Knights & Knaves Alehouse

Just finished "Jonathan Strange and Mr Norell" by Susanna Clarke.

Well worth reading.

PapersAndPaychecks wrote:Just finished "Jonathan Strange and Mr Norell" by Susanna Clarke.

Well worth reading.

I've seen this at my local used bookshop and wondered about it. Thanks for the recommendation!

I am about 50 pages into Poul Anderson's "The Broken Sword." This book has a very interesting start and truly hope it holds up until the end.

Having read "Three Hearts and Three Lions, " I can definitely say "The Broken Sword" seems to be the better read to my taste so far.

The 1954 or the 1971 version? They aren't really the same book at all.

The 1971 rewrite is smoother, technically more proficient, and has more emotional depth to it--while the 1954 version is dark, stark, cold and bleak.

After stumbling on the classic Sinbad flicks again recently, am giving Vathek another start.

PapersAndPaychecks wrote:The 1954 or the 1971 version? They aren't really the same book at all.

The 1971 rewrite is smoother, technically more proficient, and has more emotional depth to it--while the 1954 version is dark, stark, cold and bleak.

I have the Ballantine 71'. It mentions just what you say about the book in the preface. Have you read the 54' ? Does it stay entertaining to the end. Don't throw any spoilers anyone! he he

Lately, I have been reading Edger Rice Burroughs and Robert E. Howard. I'm now reading A Princess of Mars, and before that Beyond 30 (aka The Lost Continent), and all the while reading the shorter Conan yarns between books or when I want a quick read. I'm also planing on reading Neuromancer, and The Catcher in the Rye (if you cant tell, I love to read).

Princess of Mars is interesting thus far, but the "chance encounters", that are beyond chance is Burroughs's greatest weakness (I hope the rest of the books avoid this shortfall). Lot of people have expectations about Conan from the movies and the comic books, but Howard's Conan is deeper that most people give him credit for. I have read lots of books in my days (even Conan by different writers), but Howard has a pace, vividness and raw energy that I had never seen before in other books!

Absolutely. The very briefness of the original Conan tales lends them vibrancy, in my opinion. I read a lot of conan books and comics, but few of them come anywhere close to Howard's work.

On Burroughs: In my experience, the thread of incredible coincidence runs throughout the series. I love his tales despite that!

The Moon Maid/Moon Men epic is a Burroughs tour de force.

Cimmerian wrote:I have the Ballantine 71'. It mentions just what you say about the book in the preface. Have you read the 54' ? Does it stay entertaining to the end. Don't throw any spoilers anyone! he he

Yes, and yes.

While not a true fantasy. I really recommend Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. A lot of medieval intrigue and you learn about cathedrals in a fun way.

Rob Conley

Medieval fun fact. Unlike today Cathedrals and Churches functioned as community centers as well as places of worship. Stalls were often setup inside during market days. Shock your players by having them go into the Temple of All-Heal be accosted by peddlers and the prostitutes that slipped by the priests.

I am 3/4 of the way through "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss. I would recommend it. It is his first book, published last year. The paperback is now available. I was in the mood to read authors I do NOT know, and found his book mentioned by other authors, and on other folks lists. I enjoy his descriptions, and his world setting to be refreshing. His take on "magic" is interesting, focusing on the "sympathy" between different objects and the power of something's name.

Before this book, I was on a Gene Wolfe kick. I read "The Knight", and "The Shadow of the Torturer". I am still pondering how I feel about these books.

Has anybody read any of the above?

Yeah, I've read the Gene Wolfe stuff.

It'll withstand a second and a third reading, you notice new stuff each time.

I'm reading Moorcock's Metatemporal Detective collection of short stories, and just recently completed Philip K. Dick's Man in the High Castle and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? All three excellent!

quatzl wrote:Before this book, I was on a Gene Wolfe kick. I read "The Knight", and "The Shadow of the Torturer". I am still pondering how I feel about these books.

Gene Wolfe is one of my favorite authors. His writing is rich and dense, like a dark chocolate cheesecake. I like his books with coffee, or with a single malt and a cigar. There is a LOT going on in his writing, including little hidden hand grenades you pass over, and that go off 100 pages later. While I'm very partial to his Book of the New Sun (of which Shadow of the Torturer is the first volumn), I'm also a fan of his short stories (e.g. "The Tree is My Hat").