Scan barcode
zoomzoomzoom's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
r2wend2's review
challenging
dark
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? Yes
2.0
mozzribo's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Simply flawless yet sombre storytelling with an enthralling way of words in a mystical land.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Child abuse, Classism, Violence, War, Sexual content, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Confinement, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture
Not for everyone. If anyone below 16 wants to read it, consider that decision very well. This book is difficult in more ways than one.wafer's review against another edition
4.0
Richard Adams has said that he considers "Shardik" to be his personal favorite work, and it's easy to see why. Reading it you can just see how much effort was put into creating such an epic spiritual fantasy, but it's also pretty clear that it's not a book that's going to universally please like "Watership Down".
I think the strongest part of this book is the culture and societies that Adams has created. There's something really intriguing about an indigenous people worshiping an ordinary bear as their deity. The narration never makes it clear on whether or not their faith is justified, rather letting the reader watch and observe as their society acts in accordance to it.
Unlike other Adams' works, I didn't find "Shardik" to be as engrossing, and I would be lying if I said that I would be reading it again anytime soon. I still really enjoyed it in the moment, and I think that it offers enough clever fantasy ideas to justify giving it a look-see.
I think the strongest part of this book is the culture and societies that Adams has created. There's something really intriguing about an indigenous people worshiping an ordinary bear as their deity. The narration never makes it clear on whether or not their faith is justified, rather letting the reader watch and observe as their society acts in accordance to it.
Unlike other Adams' works, I didn't find "Shardik" to be as engrossing, and I would be lying if I said that I would be reading it again anytime soon. I still really enjoyed it in the moment, and I think that it offers enough clever fantasy ideas to justify giving it a look-see.
jugglebird's review against another edition
I got about 50 pages in but the narrative was too disjointed to keep my interest.
23149014345613's review against another edition
3.0
BEAR JESUS BEAR JESUS BEAR JESUS! "The bear is a folly, a madness, treacherous, unpredictable, a storm to wreck and drown you when you think yourself in calm water. Believe me, Kelderek, never trust the bear. He'll promise you the power of God and betray you to ruin and misery." He's Jesus but he might rip you to shreds and eat you! Hell yes! Wish I was raised in a bear cult!
I picked this book up on a total whim, when what I really wanted to read was Watership Down again. So I was hoping it would basically be Watership Down but with bears? Which would be a really stupid novel for Adams to write directly after for his next work. Very unfairly, I was a little disappointed at all the humans in the book, and especially in Bekla things dragged for me with all the politics. Though that was a time when all the characters were stagnating, so it was probably somewhat intentional.
Adams never resists an opportunity for a long, drawn out simile (Kelderek is afraid, so next paragraph is a long "as a pilgrim of an angry god is afraid to look upon the idol" blah blah blah). Generally the book is written well, but the formula is tiresome by page 500. I liked the wide expanse of the story - like Siddhartha or East of Eden, you follow a character across his whole life and his various values, religions, and paradigms, which gives a holistic view of who he is as a man. I was in the mood for something kind of antique and pulpy, and this did it without having troubling sexism or overt racism that you often have to wade through for a good time in 1974. Plus, bears are fucking cool.
I picked this book up on a total whim, when what I really wanted to read was Watership Down again. So I was hoping it would basically be Watership Down but with bears? Which would be a really stupid novel for Adams to write directly after for his next work. Very unfairly, I was a little disappointed at all the humans in the book, and especially in Bekla things dragged for me with all the politics. Though that was a time when all the characters were stagnating, so it was probably somewhat intentional.
Adams never resists an opportunity for a long, drawn out simile (Kelderek is afraid, so next paragraph is a long "as a pilgrim of an angry god is afraid to look upon the idol" blah blah blah). Generally the book is written well, but the formula is tiresome by page 500. I liked the wide expanse of the story - like Siddhartha or East of Eden, you follow a character across his whole life and his various values, religions, and paradigms, which gives a holistic view of who he is as a man. I was in the mood for something kind of antique and pulpy, and this did it without having troubling sexism or overt racism that you often have to wade through for a good time in 1974. Plus, bears are fucking cool.
thuismuis's review against another edition
2.0
I would have really liked this book if I read it in 5th grade. But, I've had the privilege of reading a lot of books over the last three decades, so all of the characters in this book fall flat to me. Yes it is the story of an unassuming fellow caught up in a bear cult and entangled himself in pre-industrial civilization politics, but it is terribly boring. This is a great book to read in elementary school if you like fantasy that is lite version of game of thrones. This is a terrible book to read If you've loved and re-read Watership Down at anytime in your life. I didn't give it one star because I appreciate Richard Adams writing Watership Down so much, and because he also wrote a longass story and created a few civilizations and their histories from scratch, which takes some work.
nadyaduck's review
4.0
Wow. I've been reading this on and off since last summer, and to be honest it has been a slog. But it was worth it!
What an epic adventure. I feel live I've been with Kelderek on every step of his journey, philosophically, emotionally, and geographically.
(I must admit the amount of bizarre names/places/words that are thrown in had me quite confused on a number of occaisions. But I decided not to worry about that.)
What an epic adventure. I feel live I've been with Kelderek on every step of his journey, philosophically, emotionally, and geographically.
(I must admit the amount of bizarre names/places/words that are thrown in had me quite confused on a number of occaisions. But I decided not to worry about that.)