American Gods by Neil Gaiman.
It was a bit light. Nice idea but ultimately not all that deep considering it's supposed to be about gods in general, which is such a vast subject. All the forgotten gods throughout time. Not terrible either. Better than I've ever managed certainly. Shadow was a bit simplistic. Has free time and sits around practicing card tricks. Dead wife says it's like he's half dead and well I guess, yes. Simplistic thought processes. But I enjoyed it as I read it.
Given up on Malazan, just randomly goes on and on in a pretty meaningless way.
Started the Magic Casement by Dave Duncan and LOVE the first page or so. The description of the weather, terrain/geography. At least the first page or so anyway. That kind of detail is so important.
Showing posts with label Gaiman (Neil). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gaiman (Neil). Show all posts
Saturday, January 11, 2014
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
Mostly felt a bit too YA but really was moved by the ending. (Cried). Reminded me that a bad memory is necessary. The main action of the story felt tired to me though. I imagine most people I know wouldn't make it to the ending, although it's only 250 pages.
Mostly felt a bit too YA but really was moved by the ending. (Cried). Reminded me that a bad memory is necessary. The main action of the story felt tired to me though. I imagine most people I know wouldn't make it to the ending, although it's only 250 pages.
Saturday, August 17, 2013
The Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman
This was a great book. Another hero with who has suffered great injustice who has an ace. Again, that being that he can kick ass. No magic other than his ridiculous ability to kick it. Really liked the beginning of this book. The extent to which it almost reads like alternate history (thus I guess being slightly less creative) did not subtract at all. Really well done. Not much in the way of complaints... I mean I could surely pick holes in it. But I was too busy enjoying it.
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N K Jemisim
Not sure I'll finish it. Doesn't have the level of world building that Left Hand has... And has that stereotypical woman writing style, which, just doesn't appeal to me quite as much. Feels like a video game. Jumps right into things a little too quick? I dunno.
Blood of Dragons by Robin Hobb
She even mentioned kind of getting sick of having to stick with some unidentified work. This felt slightly mailed in. Definitely not her best. This whole last tril has had a bit much of a YA feel. Hest was too stupid. I guess Prince Regal was also. But irrational paranoia... somehow worked better. Maybe because we spent far less time in his brain. I still liked this book. But it felt like a guilty pleasure and I'm not going to be raving about it to anyone.
I've never read a fantasy fiction book with that much gayness in it. Which, I don't know, almost, I dunno, like too romancy for me. Ultimately was rushed. They defeated Chalced in a day. After how they annoyed on and on through so many books. Feh. At times I wondered if she was actively trying to write more like GRR Martin, with the constant jumping from character to character and annoying cliffhangers. Not as dark as earlier books. Not trying to save the world. Not trying to being magic back into the world. Oh well. I enjoyed it.
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
Sci Fi. This future dystopia is interesting. Kind of. But the characters aren't. Sci fi characters never seem to suffer very much. Top 100 book on some lists. I guess I can see that it's decent. But exactly not my kind of thing. Geeky tech stuff that in and of itself is not interesting.
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Trying to give Gaiman more of a chance. So far this guy is trying to get him to take a job. This is just OK. Not sure if I'll finish it. Feels very tired. Like it's been done many times before. The excon reminds me of a somethng Steven King would write.
A Ring of Endless Light by Madeline L'Engle
A top 100 book that I hadn't heard of. Nothing really happens during the sample. Nothing at all. No Stormy nights are my glory. No 5 year old genius. Just a big family doing nothing interesting at all. I probably should give it more of a chance. Fond memories of Charles/Meg Wallace etc.
Finally a sci fi movie: Elysium
It was awful. I like Damon as a person but he is so wooden as an actor. The "revolutionary" overacted horribly. The australian guy... good lord. Shut up! Pitiful movie. And I wanted to like it. So few decent sci fi mmovies. Someone claimed it was leftist radical. Blah. Whatever. Everything was thin. Such thin cardboard characters. Someone please shut up that australian guy already. Wow, this was a sad, tired movie. Luckily it was a dinner theater and I finally just read some Paul Hoffman instead. (Table with lights.) As my wife will not leave a bad movie, no matter how bad it is. We paid money and we're going to sit there no matter what!
This was a great book. Another hero with who has suffered great injustice who has an ace. Again, that being that he can kick ass. No magic other than his ridiculous ability to kick it. Really liked the beginning of this book. The extent to which it almost reads like alternate history (thus I guess being slightly less creative) did not subtract at all. Really well done. Not much in the way of complaints... I mean I could surely pick holes in it. But I was too busy enjoying it.
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N K Jemisim
Not sure I'll finish it. Doesn't have the level of world building that Left Hand has... And has that stereotypical woman writing style, which, just doesn't appeal to me quite as much. Feels like a video game. Jumps right into things a little too quick? I dunno.
Blood of Dragons by Robin Hobb
She even mentioned kind of getting sick of having to stick with some unidentified work. This felt slightly mailed in. Definitely not her best. This whole last tril has had a bit much of a YA feel. Hest was too stupid. I guess Prince Regal was also. But irrational paranoia... somehow worked better. Maybe because we spent far less time in his brain. I still liked this book. But it felt like a guilty pleasure and I'm not going to be raving about it to anyone.
I've never read a fantasy fiction book with that much gayness in it. Which, I don't know, almost, I dunno, like too romancy for me. Ultimately was rushed. They defeated Chalced in a day. After how they annoyed on and on through so many books. Feh. At times I wondered if she was actively trying to write more like GRR Martin, with the constant jumping from character to character and annoying cliffhangers. Not as dark as earlier books. Not trying to save the world. Not trying to being magic back into the world. Oh well. I enjoyed it.
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
Sci Fi. This future dystopia is interesting. Kind of. But the characters aren't. Sci fi characters never seem to suffer very much. Top 100 book on some lists. I guess I can see that it's decent. But exactly not my kind of thing. Geeky tech stuff that in and of itself is not interesting.
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Trying to give Gaiman more of a chance. So far this guy is trying to get him to take a job. This is just OK. Not sure if I'll finish it. Feels very tired. Like it's been done many times before. The excon reminds me of a somethng Steven King would write.
A Ring of Endless Light by Madeline L'Engle
A top 100 book that I hadn't heard of. Nothing really happens during the sample. Nothing at all. No Stormy nights are my glory. No 5 year old genius. Just a big family doing nothing interesting at all. I probably should give it more of a chance. Fond memories of Charles/Meg Wallace etc.
Finally a sci fi movie: Elysium
It was awful. I like Damon as a person but he is so wooden as an actor. The "revolutionary" overacted horribly. The australian guy... good lord. Shut up! Pitiful movie. And I wanted to like it. So few decent sci fi mmovies. Someone claimed it was leftist radical. Blah. Whatever. Everything was thin. Such thin cardboard characters. Someone please shut up that australian guy already. Wow, this was a sad, tired movie. Luckily it was a dinner theater and I finally just read some Paul Hoffman instead. (Table with lights.) As my wife will not leave a bad movie, no matter how bad it is. We paid money and we're going to sit there no matter what!
Friday, November 12, 2010
Stardust by Neil Gaiman
I really don't care much for this Gaiman fellow. Too happy and complacent. He writes decently well, but just not my thing. Just a storyteller. No interesting insights at all beyond that. Doesn't seem to have the idea of dystopia in him so much. Find all the gushing about him slightly annoying. Makes me want to be more critical than I'd otherwise be. As I just don't think he remotely deserves such popularity. Suspect the popularity is a largely because it's light happy crap and that's what people seem to want.
Anyway his characters are empty, uninteresting. The world of this one is slightly whimsical I suppose. Plot? Eh.
This one was turned into a movie and I've really typed more than it deserves.
I really don't care much for this Gaiman fellow. Too happy and complacent. He writes decently well, but just not my thing. Just a storyteller. No interesting insights at all beyond that. Doesn't seem to have the idea of dystopia in him so much. Find all the gushing about him slightly annoying. Makes me want to be more critical than I'd otherwise be. As I just don't think he remotely deserves such popularity. Suspect the popularity is a largely because it's light happy crap and that's what people seem to want.
Anyway his characters are empty, uninteresting. The world of this one is slightly whimsical I suppose. Plot? Eh.
This one was turned into a movie and I've really typed more than it deserves.
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