[Aztiel]

I've bought Perdido Street Station, and I don't really like it so far. Can someone convince me to finish it, and help me understand why everyone else seems to think he is so great?

[acesn8s]

I bought King Rat back in 2004. Read it while flying from Pennsylvania to California and back. I was not too impressed. Lots of 'purple prose' in my opinion.

[caladanbrood]

I generally think you'll only read it if you want to anyway:p I really enjoyed it, up until the very end at least, but The Scar is a better book.

[Optimus Prime]

I haven't read anything by him...but have considered it. I get wary when I hear too many people pumping up a book...because I'm inevitably let down.....

[Yellow]

I got bored with Perdido Street Station, too. Never finished it.

[Astra]

I finished PSS a few weeks ago.

I liked the book until I got to the end. There is no ending. The story is abrubtly cut at some point with half of the protagonists' storylines left just in the middle of nowhere.
I am trying to think about the best example.....The Lord of the Rings, it is as if the story would stop all of suden after they successfully left Bree with Aragon. Yes, some things were resolved and they started a journey, but what is going to happen to them after they left Prancing Pony?
The same can be said about PSS. I really enjoyed the book. I liked the world and Mieville's writing style and characters but the ending???? And there are no direct sequence(there are 2 more books in Bas-Lag universe, but they do not involve protagonists from PSS) to the book and none is planned. So, after you finish reading the book you will not know what is going to happen to Frodo and Sam after they left Bree (or as a more apt example: to the felloweship of the ring when they left Rivendell).

Some poeple believe that the journey is more important than a final destination. If I belonged to this cathegory, I would love the book. But I am not. For me the ending is as equaly important(if not more important) as the journey. So, I am not happy with PSS.

As a side note, his vocabulary is peculiar. I have been reading books in English, well only in English, for almost 10 years. I have a good vocabulary (despite my terrible writing and even worse speaking/listening skills) and I usually don't need a dictionary. If I have never read an author before, then I use dictionary for the first 100 pages from time to time. I believe that from a whole Harry Potter I didn't know...what? 50 words? 7 books! However, when I was reading PSS I was "reading" the dictionary as much as I was reading the book itself. I believe I wrote down some 220+ words!

I have a very ambiguous feeling about PSS. I loved the book and hated the ending.

[polishgenius]

I hadn't a problem with that aspect of the end - it rounded off the plot of the book, the characters moved onto another story. The fact that that story was not eventually told is irrelevant- it's not the same tale. It's a loose end, but it's not a cutoff of the story told in the book. I don't think the LotR comparison is an apt one, their journey to Bree was part of the longer thing.
The thing that I didn't like was

Spoiler

the rape and mental draining of Lin. It didn't even give you the satisfaction of a tragic death, it was just depressing.

[Astra]

Spoiler

Was she raped? I thought she was mutilated and tortured and of couse emotionally assaulted

Quote

the characters moved onto another story

I would accept it if there was another story.

[amphibian]

polishgenius;278267]I hadn, on the characters moved onto another story. The fact that that story was not eventually told is irrelevant- it, said:

I absolutely loved Perdido Street Station. I find that those who really like Neal Stephenson also tend to really like this book - even if Mieville is a Socialist influenced greatly by Lovecraft, the Virconium and Gormenghast books. I honestly can't understand why y'all are saying it's boring. So much happens within it that I tore through the book in one or two sittings the first time and every re-read has been a pleasure.

These guys (who haven't updated their site in a looooong time) wrote a great review of it. In short, they say it's a thriller that's extremely, extremely well-written, but since the book centers on the ugliness of the city and the horror of its inhabitants, while almost ignoring any uplifting themes, they can't give it their highest rating. I think that's a bit of a cop-out, but they understood the book.

Quote

Spoiler

Was she raped? I thought she was mutilated and tortured and of couse emotionally assaulted

Spoiler

Yeah, Lin was sexually assaulted many times while a prisoner of Motley. The mutilation came after Motley decided that she wasn't going to finish his statue or tell him where Grimnebulin was. The moth drained her of most of her memories and consciousness during the attack on Motley's attic. That was indeed depressing, but I thought it was more true to the story that she remained alive.

Quote

I would accept it if there was another story.

Why do you need a sequel to that particular story? Yagharek, the co-protagonist, had his ending. [Spoiler]Grimnebulin left the City with Lin

and that's his ending right there. The moths and Motley had their threads tied off. The only ones left dangling were the sentient robots, Jack Half-a-Prayer and perhaps the handlingers (such awesome creations).

I get the feeling that your disappointment with Perdido Street Station derives from your expectations of a neat conclusion at the end of all the books you read.

[Dolorous Menhir]

Mieville is a very talented author with a great imagination. Just consider how many genuinely original things there in Perdido Street Station alone.

The Remade
The soul-drinking monster (I forget the name)
Handlingers
All the different races, vodyanai, the insect-head things, the cactus people
and that's only a partial list, because it's been a while since I read it

He's not so good at the endings, but that's not a fatal flaw. As works of imagination and entertainment they are amazing.

I would love to know more about the world of Bas-Lag, especially about the political structure of the city. Plus I'm desperate to find out about Jack-Half-a-Prayer.

[polishgenius]

amphibian;278273 said:

The only ones left dangling were the sentient robots, Jack Half-a-Prayer and perhaps the handlingers (such awesome creations).

Of which the first two had their endings mentioned in Iron Council (nice use of Yagharek there too, loved that) and the latter had mention again.

I loved all three of his Bas-Lag books, though the Scar is easily the best.

[Astra]

Dolorous Menhir;278277 said:

Mieville is a very talented author with a great imagination. Just consider how many genuinely original things there in Perdido Street Station alone.

The Remade
The soul-drinking monster (I forget the name)
Handlingers
All the different races, vodyanai, the insect-head things, the cactus people.

Completely agree with you. When I read PPS I wondered how creative he must be!

P.S. Maybe if I didn't I would not be so disappointed at the ending.

[mxlm]

If you don't like PSS, chances are you hate freedom.

Or, you know, it's just not for you. Either way.

[Aptorian]

PSS was one of the first "new" fantasy books I read. I was completely blown away. I think the story in itself is awesome and could be done justice in a 2 hour film.

But to me what really set it apart was the imagination and the amount of peculiar details that Mieville lets slip. Like DM says there's just such a long list of awesome things in the book.

Has the OP come to the part where the Mayor and his aids visit the Ambassador of Hell and the Weaver yet? These two events sold the book for me, I went out and bought it afterwards. I think I've read those scenes a dozen times or more.

As for the ending, I think it's perfect. It's not a nice story, it's not a nice city and the characters are not nice people... did you really expect a happy ending?

[Tif the Barber Boy]

amphibian;278273 said:

I absolutely loved Perdido Street Station. I find that those who really like Neal Stephenson also tend to really like this book - even if Mieville is a Socialist influenced greatly by Lovecraft, the Virconium and Gormenghast books. I honestly can't understand why y'all are saying it's boring. So much happens within it that I tore through the book in one or two sittings the first time and every re-read has been a pleasure.

Hmm. Funny you mention that since I read PSS and Cryptonomicon around the same time and found them both absolutely brilliant. (I wasn't such a great fan of Snow Crash though - it was just okay).

I was also blown away by the sheer inventiveness of PSS. Usually by half way through a book, you've been pretty much introduced to all the various races/settings and have a feel for what you are going to come across in the book, but in PSS Mieville just kept throwing in one crazy monster/race/faction after the other. I do recall finding the ending a little fractured, but thoroughly enjoyed the book.

The 'Scar' was also cool, though it had a much more sedate pace i felt.

Hmm... now I feel like rereading PSS...

[Werthead]

Quote

I would love to know more about the world of Bas-Lag, especially about the political structure of the city. Plus I'm desperate to find out about Jack-Half-a-Prayer.

Have you read the short story collection Looking for Jake? It is awesome, but it's also got a story about Jack Half-a-prayer in there.

My thoughts on Perdido Street Station. An exceptional novel and I really need to get The Scar and Iron Council. His most recent book, Un Lun Dun, is also spectacularly good.

[ch'arlz]

Werthead;278462 said:

His most recent book, Un Lun Dun, is also spectacularly good.

i haven't checked that out cuz i was under the impression that's aimed at the YA market. Yes/No?

[caladanbrood]

It is billed as YA, but it's still a very good book. Lacks certain elements of his other books though.

[Dolorous Menhir]

Aptorian;278438 said:

Has the OP come to the part where the Mayor and his aids visit the Ambassador of Hell and the Weaver yet? These two events sold the book for me, I went out and bought it afterwards. I think I've read those scenes a dozen times or more.

I'd forgotten about the Weaver. I'm seriously tempted to reread it right now.

Werthead;278462 said:

Have you read the short story collection Looking for Jake? It is awesome, but it's also got a story about Jack Half-a-prayer in there.

No I haven't, better look into it. Thanks.

[Astra]

Aptorian;278438 said:

As for the ending, I think it's perfect. It's not a nice story, it's not a nice city and the characters are not nice people... did you really expect a happy ending?

I was afraid someone might misunderstand me in this way.
No. I did not expect happy ending nor bad ending. However, I expected a definite ending to the story. I didn't find it. No ending. The story goes on, the protagonoists (whoever stayed alive and sane/insane)

Spoiler

leave the city and...what? what happened to them after they left the city?

that's the part I hate most about the ending of PSS.