Various books
Sep. 23rd, 2012 03:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alobearBlood and Feathers by Lou Morgan:
An interesting concept and executed well in terms of character portrayal, but not especially original in terms of plot structure. This is Morgan's first novel, and it's an entertaining read, but somewhat predictable. The dialogue and character interaction are most definitely its strong points. I liked the way the supernatural theme was balanced by very down-to-earth reactions and conversations.
The Dead Secret by Wilkie Collins:
Let down by variable narrators, this was an okay audio book, that would have been much better if one of the more proficient readers had narrated all the way through. It was also let down by the passage of time - a secret that would no doubt have been shocking at the time was rather less so for me - I guessed its nature right from the start and its specifics from about half way through and it wasn't as interesting as it was meant to be. Still, there were some good characters, and I liked the fact that they mostly reacted rationally when they found out what was going on.
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer:
Opposite to the above, this was a mildly entertaining book that was lifted to a different level by an excellent narrator. Lots of fun and lots of liveliness. I didn't always see where it was going, and the world it drew was engaging and satisfying. I shall look forward to listening to the rest in this series, to see what Artemis gets up to next.
A Clash of Kings by George R R Martin:
Awesome - and also really interesting as it's actually quite different to the TV series - more so than the first one. I really like finding out the extra detail behind the story and seeing what's been changed and figuring out why. Some of the changes in the TV show are necessary but unfortunate - but there are actually quite a few that I think improve the story. I'm not sure how well I'm going to do with waiting for series three to come out before reading ahead with the books - but I'm going to give it a go.
An interesting concept and executed well in terms of character portrayal, but not especially original in terms of plot structure. This is Morgan's first novel, and it's an entertaining read, but somewhat predictable. The dialogue and character interaction are most definitely its strong points. I liked the way the supernatural theme was balanced by very down-to-earth reactions and conversations.
The Dead Secret by Wilkie Collins:
Let down by variable narrators, this was an okay audio book, that would have been much better if one of the more proficient readers had narrated all the way through. It was also let down by the passage of time - a secret that would no doubt have been shocking at the time was rather less so for me - I guessed its nature right from the start and its specifics from about half way through and it wasn't as interesting as it was meant to be. Still, there were some good characters, and I liked the fact that they mostly reacted rationally when they found out what was going on.
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer:
Opposite to the above, this was a mildly entertaining book that was lifted to a different level by an excellent narrator. Lots of fun and lots of liveliness. I didn't always see where it was going, and the world it drew was engaging and satisfying. I shall look forward to listening to the rest in this series, to see what Artemis gets up to next.
A Clash of Kings by George R R Martin:
Awesome - and also really interesting as it's actually quite different to the TV series - more so than the first one. I really like finding out the extra detail behind the story and seeing what's been changed and figuring out why. Some of the changes in the TV show are necessary but unfortunate - but there are actually quite a few that I think improve the story. I'm not sure how well I'm going to do with waiting for series three to come out before reading ahead with the books - but I'm going to give it a go.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2012-09-23 05:30 pm (UTC)I found the book good but extremely tense, especially the Winterfell bits. So much so that my enjoyment of it was affected, which is silly really. For the next book I'm going to have to make a concerted effort to stay detached from the characters and just watch all the horrible things happening to them as I would if they were just happening on a screen. Or something.
You may actually have the right idea in watching the series before you read the books. I'd find it far less emotionally draining that way, I think!
I remember seeing The Woman in White on TV ages ago; it's the only Wilkie Collins book I know of. I don't really remember much about it though and I always get it mixed up in my head with The Woman in Black, which is obviously a little different ...