Ella

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The Dragonbone Chair (Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, #1)

by Tad Williams (Goodreads Author)

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Ella said: " I had high hopes for this novel, however sadly it came across as painfully clichéd maybe I just read too many fantasy books but it was one of those stories where a few chapters in I could already tell what was going to happen *sigh*. Let me put it th I had high hopes for this novel, however sadly it came across as painfully clichéd maybe I just read too many fantasy books but it was one of those stories where a few chapters in I could already tell what was going to happen *sigh*. Let me put it this way, I bought this meaty-enough looking book to read on my daily hour-plus train commute because I get bored very quickly. Most of the time when I had this book as my only other option I was more inclined to just sit with my arms folded and stare into space. As a result I’m still struggling through it

The novel begins in the fictional kingdom of Osten Ard. Our protagonist Simon is an orphaned kitchen-boy of dubious origins working in the grand palace of King John the dragon slayer. Just shy of fifteen years Simon is the odd combination being both restless and lazy with a tendency to daydream. I realise that Williams introduces him as such, a typical feckless teenage boy, as most of these clichéd heroes start off… to pave the way for some serious character development later on, however sadly he overdoes it and Simons inability to carry out the simplest of tasks make him come across as not so much callow and unlearned as a little bit retarded. Already my sympathies are lost because I really don’t care how this bumbling idiot will inevitably go on to save the world or some such nonsense. He is soon apprenticed to “doctor” Morgenes who seems to be more of a wizard/mad-scientist combo than an actual physician. Already-three chapters in I think-I know that Simon must be the chosen one of royal blood or have super-special magical power or something along those lines because I can think of no other reason why anyone would take this dolt on as a student otherwise, he can’t even sweep a floor for five minutes without getting distracted by something shiny.
His character development is…sketchy…to say the least. In some books, GOOD books, the protagonist leads the charge in GREAT books the protagonist is reactive, he neither determines the entire plot (which can make a world frustratingly protagonist-centered) nor does he passively get pulled around by it, sadly in THIS book the protagonist is lead around by the nose, his character changing at the drop of as the plot demands

The writing is not the great; convoluted and disjointed with dull descriptions that tend to be long and meandering. The plot takes a long time to get anywhere, the thinly-veiled version of real-world Christianity is so unoriginal and weak that it could have simply BEEN Christianity and would have made no difference at all to the plot, possibly even have made it less jarring and cringe-worthy and I wouldn't have kept putting it down in frustration from being bombarded by endless lists of ridiculous names I couldn't pronounce. This is especially bad as much of the plot and the characters motivations all hinge on their beliefs about their god and religion, Williams could have made it more interesting but they are essentially dark-ages Catholics with a little bit of king Arthur-esque myth thrown in for good measure. All in all this portrayal of Christianity “with a coat of paint” was just irritating and a lot of the time when I read about it, or their months, or calendar I was like, “really? SERIOUSLY? c‘mon!” after a while his laziness just became insulting. So what? You can ramble on for ten pages about how a shiftless idiot can’t use a broom properly but you can’t take the time to come up with a more creative culture? I know being creative is hard, lord knows I can’t do it, but then again I’m not a fantasy writer. After a while it really DID feel like laziness on his part, like he went “eh, close enough, I’ll just call November Novander and it will be like a WHOLE DIFFERENT WORLD!”
The fact that throughout the story I was introduced to hundreds and hundreds of forgettable background characters didn't do anything to help endear me to this book, Stephen king (Yes, I know completely different genre) can write a memorable character you feel you KNOW intimately in a few paragraphs whilst Williams manages to achieve the opposite over several pages

The bad writing, the dull, flat, or downright irritating characters, the slow, meandering plot. All of these things I could forgive but for a fantasy novel this book has committed a cardinal sin and that is it’s egregious lack of creativity. Everything from the tired, clichéd characters to the typical fantasy world (complete with the staple “haunted woods” ostracized non-humans, elves, trolls, demons and evil magicians, the kingdom under one god(s) and a hidden elf village) to predictable plot are all just re-hashes of things we have seen a thousand times before from much better writers. There is nothing. NOTHING in this book you won’t have seen in some other form before.

I don’t know if I’ll bother finishing it, but probably will out of pure stubbornness. But I know what will happen by the end of the series, Simon is heir to the throne, his mysterious dead father that no-one seems to know anything about was the kings long-lost son or something predictable like that. He will fulfill his DESTINY to defeat evil, the plot seems determined to do that even if he’s just dragged along for the ride, he’ll marry the princess Miriamele and live happily ever after. For anyone who has bothered to read the series, how am I doing so far eh?
If I ever finish this book, as per my rule I will upgrade it to two stars. ...more "

Oct 22, 2013 10:01AM · see review