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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
One major question in this book is: does the plot matter? Read the full review here: http://www.scrivler.com/reviews/book-reviews/consider-phlebas-by-iain-banks/.
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Amazing world building, incredible scope, though a little slow for my taste.
The worst thing about this book is that parts of it are quite good, or at least could be. There are moments of cleverness, and moments of satisfying sci-fi action, that work okay. Those moments are swamped by terribleness. There’s a point about 1/3rd of the way through where I felt maybe the novel was a social experiment, to see if people would keep reading. That’s where I stopped.
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Got to start at the beginning, so I finally got to reading Consider Phlebas, which begins Banks' Culture saga. It didn't really feel like an introduction novel, it felt like its own self contained story, which I really liked. Banks somehow manages to create a galaxy spanning space opera that felt both familiar and yet alien at the same time. This is a novel that is both beautiful in its imagery (ring space stations with oceans, crystal monasteries), and brutally dark in its narrative. Pretty impressive, and to think this series gets better somehow? My only complaint with this is that I didn't quite understand what the Culture actually was, besides some kind of AI controlled utopia. I'll expect it to be fleshed out more in the subsequent novels, which I can't wait to get to.
dark
mysterious
tense
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
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
There's a good reason people say start with Player Of Games, but still a great book
Excellent start to the Culture series
This wasn't the first time I read this book but it feels like it was. It reminded me why Iain M Banks remains one of my favourite authors.
This wasn't the first time I read this book but it feels like it was. It reminded me why Iain M Banks remains one of my favourite authors.