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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This starts with an entire civilization whose economy is set up for people who construct one carpet in their entire lifetime, out of HUMAN HAIR. From there the scope widens in a series of connected vignettes. The whole thing is a bit of shaggy dog story, but it mostly pays off. You wish you could it spent more time on some of the substories.
This book kept unexpectedly adding layers till it eventually got to the end and my brain was just exploded.
This book is immensely moving and incredibly dense in concept. Its scope is massive, but starts small like the hair carpets it focuses on, and grows outwards to a galactic scale, showing how systems of oppression routinely grind fine the lives of those within.
This book was brilliant and the ending made me slightly sick, but I wouldn't dare miss any of it.
Highest recommendations.
This book was brilliant and the ending made me slightly sick, but I wouldn't dare miss any of it.
Highest recommendations.
The cover caught my eye many years ago. Yes, I know you are supposed to judge a book by it's cover. But I am drawn to interesting art work for books and music albums. I skipped on it, then a few years later went back to find it. I then obtained a copy through one of the trading sites. After a few more years of sitting on my shelf, I finally picked it up and read it.
From Amazon.Com, here is a brief description of the book:
I'm not sure if this is the description I originally read. I seem to remember my imagination running away with a low-tech society, which it is, but not the idea of space travel existing in this "universe" the book takes place. There was more to what I remember than this short blurb.
The author knows how to start a book. The ending of the first chapter was dark. Another chapter soon after, regarding a female character (whom I can't remember her name, and there is more to be discussed about that) added to the intrigue. My mind was thinking where this all could go, and I liked what might lie ahead. The book started jumping around though. I did like some of what was being played out, but not the way it did.
Most every character in this book appears in a chapter, and is not heard from again. Only three come to mind that appeared with speaking parts later in the book. One of those three is mentioned a few more times. But at most, those characters were only in three chapters, and the book spanned 300 pages even, and seventeen chapters, with an epilogue. Some of the characters introduced at the beginning of the chapter end up dying at the end of it. This happened three times, and a fourth time really, given that he walks off into the desert as a form of suicide. It was hard to keep up, because some threads were interesting and really grabbed me. Then 80 pages later I realized that I wouldn't hear about them again.
The concept of the story and the universe the author created is quite compelling though. It kept me reading. And I honestly mean that. The mystery behind the carpets also kept me reading. As much as I hate finishing a book with characters that I cared so deeply for while reading, I want it that way. Not caring for characters can make reading laborious. At times, some of the chapters, were tough to get through. Some of those I would later find out gave clues to what the mystery was, but only many pages later, or when the mystery is actually revealed.
The book was translated by Doryl Jensen, since Eschbach wrote it originally in German. As is the case with any translation, not sure what liberties they took. The prose was strong for a science fiction novel. The scenes were descriptive enough to give you a good feel for it. It was just the right about. What really lacked, as I already mentioned, were characters to care about.
Quite possibly, there was an underlying theme or message trying to be sent. Given Eschbach's heritage, he could be trying to parallel this to Nazism, or other leaders that were cherished by their followers even beyond their deaths. The Emperor in the book has found a way to be, for lack of a better term, immortal. He is seen as a god. Those that are truly devout give everything of everyday to his honor. And even years from him being removed, there are those that don't believe it and remain devout, look at the rebels as heretics. Their draw to their emperor is still very strong, and it leads to a general feeling and fear among society. Now, I am not trying to say that Eschbach is a Nazi. I think he MAY BE addressing the fact that many can be "brainwashed", and that they may never see the other side, whether right or wrong, because that's what they were taught when young, and it's all they've ever known. As much as I don't mind politics in fiction, I didn't focus on this until much later, and it still didn't swing my opinions about the story either way. (And I wouldn't put much weight in anything I said regarding this subject, since it's pure speculation on my part.)
An interesting creation in the science fiction world which I'm sure many could enjoy, even though some of the space traveling was unrealistic (faster than light travel would still take a long time to accelerate and decelerate). I did on some levels, at least.
From Amazon.Com, here is a brief description of the book:
Since the time of pre-history, carpet makers tie intricate knots to form carpets for the court of the Emperor. These carpets are made from the hairs of wives and daughters; they are so detailed and fragile that each carpet maker finishes only one single carpet in his entire lifetime.
This art descends from father to son, since the beginning of time itself.
But one day the empire of the God Emperor vanishes, and strangers begin to arrive from the stars to follow the trace of the hair carpets. What these strangers discover is beyond all belief, more than anything they could have ever imagined ...
I'm not sure if this is the description I originally read. I seem to remember my imagination running away with a low-tech society, which it is, but not the idea of space travel existing in this "universe" the book takes place. There was more to what I remember than this short blurb.
The author knows how to start a book. The ending of the first chapter was dark. Another chapter soon after, regarding a female character (whom I can't remember her name, and there is more to be discussed about that) added to the intrigue. My mind was thinking where this all could go, and I liked what might lie ahead. The book started jumping around though. I did like some of what was being played out, but not the way it did.
Most every character in this book appears in a chapter, and is not heard from again. Only three come to mind that appeared with speaking parts later in the book. One of those three is mentioned a few more times. But at most, those characters were only in three chapters, and the book spanned 300 pages even, and seventeen chapters, with an epilogue. Some of the characters introduced at the beginning of the chapter end up dying at the end of it. This happened three times, and a fourth time really, given that he walks off into the desert as a form of suicide. It was hard to keep up, because some threads were interesting and really grabbed me. Then 80 pages later I realized that I wouldn't hear about them again.
The concept of the story and the universe the author created is quite compelling though. It kept me reading. And I honestly mean that. The mystery behind the carpets also kept me reading. As much as I hate finishing a book with characters that I cared so deeply for while reading, I want it that way. Not caring for characters can make reading laborious. At times, some of the chapters, were tough to get through. Some of those I would later find out gave clues to what the mystery was, but only many pages later, or when the mystery is actually revealed.
The book was translated by Doryl Jensen, since Eschbach wrote it originally in German. As is the case with any translation, not sure what liberties they took. The prose was strong for a science fiction novel. The scenes were descriptive enough to give you a good feel for it. It was just the right about. What really lacked, as I already mentioned, were characters to care about.
Quite possibly, there was an underlying theme or message trying to be sent. Given Eschbach's heritage, he could be trying to parallel this to Nazism, or other leaders that were cherished by their followers even beyond their deaths. The Emperor in the book has found a way to be, for lack of a better term, immortal. He is seen as a god. Those that are truly devout give everything of everyday to his honor. And even years from him being removed, there are those that don't believe it and remain devout, look at the rebels as heretics. Their draw to their emperor is still very strong, and it leads to a general feeling and fear among society. Now, I am not trying to say that Eschbach is a Nazi. I think he MAY BE addressing the fact that many can be "brainwashed", and that they may never see the other side, whether right or wrong, because that's what they were taught when young, and it's all they've ever known. As much as I don't mind politics in fiction, I didn't focus on this until much later, and it still didn't swing my opinions about the story either way. (And I wouldn't put much weight in anything I said regarding this subject, since it's pure speculation on my part.)
An interesting creation in the science fiction world which I'm sure many could enjoy, even though some of the space traveling was unrealistic (faster than light travel would still take a long time to accelerate and decelerate). I did on some levels, at least.
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Reading this book is like flickering through perspectives at speed and, just as you accept their heterogeneity, they are woven together to a poetic conclusion.
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Ein sehr philosophischer Roman, der sich mit den Themen Macht und Religion auseinandersetzt. Leider gibt es durch den distanzierten und episodischen Erzählstil wenig Identifikationspunkte mit den eindimensionalen Charakteren sowie der Handlung. Das Ende ist zwar schlüssig, aber auch nüchtern.