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rocketiza's review against another edition
4.0
Even though he does a lot of faffing about I still enjoy Banks Space epics.
downby1's review against another edition
3.0
The opportunity to experience Banks outside the excellent Culture universe made me eager to pick up The Algebraist. However, the book quickly wore away that eagerness. Banks frequently leads with a slow start and pulls together diverse stories and sub-plots. It is clear both were attempted in The Algebraist, but Banks did not carry it off as well in this instance. The antagonist was over the top and cartoonish (worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as Cobra Commander or Dr. Claw without the whimsy); the subplots (especially the strange love-triangle/youthful rebellion saga explored through Sal and Taince) were truncated, incoherent, and almost entirely divorced from the main narrative; and the allegorical exploration of those struggling against authoritarianism and near-fundamentalist segregation (targeted on AIs) was shallow. It is altogether fortunate the primary narrative (focusing on Fassin and the Dwellers) spends so much time away from these as it is impossible to imagine additional exposure to the flat industrialist/soldier pair of Sal and Taince or the baroque (to borrow Banks' adjective), monolithic Mercatoria would've left a better impression.
Ultimately, it is the Dwellers and their society that make the entire experience endurable. Their reality of a civilization so post-scarcity it has ceased to be any sort of conventional socio-political structure is fascinating, and I admit taking a guilty pleasure in reading about a society of ne'er-do-welling librarians, amateur scholars, influence peddlers, and hedonists. If they were not the focus of so much of the book, I can't imagine I would've finished it. They are certainly the only way this book could be pulled into the three start range.
Ultimately, it is the Dwellers and their society that make the entire experience endurable. Their reality of a civilization so post-scarcity it has ceased to be any sort of conventional socio-political structure is fascinating, and I admit taking a guilty pleasure in reading about a society of ne'er-do-welling librarians, amateur scholars, influence peddlers, and hedonists. If they were not the focus of so much of the book, I can't imagine I would've finished it. They are certainly the only way this book could be pulled into the three start range.
linguisticali's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
3.0
I generally feel that books don't need to be 24 hours long and this was no exception. Lots going on without much emotional engagement with the characters.
tatdine's review against another edition
3.0
My husband and I were presented with this book by a stranger at a bookstore. The man approached my husband, handed him the book and said, “I think you’ll want to try this one.” We bought it. If the book was terrible, we reasoned, at least the story of how we came to have it would be neat.
I didn’t know anything about this author or the book before diving in. Overall, I found the book enjoyable. I found that there were long portions of the book that dragged and felt forced. Banks tends to go on long explanations that seem entirely unnecessary for the progression of the plot. Some of the explanations may have been better handled in an appendix rather than the body of the novel.
Many of the characters seems to blur together. Scenes cut at times that made it difficult to piece together what happened.
The end of the book does have a neat payoff; however, I’m not entire certain it was worth it in the end.
I didn’t know anything about this author or the book before diving in. Overall, I found the book enjoyable. I found that there were long portions of the book that dragged and felt forced. Banks tends to go on long explanations that seem entirely unnecessary for the progression of the plot. Some of the explanations may have been better handled in an appendix rather than the body of the novel.
Many of the characters seems to blur together. Scenes cut at times that made it difficult to piece together what happened.
The end of the book does have a neat payoff; however, I’m not entire certain it was worth it in the end.
morninglightmountain's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
alexg87's review against another edition
3.0
'The Algebraist' suffers from the same problem as a lot of Banks' recent novels: length. The story being told here is not especially complex and he has managed before to create a believable and fascinating world in far fewer words (take a look at 'The Player of Games' or 'Feersum Endjinn', for example). While I love his prose, pushing through 'The Algebraist' was difficult at the best of times. The best word to describe it would be 'sprawling', and while it does a great job at creating a wide and detailed universe it's very light on plot. It tells a very simple story, but does so with an enormous amount of expositionary baggage which slows the narrative down to a crawl. I've come away from it with a real appreciation for it, of course, but I can't help but feel as though a writer as skilled as Banks could have produced something just as good in a couple hundred fewer pages.
I enjoyed it and am once again left with a sense of awe at Banks' expansive ambition and imagination, but only in hindsight. 'The Algebraist' was more a chore than an enjoyable reading experience, but in the end I suppose it was worth the effort.
I enjoyed it and am once again left with a sense of awe at Banks' expansive ambition and imagination, but only in hindsight. 'The Algebraist' was more a chore than an enjoyable reading experience, but in the end I suppose it was worth the effort.
hiimkayte's review against another edition
2.0
This was a really slow book. There were some interesting ideas, but it just couldn't hold my interest, so I gave up about 1/2 way through.
amaranth101's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0