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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
For Zelazny fans, this is a worthwhile read. For those new to Zelazny, you'll probably want to start somewhere else. (I recommend Lord of Light).
I loved many of the scenes in this book, and yet it never quite came together. I think this was for two reasons: first, the quality of the iBooks Kindle version is low enough to be annoying. I recommend against it. Ideally, this would not affect my rating, but until I can read a better version, it's the only impression I have.
The other challenge I had is that the pacing never quite grabbed me. After reading it, I learned that this was a novelization of a serialization. I suspect that if I had gone into this knowing that, then I would have enjoyed it more.
I loved many of the scenes in this book, and yet it never quite came together. I think this was for two reasons: first, the quality of the iBooks Kindle version is low enough to be annoying. I recommend against it. Ideally, this would not affect my rating, but until I can read a better version, it's the only impression I have.
The other challenge I had is that the pacing never quite grabbed me. After reading it, I learned that this was a novelization of a serialization. I suspect that if I had gone into this knowing that, then I would have enjoyed it more.
1960s Sci-Fi Novel Checklist:
-creepy gender politics
-Jokes your grandpa would tell
-Aliens that essentially just blue/green/gray/red/purple humans
This Immortal is the most confused attempt at narrative I have recently experienced. It’s hard to even describe it. The best I can do is say it seems like a book Don Draper would write on amphetamines.
The plot is a jumbled mess with a bunch of pointless tangents. Zelazny frequently forgets to mention which characters are speaking in a dialogue (am I supposed to guess?)
And all this confuses me more because this novel won the Hugo, right? There’s got to be something I am missing here.
Also, tons of typos! I was not reading a first edition!
COME ON.
This whole novel just made my brain hurt.
-creepy gender politics
-Jokes your grandpa would tell
-Aliens that essentially just blue/green/gray/red/purple humans
This Immortal is the most confused attempt at narrative I have recently experienced. It’s hard to even describe it. The best I can do is say it seems like a book Don Draper would write on amphetamines.
The plot is a jumbled mess with a bunch of pointless tangents. Zelazny frequently forgets to mention which characters are speaking in a dialogue (am I supposed to guess?)
And all this confuses me more because this novel won the Hugo, right? There’s got to be something I am missing here.
Also, tons of typos! I was not reading a first edition!
COME ON.
This whole novel just made my brain hurt.
Surprisingly wonderful and incredibly odd, what a great start to the year.
'Your (partner) is gone and your heart is heavy. Words will not lighten the weight and what is written is written. But let it also be put down that I grieve with you.'
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
medium-paced
It started off pretty dull, but got more interesting in the second half. The references to Greek myths reminded me of Delaney’s Einstein Intersection, though I prefer this book over that one. Not the best Zelazny I’ve read (I prefer Creatures of Light and Darkness and some of the Amber books) but still an okay read.
So, I liked this book, but it has two primary marks against it. Firstly that the protagonist seems derivative in many ways of Heinlein's Lazarus Long character. Secondly that it tied with Dune for best science fiction novel of 1966, to which it does not hold a candle.
In general I think I slightly prefer Zelazny's Lord of Light to this book. In both books you get dropped into the middle of things and have to puzzle out the context as you go along, which I don't particularly care for. The book itself is well written with interesting characters and an interesting story.
In general I think I slightly prefer Zelazny's Lord of Light to this book. In both books you get dropped into the middle of things and have to puzzle out the context as you go along, which I don't particularly care for. The book itself is well written with interesting characters and an interesting story.
A quick read for book group. Which strangely enough I read after reading Lord of Light by mistake. So I got to do some compare and contrast. Definitely more readable than Lord of Light. But also less impressive. I don't see this as a hugo award winner, which it was. I have read a bunch of Zelazny both novels and short stories, but it has been years. But I wasn't impressed with this. It was interesting and had ideas which would have made for intriguing books but that's really not what he wrote in this one. Instead there were some funny lines and adventure and violence. It was okay. But not exceptional.