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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
Now, for me, this is a hard book to rate and review. It was wonderful. Don't doubt that I thought this book was amazing. I found it difficult and confusing at the start, due to non-chronological story telling, but as it progressed and it became clear the entire s[rawling complexity of it. I love the story, I love how subtle it is. I love the way the story is never laid out for you to grasp and nothing is neat and packaged up but, instead, everything is hinted at. A book that requires you to think but isn't deliberatley misleading or confusing, things that authors do all too often when trying to not hand the plot out. I loved the world of this book, I loved the way he used language to build the world and to build the legend, it was wonderful and well worth anyone's time to read, I fully intent to recomend this to friends.
I never really connected with the book, with the characters. Due to the writing style only a few are in it long enough for us to realy grasp them, and they were fine but not...I don't know. I did like how the gods were esentialy human (in all ways) and how the war between the gods played out. I just didn't feel emotionaly invested in any of them. The language distanced me in a way and while it was entirely appropriate for the story, it left me feeling removed. Also, not many female characters and when they do appear they are not favourable or well drawn out. So, a damn good book, but not something I connected with personally.
I never really connected with the book, with the characters. Due to the writing style only a few are in it long enough for us to realy grasp them, and they were fine but not...I don't know. I did like how the gods were esentialy human (in all ways) and how the war between the gods played out. I just didn't feel emotionaly invested in any of them. The language distanced me in a way and while it was entirely appropriate for the story, it left me feeling removed. Also, not many female characters and when they do appear they are not favourable or well drawn out. So, a damn good book, but not something I connected with personally.
Lord of Light wouldn't be science fiction if you blinked while reading it. Zelazny was a cunning artificer. I loved his story of the life and death of gods. Also, I can't help but wonder if Saberhagen lifted some of the basic premises for his 'Empire of the East' stories...
This is one of the most unique books I have read. Every aspect of it has something new to offer. It is a perfect mix of fantasy (major contenders being the clever use of mythology and religions) and science fiction ( in a very original futuristic setting and technology).
The writing style is just as fantastic as the other aspects of the story. It reads like a fairy tale or some mythical retelling of legends of the old. This book can be simply be described as battle of the religions and different gods of their own religions fighting amongst themselves for control of the vast technology and their spreading among mortal mankind.
The majority of the players of the story are people who instilled in themselves with much power and call themselves gods. It is not easy to write characters of gods and still make them into something the reader should care about. Roger Zelazny succeeds in this where every character is unique and compelling to read.
The main story can be said to be about this conflict between the religions of Hinduism and Buddhism. The main character Sam is none other than Buddha and he is up against most of the pantheon of Hindu gods, but this stops being so black and white and turns more morally grey as many of the characters change alliances and backstab each other and it is just so fun to read.
Finally, it has many fantastic characters in the gods and monsters that appear in the story. But my favorite is Yama, god of death. He is often portrayed in our Indian movies as this goofy and petty god, but here is Yama portrayed as probably the most scariest person/god in the story yet still very likable(in my opinion).
I was digging this style of writing of mixing genres and I read that most of Roger Zelazny's earlier works follows this kind of writing style and I am all for it. Maybe in the coming year, let's hope that I can read more of his works.
The writing style is just as fantastic as the other aspects of the story. It reads like a fairy tale or some mythical retelling of legends of the old. This book can be simply be described as battle of the religions and different gods of their own religions fighting amongst themselves for control of the vast technology and their spreading among mortal mankind.
The majority of the players of the story are people who instilled in themselves with much power and call themselves gods. It is not easy to write characters of gods and still make them into something the reader should care about. Roger Zelazny succeeds in this where every character is unique and compelling to read.
The main story can be said to be about this conflict between the religions of Hinduism and Buddhism. The main character Sam is none other than Buddha and he is up against most of the pantheon of Hindu gods, but this stops being so black and white and turns more morally grey as many of the characters change alliances and backstab each other and it is just so fun to read.
Finally, it has many fantastic characters in the gods and monsters that appear in the story. But my favorite is Yama, god of death. He is often portrayed in our Indian movies as this goofy and petty god, but here is Yama portrayed as probably the most scariest person/god in the story yet still very likable(in my opinion).
I was digging this style of writing of mixing genres and I read that most of Roger Zelazny's earlier works follows this kind of writing style and I am all for it. Maybe in the coming year, let's hope that I can read more of his works.
This book is a real challenge to read -- the characters are not relatable, and change names, appearances, identities, allegiances, etc. so often that you need a scorecard to keep track of them. There is a lot of ... philosophising, I guess you could call it, and a deliberately esoteric writing style, which probably is a plus for some readers. But I'd suggest that if you want SFF based on the Hindu pantheon, go read the Kiranmala series and Force of Fire by Sayantani DasGupta, which also feel a lot less like cultural appropriation.
Such a different book. I loved the way it was written that it wasn't 100% clear that the gods were people just with amazing technology. They felt like gods to me. The final act felt tacked on. It felt like it could have just ended at the battle of Keenset.
I don't even know where to start on this one. Roger Zelazny solidified his position on my favorite authors list with Lord of Light. It's the best writing of his that I've come across so far.
The Plot: Long story short, immortals from Earth set up shop on another world and assumed the guise of Hindu gods. Sam, aka Buddha, Siddhartha, Kalkin, etc., opposes them in each of his lifetimes, reviving Buddhism as a tool in his quest. The final confrontation doesn't disappoint.
As other reviewers have said, the story is mostly one flashback between two bookend chapters. It took a little getting used to. The characters of the "gods" were interesting. I'd read more books about Lord Agni and the rest. I also liked the pray-o-mat machines and the Accelerationists, those who wanted to give humanity advanced technology to speed their spiritual developement.
All in all, it's sci fi in a fantasy wrapper telling a version of the rise of Buddhism from Hinduism. It's one of the best books I read in 2009.
The Plot: Long story short, immortals from Earth set up shop on another world and assumed the guise of Hindu gods. Sam, aka Buddha, Siddhartha, Kalkin, etc., opposes them in each of his lifetimes, reviving Buddhism as a tool in his quest. The final confrontation doesn't disappoint.
As other reviewers have said, the story is mostly one flashback between two bookend chapters. It took a little getting used to. The characters of the "gods" were interesting. I'd read more books about Lord Agni and the rest. I also liked the pray-o-mat machines and the Accelerationists, those who wanted to give humanity advanced technology to speed their spiritual developement.
All in all, it's sci fi in a fantasy wrapper telling a version of the rise of Buddhism from Hinduism. It's one of the best books I read in 2009.
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really like the first five Amber books, but this is easily my favorite Zelazny and one of my favorites of the year.
The best comparison to a book I've read is The Boat of a Million Years, but Lord of Light blows it out of the water. The concepts and scope are similar, but Zelazny's characters are better, his prose is so much better, and the plot seems to have a point.
Near the end of Chapter 4, Yama says to Sam, "Some ancient poet said that the world is full of echoes and correspondences." This is a reference to "Correspondences" by Charles Baudelaire, which ends:
Where Zelazny got the name for his Amber?
Looking forward to re-reading this one in a few years.
The best comparison to a book I've read is The Boat of a Million Years, but Lord of Light blows it out of the water. The concepts and scope are similar, but Zelazny's characters are better, his prose is so much better, and the plot seems to have a point.
Near the end of Chapter 4, Yama says to Sam, "Some ancient poet said that the world is full of echoes and correspondences." This is a reference to "Correspondences" by Charles Baudelaire, which ends:
Perfumes there are as sweet as the oboe’s sound
Green as the prairies, fresh as a child’s caress,
—And there are others, rich, corrupt, profound
And an infinite pervasiveness,
Like myrrh, or musk, or amber, that excite
The ecstasies of sense, the soul’s delight.
Where Zelazny got the name for his Amber?
Looking forward to re-reading this one in a few years.
2.5 stars. I feel like this book did not age well, or maybe is best read as an impressionable youth. It felt overly wordy and contrived, trying to be both entertaining and deep. Once it was a classic, and many hold it dear. Some classics stand up to rereading better than others. ymmv