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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
Любимейшая, наверное, моя книга у Желязны. Нравится даже больше, чем "Хроники Амбера". Очередные рассуждения на тему того, что "трудно быть богом", причем в данном случае это не фигура речи. Антиутопия в антураже чарующей индийской мифологии. Не смотря на то, что написано почти 60 лет назад - все еще очень интересно, а местами и актуально.
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It feels like I've read a novel-long poem. It's beautifully written and makes great use of Indian mythology (among others), but it is also a bit hard to follow and the author's point is not always clear. It is certainly one of the most original Hugo winners I've read, but it can be challenging and it certainly isn't light reading (not that it's a bad thing per se).
I'd never read any Zelazny before so I didn't know what to expect. It has a vast and complicated cast of characters, who change form and names along the way, and their goals are not always clear. It is certainly rewarding language-wise and it contains philosophy as well as nice fantastical concepts, but I cannot say that I loved it.
I'd never read any Zelazny before so I didn't know what to expect. It has a vast and complicated cast of characters, who change form and names along the way, and their goals are not always clear. It is certainly rewarding language-wise and it contains philosophy as well as nice fantastical concepts, but I cannot say that I loved it.
slow-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
adventurous
I can understand why this is a classic science fiction novel, because you can see echoes of the themes in subsequent decades of the genre. However, it feels dated and Orientalist.
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
DNF at 21% 60 pages in. This book is pure Fantasy. And so far not the good kind. Very confusing too. The resurrection of Gods and an ape and demondogs and whatever else… not my cup of tea. Or coffee for that matter. However, the prose and quotes were good. But that wasn’t enough for me to continue.
Quotes:
- “…It is the intention rather than the act which governs. Therefore, if I had killed with love rather than malice, it would be as if I had not killed. I confess that this was not the case and that malice was present—therefore, even if I did not kill I do bear the burden of the guilt because of the presence of that intention. So I could step upon it now and be none the worse for it…” (p25-26)
- “I have many names, and none of them matter. Names are not important. To speak is to name names, but to speak is not important. A thing happens once that has never happened before. Seeing it, a man looks upon reality. He cannot tell others what he has seen. Others wish to know, however, so they question him…” (p31-32)
- *Pages 31-35 were great!
- “I’m very gullible when it comes to my own words. I believe everything I say, though I know I’m a liar.” (p36)
- “It is difficult to stir rebellion among those to whom all things are good. There is no room for evil in their minds, despite the fact that they suffer it constantly. The slave upon the rack who knows that he will be born again—perhaps as a fat merchant—if he suffers willingly—his outlook is not the same as that of a man with but one life to live. He can bear anything, knowing that great as his present pain maybe, his future pleasure will rise higher. If such a one does not choose to believe in good or evil, perhaps then beauty and ugliness can be made to serve him as well. Only the names have been changed.” (p36)
- "An army, great in space, may offer opposition in a brief span of time. One man, brief in space, must spread his opposition across a period of many years if he is to have a chance of succeeding."
Quotes:
- “…It is the intention rather than the act which governs. Therefore, if I had killed with love rather than malice, it would be as if I had not killed. I confess that this was not the case and that malice was present—therefore, even if I did not kill I do bear the burden of the guilt because of the presence of that intention. So I could step upon it now and be none the worse for it…” (p25-26)
- “I have many names, and none of them matter. Names are not important. To speak is to name names, but to speak is not important. A thing happens once that has never happened before. Seeing it, a man looks upon reality. He cannot tell others what he has seen. Others wish to know, however, so they question him…” (p31-32)
- *Pages 31-35 were great!
- “I’m very gullible when it comes to my own words. I believe everything I say, though I know I’m a liar.” (p36)
- “It is difficult to stir rebellion among those to whom all things are good. There is no room for evil in their minds, despite the fact that they suffer it constantly. The slave upon the rack who knows that he will be born again—perhaps as a fat merchant—if he suffers willingly—his outlook is not the same as that of a man with but one life to live. He can bear anything, knowing that great as his present pain maybe, his future pleasure will rise higher. If such a one does not choose to believe in good or evil, perhaps then beauty and ugliness can be made to serve him as well. Only the names have been changed.” (p36)
- "An army, great in space, may offer opposition in a brief span of time. One man, brief in space, must spread his opposition across a period of many years if he is to have a chance of succeeding."
Beautifully creative world/setting with an interesting interplay between sci-fi and religion, with a good mythic story overall.
But:
The storytelling is disjointed
The characters are difficult to keep straight
The characters don’t feel real
Sometime the prose doesn’t give enough info to know what’s happening. Other times it’s excessively verbose or flowery.
All of this makes it a very non-compelling read
But:
The storytelling is disjointed
The characters are difficult to keep straight
The characters don’t feel real
Sometime the prose doesn’t give enough info to know what’s happening. Other times it’s excessively verbose or flowery.
All of this makes it a very non-compelling read
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes