The complete sentence in question: "On board the moletrain Medes, Sham Yes ap Soorap watches in awe as he witnesses his first moldywarpe hunt." Alllllrighty then.
I've dragged myself through Perdido Street Station and, while I like the setting and the world he created, I've never had to restart as many sentences as often as I had with that book. By the time you're halfway your mind gets bored and wanders of.
Most of his characters aren't very likeable. Both of those things make me unlikely to read another book unless someone can really point out some redeeming features of the following novels (or I run out of books... )
Purely guessing, having not read the book? Some kind of magic subway that digs its own tunnel.
I actually like Mieville, because he assumes that the reader doesn't need to have everything spelled out. Part of the fun in his work is in how the fantastic becomes mundane, and he doesn't take the time to stop and explain everything like a tour guide.
GNU Terry Pratchett
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faitsa panda eating cakeseattleRegistered Userregular
The complete sentence in question: "On board the moletrain Medes, Sham Yes ap Soorap watches in awe as he witnesses his first moldywarpe hunt." Alllllrighty then.
I hadn't really looked at first, but I'd assumed Gave was handing Tycho a book. It was only when I went back up and reread that I realized it was an ipad. I'm becoming a cantankerous old dude, but ipad, really? It's a backlit screen. If you're too high-fallutin to read a real book, get something with e-ink.
I hadn't really looked at first, but I'd assumed Gave was handing Tycho a book. It was only when I went back up and reread that I realized it was an ipad. I'm becoming a cantankerous old dude, but ipad, really? It's a backlit screen. If you're too high-fallutin to read a real book, get something with e-ink.
He's reading a description of the book, not the book.
If you already have a tablet, why buy a separate device for reading?
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simonwolfi can feel a differencetoday, a differenceRegistered Userregular
I hadn't really looked at first, but I'd assumed Gave was handing Tycho a book. It was only when I went back up and reread that I realized it was an ipad. I'm becoming a cantankerous old dude, but ipad, really? It's a backlit screen. If you're too high-fallutin to read a real book, get something with e-ink.
He's reading a description of the book, not the book.
If you already have a tablet, why buy a separate device for reading?
Oh, sure, and next you'll be saying he should just do this reading on his non-reading yacht, while drinking his non-reading cognac. Not everyone is common as muck, you know. Some of us have class.
I have tried on a few occassions to read my copy of Perdido Street Station that I picked up at my library's used book store some 4 years ago. I never get very far because I get frustrated with his writing, set the book down, try again later that day or the next, rinse and repeat for a week or so before I give up again.
I don't need everything spelled out for me, god knows Erikson's books are a huge info dump with a epic cast of characters and obscure references to things you may or may not have read about prior to that point. Despite all that I dug Gardens of the Moon and absolutely loved the next 8 or 9 monstrously long books ( I am however behind, and will likely require a freaking reread before I can continue with the series).
I've been in the middle of trying to get through Kraken for months now. It's a bit like reading Tolkien in that I really have to be in the right mood to read it. I'm actually considering giving up on it and starting it again some other time so I can move on to something I actually enjoy. I just feel like a horrible person giving up on a book.
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Descendant XSkyrim is my god now.Outpost 31Registered Userregular
I have tried on a few occassions to read my copy of Perdido Street Station that I picked up at my library's used book store some 4 years ago. I never get very far because I get frustrated with his writing, set the book down, try again later that day or the next, rinse and repeat for a week or so before I give up again.
I don't need everything spelled out for me, god knows Erikson's books are a huge info dump with a epic cast of characters and obscure references to things you may or may not have read about prior to that point. Despite all that I dug Gardens of the Moon and absolutely loved the next 8 or 9 monstrously long books ( I am however behind, and will likely require a freaking reread before I can continue with the series).
It took me three years to read those books. Three. Years. Granted, most of the time I was only reading during certain times at work, but still, finishing them felt like a Sisyphean task and when I turned the last page of The Crippled God I finished knowing that it was worth the time.
Now I'm reading the Horus Heresy series, and it feels like I've gone from a diet of prime rib to a diet of popcorn. But at least it won't take me three years to finish them all.
Garry: I know you gentlemen have been through a lot, but when you find the time I'd rather not spend the rest of the winter TIED TO THIS FUCKING COUCH!
I thought PSS was alright but he has two bad tendencies in it. 1. Go off on some tangent that won't matter at all. 2. The protagonist has pretty much 0 agency, things just keep happening to him.
China Mieville RULES, but I certainly don't expect everyone to like him. I would think Tycho might be down, because reading Mieville has expanded my vocabulary like a mofo.
Whoa, when did the nerd community turn on China Mieville?
When more people started reading him because they heard the recommendations from the people who first read him because he's an amazing author, I guess. Lots of great authors are great not because they write things everyone will enjoy but because they write great books with a distinctive voice, and if you don't like that voice, either because it just rubs you the wrong way or because you mostly only read fantasy/sci-fi and your tastes aren't exactly refined, then China Mieville might not be your favorite. I read Perdido Street Station and loved it, haven't gotten around to the rest of his stuff yet.
The complete sentence in question: "On board the moletrain Medes, Sham Yes ap Soorap watches in awe as he witnesses his first moldywarpe hunt." Alllllrighty then.
I kind of wanted to punch something after seeing that horrible name that at first seems like randomized words and fantasy crap corralled together.
Although I guess its basically Fraudulent Correct za Boopza (or two other non words that rhyme). Not that that makes it any better, if that is what he was going for. And is Medes just Hades . . . but with moles?
Whoa, when did the nerd community turn on China Mieville?
When Gabe ragequit on The City & the City, which won a freakin' HUGO! Great book, but again... confusing as hell.
For me Gabe had nothing to do with it - I simply picked up Kraken after seeing quite a few people recommend it around here and I just can't see myself finishing it. I like the idea of the book, I like the themes in the book, I like the characters in the book - but reading the book and following the story is just painful for me. It seems like it was written to be complex and unapproachable on purpose. I like to think I'm a fairly smart guy and I don't think I've ever quit a book midway through, but I like to read for enjoyment and I just don't find the way the story is presented as enjoyable.
Whoa, when did the nerd community turn on China Mieville?
When more people started reading him because they heard the recommendations from the people who first read him because he's an amazing author, I guess. Lots of great authors are great not because they write things everyone will enjoy but because they write great books with a distinctive voice, and if you don't like that voice, either because it just rubs you the wrong way or because you mostly only read fantasy/sci-fi and your tastes aren't exactly refined, then China Mieville might not be your favorite. I read Perdido Street Station and loved it, haven't gotten around to the rest of his stuff yet.
PSS is still my favorite. I dunno TC, I want to be accommodating here but if people can't appreciate China Mieville maybe they should just stick to warhammer 40k books or whatever.
I've been in the middle of trying to get through Kraken for months now. It's a bit like reading Tolkien in that I really have to be in the right mood to read it. I'm actually considering giving up on it and starting it again some other time so I can move on to something I actually enjoy. I just feel like a horrible person giving up on a book.
Kraken was a slog for me too. I probably wouldn't have finished it if I hadn't had it on audio. It felt like Neverwhere, only without the Gaimen charm.
It was a particular letdown as a follow-up to The City & the City.
Moldywarpe is just an archaic name for "mole," which arguably implies that whatever it is is mole-like but different from what we think of as a mole. Gene Wolfe does this a lot, too, although arguably is much smoother with his use of these words. But the use in the description of this book just sounds like a flood of gobbledygook.
Moldywarpe is just an archaic name for "mole," which arguably implies that whatever it is is mole-like but different from what we think of as a mole. Gene Wolfe does this a lot, too, although arguably is much smoother with his use of these words. But the use in the description of this book just sounds like a flood of gobbledygook.
I think Gene Wolfe does it a lot better but I can't put my finger on exactly why. It wasn't really my big complaint with PSS. What bugs me about that is
So much useless stuff that doesn't advance the plot. The whole section with the Handlingers just bored me and didn't really do anything. Lin doesn't really do anything in the entire story and you could remove her entire plot with minimal changes. I think he needed a better editor to pretty much take out half of the book to improve the pacing. My other complaint is that the protagonists don't really ever do anything. Isaac doesn't ever really have any agency, he just responds to stuff that happens. His actions have consequences but they are ones that just come out of left field and the solution literally is a Deus Ex Machina.
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goddamn that dude loves his ridiculous-sounding made up words
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Most of his characters aren't very likeable. Both of those things make me unlikely to read another book unless someone can really point out some redeeming features of the following novels (or I run out of books...
And Jacobkosh is completely correct. I love almost everything Mieville's written but he is absolutely not for everybody.
You know how you can't see out the window when the train is in a tunnel? Like that all the time.
I actually like Mieville, because he assumes that the reader doesn't need to have everything spelled out. Part of the fun in his work is in how the fantastic becomes mundane, and he doesn't take the time to stop and explain everything like a tour guide.
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like soul train but with more moles
Moooletrain
He's reading a description of the book, not the book.
If you already have a tablet, why buy a separate device for reading?
Oh, sure, and next you'll be saying he should just do this reading on his non-reading yacht, while drinking his non-reading cognac. Not everyone is common as muck, you know. Some of us have class.
Also, disposable income.
"I had no idea you were entering the Shit Title Olympics."
Kraken made me realize Mieville is not my kind of writer.
I don't need everything spelled out for me, god knows Erikson's books are a huge info dump with a epic cast of characters and obscure references to things you may or may not have read about prior to that point. Despite all that I dug Gardens of the Moon and absolutely loved the next 8 or 9 monstrously long books ( I am however behind, and will likely require a freaking reread before I can continue with the series).
It took me three years to read those books. Three. Years. Granted, most of the time I was only reading during certain times at work, but still, finishing them felt like a Sisyphean task and when I turned the last page of The Crippled God I finished knowing that it was worth the time.
Now I'm reading the Horus Heresy series, and it feels like I've gone from a diet of prime rib to a diet of popcorn. But at least it won't take me three years to finish them all.
i think he is hugely overrated, and furthermore that you are a goober, sir.
When Gabe ragequit on The City & the City, which won a freakin' HUGO! Great book, but again... confusing as hell.
I kind of wanted to punch something after seeing that horrible name that at first seems like randomized words and fantasy crap corralled together.
Although I guess its basically Fraudulent Correct za Boopza (or two other non words that rhyme). Not that that makes it any better, if that is what he was going for. And is Medes just Hades . . . but with moles?
It really is a good idea to read the wikipedia description of it first though.
Freaking awesome book. And didn't end on a horribly depressing note for once.
woah woah isn't like the whole point that it takes you a while to work out what is going on?
That can be very annoying to some people, myself included to a degree.
That, and it was the description of the setting that actually got me interested in it.
For me Gabe had nothing to do with it - I simply picked up Kraken after seeing quite a few people recommend it around here and I just can't see myself finishing it. I like the idea of the book, I like the themes in the book, I like the characters in the book - but reading the book and following the story is just painful for me. It seems like it was written to be complex and unapproachable on purpose. I like to think I'm a fairly smart guy and I don't think I've ever quit a book midway through, but I like to read for enjoyment and I just don't find the way the story is presented as enjoyable.
Use Freshenzee to prevent your Freshwarpe from become a Moldywarpe!
I'm pretty sure he revels in that.
PSS is still my favorite. I dunno TC, I want to be accommodating here but if people can't appreciate China Mieville maybe they should just stick to warhammer 40k books or whatever.
Kraken was a slog for me too. I probably wouldn't have finished it if I hadn't had it on audio. It felt like Neverwhere, only without the Gaimen charm.
It was a particular letdown as a follow-up to The City & the City.