[Andorion]

amphibian, on 10 July 2018 - 08:53 PM, said:

I think someone did a checklist of Irving things that he likes to happen in his books.

"Is there a bear? Do any scenes take place in Vienna? Is anyone a wrestler? Does a parent die or disappear? Is there a sex worker?" etc

It's reductive, but yet very on the nose.

My general impression so far is that practically every character is weird, crazy or both.

There is also a lot of social commentary, but it can get lost in all the random death

[Andorion]

Incidentally, I have a general question to everyone - how many people here have read the Remembrance of Earths Past series by Cixin Liu and what is the general opinion regarding it?

[Salt-Man Z]

Andorion, on 11 July 2018 - 03:17 AM, said:

Incidentally, I have a general question to everyone - how many people here have read the Remembrance of Earths Past series by Cixin Liu and what is the general opinion regarding it?

I've read the first. It's...interesting. It's definitely worth reading just for the different (Chinese) perspective. I do mean to continue the series at some point (I've already got the second book.)

[Macros]

Finished up Road to Rome this morning on the plane.

As enjoyable as the rest. Kane is now a read everything author (damn you QT)

Picked up Anthony Beevors Arnhem in the Airport there now to read.
Probably won't hit it in one go if it's anything as heavy as Stalingrad was but I think my dad will like it too.

[QuickTidal]

Macros, on 11 July 2018 - 04:15 PM, said:

Finished up Road to Rome this morning on the plane.

As enjoyable as the rest. Kane is now a read everything author (damn you QT)

Hey man, I'm in this boat with you. I'm almost half way through HUNTING THE EAGLE and it's stunningly entertaining. Kane is great!

[Puck]

I'm halfway through Fool's Assassin and so far it's a typical Hobb book, but with even less plot than usual. It's slice-of-life with Fitz fretting for ten pages before doing anything, over and over, and the interesting stuff is either very short or completely ignored by Fitz. At least there's a lot of time going by, I guess. I mean, I see how the events are important, but they're all dragged out so much by Fitz mopping for half the time. I do still like the detail to which Hobb knows stuff and is able to convey a world that feels real, though, as well as giving people believable motivations and goals. Though those kids were seriously heavy handed and ridiculous (you what I mean when you've read the book).

Spoiler

I mean, Bee is cute 'n stuff and I do like her PoV, but it's glaringly obvious what's going on with her. Also, finally Molly is gone. I did like the way she died (I don't mean that in a gloating way, I DID like the portrayal of how she was getting older and then the sudden stroke she suffered, it was very believable and human). I couldn't stand her from the page she appeared on first back in the Farseer trilogy. Also, Nettle is finally bearable AND there'S barely any Thick so far, so that's a plus!

This post has been edited by Puck: 11 July 2018 - 05:35 PM

[JPK]

Meanwhile I'm at 50% on Golden Fool and wondering why we don't utilize a ded-thread for Hobb.

[Puck]

We could. I wasn't aware there was one and never bothered to look

That said, I can't claim to be discussing anything, I mostly just complain.

This post has been edited by Puck: 11 July 2018 - 08:10 PM

[JPK]

I'm curious Puck, what is your interpretation of Jinna's palm reading of Fitz?

Spoiler

I personally lean Fool over Molly thus far.

[Puck]

JPK, on 11 July 2018 - 08:45 PM, said:

I'm curious Puck, what is your interpretation of Jinna's palm reading of Fitz?

Spoiler

I personally lean Fool over Molly thus far.

Spoiler

Definitely Fool, as far as I'm concerned, but unfortunately Fitz cannot see the forest for the tree that is Molly *sigh*

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

Briar King, on 11 July 2018 - 10:21 PM, said:

Ugh

Pretty succinct take on it. As much as I felt the trilogy had a satisfying conclusion and some great moments, it's reassuring to see you and Puck finding similar things to be wearisome.

[worry]

I found those slice of life, lack of action things invigorating. Especially with characters who are past mid-life (though of course Fitz has feet on both sides of that). So little of fantasy focuses on those aspects of life though. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[JPK]

It's a bit nervous seeing the reaction that 3/4 are having to books 10-16 since I'm only on book 8 atm.

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

Luv2B_Sassy, on 11 July 2018 - 11:01 PM, said:

I found those slice of life, lack of action things invigorating. Especially with characters who are past mid-life (though of course Fitz has feet on both sides of that). So little of fantasy focuses on those aspects of life though. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I definitely really liked some of it - there are some really beautiful moments in some of the "slice of life" stuff. Just felt like the balance was a bit off in Fool's Assassin in particular - I think because for me it was the first Hobb where I felt it was painfully obvious where the plot was going and I felt impatient for it to get there.

[Puck]

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 12 July 2018 - 06:01 AM, said:

Luv2B_Sassy, on 11 July 2018 - 11:01 PM, said:

I found those slice of life, lack of action things invigorating. Especially with characters who are past mid-life (though of course Fitz has feet on both sides of that). So little of fantasy focuses on those aspects of life though. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I definitely really liked some of it - there are some really beautiful moments in some of the "slice of life" stuff. Just felt like the balance was a bit off in Fool's Assassin in particular - I think because for me it was the first Hobb where I felt it was painfully obvious where the plot was going and I felt impatient for it to get there.

This. I don't mind me some slice-of-life (though there's an entire genre for that, so please no whole book) and as I pointed out in one of my previous comments, I do like how Hobb deals with the aging of her characters and how she describes it, BUT there ought to be some plot (especially when it's so obvious where she is going but refuses to get into gears) AND - and I may have mentioned this before in some way - I hate pointless repetition. I just passed a chapter in which Fitz recounted TWICE a story he's recounted before in this very book already. I'm not a goldfish. I see the point of reminding readers about what happened, BUT NOT TWICE WITHIN PAGES OF EACH OTHER. WITH THE SAME FREAKING WORDS AND SENTENCE STRUCTURE. I also don't see the point of Fitz continuing to mope around for ten pages before deciding to so much as speak to someone.

Spoiler

His little visit to Buckkeep Castle to say a thing or three to Chade and Rosemary was dope, though. Finally he was doing something pro-active.

I think that once again, the Liveship Traders trilogy is a great example of how to do it right. We see a lot of the characters' day to day lifes and the routines of the Vestrit family, but it either serves the plot directly or teaches us something about their world.

Anyway, I have no idea what it is about Hobb that makes me go back again and again and still I want to rant all the time. She IS great at writing characters and a bunch of other things.


@JPK: If you like Fitz, you should be fine for the most part. I personally disagree with some of the plot decisions she made in the Tawny Man trilogy, which has coloured my perception of Hobb quite a bit. but a lot od people loved those.

This post has been edited by Puck: 12 July 2018 - 09:35 AM

[Salt-Man Z]

Finished Anthony Bourdain's Medium Raw, which, even though the restaurant industry stuff was way too Inside Baseball for me, was still quite enjoyable just on account of his writing voice--at turns raw, hilarious, and poetic.

Now reading Anna Kavan's Ice, which... is pretty weird. Like, what even is going on in the first chapter? Present day or flashback or dream? all rather blurred together. It gets more straightforward from chapter two onward, but man.

[theocean]

Just started the dragonbone chair... Finally started memory sorrow thorn series. Back from my trip into the land of SCI FI. Red rising and hyperion.

[QuickTidal]

Briar King, on 12 July 2018 - 05:18 PM, said:

MS&T is a fun read

One of my all time favourites in fact!

[End of Disc One]

I've been avoiding Tad for a long time but I think I'm almost ready to add Dragonbone Chair to my TRP. Doesn't mean I'll read it any time soon, just that I'll choose to read it at some point. I like big books.

[QuickTidal]

End of Disc One, on 12 July 2018 - 05:41 PM, said:

I like big books.

...and you cannot lie?