[Mercador]

Hello !

I will start reading the malazan serie after Dance with Dragons this summer. One friend of mine told me I should start by the second book, is that true? Is it hard to read for a non-english speaker (like several rich english words) ?

Also, I started The Black Company (I've already read the 2 first books), should I finish this one first? I started also Sword of Truth but I didn't like it (at least the first book) maybe I should continue...

Thanks!

[Weave]

Helpfully and rather cleverly, the forums listed order is the recommended reading order:
http://forum.malazan...dex.php?act=idx

I don't know why he'd recommend the 2nd book 1st, makes no sense at all.

And there is MANY obtuse words in his writing. I'm English and have to look maybe, 10-15 up a book. But they make sense in context, and it's often just like, an old word for a village, or an exact name for a specific farming implement. It's a BRILLIANT series though, and I highly recommend going through with it, as 10 words in 1000 page book is tiny.

Also, welcome to the Forum, if you stick around, they have a fabulous community here, check out the social boards as well as the book ones!

This post has been edited by Weave: 08 July 2011 - 03:59 PM

[Salt-Man Z]

Mercador, on 08 July 2011 - 03:37 PM, said:

Hello !

Welcome!

Quote

One friend of mine told me I should start by the second book, is that true?

No no NO. Granted, that approach has been known to work for some people, but by and large the best recommendation is to read the books in the order they were published, which just happens to be how they're ordered on these forums. Most people think the second book is a large step up in quality from the first, though, so don't give up on the series until you've tried the second. There's some discussion of reading order here, as well.

Quote

Is it hard to read for a non-english speaker (like several rich english words) ?

Perhaps? I can't really speak to this one.

Quote

Also, I started The Black Company (I've already read the 2 first books), should I finish this one first?

You might as well read the third BC book to finish off the original trilogy. Personally, I liked the later books better, but I'm aware that I'm in the minority with that opinion.

[Puck]

Mercador, on 08 July 2011 - 03:37 PM, said:

Is it hard to read for a non-english speaker (like several rich english words) ?

Yes and no. It may seem hard at first, but after a few chapters you'll get used to it. There will be a few words you might have to look up, but they are used repeatedly, so you'll get used to them, and mostly you can tell from context what they roughly mean. Go for it, you won't regret it.

[Mercador]

Thanks all!

Actually, I'll read Dance with Dragons in English (since I don't want to wait for the traduction) so I'll see if I'm good enough to read novels in there original version. I hope so since translated books are costly (and they often separate one book in different parts $$$)

[Morgoth]

Quite often a series of books are published in the order they are intended to be read.

[Dinivan]

Mercador, on 08 July 2011 - 05:26 PM, said:

Thanks all!

Actually, I'll read Dance with Dragons in English (since I don't want to wait for the traduction) so I'll see if I'm good enough to read novels in there original version. I hope so since translated books are costly (and they often separate one book in different parts $$$)

Oh yes, they did that with MBotF as well (at least with the German version) I read the first books in German and switched to English once I had reached the then latest release of the translation... I had no problem reading it. (not understanding the odd word in between, but I am used to skip these / get them from the context)

As per reading order: As they came out. The real discussion is when the novellas should be read (Night of knives, Return of the Crimson Guard, etc), as they are complete in and on themselves, but are set in the same world, and information / incidents in the series carry over and vice versa... the series can be read without touching the novellas at all, though, and I think you can read right up to Memories of Ice without worrying with them.

[Mercador]

In French, you have no idea...


Look the publication of Fire and Ice series;

http://fr.wikipedia....%C3%B4ne_de_fer


12 books (!!!) for the original 4 books from GRRM :| And they wonder why people don't buy books anymore...

In the Black company, the 3 last books are splitted in publication as well in French But they cost each one the full price of the original book...



So if I'm able to read Dance with Dragons in english, I won't buy translated books anymore for sure.

[PeterWilliam]

[quote name='Weave' timestamp='1310140503' post='876805']
Helpfully and rather cleverly, the forums listed order is the recommended reading order:
http://forum.malazan...dex.php?act=idx[/quote]

In looking over the forum listed order, The Crippled God is currently listed separate from the rest of the books. Am I to take that to mean it is suggested to read Stonewielder prior to The Crippled God? I am nearing the end of The Dust of Dreams and was wondering.

[HoosierDaddy]

Generally, yes. Some people will say that since DoD and TCG were "meant to be one big novel" you should read TCG. I, on the other hand, like to read them in published order. Stonewielder is fairly separate from the other events so waiting to do so won't make much of a difference but Stonewielder takes place before TCG.

[PeterWilliam]

Excellent, thank you sir.

[Salt-Man Z]

When in doubt, always go with publication order. In hindsight, though, I think DoD/TCG would be stronger back-to-back than with SW stuck inbetween.

This post has been edited by Salt-Man Z: 19 October 2011 - 03:33 AM

[tiam]

Agree with SMZ above. DOD/TCG as a whole work alot better without being transferred to another unseen continent.

I think on my next reread after this one I will read them via continent so GOTM,MOI,TTH-DG,HOC,TBH-MT,RG,DOD,TCG and see if that works out. By the time of TTH I had largely forgotten all the stuff mentioned in MOI. Though I would only recommend this on a reread. Publication order as other have said is usally the best way not to get spoiled.

[Orlion]

In my opinion: it almost doesn't matter for the first five books. Books 6, 7, 9, and 10 ought to be read in that order, and only after book 4 (This sequence is what I would call the 'main' sequence... of course, one could argue that it needs 2 and 3 as well... and 5). Book 8.... that's harder, I'm not entirely sure if that fits the best between 7 and 9 or if it could be read after Bonehunters without much spoiled.

That, of course, is one of the interesting things about this series: chronology almost doesn't matter. If you are reading for the first time, though, read as numbered. As far as the Esslemont books: Night of Knives after DHG, Return of the Crimson Guard after Bonehunters... and I still haven't finished Stonewielder, sooo.... anytime after RotCG.

[Slow Ben]

tiam, on 19 October 2011 - 01:10 PM, said:

Agree with SMZ above. DOD/TCG as a whole work alot better without being transferred to another unseen continent.

I think on my next reread after this one I will read them via continent so GOTM,MOI,TTH-DG,HOC,TBH-MT,RG,DOD,TCG and see if that works out. By the time of TTH I had largely forgotten all the stuff mentioned in MOI. Though I would only recommend this on a reread. Publication order as other have said is usally the best way not to get spoiled.

This looks like a great idea.

I just started my 4th reread. I think i'm gonna try this.

[MosesSiregarIII]

There's already a thread about my recent interview with SE, but I asked him what he thought about the advice that people should start with book 2. He said that he'd often given that advice himself. He also mentioned that (IIRC) nine years passed between the writing of book 1 and book 2 and that Deadhouse Gates is one of his favorite books in the series.

For what it's worth.