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dr_mitch
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- dr_mitch
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Nice find! Time to compare... we'll probably finish at about the same time.
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I didn't read it this month, but have read relatively recently, so I'm up for a discussion.
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41 - 46. Elric of Melnibone, Sailor on the Seas of Fate, the Wyrd of the White Wolf, The Vanishing Tower, The Bane of the Black Sword, Stormbringer The complete run of pre-1980s Elric stories. Interesting indeed to revisit. Pulpy and energetic, a…
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I loved the idea of the anchorite's House with each floor in a different time. I also think the whole sequence showed the uncertainty of any prophecy - no prediction of the future, even with some sort of mirrors through time possible (and I don't th…
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Thanks for the good wishes everyone.
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I'm not very subtle and quite even-tempered if that helps.
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> @clash_bowley said: > That narrows things down! :D That's me - always helpful and specific. ;)
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All seem potentially interesting. An excuse to reread Brave New World is welcome, but I'll reread it soon now it's on my mind if it's not the pick. The other two I probably won't read unless nudged into doing so by one of them being the Book Club Pi…
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It's interesting that you think Harold is redeemed. He seems to be to have slipped into a more pleasant form of insanity rather than being redeemed. I also think a plausible theory is that he killed Sarah Canary. But I agree there's more to Harold …
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I also think the line about calling attention to ugliness when it could otherwise be ignored (BJ on Miss Dixon) is very much the philosophy of the book when talking about prejudice and sexism. It's certainly feminist in the same way that something …
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Maybe an example of magical realism? Even though I'm still not sure of the definition.
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I would absolutely 100% place Harold as the Wicked Witch. And the dress as Dorothy's Ruby Slippers (didn't the witch covet those, or am I misremembering?). And the man in charge of the asylum seems rather Wizard of Oz like.
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I think it also needs the idea of outsiders who people are openly prejudiced against without repercussions. But I agree it's not particularly firmly rooted in a notion of time and place.
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Historical fiction, I guess. It's baffling to me that it was treated as science fiction. This is not an attack on the book, which I liked (uniquely in the club?). If the book is science fiction, that's because the reader has projected the desire fo…
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Do you know, I have no theories. She's a madwoman who other characters give significance, and sadly isn't going to receive any help - or even comfort - in the time she's in. Weirdly I didn't wonder about this much while reading the book, though I po…
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I can't see much deeper. The book really does hammer home that it's a dreadful time and place to be a woman or one of a minority. And even generally decent people casually accept or embrace some prejudice - though most people in the book cannot even…
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I could make an analogy like one of BJ's. I suppose we could say Sarah Canary is Dorothy, BJ is Scarecrow, Chin is the Cowardly Lion, and Adelaide is the Tin Man. Of course it's not remotely as literal as a retelling - more a loose parellel.
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The world isn't rational. Harold (focusing on the dress) is maliciously insane though it is mentioned as being an unusual dress where the buttons are decorative rather than undoing. Chin's one winged bird is a symbol of something useless - but Chin …
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I liked it. It was sad and very strange. The setting didn't come across very strongly apart from being "the 19th century American West" but there was enough there. The main characters (Chin, BJ, Adelaide) I liked a lot. The situations wer…
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I don't think it's quite a prophecy, not as such.
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I agree Martin's big strength is social structures - fantasy politics. That and some really venomous characters. He's not a great stylist, but I find him servicable. The latest of course is: 40. Sarah Canary (Karen Joy Fowler). I look forward …
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Also, my mistake - chapter 8 wasn't planned for this week. But I've mentioned a plot point there. My bad. It means next week is up to chapter 11.
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Oh yes. I nearly commented that there wasn't much to summarise, but plenty to discuss.
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Naughty!
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The point where Severian considered himself to be Thecla was interesting to note and a follow on from the point he made in the previous volume that he's *literally* not the same person he was when he became a Journeyman torturer. Thecla's experience…
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I predict the cloak will also go before long. I have to admit though that although I have no designs upon an executioner's sword I'd dearly love a cloak that's blacker than black.
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38. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (George R.R. Martin) Three novellas, around 100 pages each, set around 100 years before the A Game of Thrones. It's good, and less expressing than A Game of Thrones, while still having some cynicism when it comes …
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I agree the _Broken Earth_ trilogy is superb. It's every bit as good as the reviews and awards suggest, and some deep themes it would be fun to discuss. My word it's bleak though.
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I think the end of Terminus Est is interesting. Severian was almost as attached to it as the Claw, albeit somewhat ironically and with more self-awareness. It was more than just having a handy weapon or tool to practice his "trade", and no…
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I bounced off Ancillary Justice. It might be interesting to have another go, but I'm hesitant to commit to it for a slow read. The Elric books are disposable pulpy fun. I'm not sure that's what we want for a slow read. They're rapidly paced and bes…