The Books/Reading Thread

[Vegard Pompey]

I read up to Memories of Ice in my teens but I stopped because I felt my English skills weren't up to par with Erikson's prose. Kinda wish I'd just kept going though because it seems like such a great series. I'm trying to get back into it now but it's been so long I've forgotten everything. In the middle of a GotM reread and it's a bit of a slog tbh

I wish I could travel back in time to when the series was still being published so I could slowly digest the books and discuss them with the rest of the fanbase while waiting for the next one instead of having 10,000 pages to binge before I can participate in any conversation about the series.

 

[no country for old wainds]

GotM was written intermittently over a span of 15 years before he'd really committed to being a writer, and it's easily the most amateurish book in the series methinks. 2 through 6 is the stuff i love the most, with 5 probably being the peak.

 

[Einherjar86]

have you read any of them? i think everyone with an interest in fantasy should at least read to the end of the third one, that's the point at which you can be 100% sure whether it's worth continuing or not.

everyone should read bakker too for that matter. those two are the kings of modern fantasy, i haven't found anything else that compares.

I read the first two books, Gardens of the Moon and Deadhouse Gates. I enjoyed the first book (agree somewhat on its amateurish quality, still a killer narrative), but for some reason the second dragged a bit for me. It could have been any number of reasons having nothing to do with the book, but toward the end I found myself losing interest. If I do give it another try I'll probably read a summary of Gardens and re-read Deadhouse in its entirety.

Also agree on Bakker being a king of modern fantasy. I got into modern fantasy through GRRM, after which most other fantasy paled in comparison. Then I found Bakker, and suddenly GRRM paled in comparison. I think Bakker is a great writer, and the Second Apocalypse narrative is epic yet simultaneously dark as hell.

 

[no country for old wainds]

yeah, i think the third one is where it stops dragging for most people. i wouldn't reread DG until you've got further into it, it's definitely better second time round once you're more familiar with the series. i love DG but it's purposefully an emotionally draining slog at times (which reflects the characters' experiences heh) and that can be difficult first time around. from MEMORIES OF ICE onward it became more of a pageturner for me.

i've only read the first trilogy from bakker, will definitely plunge into the rest at some point.

 

[Einherjar86]

I'm pretty sure you're not the only one who's told me I should finish the third book. I'll make sure it stays on the list.

I'm about halfway through The Great Ordeal, and rumors are that The Unholy Consult is coming out this year; although I follow Bakker's blog, and he had a hard drive crash a few months ago, so I'm not sure if that set him back any.

The second part of the series (which ended up being a tetralogy) hasn't been as gripping overall as the first (The White Luck Warrior was kind of a confusing letdown, I thought), but The Great Ordeal is a nice return to form.

 

[no country for old wainds]

my favourite in the series, MIDNIGHT TIDES, is actually a stand-alone prequel (until its characters converge with the malazans in later books) and could be a good alternative starting place for folks. 'tis his most accomplished piece of writing IMO.

surely a guy with bakker's experience keeps a backup somewhere lol

 

[dwellerINTHEdark]

have you read any of them? i think everyone with an interest in fantasy should at least read to the end of the third one, that's the point at which you can be 100% sure whether it's worth continuing or not.

Glad to hear. I like these books but they're draining and take me a fuck of a long time to finish. Hopefully after this volume I can either commit to the whole series or gracefully back out.

 

[no country for old wainds]

i remember i read book 6 in two days. i was gonna say i haven't read anything as quickly as that since then, but the last harry potter book was released a year later and i read that in 24 hours or so to avoid spoilers lol

 

[dwellerINTHEdark]

Damn son!

 

[Einherjar86]

i remember i read book 6 in two days. i was gonna say i haven't read anything as quickly as that since then, but the last harry potter book was released a year later and i read that in 24 hours or so to avoid spoilers lol

I was actually in Cambridge on study abroad when the last Harry Potter book was released. I've never read the series, but all my friends there were huge fans. All I remember of the day that book came out is wandering around by myself and drinking alone because they all sealed themselves in their rooms to avoid spoiler contamination.

 

[dwellerINTHEdark]

I was actually in Cambridge on study abroad when the last Harry Potter book was released. I've never read the series, but all my friends there were huge fans. All I remember of the day that book came out is wandering around by myself and drinking alone because they all sealed themselves in their rooms to avoid spoiler contamination.

Can't wait to re-read the series myself. You better give it a go.

 

[no country for old wainds]

i read and liked the first HP back in primary school when it was completely unknown, never could've guessed what a phenomenon it was about to become.

 

[The Ozzman]

I must be the only person on Earth who hasn't read the HP book series

 

[Talos of Atmora]

I must be the only person on Earth who hasn't read the HP book series

You're better off for it, believe me.

 

[The Ozzman]

You're better off for it, believe me.

I can't use it in tweets to compare to Trump's presidency at least

https://twitter.com/imbadatlife/status/797581542814060545?lang=en

 

[Talos of Atmora]

I can't use it in tweets to compare to Trump's presidency at least

https://twitter.com/imbadatlife/status/797581542814060545?lang=en

This is why you're better off.

 

[Einherjar86]

I was actually in Cambridge on study abroad when the last Harry Potter book was released. I've never read the series, but all my friends there were huge fans.

I must be the only person on Earth who hasn't read the HP book series

 

[The Ozzman]

I dun reed gud

 

[CiG]

Purchased:

 

[Matt]

I must be the only person on Earth who hasn't read the HP book series

It's much better than the movie series, that's for sure. I read and re-read those things like crazy when I was younger.

I'm currently in need of some new material to read. Anyone reading anything cool that they'd like to recommend?