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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
I like how people's dreams can cost their own actions and how a weaver can make it be better. I like Emmi Itäranta's way to build the world and the way she writes. She has good imaging.
3.5. Plot that feels like a dream in that it's unfocused and just drifts along until the somewhat unsatisfying ending, but interesting world and beautiful writing/imagery.
Writes like Atwood, includes LGBTI topics more naturally than Winterson. Well worth a read.
Expectations
Honestly, my expectations for this book weren't that high. I was reading it for A Reason, which is never the most auspicious beginning, and it didn't sound like quite my sort of thing. The blurb on the back reads:
In the City of Woven Streets, human life has little value. You practice a craft to keep you alive, or you are an outcast, unwanted and tainted. Eliana is a young weaver in the House of Webs, but secretly knows she doesn’t really belong there. She is hiding a shameful birth defect that would, if anyone knew about it, land her in the House of the Tainted, a prison for those whose very existence is considered a curse.
When an unknown woman with her tongue cut off and Eliana’s name tattooed on her skin arrives at the House of Webs, Eliana discovers an invisible network of power behind the city’s facade. All the while, the sea is clawing the shores and the streets are slowly drowning.
It sounded a bit dystopian, which isn't usually something I'm into. However, it had good reviews and I quite liked the first paragraph (always my litmus test) so I picked it up.
Positives
As indicated by the first sentence, the writing was good. Better than just 'readable', as well (though I'll take readable without complaint if the story is good enough). I didn't think it was quite on a par with Scott Lynch, who is my personal fantasy pinnacle for great description, but it was definitely noteable as a positive feature.
The story was nowhere near as dystopian as I feared. While the world is a dystopia, in the strictest sense, it doesn't feel like one enough to be oppressive. It's restrictions and dysfunctions are revealed slowly, which is what I'd much prefer. This is also definitely a fantasy world, not a future-of-earth or a science-fiction setting.
The story was solid and the characters were nicely established, though outside the two main characters they weren't given that much depth. Without giving away too much, there were a few character / relationship facets that came as nice surprises.
Negatives
The italicised dream sequences didn't really work for me. But then, italicised dream sequences that take part outside the narrative of the novel rarely do. I could see what Emmi Itäranta was trying to do, and I'd be curious to see what happens if you read all the dream sequences as one long piece — but not actually curious enough that I've done it, which is rather the point.
I also found the ending a little confusing / unsatisfying. Again, I feel like I understand the aim but it just didn't quite work for me. I'm sure it would work for other people, I just tend to prefer all-threads-tied-up to ambiguity.
Final Thoughts
This was a good book to get me out of my drought, and I'm glad I read it even though it wasn't usually the sort of thing I'd pick up.
Honestly, my expectations for this book weren't that high. I was reading it for A Reason, which is never the most auspicious beginning, and it didn't sound like quite my sort of thing. The blurb on the back reads:
In the City of Woven Streets, human life has little value. You practice a craft to keep you alive, or you are an outcast, unwanted and tainted. Eliana is a young weaver in the House of Webs, but secretly knows she doesn’t really belong there. She is hiding a shameful birth defect that would, if anyone knew about it, land her in the House of the Tainted, a prison for those whose very existence is considered a curse.
When an unknown woman with her tongue cut off and Eliana’s name tattooed on her skin arrives at the House of Webs, Eliana discovers an invisible network of power behind the city’s facade. All the while, the sea is clawing the shores and the streets are slowly drowning.
It sounded a bit dystopian, which isn't usually something I'm into. However, it had good reviews and I quite liked the first paragraph (always my litmus test) so I picked it up.
Positives
As indicated by the first sentence, the writing was good. Better than just 'readable', as well (though I'll take readable without complaint if the story is good enough). I didn't think it was quite on a par with Scott Lynch, who is my personal fantasy pinnacle for great description, but it was definitely noteable as a positive feature.
The story was nowhere near as dystopian as I feared. While the world is a dystopia, in the strictest sense, it doesn't feel like one enough to be oppressive. It's restrictions and dysfunctions are revealed slowly, which is what I'd much prefer. This is also definitely a fantasy world, not a future-of-earth or a science-fiction setting.
The story was solid and the characters were nicely established, though outside the two main characters they weren't given that much depth. Without giving away too much, there were a few character / relationship facets that came as nice surprises.
Negatives
The italicised dream sequences didn't really work for me. But then, italicised dream sequences that take part outside the narrative of the novel rarely do. I could see what Emmi Itäranta was trying to do, and I'd be curious to see what happens if you read all the dream sequences as one long piece — but not actually curious enough that I've done it, which is rather the point.
I also found the ending a little confusing / unsatisfying. Again, I feel like I understand the aim but it just didn't quite work for me. I'm sure it would work for other people, I just tend to prefer all-threads-tied-up to ambiguity.
Final Thoughts
This was a good book to get me out of my drought, and I'm glad I read it even though it wasn't usually the sort of thing I'd pick up.
The story is "small", the novel's primary focus is on setting the mood and on the breath-taking world-building. The book is a dystopia where the main thesis is dreaming is forbidden and contagious, if somebody dreams, they are taken out of their family and sent to basically concentration camp. The protagonist gets thrown into the plot, but relatively quickly takes control of her own life. The relationship between the main characters is pleasantly queer.
If I had to point out a fault in the book, then it should be the ending: the plot speed only managed to turn on with completely ruining the mood, which sacrificed the greatest value of the novel for a mediocre ending. Clumsy, rushed. But the prose is wonderful!
If I had to point out a fault in the book, then it should be the ending: the plot speed only managed to turn on with completely ruining the mood, which sacrificed the greatest value of the novel for a mediocre ending. Clumsy, rushed. But the prose is wonderful!
I'm not sure how I first came across The City of Woven Streets but it's been on my library holds list for a while, ever since I saw a copy was being ordered and the premise sounded intriguing, so I thought I'd give it a go.
The people of this book live on an island which floods regularly, one which used to belong to the Web-folk whose disappearance was a source of mystery. It's a very regulated life, with people being assigned to various Houses and working there in between their annual tattoos - the ink used in these is supposed to prevent the people of the island from dreaming, which is believed to be the worst thing that can happen to them. Dreamers are regularly dragged off to be imprisoned, in case their 'sickness' infects everyone else.
Our main character, Eliana, works in the House of Webs where her role is to be one of the many weavers (all women) who produce material to a specified pattern for a purpose I missed somewhere early on. Into her ordered and regimented life comes a woman who has been attacked and whose tongue has been cut out, but on whose hand is a tattoo of Eliana's name. Eliana and the woman, whose name we subsequently discover is Valeria, become reluctant friends after Valeria discovers Eliana's secret: she is one of the Dreamers too, but has managed so far to hide this affliction from everyone.
Partway through the book this changes and the two are torn apart, as there is a problem with the ink so that, rather than preventing dreams, it actually causes them. Naturally this is a problem the folks in charge want to keep quiet and they do their best to silence all opposition, which is revealed to be the reason for Valeria being attacked and her parents murdered. Eliana then ends up in a nightmarish prison environment, forced to dive for coral in order to keep body and soul together before the sea takes its final toll of the island and the Dreamers are the ones revealed to have the only escape plan.
I think it's the slight vagueness of what exactly Eliana and her fellow weavers were doing that made me drop this from 4 to 3 and a half stars, because I couldn't quite figure it out (though perhaps I missed a vital comment early on) - is it a defense system, if so against what? The destructive power of the sea, to which the inhabitants of the island seem quite resigned, would seem to argue that most of the endeavours in which they're involved were actually quite pointless as opposed to the sheer act of survival. Still, I didn't get bored and lose interest partway through, so that has to be a good sign, and I'll certainly keep an eye out for this author's work - she has another novel in print, [b:Memory of Water|18505844|Memory of Water|Emmi Itäranta|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1389990493s/18505844.jpg|18908129], so that's now on my library holds list as well.
The people of this book live on an island which floods regularly, one which used to belong to the Web-folk whose disappearance was a source of mystery. It's a very regulated life, with people being assigned to various Houses and working there in between their annual tattoos - the ink used in these is supposed to prevent the people of the island from dreaming, which is believed to be the worst thing that can happen to them. Dreamers are regularly dragged off to be imprisoned, in case their 'sickness' infects everyone else.
Our main character, Eliana, works in the House of Webs where her role is to be one of the many weavers (all women) who produce material to a specified pattern for a purpose I missed somewhere early on. Into her ordered and regimented life comes a woman who has been attacked and whose tongue has been cut out, but on whose hand is a tattoo of Eliana's name. Eliana and the woman, whose name we subsequently discover is Valeria, become reluctant friends after Valeria discovers Eliana's secret: she is one of the Dreamers too, but has managed so far to hide this affliction from everyone.
Partway through the book this changes and the two are torn apart, as there is a problem with the ink so that, rather than preventing dreams, it actually causes them. Naturally this is a problem the folks in charge want to keep quiet and they do their best to silence all opposition, which is revealed to be the reason for Valeria being attacked and her parents murdered. Eliana then ends up in a nightmarish prison environment, forced to dive for coral in order to keep body and soul together before the sea takes its final toll of the island and the Dreamers are the ones revealed to have the only escape plan.
I think it's the slight vagueness of what exactly Eliana and her fellow weavers were doing that made me drop this from 4 to 3 and a half stars, because I couldn't quite figure it out (though perhaps I missed a vital comment early on) - is it a defense system, if so against what? The destructive power of the sea, to which the inhabitants of the island seem quite resigned, would seem to argue that most of the endeavours in which they're involved were actually quite pointless as opposed to the sheer act of survival. Still, I didn't get bored and lose interest partway through, so that has to be a good sign, and I'll certainly keep an eye out for this author's work - she has another novel in print, [b:Memory of Water|18505844|Memory of Water|Emmi Itäranta|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1389990493s/18505844.jpg|18908129], so that's now on my library holds list as well.
3,5*
The City of Woven Streets is a fantasy/dystopian story that does not explain itself much and can be confusing most of the time - much like a dream. And is this dreamy vibe that makes this novel beautiful.
The plot is slow - this story is undeniable character and prose driven. We get to witness a beautiful romance between two girls blossom; a subtle but strong brother-sister relationship; and friendships on many levels. The prose is rich and captivating, although, again, can be too confusing at times. The dream-like quality, which I usually liked, tended to be overwhelming from time to time. I even struggled following the story every now and then, and often found myself re-reading certain passages because I could not really make sense of what I had just read. This is probably the main reason why I could not connect to the story and the characters as much as I would have liked.
I usually don’t have a problem with novels that do not explain much at first, and I even enjoy finding out what’s going on as I read, putting pieces together and forming the world and the characters in my head as the story progresses. However, I struggled to get a sense of the plot, the characters and their motifs. Eliana, our protagonist, is a young weaver that mostly keeps to herself as the story kicks in. She does as she is told and goes on with her duties and the world that surrounds her without questioning much, if at all. Once she finds an injured girl to whom, by very mysterious reasons, Eliana is connected to, she gets thrown into situations that require her to be less passive about her life. Indeed, this story is, in my opinion, mostly about her personal journey and not so much about the latent downfall of the Council that rules in the Island and the dystopian setting.
It was a different read for me. There are enough dystopian novels out there, but the extent to which the society is limited in The City of Woven Streets goes beyond the stories I’ve encountered. Not only are citizens bounded to live and work in what comes off as labor-prisons, but they are not allowed to dream. Dreaming, something no one has control of, and that is too private and personal, is banned. A truly interesting premise, beautifully complemented by the lyrical and dreamy writing.
Sadly, the story tended to drag every now and then, and despite the beautiful images it kept painting in my head and heartfelt dialogues and quotes that made me pause, I found myself drifting and losing the grip on the plot. While The City of Woven Streets may not rank amongst my favorite books, I am certainly glad to have discovered and given it a chance, and will keep an eye on Itäranta’s other works.
The City of Woven Streets is a fantasy/dystopian story that does not explain itself much and can be confusing most of the time - much like a dream. And is this dreamy vibe that makes this novel beautiful.
The plot is slow - this story is undeniable character and prose driven. We get to witness a beautiful romance between two girls blossom; a subtle but strong brother-sister relationship; and friendships on many levels. The prose is rich and captivating, although, again, can be too confusing at times. The dream-like quality, which I usually liked, tended to be overwhelming from time to time. I even struggled following the story every now and then, and often found myself re-reading certain passages because I could not really make sense of what I had just read. This is probably the main reason why I could not connect to the story and the characters as much as I would have liked.
I usually don’t have a problem with novels that do not explain much at first, and I even enjoy finding out what’s going on as I read, putting pieces together and forming the world and the characters in my head as the story progresses. However, I struggled to get a sense of the plot, the characters and their motifs. Eliana, our protagonist, is a young weaver that mostly keeps to herself as the story kicks in. She does as she is told and goes on with her duties and the world that surrounds her without questioning much, if at all. Once she finds an injured girl to whom, by very mysterious reasons, Eliana is connected to, she gets thrown into situations that require her to be less passive about her life. Indeed, this story is, in my opinion, mostly about her personal journey and not so much about the latent downfall of the Council that rules in the Island and the dystopian setting.
Sometimes it is necessary to step into darkness alone and find your way back. To carry something with you into light you could not have found anywhere else.
It was a different read for me. There are enough dystopian novels out there, but the extent to which the society is limited in The City of Woven Streets goes beyond the stories I’ve encountered. Not only are citizens bounded to live and work in what comes off as labor-prisons, but they are not allowed to dream. Dreaming, something no one has control of, and that is too private and personal, is banned. A truly interesting premise, beautifully complemented by the lyrical and dreamy writing.
Sadly, the story tended to drag every now and then, and despite the beautiful images it kept painting in my head and heartfelt dialogues and quotes that made me pause, I found myself drifting and losing the grip on the plot. While The City of Woven Streets may not rank amongst my favorite books, I am certainly glad to have discovered and given it a chance, and will keep an eye on Itäranta’s other works.
It’s a while since I read this one, but I have very fond memories of it. Set on an island city being slowly swallowed by the ocean, a young weaver in The House of Webs meets a stranger, a girl with her tongue cut out and the weaver’s (vanishingly rare) name, Eliana, tattooed on her. This spirals into something bigger, and broader, but the primary concern of this book is Eliana - her secrets kept and discovered, her fears, and her burgeoning relationship with the girl who cannot speak. It’s almost a mood piece, with the use of lyrical language and the uncanny and oppressive atmosphere in the city taking a co-starring role alongside Eliana. I fell for it, but I’m loathe to give more details for fear of spoiling the fun of figuring things out for people - if a dreamlike trip through a sinking city, almost like a less opaque This Census Taker, with exquisitely carved out pieces of daily life amidst the strangeness, appeals, this might be one for you.