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syn_06's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
I'm a huge sci Fi and fantasy fan. I've seen a lot of online chatter about how unserious the Hugos have gotten recently and decided to check out some past Hugo winners for comparison.
and wow....this is objectively not a good book. The writing style is all over the place. There's typos and bad grammar. Nothing is really explained. The characters aren't developed at all. At no point was I given a reason to care about any of the characters or what was happening. I gave it 1 star because it at least kept my attention enough to finish. But I'm not sure why this is such a beloved classic
and wow....this is objectively not a good book. The writing style is all over the place. There's typos and bad grammar. Nothing is really explained. The characters aren't developed at all. At no point was I given a reason to care about any of the characters or what was happening. I gave it 1 star because it at least kept my attention enough to finish. But I'm not sure why this is such a beloved classic
csdaley's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
raijhu's review against another edition
2.0
The world established in these books is very cool, but the writing style is like a hyper little kid trying to tell you about their day without taking a breath. The end result is that it reads more like a list than a story.
joshhall13's review against another edition
4.0
Enjoyable! I didn't realize this book as 50 years old until I finished. That's kind of crazy I thought it was contemporary.
hannahws's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
mightysparks's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
greaydean's review against another edition
3.0
Pretty good fantasy. Perhaps it is the reader, but it seems to ring of some other things I've read from the 1960s. That is not bad, but there is no hint of tech, but a modern feel about the writing. Just different than other more modern fantasy and SciFi that I read.
The story in engaging and interesting. A wealth of characters, but unclear how they will develop over 5 books. I found myself longing for a character I could whole-heartedly cheer on. It's not that Corwin is not likable, but I found him to be cold-blooded.
Regardless, I am going to continue to read, as I do like how Zelazny is easy with complex time and space shifts that have challenged other authors.
The story in engaging and interesting. A wealth of characters, but unclear how they will develop over 5 books. I found myself longing for a character I could whole-heartedly cheer on. It's not that Corwin is not likable, but I found him to be cold-blooded.
Regardless, I am going to continue to read, as I do like how Zelazny is easy with complex time and space shifts that have challenged other authors.
lisade's review against another edition
2.0
Meh. The 60s/70s jargon was a bit jarring. Felt like Heinlein-lite (all of the chauvinism, none of the sex). Don't feel like reading the next book, and I'm a compulsive series finisher.
billymac1962's review against another edition
3.0
This is book one of the hugely popular Amber series. I thought I was going to love it, but it was merely OK.
The great thing about this novel is that it's so short that even if it's mediocre, it hasn't taken much of your time. And it was pretty interesting. Just not interesting enough to push me on to the next in the series.
But try it for yourself...tons of people out there love the first five books of the series.
The great thing about this novel is that it's so short that even if it's mediocre, it hasn't taken much of your time. And it was pretty interesting. Just not interesting enough to push me on to the next in the series.
But try it for yourself...tons of people out there love the first five books of the series.