Criticism of Malazan Book of the Fallen

#261 Tiste Simeon

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Posted 07 October 2005 - 01:37 PM

Welcome to Geordie Steve and Lord Anomander Rake! Why not introduce yourselves in the New Members Introductory Thread? And I agree with you. Anomander Rake is the greatest Character in all the books!

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#262 Guest_Fool_*

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Posted 07 October 2005 - 08:38 PM

Quote

Fair enough, but I don't read Fantasy to be amused...

So when a fantasy book is amusing you dont count it as a good thing?

You disliked all the tehol/kruppe/pust parts in MBOTF, too, didcha?

#263 Guest_Sytkan_*

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Posted 07 October 2005 - 09:58 PM

THIS THREAD SHOULD BE LOCKED.... MBOTF IS PERFECT
(except from felisin)

#264 Roland

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Posted 07 October 2005 - 10:43 PM

Fool said:

So when a fantasy book is amusing you dont count it as a good thing?

You disliked all the tehol/kruppe/pust parts in MBOTF, too, didcha?

Now who's acting stupid?

If he doesn't read fantasy to be amused, doesn't mean he DOESN'T like funny parts in fantasy

#265 Tiste Simeon

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Posted 08 October 2005 - 10:09 AM

Fool said:

So when a fantasy book is amusing you dont count it as a good thing?

You disliked all the tehol/kruppe/pust parts in MBOTF, too, didcha?

See what Roland said... I wouldn't pick up a fantasy book and think "oh this looks amusing." The fact that Tehol/Bugg and Kruppe are hilarious (I hate Pust with a passion...) is an added bonus feature!

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#266 Guest_Fool_*

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Posted 08 October 2005 - 08:30 PM

So then its a bonus feature with pratchett, too.

Its not like i said that its the only or main thing that i like about pratchett...

#267 Roland

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Posted 08 October 2005 - 10:31 PM

It would be "bonus feature" if he had everything SE has

Which he... kinda... doesn't

#268 Guest_Fool_*

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Posted 08 October 2005 - 11:08 PM

No, but he has other things that SE doesnt have.

I mean, we've been over this havent we?

#269 caladanbrood

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Posted 08 October 2005 - 11:53 PM

Fool said:

I mean, we've been over this havent we?

Millions of times

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#270 Tiste Simeon

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Posted 10 October 2005 - 01:16 PM

I seem to remember arguing about this when I first started on this forum, a year ago this week...

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#271 Guest_Fool_*

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Posted 10 October 2005 - 02:51 PM

You were arguing about whether pratchett or erikson is the better writer?

Never saw a discussion on that...

#272 Tiste Simeon

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Posted 11 October 2005 - 01:18 PM

I think I was arguing about Pratchett in the Book Forums...

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#273 Guest_Fool_*

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Posted 11 October 2005 - 06:48 PM

Or against him rather, i suppose

Which pratchett books have you read anyway?

#274 Morgoth

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Posted 11 October 2005 - 08:34 PM

all of them, and I am unable to say who is the better writer as their style is so very different.

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#275 Guest_Brick Tamland_*

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Posted 12 October 2005 - 10:57 AM

I don't think you can say the style is so very different, they both write in the same genre so there will be similarities straight off.

But they have chosen to go down different roots with regards to their telling of fantasy.

Pratchett has the ability to relate real life situations within his discworld setting, his most recent Vimes book THUD! is an excellent example of this. He has Sgt. Colon and Nobbs talking about women out on the lash and he gets it wrong and calls it minge drinking (which made me laugh out loud, sad i know but minge!) and of course binge drinking has become a huge talking point in this country so the reader can identify with Pratchett's take on real life situations, I mean even the conflict between the dwarves and the trolls can be related back to recent real life conflicts. Plus Vimes is a very believable character, hard bitten, pessimistic, seen it all with very specific views on the world. Christ that could be any British person you care to mention!

I haven't read all of his books to be honest, I really enjoy all the stories with the City Watch in them, I think each character is realised beautifully and I just enjoy the direction he takes them in and how they develop. Probably because they are the underdogs, the lowest of the low, although that has changed somewhat now as more people join the watch, you just wish them well in all the stories they take part in because they are exaggerations of real life characters.

Erikson has chosen an epic storyline to focus on, although MT did have more humour than the 4 previous books and again Tehol was something of an underdog, smarter than a lot of people gave him credit for obviously and i have to say a superb character too.

IMO i believe Pratchett to be the better writer as he can take a real life situation and put it into a humourous context and breathe new life into it, taking it in a new direction, although that isn't to say i do not enjoy his writing style too. Erikson is certainly a formidable author and i take great pleasure in delving into the worlds he creates but I just think it can be too dense (although I'm sure many think the same of me!) sometimes, it feels more of a chore than an enjoyment to get through certain parts of his books but as always each to their own.

#276 Monoch Ochem

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Posted 18 October 2005 - 01:04 PM

I've got to say that since Erickson I've encountered huge difficulties.....I can almost find NOTHING to read that interests me! I mean, despite my policy of not reading any more George RR Martin (given the disrespectful way his readers have been treated), I'm not even lured by the fact that his new book is coming out this month (finally).

The last set I read was Trudy Canavan's "The Black Magician Trilogy" but even without desiring to, I read them soundly on the premise that they were substandard. It seems that noone weaves a plot like SE! The peoples, the cultures.....the man almost makes me want to be an anthropologist, and people who know me would be struck dumb by that sort of remark!

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#277

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Posted 18 October 2005 - 01:17 PM

Yep... it's one of the things I'm struggling with too....
I've read an awful lot and there's not a lot out there that leaves me with the same ... need to know - for want of a better phrase.:Erm:
I've been ruined...

but it wouldn't be the first time..

#278 Jester

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Posted 20 October 2005 - 01:05 AM

Hetan said:

but it wouldn't be the first time..

I went through the same struggle after reading Lord of The Rings many years ago. I couldn't read a book without comparing it to Tolkien. Fortunately I have found some books that I have loved as much as LOTRs(i.e The Belgariad & The Malloreon ). I still love Tolkien, but the world SE has created has opened my imagination likes no other books has done before. I actually called out sick one monday just so I can finish Deadhouse Gates.

PS. I haven't finished HOC, but I'm a bit over curious on who Traveller is. Will this be answered by the time I finish HOC?

#279 Oceao

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Posted 20 October 2005 - 04:21 AM

"PS. I haven't finished HOC, but I'm a bit over curious on who Traveller is. Will this be answered by the time I finish HOC?"

Apparently not.
Edit - Popular opinion doesn't seem to correlate with who I thought he was when I finished HoC