Review Stack
Apr. 28th, 2013 10:42 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alobearThe Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman:
So, I completed the audiobook versions of the His Dark Materials triology - and I actually really enjoyed the conclusion. I was pleasantly surprised, since I hadn't really liked The Subtle Knife, but The Amber Spyglass was pacy, exciting, and had some interesting things to say. I still can't claim to understand remotely what it was all about, and it didn't help that the audiobook I'd downloaded seemed to have been sabotaged in some way. The whole triology was building up to one moment, where Lyra was "tempted", and the two files that contained that very scene were missing from my version - too specific to be a co-incidence, methinks, but rather weird... Anyway, the internet helped me fill in the gaps and I got the gist, so it wasn't a disaster. The ending proved that my romantic soul seems to have gone on vacation - the thirteen-year-olds were weeping and wailing about being separated, and I was just thinking they ought to get a grip and realise that teenage infatuation is just that, and that they'd likely find other people to have perfectly cromulent relationships with once they were old enough to actually *have* one. Tim Minchin's "If I Didn't Have You", anyone? (Look it up if you don't know it - it's awesome.)
Devices and Desires by K J Parker:
Really good fantasy book series are quite hard to find, but I've lucked out recently with several, and this is one to add to the list of excellent trilogies that I'm really looking forward to carrying on with. What sets this book apart is the character motivation - some people might find it a bit too much (the narrative is probably about 75% taken up with inner monologues) but I love in depth exploration of what goes through characters' head (which makes me wonder why I don't do more of it in my own writing - something to work on perhaps) so I was happy as larry with this. It suffers a bit from what I call Weber Syndrome (the author has done tons of research into specific things - in this case, boar hunting - and wants you to *know* it, dammit, so puts in far too much detail to prove they know what they're talking about) but it wasn't so bad as to ruin the reading experience. Strangely, I particularly loved all the engineering stuff, because it was applied to people rather than machines - one of the protagonists is hatching an uber plan and views all the other characters as parts of the plan's machinery, which is really rather cool. There's plenty of intrigue to take into Book Two, so I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next.
The Book of Mormon:
I went to this with serious reservations - humour is very hit and miss with me, and I'm really not a fan of South Park. I don't know if my low expectations helped (Dave went in with high expectations and came out saying "meh" - though he laughed quite a bit throughout and applauded several specific moments), but I actually really enjoyed the show. It was probably 80% funny to me, intermittently genius, and the music/dancing/staging was all excellent. It had a lot of energy, the cast were really good, and there were only about two or three brief moments that made me squirm. I've also had two of the songs going round and round my brain for days, which is generally the sign of a good show. The opening number was probably the best, but I Believe came a very close second and had my favourite moment of the whole show ("I believe that, in 1978. God changed his mind about black people"). So, all in all, I'm very glad I went.
Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez:
Really great graphic novels are also quite hard to find, but when they're good, they're really, really good - and this is excellent. It's dark and a bit squicky (but not even close to the Preacher benchmark), but it's very well written and very intriguing. I particularly like the way the different chapters are from different characters' points of view, as it gives a very varied interpretation of events and allows you to get to know lots of different people really well. I also particularly like the way the little kid ostensibly doesn't understand what's going on, but is actually the only one who can see the truth. It draws you in and doesn't let go - which is why I've immediately ordered the next four volumes!
The Lost Colony by Eoin Colfer:
Back to fun with Artemis Fowl! I wasn't overly enamoured with the whole demon storyline, to be honest, but there's tons of great character/relationship stuff in this one. I love Artemis dealing with the onset of puberty, and I love the continued development of his relationships with Butler and Holly. Butler is by far my favourite character in the series (sigh - I must be getting old, since I've attached myself to the only adult in the book) and he gets a lot to do and a lot to think/feel in this one. I'm running out of audiobooks in this series, and it's going to be very sad when I don't have one waiting in my queue any more.
So, I completed the audiobook versions of the His Dark Materials triology - and I actually really enjoyed the conclusion. I was pleasantly surprised, since I hadn't really liked The Subtle Knife, but The Amber Spyglass was pacy, exciting, and had some interesting things to say. I still can't claim to understand remotely what it was all about, and it didn't help that the audiobook I'd downloaded seemed to have been sabotaged in some way. The whole triology was building up to one moment, where Lyra was "tempted", and the two files that contained that very scene were missing from my version - too specific to be a co-incidence, methinks, but rather weird... Anyway, the internet helped me fill in the gaps and I got the gist, so it wasn't a disaster. The ending proved that my romantic soul seems to have gone on vacation - the thirteen-year-olds were weeping and wailing about being separated, and I was just thinking they ought to get a grip and realise that teenage infatuation is just that, and that they'd likely find other people to have perfectly cromulent relationships with once they were old enough to actually *have* one. Tim Minchin's "If I Didn't Have You", anyone? (Look it up if you don't know it - it's awesome.)
Devices and Desires by K J Parker:
Really good fantasy book series are quite hard to find, but I've lucked out recently with several, and this is one to add to the list of excellent trilogies that I'm really looking forward to carrying on with. What sets this book apart is the character motivation - some people might find it a bit too much (the narrative is probably about 75% taken up with inner monologues) but I love in depth exploration of what goes through characters' head (which makes me wonder why I don't do more of it in my own writing - something to work on perhaps) so I was happy as larry with this. It suffers a bit from what I call Weber Syndrome (the author has done tons of research into specific things - in this case, boar hunting - and wants you to *know* it, dammit, so puts in far too much detail to prove they know what they're talking about) but it wasn't so bad as to ruin the reading experience. Strangely, I particularly loved all the engineering stuff, because it was applied to people rather than machines - one of the protagonists is hatching an uber plan and views all the other characters as parts of the plan's machinery, which is really rather cool. There's plenty of intrigue to take into Book Two, so I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next.
The Book of Mormon:
I went to this with serious reservations - humour is very hit and miss with me, and I'm really not a fan of South Park. I don't know if my low expectations helped (Dave went in with high expectations and came out saying "meh" - though he laughed quite a bit throughout and applauded several specific moments), but I actually really enjoyed the show. It was probably 80% funny to me, intermittently genius, and the music/dancing/staging was all excellent. It had a lot of energy, the cast were really good, and there were only about two or three brief moments that made me squirm. I've also had two of the songs going round and round my brain for days, which is generally the sign of a good show. The opening number was probably the best, but I Believe came a very close second and had my favourite moment of the whole show ("I believe that, in 1978. God changed his mind about black people"). So, all in all, I'm very glad I went.
Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez:
Really great graphic novels are also quite hard to find, but when they're good, they're really, really good - and this is excellent. It's dark and a bit squicky (but not even close to the Preacher benchmark), but it's very well written and very intriguing. I particularly like the way the different chapters are from different characters' points of view, as it gives a very varied interpretation of events and allows you to get to know lots of different people really well. I also particularly like the way the little kid ostensibly doesn't understand what's going on, but is actually the only one who can see the truth. It draws you in and doesn't let go - which is why I've immediately ordered the next four volumes!
The Lost Colony by Eoin Colfer:
Back to fun with Artemis Fowl! I wasn't overly enamoured with the whole demon storyline, to be honest, but there's tons of great character/relationship stuff in this one. I love Artemis dealing with the onset of puberty, and I love the continued development of his relationships with Butler and Holly. Butler is by far my favourite character in the series (sigh - I must be getting old, since I've attached myself to the only adult in the book) and he gets a lot to do and a lot to think/feel in this one. I'm running out of audiobooks in this series, and it's going to be very sad when I don't have one waiting in my queue any more.
no subject
Date: 2013-04-28 06:55 pm (UTC)After your rather luke-warm review of The Subtle Knife I'm glad you enjoyed The Amber Spyglass (as it is, I'd tend to say that, it being a single story in 3 parts, it's probably better to reserve judgement till the end anyway :)).
On Will and Lyra - it's difficult because they specifically had to be children when the book started and then take that step over into adolescence at the end for the conclusion to make sense. It's easy enough to look through more experienced eyes, but I think we can all remember how awful that the first teenage heartbreak was, even ignoring the other circumstances they have to deal with.
Either way, I'm glad you liked it in the end. It's still one of my favourite things ever.
no subject
Date: 2013-04-28 06:57 pm (UTC)Why?
I'm really interested to know, especially if you have a theory about what it all means! :o)
no subject
Date: 2013-04-29 08:14 pm (UTC)As for why, I just love it. It's difficult to explain why you love something. I shall try some time soon though :)