[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 04 November 2011 - 06:06 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 04 November 2011 - 05:56 PM, said:

...nearly my exact feelings about the latest Murakami behemoth (900+pages) 1Q84, I also have a hard time picking it up, but every time I do I find that I am totally engrossed in the story and the characters, and I think I will be really sad when I finish it as well, since I won;t be spending any more time with those characters.

Am interested in reading what forumites think of that book.
Lots of hype but the reviews are all over the place.

So far the general consensus (from me at the halfway point, and by a few others) is that it's got all the Murakami tropes represented, but that it is a new type of beast in which Murakmai is showing us he is capable of a much more straight ahead narrative. For example, there were times when I was reading HARD BOILED WONDERLAND AND THE END OF THE WORLD and I wondered just what the hell was going on and what I'd gotten myself into...and when I finished it I was still a bit off kilter from it even though I enjoyed it....well 1Q84 doesn't do that at all.

So it's still odd in places, and is classically Murakami (in stuff like over exposition between characters dialogue, cats, strange plot macguffin's and even overt sexual descriptions), but it is as if someone else is writing a story about a Murakami story...if that makes any sense. Like any of his books it's really hard to quantify things.

That said, I am enjoying this one more than any other I have read by him so far. It has fantastical elements to it as well (since part of it is actually about the publishing of a fantasy novel written by a 17 year old girl that starts to look like it may have true elements) and they pepper the story enough for you to wonder what is going on...but in a good way.

I think it would make an excellent adult-rated (for the sexual content of course) Studio Ghibli Anime actually.

Someone on GoodReads put it best: "Reading a Murakami book is like diving into the ocean only to discover that you have always been a fish."

[Salt-Man Z]

amphibian, on 04 November 2011 - 05:51 PM, said:

It's very Mid-Western common sense/Pacific Northwest theories on life in overall tone, despite taking place all over the Pacific Rim.

Yeah, as a Minnesotan myself, I was very amused. I think there's a line about how, in Iowa, going "into town" means you're going to Walmart, which, having gone to college in small town IA where that was in fact the case, made me laugh out loud. Some poking fun at Midwestern cuisine, I forget what Richard dubs the category of food, but where fully-prepared food items such as marshmallows and Rice Krispies are combined to make a new food item. There was some good stuff about Canadians, too.

[QuickTidal]

And it stumbles. I just reached the last third of 1Q84 and it's become something of a narrative mess. All the charm that the first half of the book had is wilting fast, under heavy exposition chapters, and some vagueries about plot. Sigh. I think this may be a book I end up loving the first half of and disliking the second half and resolution.

Also reading MOZART'S LAST ARIA by Matt Rees, which is a historical thriller with Mozart's sister Nannerl in the role of investigator into his death after he sent her a note claiming to have been poisoned. so far it is good stuff.

[Slow Ben]

Salt-Man Z, on 04 November 2011 - 06:52 PM, said:

amphibian, on 04 November 2011 - 05:51 PM, said:

It's very Mid-Western common sense/Pacific Northwest theories on life in overall tone, despite taking place all over the Pacific Rim.

, but where fully-prepared food items such as marshmallows and Rice Krispies are combined to make a new food item.

Rice Krispie Treats!


Oh, and still on a reread.

[QuickTidal]

After the gigantness, and strangeness of 1Q84 and the rather tepid (read it in 3 hours) MOZART'S LAST ARIA, I needed something new...

...so upon the MANY recco's for me to read C.S. Friedman's BLACK SUN RISING, that is what I am reading.

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 05 November 2011 - 08:18 PM, said:

After the gigantness, and strangeness of 1Q84 and the rather tepid (read it in 3 hours) MOZART'S LAST ARIA, I needed something new...

...so upon the MANY recco's for me to read C.S. Friedman's BLACK SUN RISING, that is what I am reading.

Don't expect a complete break from strangeness.... Friedman has some very cool, very dark, very original notions in this series.


Finished Silva's PRINCE OF FIRE. It takes a certain kind of author to write about 400 pages, leading to a climax that happens in maybe two pages, and yet completely utterly nail it in two pages what some athors can't accomplish in 20. If you're not familiar with the artist, you may want to read THE KILL ARTIST first to get the Allon character's background, but damn this was rock solid.

Not quite sure what to hit next... the TRP is high and varied...

[Mott]

Started on the Cold Commands, a few chapters in and really enjoying it, also trying to finish Inferno after being shouted at for giving up on the translation.

I got a book a while back in a second had bookshop, I thought it was Grahame Green's Third Man, was a really nice hardback, turns out I was half asleep and did not look closely enough, or at all really since there was pictures on half the pages, I ended up getting the Third Man, a book about a double agent for the KGB...I feel very stupid.

[tiam]

Peter Heathers The Fall of the Roman Empire. Good book, straight history and a very good read despite me having read it like 4 times before.

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 06 November 2011 - 06:09 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 05 November 2011 - 08:18 PM, said:

After the gigantness, and strangeness of 1Q84 and the rather tepid (read it in 3 hours) MOZART'S LAST ARIA, I needed something new...

...so upon the MANY recco's for me to read C.S. Friedman's BLACK SUN RISING, that is what I am reading.

Don't expect a complete break from strangeness.... Friedman has some very cool, very dark, very original notions in this series.

Haha, indeed. I had to look up a few basic ideas to the world of Erna, but I think I have a grasp right now. I was looking for something a little more classically fantasy, but this one seems to be decent so far (80 pages in).

The ToRead pile has too much sci-fi right now and I want fantasy.

[JPK]

Dolorous Menhir, on 03 November 2011 - 10:59 PM, said:

The Incredible Kitsu, on 03 November 2011 - 07:22 PM, said:

Holy crap. I finally did it. I finished Evil for Evil by K J Parker. Glad to be able to put that back onto my shelves.

Parker's an interesting one, isn't she? Technical skill, impressive knowledge and attention to detail. Able to create great characters - was particularly impressed with Duke Valens. Yet in the end, her trilogies grind you down with misery, disappointment, death, all round negativity.

Her characterization is absolutely amazing. I personally have a huge fondness for the Ducas family. I think you hit the right word for what her books do to you though. Grind.

[McLovin]

In a philosophical mood, so Aristotle's Metaphysics.

[QuickTidal]

Got 100 pages into BLACK SUN RISING and put it down for the time being, as I needed something less strange (though I will go back to it down the line) to chase Murakami with.

Picked back up THE LIONS OF AL-RASSAN (which I put down for another book I was too excited to read), with the hopes of finishing it before Tuesday night when I'll grab a copy pf Sanderson's latest.

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 06 November 2011 - 08:43 PM, said:

Abyss, on 06 November 2011 - 06:09 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 05 November 2011 - 08:18 PM, said:

After the gigantness, and strangeness of 1Q84 and the rather tepid (read it in 3 hours) MOZART'S LAST ARIA, I needed something new...

...so upon the MANY recco's for me to read C.S. Friedman's BLACK SUN RISING, that is what I am reading.

Don't expect a complete break from strangeness.... Friedman has some very cool, very dark, very original notions in this series.

Haha, indeed. I had to look up a few basic ideas to the world of Erna, but I think I have a grasp right now. I was looking for something a little more classically fantasy, but this one seems to be decent so far (80 pages in).

The ToRead pile has too much sci-fi right now and I want fantasy.

QuickTidal, on 07 November 2011 - 02:21 PM, said:

Got 100 pages into BLACK SUN RISING and put it down for the time being, as I needed something less strange (though I will go back to it down the line) to chase Murakami with.

Picked back up THE LIONS OF AL-RASSAN (which I put down for another book I was too excited to read), with the hopes of finishing it before Tuesday night when I'll grab a copy pf Sanderson's latest.

Yah i wondered if Friedman wasn't going to throw you out after Murakami... just a suggestion but when you get back into it, resist the temptation to look for details online. Everything is explained in time and the book works best that way, kind of like MBF.


And LIONS shouldn't dissappoint.


After spies and sf i was feeling for some classic widgetquest fantasy, so as it's been sitting in the TRP for years, have commenced Barclay's LEGENDS OF THE RAVEN trilo. I know, i know, but i liked the first trilo just enough to give this a shot.

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 07 November 2011 - 04:11 PM, said:

classic widgetquest fantasy

Yup, sometimes I desire these as well. There is nothing wrong with going back to simple widgetquest fantasy.

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 07 November 2011 - 04:21 PM, said:

Abyss, on 07 November 2011 - 04:11 PM, said:

classic widgetquest fantasy

Yup, sometimes I desire these as well. There is nothing wrong with going back to simple widgetquest fantasy.

heh... it's funny because Barclay tries so hard to be edgy and dark and dodge the tropes... but at root his books are always dudes with swords and mages who use spells with names like 'FireBall' and Elves who are close to nature, trying to get from point A to point B so they can grab a widget/cast a spell/kill something/any combination thereof. I like his perpetually sarcastic dragons too.

[Use Of Weapons]

Currently reading again _1789: The Threshold of the Modern Age_ by David Andress. Felt like some palate-cleansing history before tackling the remainder of _Crime and Punishment_.

[Dolorous Menhir]

The Incredible Kitsu, on 07 November 2011 - 08:09 AM, said:

Dolorous Menhir, on 03 November 2011 - 10:59 PM, said:

The Incredible Kitsu, on 03 November 2011 - 07:22 PM, said:

Holy crap. I finally did it. I finished Evil for Evil by K J Parker. Glad to be able to put that back onto my shelves.

Parker's an interesting one, isn't she? Technical skill, impressive knowledge and attention to detail. Able to create great characters - was particularly impressed with Duke Valens. Yet in the end, her trilogies grind you down with misery, disappointment, death, all round negativity.

Her characterization is absolutely amazing. I personally have a huge fondness for the Ducas family. I think you hit the right word for what her books do to you though. Grind.

Ah, how could I forget Miel Ducas.

[JPK]

Just finished Retribution Falls. Kinda felt like I was watching Firefly again...

[Abyss]

The Incredible Kitsu, on 07 November 2011 - 08:34 PM, said:

Just finished Retribution Falls. Kinda felt like I was watching Firefly again...

in a good way or a bad way?

[Slow Ben]

Abyss, on 07 November 2011 - 09:16 PM, said:

The Incredible Kitsu, on 07 November 2011 - 08:34 PM, said:

Just finished Retribution Falls. Kinda felt like I was watching Firefly again...

in a good way or a bad way?

Indeed.

Please expand.