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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A pretty uneven collection of novels and stories, but, I think, ultimately brilliant. I did individual reviews of each of the books that make up the cycle elsewhere, except for the short stories which follow the novels. Like the novels, they're a mix in quality, but always interesting, always linguistically awesome. I find that this is the kind of genre fiction I love. The kind that redefines its genre and world as it progresses. Like Le Guin's Earthsea or Delany's Neveryon, Viriconium is set in a world that refuses to be pinned down or defined, and instead inverts and rewrites itself almost continuously.
adventurous
challenging
dark
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is the best fantasy series I've ever read except for maybe Cities of the Weft. It probably depends on which day you ask me. Love how Harrison subverted his own earlier work with every installment. I want a TV adaptation with Noel Fielding playing both Barley Brothers, Brian Blessed as the various heroes, Richard E Grant as Keller the Bird Lord...
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I am officially tapping out. I made it through 3/4 of the way to the end of the 2nd story. There are some promising features and some that turn me away. I am not ready to totally write this one off, but the stories are not engaging. I will admit that I have personal challenges with liking and reading short story volumes in general (compounded by the fact there are tons of books I want to start reading.) I think I expect them to feel coherent and related, but it is not necessarily. So I will not be overly critical of Mr. Harrison, but perhaps it is not the best introduction to his work. I am open to giving Light a try before resuming this read.
As positives, I will say that I enjoy his style of descriptive writing and environment development, but his characterizations felt forced and rushed. Ok... That wasn't all that positive. I am abstaining for now. = )
As positives, I will say that I enjoy his style of descriptive writing and environment development, but his characterizations felt forced and rushed. Ok... That wasn't all that positive. I am abstaining for now. = )
challenging
mysterious
reflective
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:
Complicated
Very dense and felt myself lost at times but enjoyed some of the ideas and the way the worldbuilding leaves plenty of gaps for the reader to fill in with their imagination. Reminded me a lot of Ambergris by Vandermeer in that it’s sort of an unreliable account of a spectacular city with several of the same characters showing up between stories.
This book was Not For Me.
I've been curious about M. John Harrison for a while, and came across a used copy of this book. It's some of his older work, a pastiche of stories centered around a post-technology world and a city called Viriconium. It's one of those pseudo-fantasy books that's really dying-world science fiction.
The first story's writing is dense. It's not an easy read. The language is flowery, the pace is slow. I just wasn't motivated to immerse myself. Especially because, to my understanding, each story's style, time of setting, and emphasis is quite different. So my investment in slowly getting involved with this story didn't feel like it was going to pay off. Someone mentioned the writing as a bit like Michael Moorcock, and I'd agree with that. It's not my style.
I'll try some of the author's later work, but feel just fine setting this one aside.
I've been curious about M. John Harrison for a while, and came across a used copy of this book. It's some of his older work, a pastiche of stories centered around a post-technology world and a city called Viriconium. It's one of those pseudo-fantasy books that's really dying-world science fiction.
The first story's writing is dense. It's not an easy read. The language is flowery, the pace is slow. I just wasn't motivated to immerse myself. Especially because, to my understanding, each story's style, time of setting, and emphasis is quite different. So my investment in slowly getting involved with this story didn't feel like it was going to pay off. Someone mentioned the writing as a bit like Michael Moorcock, and I'd agree with that. It's not my style.
I'll try some of the author's later work, but feel just fine setting this one aside.
M. John Harrison prose is beautiful, clear and poetic. Written about a decade before Gene Wolfe's 'Books of the New Sun', it must certainly have been an influence on that awesome series and it has something of the same vibe.
If you want to wander in a creepily lost, alien future, to meet great white sloths, to marvel at the wonders of tomb the dwarf, and to see the flash of metalic feathers in the setting sun, this set of stories is a hearty recommend.
If you want to wander in a creepily lost, alien future, to meet great white sloths, to marvel at the wonders of tomb the dwarf, and to see the flash of metalic feathers in the setting sun, this set of stories is a hearty recommend.
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
- Very dense complex language, that requires attentive reading but paints vivid images in the mind
- Starts weird, gets way weirder
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot