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monumentalfolly 's review for:
The Chronicles of Amber
by Roger Zelazny
I am glad I didn't read this when I was much younger -- in truth, the appearance of these collections in the Science Fiction Book Club's unceasing advertisements turned me away. (Muscle-toned warrior holding scimitar facing down giant jungle cats.) Of course, the books are nothing like this cover. While the first in the series reads like a collision of noir detective and trippy sci-fi, it almost felt as if, after writing that one, Zelazny realized that the world he'd constructed was worth a bit more effort, and thus the later books have much internalized action (introspection) that is more than just the protagonist seeking to figure out What To Do Next.
The Platonism of Amber is an interesting structure. I did feel that the desire to craft a huge story arc, with a Hero and themes of sons trying to live up to (and correct) the acts of a father closed off philosophical/mystical explorations. Imagine if this world were written by Philip Dick or Theodore Sturgeon, for instance.
By the end, however, one does have a more nuanced understanding of the "hero," and thus series casts Corwin as much as a real as a "shadow" hero.
The Platonism of Amber is an interesting structure. I did feel that the desire to craft a huge story arc, with a Hero and themes of sons trying to live up to (and correct) the acts of a father closed off philosophical/mystical explorations. Imagine if this world were written by Philip Dick or Theodore Sturgeon, for instance.
By the end, however, one does have a more nuanced understanding of the "hero," and thus series casts Corwin as much as a real as a "shadow" hero.