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dariusfli's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
mcsspitfire's review against another edition
3.0
I think Renie's quote from the middle of the book sums up my feelings entirely:
"...We still don't have any answers or any way to bring my brother back, and the search just seems to get more complicated and more vague. If this were a detective story, you'd have a body and some bloodstains and footprints in the garden - it's definitely a murder, and you've definitely got clues. But all we have here are things that seem a little strange, bits of information that might mean something. The more I think, the less sense it makes." She pushed at her temples with her fingers. "It's like when you say a word too many times, and suddenly it doesn't mean anything anymore. It's just...a word. That's how I'm feeling."
Reminder: That's just halfway through the book.
The first volume of the Otherland series had an incredible concept, but a slow execution. This mammoth of a novel could have done away with many unnecessary descriptions. If it had been condensed down by at least a fourth of its page count, I would have loved it. The epic physical size has a tendency to outshine what lies within. However, I would like to read the rest of the series to see what fate has in store for the protagonists. The characters were the best part and I found them far more engaging than their world(s) at several points in the story. I would rather see those two factors hand in hand though. The Matrix aside, I'd be intrigued to see a film adaptation of this. Good luck to the screenwriter though. They'll need lots of it.
"...We still don't have any answers or any way to bring my brother back, and the search just seems to get more complicated and more vague. If this were a detective story, you'd have a body and some bloodstains and footprints in the garden - it's definitely a murder, and you've definitely got clues. But all we have here are things that seem a little strange, bits of information that might mean something. The more I think, the less sense it makes." She pushed at her temples with her fingers. "It's like when you say a word too many times, and suddenly it doesn't mean anything anymore. It's just...a word. That's how I'm feeling."
Reminder: That's just halfway through the book.
The first volume of the Otherland series had an incredible concept, but a slow execution. This mammoth of a novel could have done away with many unnecessary descriptions. If it had been condensed down by at least a fourth of its page count, I would have loved it. The epic physical size has a tendency to outshine what lies within. However, I would like to read the rest of the series to see what fate has in store for the protagonists. The characters were the best part and I found them far more engaging than their world(s) at several points in the story. I would rather see those two factors hand in hand though. The Matrix aside, I'd be intrigued to see a film adaptation of this. Good luck to the screenwriter though. They'll need lots of it.
k_isadore's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
belacqua's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sillyperson's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
lanica's review against another edition
1.0
I read the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series and loved it. I read it twice and have autographed copies to save. I enjoy epics. I enjoy detail. I enjoy science fiction, computers, virtual reality, anthropology, history, sociology, political intrigue and all the other individual elements of this series. Unfortunetly, I really disliked this book.
I liked the little girl who got messages through her computer, and I liked the sick boy who created a virtual reality that was easier to live in. Other than those two I could care less about any of the characters, and there were a lot of characters. I read the whole book thinking that there should be some sort of connection between them, but it didn't come. I waited for the plot to advance, yet it seemed to seep slowly through the pages and pages of detail.
I read the second book and found that some of these ideas came together, but not quickly or interestingly enough to hold my attention. I didn't read book three or four and don't intend to. This was a great dissapointment to me. I have to really dislike a book to set it aside, and that it was a series from one of my favorite authors was really heartbreaking.
I liked the little girl who got messages through her computer, and I liked the sick boy who created a virtual reality that was easier to live in. Other than those two I could care less about any of the characters, and there were a lot of characters. I read the whole book thinking that there should be some sort of connection between them, but it didn't come. I waited for the plot to advance, yet it seemed to seep slowly through the pages and pages of detail.
I read the second book and found that some of these ideas came together, but not quickly or interestingly enough to hold my attention. I didn't read book three or four and don't intend to. This was a great dissapointment to me. I have to really dislike a book to set it aside, and that it was a series from one of my favorite authors was really heartbreaking.
billymac1962's review against another edition
4.0
A long, long time ago, I received The Dragonbone Chair as a gift. I loved it.
Tad Williams painted a landscape so rich I was hopelessly absorbed in his world. Book 2 came along, and I enjoyed that almost as much, and once I was finished, was looking forward to the final installment in the trilogy.
Well, the next book released was part one of the two-part final volume. I felt duped and resentful, and refused to continue.
It was like when I was a little kid, and was learning to swim under water, and the frigging instructor kept backing away from me just when I thought I was caught up to him and sweet air. Man, that pissed me off.
Now, years later, I see the whole Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series is very highly rated, and I do feel a pang of regret that I never finished it. And, no, I'm not going to go back and read it all over again.
Instead, I waited until I was ready for a big commitment, and decided to
give Williams another go with Otherland.
HooWee. 780 pages later and I feel like I've been reading this forever.
But what's really nice is that Tad Williams can sure tell a story. Like
Dragonbone Chair, I was quite immersed in the story for the most part.
There are a lot of characters to keep track of, but with the story switching from one set to another so frequently, it wasn't tough to manage at all.
The story revolves around a virtual world. The central character, Renie,
is on a mission to save her young brother, who has been left comatose after venturing into a restricted area of the Net. This is a mystery that is ever-present throughout the story, and there are hints that this may have something to do with Otherland, a supposed secret and magnificent subworld that is controlled by powerful real-world world-beaters.
Williams draws out the anticipation of seeing Otherland throughout most of this volume. That, and what the heck has debilitated young Stephen and several other children around the world, is what kept me gripped to the story.
But, geez. 780 pages of small print is one massive prologue. I've been reading this for over a month, and I'm now visualizing this massive book with my bookmark only a quarter way through.
I'm not a fast reader here, folks. I said I decided I was ready for a big commitment, but only if this is a story that I can't wait to pick up again. I finished it last night, and promptly picked up another
novel to start, and today I don't miss Otherland that much.
Well, okay, I do, kind of, but am I going to let this series hijack four months of my reading time? I can't. This is just way too much time invested for something that I am giving four stars for the story thus far.
This was very good. Williams is great, but I can only (highly) recommend him to fast readers or those with a short to-read list.
Never say never, though. Who knows, I just may get a pining for this world and pick up volume 2 months from now...I sure did like Orlando.
Tad Williams painted a landscape so rich I was hopelessly absorbed in his world. Book 2 came along, and I enjoyed that almost as much, and once I was finished, was looking forward to the final installment in the trilogy.
Well, the next book released was part one of the two-part final volume. I felt duped and resentful, and refused to continue.
It was like when I was a little kid, and was learning to swim under water, and the frigging instructor kept backing away from me just when I thought I was caught up to him and sweet air. Man, that pissed me off.
Now, years later, I see the whole Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series is very highly rated, and I do feel a pang of regret that I never finished it. And, no, I'm not going to go back and read it all over again.
Instead, I waited until I was ready for a big commitment, and decided to
give Williams another go with Otherland.
HooWee. 780 pages later and I feel like I've been reading this forever.
But what's really nice is that Tad Williams can sure tell a story. Like
Dragonbone Chair, I was quite immersed in the story for the most part.
There are a lot of characters to keep track of, but with the story switching from one set to another so frequently, it wasn't tough to manage at all.
The story revolves around a virtual world. The central character, Renie,
is on a mission to save her young brother, who has been left comatose after venturing into a restricted area of the Net. This is a mystery that is ever-present throughout the story, and there are hints that this may have something to do with Otherland, a supposed secret and magnificent subworld that is controlled by powerful real-world world-beaters.
Williams draws out the anticipation of seeing Otherland throughout most of this volume. That, and what the heck has debilitated young Stephen and several other children around the world, is what kept me gripped to the story.
But, geez. 780 pages of small print is one massive prologue. I've been reading this for over a month, and I'm now visualizing this massive book with my bookmark only a quarter way through.
I'm not a fast reader here, folks. I said I decided I was ready for a big commitment, but only if this is a story that I can't wait to pick up again. I finished it last night, and promptly picked up another
novel to start, and today I don't miss Otherland that much.
Well, okay, I do, kind of, but am I going to let this series hijack four months of my reading time? I can't. This is just way too much time invested for something that I am giving four stars for the story thus far.
This was very good. Williams is great, but I can only (highly) recommend him to fast readers or those with a short to-read list.
Never say never, though. Who knows, I just may get a pining for this world and pick up volume 2 months from now...I sure did like Orlando.
the_pale_woman's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
This one was interesting. I'm not even sure what to rate it. It's the type of book that offers more questions than answers. More beginnings than endings. To put it simply, this is not a complete story. It felt more like an introduction to this story than the actual beginning. I love big books, but at almost 800 pages even I found myself frustrated with the lack of progress. Plus, right when I felt we were getting somewhere, the book just ended. It's not the worst offense when there are three sequels available to immediately dive into. But still.
The writing style reminds me a lot of Stephen King. More broad details and less chaotic than King but close. It's as if Williams has a similar cadence. I think if you're a fan of The Stand, you might like this.
One big problem I had with this was listening to it on audio. The narrator is fine, but the edit didn't bother to add any pause between perspective shifts. The shifts are so abrupt that you become momentarily confused about what's happening. Or you start thinking that you missed something. I think this would be far less confusing to read physically.
The writing style reminds me a lot of Stephen King. More broad details and less chaotic than King but close. It's as if Williams has a similar cadence. I think if you're a fan of The Stand, you might like this.
One big problem I had with this was listening to it on audio. The narrator is fine, but the edit didn't bother to add any pause between perspective shifts. The shifts are so abrupt that you become momentarily confused about what's happening. Or you start thinking that you missed something. I think this would be far less confusing to read physically.
goliath782011's review against another edition
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0