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[The Shadow]

Just some thoughts after reading "The Golden Compass", "The Subtle Knife" and "The Amber Spyglass"...

Spoiler

You guys were right. Though I never had any real intention of dropping the book after voicing my concerns with the writing style, you were right that it really gets better.

I was actually tearing up a little toward the end of TAS. While I thought his narrative was ambiguous and overly general in the first book, by the time I got to TAS it didn't matter because his narrative of the inner voice and characters was far better. I was very sympathetic to Lyra and Will's situation and felt terrible too. Their whole situation, though entirely fictional, almost makes some of the trivial matters in my real life seem stupid and trite. And it was a fictional event! So kudos to the author for bringing me in like that.

So now I need some more books to read. During this semester I've read,

1984 - school assignment, dur

Neverwhere - Loved it but I'm a slut for Gaiman anyway.

Good Omens - Liked it but not as much as Neverwhere. I've noticed that the three novels that I've read of Gainmen's, they seem to have a more upbeat ending than the Sandman comics I read years ago.

Dark Materials Trilogy - Grew on me greatly from being somewhat of a lukewarm story to one I was very much immersed in.



So that was it for the new fiction books I bought months ago. I've got a stack of non-fiction that I need to go through but I'm not in the mood. I still need to read a good fantasy or sci-fi-ish book. Something whimsical maybe since

Spoiler

I'm still kinda choked up about the end of TAS

 

[7imz]

you've probably read this

magician: apprentice
magician: master

 

[mattx5]

If you want something really whimsical, though not necessarily fantasy, read 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time'.

It's hilarious :lol

 

[The Shadow]

Something whimsical... hmm. I'm not a huge fan of whimsical fantasy, especially when it comes at the cost of interesting characters or an actual plot *cough*Piers Anthony*cough*. Terry Pratchett's Discworld is all right, I guess. I don't care much for his writing style or sense of humor, though.

If you don't insist on fantasy, try Catch-22. One of my favorite books. It's incredibly funny, but at the same time has a lot of deep truth to it.

Edit: I had the same reaction to the ending of TAS. Loved the books, though. I think my favorite was the second.

It doesn't have to be whimsical but it might help. I'm kinda bummed now.

One thing about the trilogy I loved though was...

Spoiler

How deeply flawed some of the characters were and yet the author still made you somewhat sympathetic to them. Mrs. Coulter was a monster in the first and second book but by the third, you realize that while she was a terrible person and power hungry, she really did love Lyra with all her heart, so much that she would sacrifice her life for her. Lord Asriel would sacrifice an innocent child to start his rebellion but the intention of that rebellion was overall good all people. He seems distant about his daughter and easily calls her a brat but was horrified, briefly, at the thought that he would have to sacrifice her to begin his rebellion.(Horrified because he would have done so anyway? Perhaps.).

That's something that annoys me in a lot of current TV and movies. Characters are pretty one-dimensional and if they did something bad, or what looked bad, it was because of a mistake or a misunderstanding. They weren't bad but just misunderstood. "Good" characters are just good for the sake of doing good and bad characters simply exist to do bad.

Edit:

Also, I think I may be psychic. Kinda creepy though it's total coincidence I'm sure.

Spoiler

A few weeks ago when I was reading The Subtle Knife, I felt kinda sleepy, put the book down, and then took a small nap. I had a depressing dream about me sitting on a stone bench near a fountain in a park and I was sitting with a girl who I knew I loved a lot but would never see again. I don't remember us ever actually talking so most of the emotions and knowledge of the situation were just felt implicitly. I remember kissing and hugging her and didn't want to leave (not sure if it was me or her leaving though). There were cars driving by and she was my age so this wasn't exactly Lyra's world or Lyra but thinking about the ending to TAS brought that dream right up again.

Ugh...thinking of that dream made me even more depressed.

 

[FoneBone]

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

 

[Vibri]

Most fantasy is either too childish, or too dank, D&D serious and cliched.

You won't find anything else as beautiful or resonant as His Dark Materials. At least, I haven't yet.

 

[border]

Geez, it seemed like only a week ago you were complaining about Golden Compass. You read through this stuff pretty quick for someone that (seems) to be in college. They're children's books yeah, but they're probably 1500 pages altogether.

Lloyd Alexander's Prydain books are pretty good if you want more youth-oriented fantasy that's still pretty moving.

 

[Belfast]

You said you've read three Gaiman novels. Was one of the American Gods? If not, you should give it a read. A little depressing, actually, but an interesting take on things.

As for most fantasy....yeah, it IS too childish (i.e. fairy tales) or Tolkein/D&D-inspired trash or absolutely horrible Final Fantasy fanfiction. There doesn't seem to be much room for the whimsical, but you'll probably find it in more British offerings, IMO (i.e. Harry Potter, of course).

 

[kumanoki]

Try reading Abarat by Clive Barker. Whimsical dark fantasy. That, and The Thief of Always.

 

[The Shadow]

You said you've read three Gaiman novels. Was one of the American Gods? If not, you should give it a read. A little depressing, actually, but an interesting take on things.

No, the third was Stardust. When I bought books on my last book run, I actually had Neverwhere and American Gods on my list but swapped that with Good Omens at the last minute because I remember reading or hearing about how it was one of his weaker efforts.

I suppose I could still look into it though. Is there any Gaiman-ish novelist out there, stories or authors with a similar feel? I think Neverwhere was my favorite of his books though I hate how open he left the ending.

As for most fantasy....yeah, it IS too childish (i.e. fairy tales) or Tolkein/D&D-inspired trash or absolutely horrible Final Fantasy fanfiction. There doesn't seem to be much room for the whimsical, but you'll probably find it in more British offerings, IMO (i.e. Harry Potter, of course).

I wasn't a big fan of Tolkein in the first place. I think the only other "serious" fantasy books I've read were the Shadow Wars trilogy by Chris Claremont based on the Willow movie. I didn't care for it at all even though I read all three books.

Thinking back, I don't care for Chris Claremont's Star Wars novelizations either. I guess it's just his writing style I'm not a big fan of.

Still, I'd like to read something fantasy or to be more general, anything that doesn't take place in the real world, if that helps with more book recommendations. Stardust and Neverwhere all had elements of a real world but the majority of those two stories took place in a more fantasy setting.

 

[Mama Smurf]

Most fantasy is either too childish, or too dank, D&D serious and cliched.

You won't find anything else as beautiful or resonant as His Dark Materials. At least, I haven't yet.

Fantasy gets a lot of crap (unfairly I think), but the truth is any type of book, be it romance, horror, mystery, sci fi, just drama, comedy...they all share one similar characteristic: most of it is shit.

I wasn't so impressed with Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell personally. Well....it was fine, better than most books you could read, but it just lacked something. Basically, it lacked excitement. It had this great basis to take off from, and never really did.

Unless that is, it's the first book of a series. There's a few questions unanswered and a lot of places unvisited, and I think it'd be a good first book. If it's the entire story though...*shrugs*

Some great fantasy books to try are The Malazan Book of the Fallen series (struggle through the first part of the first book as you try to understand what the fuck is going on and it get's great) and A Song of Ice and Fire series. Unfortunately neither are finished. Actually they're both halfway through the overall storylines, so if that bothers you, don't go for them.

Those aren't whimsical though. You could try Small Gods by Terry Pratchett. It's part of the Discworld series, but stands alone (most of them do to a degree) and is certainly one of the better ones.

 

[sefskillz]

No, the third was Stardust. When I bought books on my last book run, I actually had Neverwhere and American Gods on my list but swapped that with Good Omens at the last minute because I remember reading or hearing about how it was one of his weaker efforts.

I like American Gods quite a bit, it has echoes of Sandman in it.. so if you're a fan of Sandman you should eat it up.

 

[karasu]

The Alchemist

 

[Mike Works]

So that was it for the new fiction books I bought months ago. I've got a stack of non-fiction that I need to go through but I'm not in the mood. I still need to read a good fantasy or sci-fi-ish book. Something whimsical maybe since

Spoiler

I'm still kinda choked up about the end of TAS

Please, please, please read this book;

So I can have someone else to talk to about it. Especially if you're looking for something sci-fi and whimsical, it fits the bill friggin perfectly.

Wicked - Gregory MacGuire

 

[FnordChan]

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

Seconded. I still haven't finished it, but what I've read so far - about 1/3 of the book - has been amazing. Adult historical fantasy with dry humor, whimsy, and more than a touch of horror. It's pretty freakin' amazing; I look forward to kicking back with it some more over Thanksgiving.

FnordChan

 

[GermanOfficer]

I just started the "Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone" series by J. Gregory Keyes and I love it.
I'm at the end of book 2 right now and I hope he will release the third volume in the first half of 2005...I hate the waiting, although I'm used to it due to George R.R. Martin.

 

[teiresias]

Please, please, please read this book;

So I can have someone else to talk to about it. Especially if you're looking for something sci-fi and whimsical, it fits the bill friggin perfectly.

Wicked - Gregory MacGuire

That's on my Christmas list, and pick up the CD of the musical too - if only for the track "Defying Gravity".

 

[The Shadow]

Excellent!

My only problem is which book I should buy right now, and which ones to put on my christmas list.