tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33935940.post7635938455242599159..comments2024-01-27T21:51:39.310+08:00Comments on Ficsation: The Lions of Al-Rassan (Guy Gavriel Kay)dementedchrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819021458896570445noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33935940.post-72776983342270703942011-08-18T00:05:06.271+08:002011-08-18T00:05:06.271+08:00oh, they definitely stand alone, no question - eve...oh, they definitely stand alone, no question - even <i>Sailing to Sarantium</i> somehow manages to be moderately self-contained & satisfying, despite only being half of the story; just saying, if one were really to seriously consider 'deep reading' GGK, that would appear to be the way you're meant (accdg to GGK's 'project/program', considering 'authorial intent'skinnyblackcladdinkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01836363711931295356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33935940.post-12498080920670671652011-08-17T18:43:44.297+08:002011-08-17T18:43:44.297+08:00One of the major draws of Lions and Tigana was tha...One of the major draws of Lions and Tigana was that they both seemed like stand-alone books (references notwithstanding). But Lions was also recommended by another friend so that's how I started with that. I am still interested in Fionavar (Summer Tree especially since it won a Mythopoeic) but I think I'll save the series for later. I don't think I can start a new series (or any dementedchrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16819021458896570445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33935940.post-40174672228395079452011-08-17T17:48:58.164+08:002011-08-17T17:48:58.164+08:00btw, Torchwood Miracle Day is sadly pretty limp; a...btw, Torchwood Miracle Day is sadly pretty limp; already six eps in, &, well, i suppose i'll be sticking with it to the end, now - hey, it's Capt. Jack & Gwen! sort of...& that's part of the problem - but, well. so. many. things. wrong/simply not working. bluh.skinnyblackcladdinkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01836363711931295356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33935940.post-17304124624760367722011-08-17T17:46:50.479+08:002011-08-17T17:46:50.479+08:00technically, you're supposed to begin with the...technically, you're supposed to begin with the Fionavar Tapestry, as i understand it a fairly typical multi-worlds quest fantasy that lays down the philosophy, the program or justification or whatevs, the rationale, maybe, of the rest of GGK's books. but i never bothered with it, & it hasn't colored my reception - perception? - of the books i <i>have</i> read, i don't think; skinnyblackcladdinkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01836363711931295356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33935940.post-17549140654044142332011-08-17T17:31:48.759+08:002011-08-17T17:31:48.759+08:00@Skinny
Whoa, that close? I'll let you know st...@Skinny<br />Whoa, that close? I'll let you know stat. Do people still say that? Do doctors?<br /><br />@Chachic<br />I'm pretty excited to read Tigana too, after this. I hope I get to start before ReaderCon! I really like how the GGK books that I've come across are mostly oneshots -- I don't think I can get into a new fantasy series at the moment! (I'm still reading Patrick dementedchrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16819021458896570445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33935940.post-73382955520885442692011-08-17T15:23:18.751+08:002011-08-17T15:23:18.751+08:00I should bump Tigana up the TBR pile! I still have...I should bump Tigana up the TBR pile! I still haven't read any of Guy Gavriel Kay's novels and I had got my copy of that through Fully Booked's special order service. I also have copies of the first two Fionavar books.Chachichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10216391673830772231noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33935940.post-72196567675636029752011-08-17T15:07:01.141+08:002011-08-17T15:07:01.141+08:00Dr Who returns 27 Aug. panoorin mo na, they've...Dr Who returns 27 Aug. panoorin mo na, they've already released the (pretty heartbreaking, imho) prequel to the next ep.<br /><br />let me know when you're here!skinnyblackcladdinkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01836363711931295356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33935940.post-69964754563305217162011-08-17T14:34:38.734+08:002011-08-17T14:34:38.734+08:00I definitely have to agree with you on the way GGK...I definitely have to agree with you on the way GGK is able to write and imagine on such a grand scale but still ably manage to contain the story. The language is far from sparse and I don't think the length of the work compromises the plot or the character development. That was foremost in my mind, actually, while I was reading it; I couldn't believe that it was going to get wrapped up bydementedchrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16819021458896570445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33935940.post-63918620296524565912011-08-17T14:23:13.678+08:002011-08-17T14:23:13.678+08:00you will, i hope, forgive the lapses in grammar &a...you will, i hope, forgive the lapses in grammar & syntax, & nonetheless be able to cut to the meat of whatever the hell it is i'm saying hahaskinnyblackcladdinkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01836363711931295356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33935940.post-27068153495929046542011-08-17T14:20:11.513+08:002011-08-17T14:20:11.513+08:00funny you should mention GRRM's 'heartless...funny you should mention GRRM's 'heartlessness'; i was in my earlier comment going to say something about GGK's compassion/humaneness, but then i wanted to bring GRRM into the discussion and that wasn't, in fact, the point of distinction i wanted to raise haha. though i suppose it's the obvious one: in fact, i do actually see the point of GRRM's so-called heartlessnessskinnyblackcladdinkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01836363711931295356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33935940.post-16865876349192247542011-08-17T13:55:44.554+08:002011-08-17T13:55:44.554+08:00Keep it coming, C! Things like this make me miss c...Keep it coming, C! Things like this make me miss coffee at SBC.dementedchrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16819021458896570445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33935940.post-69405207543907452052011-08-17T13:52:44.965+08:002011-08-17T13:52:44.965+08:00Now I'm excited to read Tigana. I'll try t...Now I'm excited to read Tigana. I'll try to pick up Sailing to Sarantium when I'm in the city.<br /><br />One thing I didn't appreciate much in Lions was that sometimes he'd employ some kind of fakeout as a suspense builder and it wasn't my cup of tea. But it was such a minor complaint (and contributed nothing substantial to the review) that I didn't mention it. But I dementedchrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16819021458896570445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33935940.post-83928074994180514672011-08-17T13:27:34.679+08:002011-08-17T13:27:34.679+08:00hmm, somewhat, but that's not really what i fi...hmm, somewhat, but that's not really what i find most problematic in this case; it seems to me to be part of the program, the approach Kay decided was best to get his message across; & while i'd've maybe preferred he went another way, i can see why it works here, esp given its position (chronologically, mostly, but not just) in generic post-Tolkien fantasy literature. (keep in skinnyblackcladdinkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01836363711931295356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33935940.post-57933644513983216702011-08-17T13:00:38.585+08:002011-08-17T13:00:38.585+08:00Tigana's next on my list, but I hope that I ca...Tigana's next on my list, but I hope that I can find a copy of Under Heaven soon. The Asian setting's a big draw for me. <br /><br />Did you feel that Lions was too simplistic?dementedchrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16819021458896570445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33935940.post-40175155312436523412011-08-17T12:52:46.703+08:002011-08-17T12:52:46.703+08:00yeah, def moving, but actually one of Kay's we...yeah, def moving, but actually one of Kay's weaker works, imho; something about it feels artificial compared to his other pseudohistorical fantasies (that i've read). if i were to recommend one book by Kay, esp for 'epic fantasy' fans, it'll always be Tigana, though i admittedly stopped reading him after the brilliant but more cerebral (i.e., less emotionally weighted, but skinnyblackcladdinkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01836363711931295356noreply@blogger.com