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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Wow. Big plot and major intrigues, way more characters than I can keep straight. SF gone so far as to be indistinguishable from magic. Wry commentary on religion, and a very grounded main character. In short, quite a lot to wrap ones head about.
The main character (Sam) felt like a throwback to the science fiction of his day. He was the everyman, the one who thought of technology and described the weapons of other characters that way, where as they themselves spoke of divine power. He confronts a system of injustice and works to take it down. His comments about religion seem to be intended for both the story and our world, though I would want to compile them to be sure.
The world is revealed slowly through the stories. There are seven of them, making up large "chapters" in the book, and apparently two were published earlier. Each story seems to work within itself, and it would be an interesting experiment to take breaks between them. I did not, reading it as a whole (though not in one sitting). There were a few points left unanswered but the main plot makes for a cohesive package.
To me, this book feels like a reread will be most beneficial. According to IO9, this will be made into a television series, so the only question is whether to read again before or after that. This won the Hugo and is listed on several "best of" lists, including the SF Masterworks.
The main character (Sam) felt like a throwback to the science fiction of his day. He was the everyman, the one who thought of technology and described the weapons of other characters that way, where as they themselves spoke of divine power. He confronts a system of injustice and works to take it down. His comments about religion seem to be intended for both the story and our world, though I would want to compile them to be sure.
The world is revealed slowly through the stories. There are seven of them, making up large "chapters" in the book, and apparently two were published earlier. Each story seems to work within itself, and it would be an interesting experiment to take breaks between them. I did not, reading it as a whole (though not in one sitting). There were a few points left unanswered
Spoiler
- Sam's comment that the demons were the original inhabitants, for example -To me, this book feels like a reread will be most beneficial. According to IO9, this will be made into a television series, so the only question is whether to read again before or after that. This won the Hugo and is listed on several "best of" lists, including the SF Masterworks.
This a reread for me. I am reading in memory of Jenny Guy Colvin (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/68030-jenny-reading-envy). She selected it to be read on 1/2/2014. I recall very little, I believe I read it in the '70s. It a wonderful book. But cannot do it justice must defer to Lois McMaster Bujold incredible review. That review is a joy to read all by itself.
I picked up my copy at a fantastic used bookstore in Greenfield, MA, and it's so old it doesn't have a barcode or isbn to scan. Therefore I've missed out on the introduction the last bloke mentioned.
Anyway, I was expecting science fiction with overtones of eastern mythology. What I read was an amazingly palatable rerendering of many spiritual teachings I've often struggled to comprehend. It's like reading a wonderfully lush history, without getting bored off my rocker by redundancy and uninspired rhetoric.
I am now a firmly solidified Zelazny fan!
Anyway, I was expecting science fiction with overtones of eastern mythology. What I read was an amazingly palatable rerendering of many spiritual teachings I've often struggled to comprehend. It's like reading a wonderfully lush history, without getting bored off my rocker by redundancy and uninspired rhetoric.
I am now a firmly solidified Zelazny fan!
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Lord of Light, de Roger Zelazny
Valoración: 4/5. O algo más. O menos, no sé.
(Esta no es la portada de la edición que yo he leído, pero es taaaaaaan horrorosa que me encanta, así que ahí queda)
"His followers called him Mahasamamatman and said he was a god. He preferred to drop the Maha- and the -atman, however, and called himself Sam. He never claimed to be a god. But then, he never claimed not to be a god. Circumstances being what they were, neither admission could be of any benefit."
Cada vez me resulta más difícil esto de valorar las novelas mediante un valor númerico (o estelar, como goodreads sugiere). Con “Lord of Light” me resulta especialmente difícil, y confieso el 4 por el que me he decidido es un tanto arbitrario. En muchos sentidos es una novela excelente, y da la sensación (permitidme que especule) de ser exactamente lo que Zelazny quería que fuera, pero no todas las lecturas que permite me parecen igualmente atractivas y el texto a veces es desordenado y... si me permitís... torpe. Quizás la lectura que más me gusta es la exploración de la religión como herramienta de control social, que Zelazny lleva al extremo con mucho sentido del humor y con una de las premisas de construcción de mundos más originales (en parte por sutil, en parte porque sencillamente es magnífico) que he leído en la ciencia ficción —podríamos discutir si esto es más ciencia ficción o fantasía, porque juega con los tropos y convenciones de ambas, pero mi percepción se inclina claramente hacia la ciencia ficción—. El tono arcaizante del libro, que parodia la épica de un texto religioso que bebe del hinduismo y el budismo, está bien ejecutado pero a mi en ocasiones me sacaba de la novela por excesivo. En cualquier caso, es un clásico a no dejar escapar.
Parafraseando a un amigo (que posiblemente también parafraseara a alguien), me resulta más fácil admirar la novela que amarla. Y sin embargo… después de pensar en ella le subiría la puntuación… Y creo que ese es el principal esfuerzo (no pequeño) que requiere el libro: el de ir reconstruyendo continuamente la imagen que de él te vas formando: es mejor en el recuerdo –aunque sea inmediato— que durante su lectura.
P.D. El tono y la atmósfera me recuerda mucho al “Michelíada” de Antoni Munné-Jordà, una de las mejores novelas de ciencia ficción que se han escrito en catalán durante… bueno, durante toda la existencia del género en catalán.
P.D. 2: ¿¡Y de esto van a hacer una serie de TV!? Tengo curiosidad y temor a partes iguales.
Valoración: 4/5. O algo más. O menos, no sé.
(Esta no es la portada de la edición que yo he leído, pero es taaaaaaan horrorosa que me encanta, así que ahí queda)
"His followers called him Mahasamamatman and said he was a god. He preferred to drop the Maha- and the -atman, however, and called himself Sam. He never claimed to be a god. But then, he never claimed not to be a god. Circumstances being what they were, neither admission could be of any benefit."
Cada vez me resulta más difícil esto de valorar las novelas mediante un valor númerico (o estelar, como goodreads sugiere). Con “Lord of Light” me resulta especialmente difícil, y confieso el 4 por el que me he decidido es un tanto arbitrario. En muchos sentidos es una novela excelente, y da la sensación (permitidme que especule) de ser exactamente lo que Zelazny quería que fuera, pero no todas las lecturas que permite me parecen igualmente atractivas y el texto a veces es desordenado y... si me permitís... torpe. Quizás la lectura que más me gusta es la exploración de la religión como herramienta de control social, que Zelazny lleva al extremo con mucho sentido del humor y con una de las premisas de construcción de mundos más originales (en parte por sutil, en parte porque sencillamente es magnífico) que he leído en la ciencia ficción —podríamos discutir si esto es más ciencia ficción o fantasía, porque juega con los tropos y convenciones de ambas, pero mi percepción se inclina claramente hacia la ciencia ficción—. El tono arcaizante del libro, que parodia la épica de un texto religioso que bebe del hinduismo y el budismo, está bien ejecutado pero a mi en ocasiones me sacaba de la novela por excesivo. En cualquier caso, es un clásico a no dejar escapar.
Parafraseando a un amigo (que posiblemente también parafraseara a alguien), me resulta más fácil admirar la novela que amarla. Y sin embargo… después de pensar en ella le subiría la puntuación… Y creo que ese es el principal esfuerzo (no pequeño) que requiere el libro: el de ir reconstruyendo continuamente la imagen que de él te vas formando: es mejor en el recuerdo –aunque sea inmediato— que durante su lectura.
P.D. El tono y la atmósfera me recuerda mucho al “Michelíada” de Antoni Munné-Jordà, una de las mejores novelas de ciencia ficción que se han escrito en catalán durante… bueno, durante toda la existencia del género en catalán.
P.D. 2: ¿¡Y de esto van a hacer una serie de TV!? Tengo curiosidad y temor a partes iguales.
Entertaining book with lots of mythology tied to the plot line. Not particularly well-written but still very good
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"the mothers of the terrible glow" I've long loved the book for the turns of phrase, and the truly evocative, original setting. "Prayer machines" etc.