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4.25 AVERAGE
4.25 AVERAGE
Sporo czasu musiało upłynąć, aż zachęcony przez znajomych, niejako zmusiłem się do kontynuacji przygody z eriksonowskim fantasy. Po pierwszym tomie czułem się zmęczony i skołowany, niczym Buszmen, któremu misjonarz na "dzień dobry" powiedział, że Jezus za nasze grzechy umarł przybity do krzyża przez Rzymian, nie wyjaśniając wcześniej ani kim był ten Jezus, kim byli Rzymianie, co to jest grzech, krzyż i na dodatek opowiedział mi to wszystko płynną angielszczyzną. Cóż, Erikson się nie cackał, wrzucił mnie bez "koła ratunkowego" w sam środek świata i wydarzeń, których rozumem okiełznać nie mogłem.
Na szczęście w "Bramach Domu Umarłych" wiele rzeczy uczynił pisarz bardziej klarownymi, nadając jednocześnie wydarzeniom odpowiednie tempo, czyniąc również wydarzenia owe w wyższym stopniu interesującymi. Już po (zaledwie) kilkudziesięciu stronach tegoż tomu, autor sprawnie obalił jeden z najważniejszych argumentów, który wcześniej przemawiał do mnie za tym, aby z "Malazańską Księgą Poległych" dać sobie spokój - postaci, które mnie, ni ziębiły, ni grzały, nagle stały mi się wielce nieobojętne, do tego stopnia, że na chwilę obecną nie jestem sobie w stanie przypomnieć, czy istniała wcześniej jakaś lektura, w której tak wielu bohaterów darzyłbym szczerą sympatią. A są to tutaj - na dokładkę - postaci niezwykle interesujące, nierzadko tajemnicze, o charakterach skomplikowanych, czyli takie, jakie w fantasy są rzadkością a jakie sam cholernie lubię (nie tylko w fantastyce).
Nie brakuje też u Eriksona epiki, której formę bardzo sobie cenię - choć jest to tutaj epika podniesiona do n-tej potęgi, to zaserwowana jest niezwykle finezyjnie, z polotem i bez cienia patosu. Cóż, nie obyło się też bez dawki momentów, dostarczających niemałych wzruszeń, na które - zdawałoby się - nieco się już uodporniłem. Erikson pokazał mi, jaki miękki nadal jestem. A może jaki okrutny potrafi być pisarz?
Podsumowując - nie nazwę tego sporym zaskoczeniem, bo polecający mi znajomi nie pozostawili mi cienia złudzeń, iż "Bramy Domu Umarłych" mogłyby mi się nie spodobać, jakkolwiek i tak sprawił mi pisarz drugim tomem "Malazańskiej..." sporą niespodziankę. Jest epicko, wyobraźnia oddana w sprawne ręce tego genialnego pisarza pracuje na najwyższych obrotach, świat urzeka, porywa, zawłaszcza! Polecam, i to jak POLECAM!
Na szczęście w "Bramach Domu Umarłych" wiele rzeczy uczynił pisarz bardziej klarownymi, nadając jednocześnie wydarzeniom odpowiednie tempo, czyniąc również wydarzenia owe w wyższym stopniu interesującymi. Już po (zaledwie) kilkudziesięciu stronach tegoż tomu, autor sprawnie obalił jeden z najważniejszych argumentów, który wcześniej przemawiał do mnie za tym, aby z "Malazańską Księgą Poległych" dać sobie spokój - postaci, które mnie, ni ziębiły, ni grzały, nagle stały mi się wielce nieobojętne, do tego stopnia, że na chwilę obecną nie jestem sobie w stanie przypomnieć, czy istniała wcześniej jakaś lektura, w której tak wielu bohaterów darzyłbym szczerą sympatią. A są to tutaj - na dokładkę - postaci niezwykle interesujące, nierzadko tajemnicze, o charakterach skomplikowanych, czyli takie, jakie w fantasy są rzadkością a jakie sam cholernie lubię (nie tylko w fantastyce).
Nie brakuje też u Eriksona epiki, której formę bardzo sobie cenię - choć jest to tutaj epika podniesiona do n-tej potęgi, to zaserwowana jest niezwykle finezyjnie, z polotem i bez cienia patosu. Cóż, nie obyło się też bez dawki momentów, dostarczających niemałych wzruszeń, na które - zdawałoby się - nieco się już uodporniłem. Erikson pokazał mi, jaki miękki nadal jestem. A może jaki okrutny potrafi być pisarz?
Podsumowując - nie nazwę tego sporym zaskoczeniem, bo polecający mi znajomi nie pozostawili mi cienia złudzeń, iż "Bramy Domu Umarłych" mogłyby mi się nie spodobać, jakkolwiek i tak sprawił mi pisarz drugim tomem "Malazańskiej..." sporą niespodziankę. Jest epicko, wyobraźnia oddana w sprawne ręce tego genialnego pisarza pracuje na najwyższych obrotach, świat urzeka, porywa, zawłaszcza! Polecam, i to jak POLECAM!
The one of the series I remember most fondly. There are enough in-depth reviews of the Malazan books so I won't bother with one of those. Despite the missteps and eccentricities inevitable in a series of this scale of ambition, overall it's the most astonishing achievement I've read in literature. The scale and scope defies sense and certainly defeats my memory for details, but that's my flaw not one of the series. Deadhouse Gates and Memories of Ice are the high points I think, I was so drained both physically and emotionally by the end of each I didn't know what to do with myself.
And they're the benchmark for epic fantasy. If you're going to do it on a big scale, this is what you're aiming for.
And they're the benchmark for epic fantasy. If you're going to do it on a big scale, this is what you're aiming for.
Originally 3 stars, but then Coltaine's death happened and the fourth star is for him. RIP the last of the wickan crow clan.
If you're looking for a way to get into this series and the first book ([b:Gardens of the Moon|55399|Gardens of the Moon (Malazan Book of the Fallen, #1)|Steven Erikson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1355144064s/55399.jpg|2646042]) is just too much of a chaotic uphill climb, skip it and start with this one instead. Come back later if you really want to know how events were set in motion. I wish someone had given me this piece of advice when I first got into this series. It would've made all the difference and saved a lot of time.
The thing with Erikson's writing is that it's all show and very little tell. It's plot driven and these events have been put in motion prior to the start of the series. You don't find out what these events are until you unravel the mysteries, one doorstop of a novel at a time. Like Gardens, this second installment has a couple dozen main characters and a hundred secondary characters, all of whom you should remember but most likely you won't. Unlike Gardens, there are more character development and explanations (not info-dumps). Also, there's less chaos, which makes for a smoother read and easy-to-follow intersecting story lines.
This book starts off in the dessert, half a world away from events in Gardens. Without giving too much away, there's a coup, an uprising, a mass exodus, close-call escapes, pissed off gods, higher powers at work, and, of course, tragedy and deaths. But don't worry. Tragedy is part of the game and death isn't always the end...
If you're looking for a way to get into this series and the first book ([b:Gardens of the Moon|55399|Gardens of the Moon (Malazan Book of the Fallen, #1)|Steven Erikson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1355144064s/55399.jpg|2646042]) is just too much of a chaotic uphill climb, skip it and start with this one instead. Come back later if you really want to know how events were set in motion. I wish someone had given me this piece of advice when I first got into this series. It would've made all the difference and saved a lot of time.
The thing with Erikson's writing is that it's all show and very little tell. It's plot driven and these events have been put in motion prior to the start of the series. You don't find out what these events are until you unravel the mysteries, one doorstop of a novel at a time. Like Gardens, this second installment has a couple dozen main characters and a hundred secondary characters, all of whom you should remember but most likely you won't. Unlike Gardens, there are more character development and explanations (not info-dumps). Also, there's less chaos, which makes for a smoother read and easy-to-follow intersecting story lines.
This book starts off in the dessert, half a world away from events in Gardens. Without giving too much away, there's a coup, an uprising, a mass exodus, close-call escapes, pissed off gods, higher powers at work, and, of course, tragedy and deaths. But don't worry. Tragedy is part of the game and death isn't always the end...
I always seem to be right in the middle with these novels. There's some things I hate and some things I like, and although I don't love them I still want to push forward through the series.
First I'll start off with things I enjoyed about this book. Erikson's world is large and detailed, complete with many different races, religions, and cultures, each very well done. I appreciate good world building in fantasy and the Malazan series definitely has that. Many of the characters are unique and fun to read. I'm especially pleased by some of his female characters. It's difficult to find an author who can accomplish that.
With that said, I'm wishing and waiting for him to give these great characters more depth, but it never happens. There's a skeleton of a character but no development. We never hear about these characters' hobbies, likes and dislikes, quirks, secrets. There's no background information, no family, no past relationships, no inner reasoning for doing anything. It's like these characters were plopped into the world simply to go from one action scene to the next. Because of this, I can't feel anything for them. It saddens me.
Then there's the names and amount of characters. Jesus Christ, the names. It's bad enough having hundreds of characters to keep track of, but when it becomes hundreds of characters with long names impossible to pronounce and spell, let alone remember, it makes the reading experience frustrating. There's so many things happening with so many people. I made the mistake of waiting a few months between the first book and the second. Don't do that. This is a series you have to read straight through in order to remember who is who and what's going on.
An entertaining book and I've started on the third, but I'm still hoping, eventually, Erikson cuts half of the characters out and focuses instead on making the characters he has left better.
First I'll start off with things I enjoyed about this book. Erikson's world is large and detailed, complete with many different races, religions, and cultures, each very well done. I appreciate good world building in fantasy and the Malazan series definitely has that. Many of the characters are unique and fun to read. I'm especially pleased by some of his female characters. It's difficult to find an author who can accomplish that.
With that said, I'm wishing and waiting for him to give these great characters more depth, but it never happens. There's a skeleton of a character but no development. We never hear about these characters' hobbies, likes and dislikes, quirks, secrets. There's no background information, no family, no past relationships, no inner reasoning for doing anything. It's like these characters were plopped into the world simply to go from one action scene to the next. Because of this, I can't feel anything for them. It saddens me.
Then there's the names and amount of characters. Jesus Christ, the names. It's bad enough having hundreds of characters to keep track of, but when it becomes hundreds of characters with long names impossible to pronounce and spell, let alone remember, it makes the reading experience frustrating. There's so many things happening with so many people. I made the mistake of waiting a few months between the first book and the second. Don't do that. This is a series you have to read straight through in order to remember who is who and what's going on.
An entertaining book and I've started on the third, but I'm still hoping, eventually, Erikson cuts half of the characters out and focuses instead on making the characters he has left better.
4.5
It is very difficult not to be awed by the sheer scale and scope of this series, yet it still remains very much character-driven. I look forward to seeing where the series will go!
It is very difficult not to be awed by the sheer scale and scope of this series, yet it still remains very much character-driven. I look forward to seeing where the series will go!