what are you reading?
- Thread starter Etaoin
- Start date
...i like what i have read so far.
Einherjar86
Active Member
I'm on the second book of R. Scott Bakker's Prince of Nothing trilogy (The Warrior Prophet).
I gave up on Jordan's Wheel of Time in the middle of the third book. Maybe I'll try and pick it up again someday. The writing was just so horrible.
Bakker's trilogy is very good; I'd compare it with Martin's series, but on a different scope. Bakker writes in an interesting way. Sometimes he writes from a kind of omniscient overhead narrator who looks down on everything. There's no dialogue in these portions, but Bakker looks down upon large events like armies moving and battles and describes them in a very remote, disconnected manner. Then he swoops down and writes in a third person limited from certain characters' perspectives to create a more personal feel. It's a really cool, interesting style. And the books are very philosophical and psychological, which I love.
I gave up on Jordan's Wheel of Time in the middle of the third book. Maybe I'll try and pick it up again someday. The writing was just so horrible.
Bakker's trilogy is very good; I'd compare it with Martin's series, but on a different scope. Bakker writes in an interesting way. Sometimes he writes from a kind of omniscient overhead narrator who looks down on everything. There's no dialogue in these portions, but Bakker looks down upon large events like armies moving and battles and describes them in a very remote, disconnected manner. Then he swoops down and writes in a third person limited from certain characters' perspectives to create a more personal feel. It's a really cool, interesting style. And the books are very philosophical and psychological, which I love.
derek
Grey Eminence
Finally someone who feels the same about Jordan. I often feel the gimmick (for lack of a better word) of the series carries people on reading it when, I think anyways, the writing and narratives are quite pedestrian.
I'll investigate this Bakker chap.
I'll investigate this Bakker chap.
Einherjar86
Active Member
He'a a very intelligent and concise writer. He's quickly becoming one of my favorite fantasy authors along with George R.R. Martin.
derek
Grey Eminence
Of all the books I mentioned I've probably paid the least attention to it tbh. Still, I'm about 200 pages in and it seems pretty cool so far.
derek
Grey Eminence
Banks is a great Sci-Fi writer, he does some things better than others but I have a lot of time for him.
Einherjar86
Active Member
Finished The Warrior Prophet by Bakker. It had an incredible climax and a very enticing ending. I can't wait to begin the final book!
It amazes me how engaging this series is. Bakker really gets you to think, and he always keeps you questioning each character's intentions and plans. Religious and philosophical references are rampant throughout the book, and they're used in such interesting ways (a certain school of sorcerer's possessing a knowledge called the Gnosis, a thirty-three year old monk who uses heightened forms of logic to pass as a prophet, this form of logic is called the Logos, etc.). What I really love about the books is how Bakker shows how extreme intellect and understanding of logic can be used to mislead and manipulate the weak-minded (or "true believers"). One of the main characters, Kellhus, possesses this heightened intellectual form of logic (The Logos), and uses it to bend characters to his will. He believes things such as religion, culture, and history are chains that bind people and govern their decisions. Kellhus is free of such bonds, and he uses this to his advantage, turning other characters' own beliefs and biases against them to achieve his own ends (also, I find this to be an interesting adaptation of the "Christ the Logos" belief). He understands their desires, knows why they think what they do, and where such thoughts come from. Essentially, he tells them what they want to hear.
To go into much more detail would be to spoil the wonder and uniqueness of the story. There's such a rich and detailed backstory and philosophy to the series, it's truly revolutionary in the genre of epic fantasy.
It amazes me how engaging this series is. Bakker really gets you to think, and he always keeps you questioning each character's intentions and plans. Religious and philosophical references are rampant throughout the book, and they're used in such interesting ways (a certain school of sorcerer's possessing a knowledge called the Gnosis, a thirty-three year old monk who uses heightened forms of logic to pass as a prophet, this form of logic is called the Logos, etc.). What I really love about the books is how Bakker shows how extreme intellect and understanding of logic can be used to mislead and manipulate the weak-minded (or "true believers"). One of the main characters, Kellhus, possesses this heightened intellectual form of logic (The Logos), and uses it to bend characters to his will. He believes things such as religion, culture, and history are chains that bind people and govern their decisions. Kellhus is free of such bonds, and he uses this to his advantage, turning other characters' own beliefs and biases against them to achieve his own ends (also, I find this to be an interesting adaptation of the "Christ the Logos" belief). He understands their desires, knows why they think what they do, and where such thoughts come from. Essentially, he tells them what they want to hear.
To go into much more detail would be to spoil the wonder and uniqueness of the story. There's such a rich and detailed backstory and philosophy to the series, it's truly revolutionary in the genre of epic fantasy.
derek
Grey Eminence
Einherjar86
Active Member
chuj666
....and a bottle of grog
derek
Grey Eminence
Einherjar86
Active Member
Finished The Thousandfold Thought by R. Scott Bakker, so I'm done with the trilogy. It was worth it. Incredible fantasy. Can't wait for the next trilogy!
Now I'm reading House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. It's one of the most interesting, creative, and terrifying books I've ever read.
Now I'm reading House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. It's one of the most interesting, creative, and terrifying books I've ever read.
derek
Grey Eminence
AJP Taylor's German History Volumes. Good old fashioned historiography. They've aged very well, and constitute his best work, I think.
Thoth-Amon
Hypochondriac
- Apr 4, 2006
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STILL reading Anna Karenina... very very slow but good... that's how War and Peace was also though I like the latter more so far.
derek
Grey Eminence
Thoth-Amon
Hypochondriac
- Apr 4, 2006
- 6,821
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