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penifredrg's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
archergal's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this book the way I remember liking some William Morris (e.g., The Well at the World's Inn) or William Hope Hodgson books. The writing is rather baroque, more reminiscent of late 19th century than current 21st century.
The book takes place in a house, Evenmere, that may be the world, or it may affect the world, or something. It has endless rooms and corridors. It's full of marvels, both wondrous, and fearsome. It seems to contain whole countries, oceans, peoples.
Carter Anderson, son of the old Master of the house, was sent away for his own safety years ago. But now he's back! He's battling the forces of chaos that are embodied in the anarchists. The anarchists are led by the Bobby, who in appearance is an English policeman (a bobby, hence the cover illustration.) Carter's father vanished ten years ago, and no one know what became of him.
Can Carter become the new Master of the house? Can he mend fences with his step-mother and step-brother? Can he keep the stars burning and save the far-flung areas of the House?
If you like books like Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, or Morris or Hodgson, you might like this book. I happen to like both real Victorian and pseudo-Victorian prose stylings, so I liked that about the book. The endless tramping through corridors of the house got a bit tedious sometimes. But balance that with lavish descriptions of decorations, clothing, foods, etc.
It's not bad. I read it in smallish chunks. That worked for me.
The book takes place in a house, Evenmere, that may be the world, or it may affect the world, or something. It has endless rooms and corridors. It's full of marvels, both wondrous, and fearsome. It seems to contain whole countries, oceans, peoples.
Carter Anderson, son of the old Master of the house, was sent away for his own safety years ago. But now he's back! He's battling the forces of chaos that are embodied in the anarchists. The anarchists are led by the Bobby, who in appearance is an English policeman (a bobby, hence the cover illustration.) Carter's father vanished ten years ago, and no one know what became of him.
Can Carter become the new Master of the house? Can he mend fences with his step-mother and step-brother? Can he keep the stars burning and save the far-flung areas of the House?
If you like books like Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, or Morris or Hodgson, you might like this book. I happen to like both real Victorian and pseudo-Victorian prose stylings, so I liked that about the book. The endless tramping through corridors of the house got a bit tedious sometimes. But balance that with lavish descriptions of decorations, clothing, foods, etc.
It's not bad. I read it in smallish chunks. That worked for me.
cakegeek's review against another edition
3.0
I have to admit, I have mixed feelings about this one.
I LOVE the premise; the elaborate labyrinth of a house , the smooth running of which is tied to the running of the universe. The settings and Worlds that were created were brilliant. There was just a little something... missing for me.
The story, was just a little flat somehow, I can't quite put my figure on it. Maybe it was the particularly religious sections that threw me a bit. I did enjoy it, but doubt I will be following up on it
I LOVE the premise; the elaborate labyrinth of a house , the smooth running of which is tied to the running of the universe. The settings and Worlds that were created were brilliant. There was just a little something... missing for me.
The story, was just a little flat somehow, I can't quite put my figure on it. Maybe it was the particularly religious sections that threw me a bit. I did enjoy it, but doubt I will be following up on it
roseparis's review
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
fuchsia_groan's review against another edition
4.0
Esta entretenidísima rareza encantará a los fans de las novelas y autores clásicos a los que homenajea: Gormenghast, Narnia, Terramar, el Orden y el Caos, Entrebrumas, La hija del Rey del País de los Elfos, William Morris, George MacDonald...
Este libro, además de ser una historia de aventuras, fue escrito como tributo a Lin Carter y su serie de fantasía del Signo del Unicornio, editada entre 1969 y 1974. Espero que quienes reconozcan entre estas páginas referencias a tierras retratadas por otros sepan entenderlo como el homenaje que es. En cuanto a mí, puesto que no he pisado nunca ni Nueva York ni Narnia, debo dar crédito por igual a ambas.
Genial la combinación de novela de aventuras y la creación de ese mundo-homenaje a otras novelas de fantasía, que me ha gustado todavía más porque muchas son de novelas que me han encantado.
Parece increíble que a partir de esa mezcla, de que los otros mundos dentro de Evenmere están claramente sacados de otros libros, le haya salido una novela que no suena a ya leída, que tiene su originalidad a pesar de que todo, constantemente, recuerda a mundos conocidos.
La prosa de Stoddard es buena, y me ha gustado la manera de llevar el ritmo, la mezcla de narración lenta, descriptiva, como no podía ser de otra manera teniendo en cuenta las novelas a las que homenajea, con la acción propia de cualquier novela de aventuras.
Este libro, además de ser una historia de aventuras, fue escrito como tributo a Lin Carter y su serie de fantasía del Signo del Unicornio, editada entre 1969 y 1974. Espero que quienes reconozcan entre estas páginas referencias a tierras retratadas por otros sepan entenderlo como el homenaje que es. En cuanto a mí, puesto que no he pisado nunca ni Nueva York ni Narnia, debo dar crédito por igual a ambas.
Genial la combinación de novela de aventuras y la creación de ese mundo-homenaje a otras novelas de fantasía, que me ha gustado todavía más porque muchas son de novelas que me han encantado.
Parece increíble que a partir de esa mezcla, de que los otros mundos dentro de Evenmere están claramente sacados de otros libros, le haya salido una novela que no suena a ya leída, que tiene su originalidad a pesar de que todo, constantemente, recuerda a mundos conocidos.
La prosa de Stoddard es buena, y me ha gustado la manera de llevar el ritmo, la mezcla de narración lenta, descriptiva, como no podía ser de otra manera teniendo en cuenta las novelas a las que homenajea, con la acción propia de cualquier novela de aventuras.
bmip666's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
annars's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
ineffablebob's review
3.0
Teenage me would have loved The High House, first in the Evenmere Chronicles series. Middle-aged me has seen enough of the classic heroic fantasy genre.
Evenmere is a Victorian mansion of apparently infinite size, containing entire nations within it, somehow linked to the entire universe. Wind the clocks, light the lamps, keep Order and Chaos in check within the house, or else the entire universe suffers the consequences. The son of the Master of the House, Carter Anderson, has lived away from the House but must take over when his father disappears and is presumed lost. He has to find his way and learn the powers he needs to become Master and keep Evenmere safe and secure.
This story is very familiar fantasy, with lots of magic, some fantastic creatures, and mystical forces. It's also a pretty standard "hero's journey" story, with the unready youngster given a trial by fire and emerging heroic. Other than Carter, the characters are largely one-dimensional stereotypes who fill one role with little complexity. The idea of an infinite house is a bit out of the ordinary, but it's divided into nations and regions much like any fantasy world.
Reading through The High House feels almost like deja vu. Hey, this bit sounds like Lord of the Rings. There's a part that reminds me of Narnia. Oh, some strange people that would fit nicely into the Wizard of Oz. Hey, that odd creature could be right out of Alice in Wonderland. And so on. This isn't a bad thing, exactly, it just means that I've read so much of the classic heroic fantasy genre that the story needs something pretty significantly different to stand out. And the infinite-house setting just wasn't enough do it, for me at least.
I didn't dislike The High House by any means, but I wasn't drawn into the story either. It just was too much like other similar series to hold my interest, so I'm in no rush to read the other books. Others who like this kind of fantasy story, particularly those who aren't as prone to compare to the classics as I am, may like it better.
Evenmere is a Victorian mansion of apparently infinite size, containing entire nations within it, somehow linked to the entire universe. Wind the clocks, light the lamps, keep Order and Chaos in check within the house, or else the entire universe suffers the consequences. The son of the Master of the House, Carter Anderson, has lived away from the House but must take over when his father disappears and is presumed lost. He has to find his way and learn the powers he needs to become Master and keep Evenmere safe and secure.
This story is very familiar fantasy, with lots of magic, some fantastic creatures, and mystical forces. It's also a pretty standard "hero's journey" story, with the unready youngster given a trial by fire and emerging heroic. Other than Carter, the characters are largely one-dimensional stereotypes who fill one role with little complexity. The idea of an infinite house is a bit out of the ordinary, but it's divided into nations and regions much like any fantasy world.
Reading through The High House feels almost like deja vu. Hey, this bit sounds like Lord of the Rings. There's a part that reminds me of Narnia. Oh, some strange people that would fit nicely into the Wizard of Oz. Hey, that odd creature could be right out of Alice in Wonderland. And so on. This isn't a bad thing, exactly, it just means that I've read so much of the classic heroic fantasy genre that the story needs something pretty significantly different to stand out. And the infinite-house setting just wasn't enough do it, for me at least.
I didn't dislike The High House by any means, but I wasn't drawn into the story either. It just was too much like other similar series to hold my interest, so I'm in no rush to read the other books. Others who like this kind of fantasy story, particularly those who aren't as prone to compare to the classics as I am, may like it better.