posted
I was intrigued and wanted to read it from the first time I saw it in the bookstore. But I didn't.
Then it was recommended to me, and I started hearing vague rumours that it was a very good book, and I wanted to read it still more. But I didn't.
But now, it just won the Hugo award for 2005 and OSC gave it a glowing review in his latest column, and now I just have to read Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell.
Problem is, I'm quite exactly in the middle of my sixth reading of The Lord of the Rings, and that's just while I'm waiting for my copy of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to become available at the library. I also recently bought and began to read a book called Point de Rupture about the Quebec referendum of 1995.
All this means that in the best of cases, Jonathan Strange is fourth in line and will have to wait a couple months yet, at least.
Grrr... I wish reading was all I had to do.
Posts: 1996 | Registered: Feb 2004
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You might be the only person I know who would put a book on the Quebecois separatist movement above a good fantasy/sci-fi book.
Posts: 2849 | Registered: Feb 2002
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Honestly,I didn't like it, even though I really wanted to. The story is actually quite good, the characters are quite interesting, and there is occasionally some excellent dialog.
That said, I found the book very hard to enjoy for a number of reasons. Mostly, I had a lot of problems with the pacing of the book. At times it was quite good, but other times it would become very inconsistent. This made the book somewhat of a chore for me, even at some of my favorite parts in the story.
My second problem, which is likely just a matter of opinion, is the writing style. There is not really much for me to say about it. Fortunately, it is consistent, so if you start reading and find the style to be acceptable then you should have no other stylistic problems in teh remainder of the book.
The only other major complaint I had was the ending of the book. In many ways, it seemed somewhat of a letdown, and felt somewhat contrived. Once again, this may only be my opinion, but it just felt too artificial and coincidental to wrap up the book with any satisfaction.
If you are a quick reader and don't have anything else to read at the moment, go ahead and read it. There are redeeming qualities in the book, but not enough to make it a high priority. However, unless you are a quick reader it just doesn't seem worth the effort.
Posts: 2437 | Registered: Apr 2005
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quote: My second problem, which is likely just a matter of opinion, is the writing style.
Yes. If you dislike the writing style, you have no taste in books and probably won't like this one.
(BTW, there are very few things that OSC I and both wholeheartedly recommend. This book is one of them.)
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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quote: You might be the only person I know who would put a book on the Quebecois separatist movement above a good fantasy/sci-fi book.
That's because I'm a Québecois (actually, an assimilated anglophone Quebecer, but it amounts to the same thing) and we always enjoy reading about ourselves the most.
quote: My second problem, which is likely just a matter of opinion, is the writing style.
I actually really enjoy the writing from about the period that this book apparently mimicks. Or a little later, to be more honest. I consider the latter half of the 19th century, and the first little bit of the 20th, to be the absolute apogee of the english language; downhill ever since, and we have no come very far downhill indeed. But if this book is written in a style that reminds us of a time when the english language was still beautiful, I think I will enjoy it for that reason alone, even if everything else about it disappoints.
Posts: 1996 | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
Yes! I also heartily reccommended this book to people here, with the caveat that some may not go for the writing style. I basically agree with Tom, but probably wouldn't be so direct about it.
But, dh, if you love LotR enough to re-read it frequently (as I do), then you won't have any problems with the style. (I tend to think LotR is a bit clunky in places, but I don't care because it is so good.)
A lot of people here are here because they like Card, though, and his style is much leaner - more direct storytelling than the Vic Lit period stuff that JS&MN immitates. Some of us like both, is all. Posts: 9293 | Registered: Aug 2000
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Yes, LotR is a bit clunky in places, both stylistically and plotwise, but it's still a great book. It's good enough that it survives its many failings, so to speak, which is more than I can say about a lot of other books.
Posts: 1996 | Registered: Feb 2004
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Hi David! I'm reading JSandMrN right NOW! (I finally bought it when I saw it in paperback.) You're going to love it. Posts: 6415 | Registered: Jul 2000
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Don't bother yourself with all that inconsequential stuff at the edges of the pages -- read straight down the middle.
Posts: 10397 | Registered: Jun 2005
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I guess I've been *in and out* here lately. Not much substance to my posts. I'm sick today, or I wouldn't have even been on this much.
But I'd like to. Some of us here even have a sort of LotR get-together. Every year for the last three years, anyway. If we do it this year, it may be less LotR-ish, though.
Posts: 9293 | Registered: Aug 2000
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Ah, I haven't had much luck with these Hatrack get-togethers so far. Something always comes up, and I have no reason to believe that will change any time soon.
Posts: 1996 | Registered: Feb 2004
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Through no fault of my own. My mother conditioned me to be a LotR fan from a very early age, since before I could even read. I had no say in the matter.
I must admit I don't really mind, though.
Posts: 1996 | Registered: Feb 2004
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