[QuickTidal]

The Christmas holidays intruded on my reading of STONEWIELDER...so I'm back at it now.

...and the list of books I got for Christmas is pretty staggering.

[Astra]

Mentalist, on 26 December 2010 - 03:50 PM, said:

Finished "Claw of the Conciliator", vol. 2 of the Book of the New Sun.
WOlfe is the only author to date who's made me feel that the fact i'm not a native English Speaker is significant. I'm interested, but the book is largely a huge WTF? moment, much more so that GotM. I guess since it's being told from a PoV of a character who's had a sheltelred existance and doesn't know bout the world himself, it makes sense...

What does your English as a second language have to do with the fact that the Book of the New Sun is one big WTF?
Wolfe's grammar or vocabulary are not difficult. Please, don't tell me that Perdido Street Station has not posed to you a significant challenge vocabularywise, while the Book of the New Sun does. The series is just the ravings of a madman. Don't let it make you feel inadequate.

Slightly remaking George Carlin - Saving the Planet

You are fine. The series are fucked.

This post has been edited by Astra: 27 December 2010 - 02:04 PM

[amphibian]

Astra, on 27 December 2010 - 02:03 PM, said:

What does your English as a second language have to do with the fact that the Book of the New Sun is one big WTF?
Wolfe's grammar or vocabulary are not difficult. Please, don't tell me that Perdido Street Station has not posed to you a significant challenge vocabularywise, while the Book of the New Sun does. The series is just the ravings of a madman. Don't let it make you feel inadequate.

Perdido presents a bit more context for the odd grammar or new words encountered. The effect of his language choices is intended to be up in your face weird, and are easier to deal with.

Wolfe uses them in much more discreet manner and he structures his stories in such a way as to be very, very subtle in his references, foreshadowing and/or metaphors. I suggest reading the Urth mailing list online after reading the second or third book in the New Sun. Not everything there is gold, but a lot of it is valuable for putting things in context or picking up on the references.

[Ulrik]

Black Company - now I see how much czech translation stole from book...but no bitching against translator, there wasnt other way, its in language basis.

[amphibian]

Ulrik, on 27 December 2010 - 03:35 PM, said:

Black Company - now I see how much czech translation stole from book...but no bitching against translator, there wasnt other way, its in language basis.

It's always tough translating the spirit as well as the words. What was missing in the Czech translation?

[QuickTidal]

Finished STONEWIELDER (very good, big improvement from RotCG, but still not blow me away worthy as the ending is kinda ho-hum)...

...but now I am stymied as to what to read next from my huge ass, Christmassy-reinvigorated To-Read pile: (please help)

THE COMING OF THE TERRAPHILES (DOCTOR WHO) - Michael Moorcock
THE HALF-MADE WORLD - Felix Gilman
THE HERO OF AGES - Brandon Sanderson
KNIFE OF DREAMS - Robert Jordan
PALO ALTO (STORIES) - James Franco
PANDORA'S STAR - Peter F. Hamilton

Opinions?

(pssst, I also got THE GATHERING STORM and TOWERS OF MIDNIGHT in hardcover by Jordan and Sanderson, but I gotta read KoD before I get into those obviously....I am thankful to have them in hardcover though.)

[Illuyankas]

If you want to start another series before you finish any of the others, then read Pandora's Star, because it is very good. If you want to finish off a series then dig into the rest of WOT, Hero of Ages so you aren't left hanging.

[QuickTidal]

Illuyankas, on 27 December 2010 - 06:06 PM, said:

If you want to start another series before you finish any of the others, then read Pandora's Star, because it is very good. If you want to finish off a series then dig into the rest of WOT, Hero of Ages so you aren't left hanging.

Yeah, I was thinking either Knife Of Dreams or Pandora's Star....can't decide if my current mood wants sci-fi or fantasy.

Thanks for the input though Illy.

[End of Disc One]

Hero of Ages is probably the most satisfying ending to a series I've read. Though I haven't read a lot of endings to series...

[Ain't_It_Just_]

Reading Halo: Evolutions. It is quite interesting written from multiple authors with their own characteristics and stigmas.

[ansible]

I finished a reread of RG, as well as a reread of Sphere by Michael Crichton (I love this book). I was at the beach for a few days, so I brought along the first three Dresden novels. I'm near the end of Fool Moon now, enjoying them a lot but not a fanatic yet. Everyone seems to say it really picks up by book three though, so I'm looking forward to that.

Also, motherfucking STONEWIELDER arrived today. Fuck yeah. That is being read tonight.

[Ulrik]

amphibian, on 27 December 2010 - 04:34 PM, said:

Ulrik, on 27 December 2010 - 03:35 PM, said:

Black Company - now I see how much czech translation stole from book...but no bitching against translator, there wasnt other way, its in language basis.

It's always tough translating the spirit as well as the words. What was missing in the Czech translation?

All the archaic words, that old, dusted feeling...and names were translated poorly.

[Bauchelain the Evil]

Ulrik, on 28 December 2010 - 09:45 AM, said:

amphibian, on 27 December 2010 - 04:34 PM, said:

Ulrik, on 27 December 2010 - 03:35 PM, said:

Black Company - now I see how much czech translation stole from book...but no bitching against translator, there wasnt other way, its in language basis.

It's always tough translating the spirit as well as the words. What was missing in the Czech translation?

All the archaic words, that old, dusted feeling...and names were translated poorly.

You know I can actually believe that. After I read The Black Company, I wondered how it could be translated in Italian but i gave up after seeing how all the name would sound really, really, lame

[Gothos]

No shit. I still haven't gotten around to reading it in english in full, but if Malazan books are any indication, the difference is probably colossal.
Hell, I've seen some fragments from the Witcher translation, and while it's... fairly accurate, it just doesn't feel the same in a foreign language...

[QuickTidal]

Made my choice, started KNIFE OF DREAMS by Jordan.

[Ulrik]

Gothos, on 28 December 2010 - 12:13 PM, said:

Hell, I've seen some fragments from the Witcher translation, and while it's... fairly accurate, it just doesn't feel the same in a foreign language...

I dare to say that czech translation is pretty good. Its IMO because polish and czech language system, we lost only few of original information. But yeah, some guys, like Yarpen cant be translated at all.

[Mentalist]

Ulrik, on 28 December 2010 - 02:39 PM, said:

Gothos, on 28 December 2010 - 12:13 PM, said:

Hell, I've seen some fragments from the Witcher translation, and while it's... fairly accurate, it just doesn't feel the same in a foreign language...

I dare to say that czech translation is pretty good. Its IMO because polish and czech language system, we lost only few of original information. But yeah, some guys, like Yarpen cant be translated at all.

Ditto for the Russian translation. It worked well, since we share the same folklore when it came to thing Geralt was likely to go off killing...

[T77]

Knocking off a few books already this holiday season. First, Dreams of Steel by Glen Cook, another solid Black Company novel, I wouldn't rank it as one of the best, I'd say somewhere in the middle of the pack. Also, finished The War of the Flowers by Tad Williams and thought it was very mediocre. I really enjoyed the first Otherland book by Williams, thought it was brilliant, but this and The Dragonbone Chair have fallen a bit flat for me. Next up is The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King.

[Bauchelain the Evil]

Finished Nights of Villjamur by Mark Charan Newton. I think what this book suffered most was the pacing. It switched greatly between very interesting moments to incredibly boring ones to the lead to a very action -packed ending.

[Ulrik]

Finished first Black Company, jumping into Dresden 4...after that its Mistborn or Ketty Jay 2 (wont risk Black Company so close to Miracle Coming to Earth...oh, I wanted to say The Crippled God).