 'thick' going as well Rachel, but your interest is in the right spot! I was glad I plowed through, as it does pull together despite the over-descriptive-ness
I am so behind! I just finished The Man With the Golden Torc (which I loved!) and haven't even started on Perdido Street Station.
MrsJoseph wrote: "I am so behind! I just finished The Man With the Golden Torc (which I loved!) and haven't even started on Perdido Street Station."Well, if my experience is anything to go by, you'll want to make sure you have something lighter to read between chapters of this... I virtually inhaled Beyond the Shadows in a couple of days, in the middle of when I was supposed to be reading PSS - but I'm not a huge fan of slow-burn novels and needed some action!
Really? Hmmm, that doesn't sound promising...
I like his descriptions and prose, if only because he tends to describe those things that really matter. I like description in fantasy - it comes with the genre, really - but so many authors get caught up on sapphire orbs and raven locks that when you start describing the dragon, it just sort of blends in. He knows when to shut up so that the long descriptions he does include are more poignant.
Not to mention, I love New Crobuzon.
Not to mention, I love New Crobuzon.
I went from reading PSS to graphic novels back and forth just to break it up. I don't consider the book boring at all just challenging in places. Now that I only have 300 pages left its going much smoother. The book really picks up right around halfway when things start getting more important, shall we say.So don't give up or decide not to try!
I've finished it! Wow it seemed like I was reading it forever and I feel bad for that :( Overall I think if a bit of editing had been done it would have been a bit smoother to read. I genuinely enjoyed some of the characters but felt that in the end a lot of them were sort of ripped off. Largely Lin who was so horribly handled by the end.
I felt the same way Amanda...with some more editing it could have been great. Once the story came out I really liked it-it just took a long time to get there
I finished today and I have to say parts of the book I thought were great. The building of the characters and the world they lived in was interesting. What I got from reading PSS was getting involved with "dream shit" will cause you nothing but trouble. Plus, never take away a persons right to choose.
I loved the creation of that "dream shit" drug. Very original.
I thought the dream shit was a great part of the story, very entertaining. The moth was fun to read about..could you imagine one in our world?
That moth creature would be frightfully awesome in our world!
I thought the moth was terrifying! I will probably think of this book when I see moths now...lol
I thought the dreamshit/moth bit was very original but also sort of Clive Barkery. Lol, actual Isaac was sort of a Barker sort of character.
I agree. You can definitely see a Barker influence in this story.
Would anyone here be brave enough to eat some of that dream shit?
If it's called "shit" I will always pass... :-)
Jason wrote: "Would anyone here be brave enough to eat some of that dream shit?"I might, if it didn't have any lasting effects.
Eileen wrote: "Jason wrote: "Would anyone here be brave enough to eat some of that dream shit?"I might, if it didn't have any lasting effects."
Heh, me too!
Unfortunately, I think there is. It's highly addictive, if I remember correctly. I would try it, but I'd hate to become addicted to it. I hate addictions...
This is the only book I've ever written a review on.
Fantasy Aficionados
Books mentioned in this topic
Perdido Street Station (other topics)The Man with the Golden Torc (other topics)
King Rat (other topics)
Beyond the Shadows (other topics)
Another great book. I can't wait to hear what you all think of it.
So, let's discuss.