AA: thoughts on pace and dogs (no spoilers I don't think)

[Brian]

Now that I've finished the book, I'm curious about others' thoughts to my reactions.

First, this book took me quite a while to really get into. The first 9 or so chapters were a bit slow dealing with Ftiz's background and development. I didn't find them uninteresting, just told liesurely. But after that I was captivated by the story. I thought the nebulous path for Fitz throughout the book was fantastic. Many books really have a clear path for the main character and throw a few twists in the flow. Fitz, however, doesn't have a clearly defined path other than what is suggested by the title. This aspect seemed like a real life to me.

Also, some of the relationships with dogs hit awfully close to home for me. There were two times when I finished a chapter I immediately hugged my dog (who was nearly always by my side while I read this book). I suspect she thought I was nuts. I long for the kind of understanding Fitz has with dogs.

Feel free to comment, disagree, burn me in effigy...

[Lorie]

I totally loved this book because of the Wit feature. I was terribly sad when I lost my last dog and waited 7 years to get another one. Scout is so dear to me. I also hugged her a lot during the book.

The writing style is different but it doesn't matter once you get invested in the characters. I rarely stay up half the night to read a book. I couldn't put these down!

[Napoez3]

I enjoy the "book", and the importance of the relationships with dogs in the story was charming.

I have to confess, I'm feeling down after finishing the book... I has been a few years since my dog died...

[Kevin]

I wrote a paper on the relationship between Fritz and the dogs and the stages within the Monomyth.

[terpkristin]

I don't remember this book starting out any more slowly than most books seem to start out for me. I'm the type who needs to have time to get over the initial hump of a new book (ideally, 1-2 hours of uninterrupted listening time for audiobooks or 1 hour to read something in print). That said, I remember being drawn into the book as we got to see how Fitz bonded with the animals.

I've got a cat now (a picture of him today) and had a black lab growing up. I definitely think that animals (more so dogs than cats, in my limited sample size experience) can tell when their humans are having issues. When we had my dog, my brother went missing for a few days, and while the rest of the family went to go find him, I was left at home in case he came back (my brother did actually come home and all is well now). In that time, when I was completely anxious over my brother, my dog never left my side. It was like he knew. So yeah, I hear you on your second part, too. :)

[Brian]

Something just occurred to me regarding my perception of the pace of the beginning of the book. The three books I read before this one threw me into the action straight away. I'm now wondering if that affected how I viewed the beginning of this one. As I said though, I still enjoyed the beginning.

Regarding the Wit: (view spoiler)[Burrich's refusal to allow Fitz to use the Wit angered me. I thought it was such a fantastic ability. I know he hinted at consequences, but there were consequences to using the Skill too. I was quite happy when, ironically, it was the Wit that saved Fitz's, and likely Burrich's, life in the end. Ah, sweet ironic justice! (hide spoiler)]

.

[Ulmer Ian]

re: Brian
(view spoiler)[I agree, I wish the author 'showed' the consequences of Wit rather then just had a character explain the issues. I mean I could easily see a young child getting messed up with Wit for the reasons Burrich mentioned. For sure Burrich is a very decent guy, there's no reason to think he is simply prejudiced. Anyways I guess the jury is still out on Wit at the end of this book. For sure "Wit" didn't mess up his Skill as was claimed and the attributes appeared to actually be complementary. I'm guessing this will be revisited in the other books. Just ordered on Amazon. (hide spoiler)]
spoiler relates to Assassin's Apprentice, the only book I've read of the series.

[Jules]

My cat couldn't care less about our feelings - Kitty ESP apparently isn't standard. :)

[Miss_Tessa_Melissa]

I have a small dog that worships the ground I walk on, so it was "intense" to read certain parts of this book. Also, I grew up around many animals all of the time. My family background is Arabian horse trainers, and I spent many days in the family stables with the horses, stable dogs, and occasional cat. There were many aspects of Fitz's relationships with animals that I could relate with. I know the smells he smelled, I know the exact looks he got from certain animals. My heart was well invested.

[Heather]

About the dogs? I definitely had flashbacks to (view spoiler)[4th grade when Miss Douglas read Where the Red Fern Grows to our class. Scarred us all for life. Self-sacrificing dogs reduce me to a weeping mess every time. Thank goodness I wasn't on the bus when I read those parts! (hide spoiler)]

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Heather wrote: "About the dogs? I definitely had flashbacks to [spoilers removed]"

My 6th grade teacher read that to us and the entire class sobbed together. *blush*

I hugged my dog too. He is 12, and gimpy, but thinks he is still a puppy. The only dog I've ever bonded with, I'd say.

[Andrew]

I love the gentle pacing of the book. It makes me care about Fitz a lot more than many characters whose books have thrown me into the thick of it. When he goes through crap I feel it personally

[Rob, Roberator]

My dad has just about always had at least one dog.

Since buying my own house a few years ago, I've debated back and forth about finally getting one of my own.

This book is bringing the book back to the forefront of my thoughts.

As far as the pace, I'm only up to chapter 6 and I find it moving just fine so far.

[Joshua]

I'm surprised so many people liked the dog interactions. I thought it was neat at first, but I tired quickly of it and, if it wasn't a short-ish audiobook, would have lemmed it.

[meaghs]

i'm loving the pace and the dog interactions. maybe the animal interactions just really hit home with animal lovers / owners? Those who haven't "bonded" probably just think us all silly and sappy...

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Joshua wrote: "I'm surprised so many people liked the dog interactions. I thought it was neat at first, but I tired quickly of it and, if it wasn't a short-ish audiobook, would have lemmed it."
Yes but do you have a dog that you love?

[David]

Wow, lots of dog-lovers out there. I'm firmly a cat person, but will admit that Hobb had me caring for Smithy too.

[aPriL does feral sometimes]

I've only had cats, but dog stories have me dripping tears when they die saving their masters. I had wet eyes several times reading this.

The pace and style of the book is old-fashioned to me - meaning books I read in the 1970's as well as books originally printed in the 1950's-1960's. This was a story written by a mind creating an imaginary world based on real places, intentionally as down-to-earth real as possible. More like a regular literary novel. I liked it, though it was awhile before I realized I would not be zipping through this in a day or two like I usually do with current genre books and I finally quit trying to zip!

Today, most genre books have a blockbuster-summer-action-movie-with-CGI style with lots of cinema-ready scenes and clever repartee, as if the author was also thinking how the story would look in a movie at the same time as writing in a genre style. Not that that's bad, just kinda quick and forgettable.

[Mark]

So what makes this a "slow" read compared to last month's "fast" one? Do people really read more in one sitting when there's action and splodey things?

[David Sven]

Cattfish wrote: "So what makes this a "slow" read compared to last month's "fast" one? Do people really read more in one sitting when there's action and splodey things?"

I didn't find this a "slow read" at all. There were times when I had read more than intended in a sitting just getting caught up in the intrigue. I think people mean its pace is "slow" compared to an all out action novel - maybe.

[Brian]

For me, what David Sven said. I found the pace of the first 9 or so chapters to be more relaxed. It didn't take me any longer to read than other books. The first part of the book had fewer events taking place but much more description. I don't mean to imply that it was a bad thing at all though.

For the record, I'm nearly half way through Royal Assassin and the pacing of the latter portion of Assassin's Apprentice is maintained.

[Amber Dawn]

I loved this book. I had just had a friend suggest Hobb to me, anyway (I live in Seattle and Hobb actually lives, not here, but not far). At first I thought it was a little bit silly that all the royalty had virtues for names, but then I got really into the story and got over it. I don't mind things with a slower pace (thought I definitely enjoy shorter books that are all action, too) and was interested in the magic aspects. Ulmer Ian (view spoiler)[ I wonder if the reason they don't show any consequences of Wit is there aren't any consequences and it's just an old wives tale sort of thing? I haven't read the others yet... (hide spoiler)] <-- probably not much of a spoiler but since the same thing was spoilered earlier did for consistency. 1st book related only.

[Katie]

I can tell the pace of a book by how stained it is afterwards. When a book has me really invested, I'm not putting it down to eat, drink, or sometimes...bathe, so it gets pretty beat up. The first half of this book was pristine. The last half got a little torn up ;)
I was already a fan of Robin Hobb after reading the Liveship Traders series, which ended up with food stains and water damage from chapter 1 until the end!

[Mark]

Katie wrote: "I can tell the pace of a book by how stained it is afterwards. When a book has me really invested, I'm not putting it down to eat, drink, or sometimes...bathe, so it gets pretty beat up. The first ..."

Please don't check out books from the public library!

[[deleted user]]

I wouldn't have chosen this book from a book shop in a million years if it hadn't been for S&L. Now I have another 11 books to read (2 + 3 x trilogies) at some point. I really enjoyed it and have been recommending it to people who read fantasy and those that haven't. I think it makes a great "gateway" fantasy book, especially for someone who keeps animals.

As for pacing, taking the last four S&L books as an example (since I have been a member), both SF books seem to me fast paced (lots of events happening) while the Fantasy picks have moved at a more pedestrian pace, and none the worse for that. Is this a notable trend?

SF = fast paced
Fantasy = slow paced

Personally I really like the alternating contrast and I think it suits the genres although I am sure there are many counter examples.

[Kiska]

Cattfish wrote: "Katie wrote: "I can tell the pace of a book by how stained it is afterwards. When a book has me really invested, I'm not putting it down to eat, drink, or sometimes...bathe, so it gets pretty beat ..."

I'm with you - my favorite books are tired looking. Why stop reading to do stupid life stuff? :)

[aPriL does feral sometimes]

By pacing, I meant lots of words on thinking, walking, going, etc. Also, not a lot of BANG! FLASH! POW! CUT OFF HEAD! RUN! ROLL!

Style can speed reading or slow it down, as in, 'I walked for while, then I sat down. I settled my jacket about me. The sun was out, bright and hot. I searched my pockets and found a piece of string and a jelly baby. I searched another pocket and found a sandwich. It was a little smashed, but I was hungry and ate it slowly, savoring it.' as opposed to, 'I walked. I felt hungry, so I sat down and ate a sandwich.' Or, 'The bird was pretty." vs, longer to read sentences, like, 'The exotic, multicolored iridescent feathered bird was gorgeously hued and lured my eye.'

I read about 500 words a minute for POW and I ate a sandwich and the bird was pretty sentences. I slow down for the more descriptive words and words that are three or more syllables, or when the author uses a paragraph to describe a tree instead of one sentence. Not that I'm complaining or that that's bad. Pacing for me usually means is it fast or slow to read it through. But I also use it sometimes when a week passes in one chapter vs. a week passing for a hundred pages.

Pacing actually refers, I think, to rhythmic flow, like the action flows from a sentence to the next so smoothly, nothing pulls you up short with a sudden dissonance or break that sounds or feels wrong, and pulls you out of the story.

Sometimes it's an adjective that is wrong, or a run on sentence, or the author keeps repeating himself over and over (you think to yourself, why didn't he get an editor?) Sometimes it can feel like a sentence was left out, or the character acts in a way that is unbelievable, like, 'in one hand he had a iPad, in the other a drink, and while sipping, he sewed a button on his shirt.' you are thinking, how many hands did he have?

But I'm an amateur, so I kinda slide on my definitions. Glad to explain myself.

: )

[[deleted user]]

I am not sure what I mean by pacing either when I sit down to think about it.

I think you are right, April, about rhythmic flow but with the SF/Fantasy point I wonder if context has anything to do with it. The "Medieval"/historical context of most fantasy seems familiar and cosy (to me) and its descriptions of life in that environment are slow paced as life is slow paced (I live in the country, nothing wrong with that). In contrast SF backgrounds tend to be more unfamiliar to everyday life so the descriptions of everyday life seem more jarring and challenging to imagine. The pace of life described, being accelerated by technology (as is modern life for a lot of people), is faster and events portrayed more time sensitive.

[kvon]

I think part of the pacing is also the underlying context. A lot of the sf books are 'let's solve this problem,' whereas Hobb's stories are frequently 'how can I fit into this society,' so less about fixing things and more about living.

[Brian]

As follow up to my thoughts on the Wit... I've now just completed the entire trilogy. I am very happy with the continued exploration and value of the Wit, particularly in Assassin's Quest. There is much more to explore.

I only just finished but 20 minutes ago. To be honest, I'm a bit numb, as though I've been Skilling today. I'm going to need more time to absorb what I've read.

...and I enjoyed truly the other two books.

[Derek]

FertileSpade wrote: " I'm wondering if and where Fitz had a catharsis in the book that allowed him to move past all the emotional pain he experienced as a child. Was there one? Is that still to come in one of the later books? ..."

Doesn't really happen until the end of the second trilogy.

[Derek]

FertileSpade wrote: "Snokat wrote: "FertileSpade wrote: " I'm wondering if and where Fitz had a catharsis in the book that allowed him to move past all the emotional pain he experienced as a child. Was there one? Is th..."

The Tawny Man

[Derek]

FertileSpade wrote: "Cool, thanks again!"

You should read the Live Ships Trilogy before The Tawny Man. Takes place in a different part of the world, with different characters, but the events in it lead to the events in The Tawny Man.