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A review by mary_soon_lee
Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny
2.0
First published in 1970, this is the opening volume of a ten-book fantasy series. I found it of interest but not, for the most part, enjoyable. Major spoilers ahead.
"Amber was the greatest city which had ever existed or ever would exist. Amber had always been and always would be, and every other city, everywhere, every other city that existed was but a reflection of a shadow of some phase of Amber. Amber, Amber, Amber ... I remember thee. I shall never forget thee again. I guess, deep inside me, I never really did, through all those centuries I wandered the Shadow Earth, for often at night my dreams were troubled by images of thy green and golden spires and thy sweeping terraces."
The prose style has the merit of not being dull, but I found it uneven -- purple prose juxtaposed with 1970s slang, then other sections in a more effective noirish style. This may be exactly how Zelazny imagined Corwin would speak, but it wasn't for me.
Indeed Corwin himself wasn't for me. I imagine a man of such privilege, such immense power, so many centuries on so many worlds, might indeed have Corwin's attitudes, but I didn't like it. Hundreds of thousands die as a result of a campaign Corwin undertakes with one of his brothers for the throne of Amber, and Corwin feels only mild regret. Even this mild regret, is, he understands, rather too soft-hearted for a prince of Amber.
Towards the end of the book, there's a turn. Corwin is blinded and imprisoned for years in a dungeon. My interest picked up. I wondered if Zelazny would have the audacity to write a ten-book series for most of which the main character had lost both his sight and his power. I would have read that series. But no. By the end of the first book, Corwin had both his sight and his freedom. Ah well.
Two and a half out of five overwrought stars.
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).
Spoiler
The tale is narrated in first person by a man who has amnesia for the first half of the book. He is, it turns out, Corwin, one of the nine surviving princes of Amber. To give a sense of the book, here is the point, halfway through the book, when Corwin remembers Amber."Amber was the greatest city which had ever existed or ever would exist. Amber had always been and always would be, and every other city, everywhere, every other city that existed was but a reflection of a shadow of some phase of Amber. Amber, Amber, Amber ... I remember thee. I shall never forget thee again. I guess, deep inside me, I never really did, through all those centuries I wandered the Shadow Earth, for often at night my dreams were troubled by images of thy green and golden spires and thy sweeping terraces."
The prose style has the merit of not being dull, but I found it uneven -- purple prose juxtaposed with 1970s slang, then other sections in a more effective noirish style. This may be exactly how Zelazny imagined Corwin would speak, but it wasn't for me.
Indeed Corwin himself wasn't for me. I imagine a man of such privilege, such immense power, so many centuries on so many worlds, might indeed have Corwin's attitudes, but I didn't like it. Hundreds of thousands die as a result of a campaign Corwin undertakes with one of his brothers for the throne of Amber, and Corwin feels only mild regret. Even this mild regret, is, he understands, rather too soft-hearted for a prince of Amber.
Towards the end of the book, there's a turn. Corwin is blinded and imprisoned for years in a dungeon. My interest picked up. I wondered if Zelazny would have the audacity to write a ten-book series for most of which the main character had lost both his sight and his power. I would have read that series. But no. By the end of the first book, Corwin had both his sight and his freedom. Ah well.
Two and a half out of five overwrought stars.
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).