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trigonomitron's review against another edition
3.0
Mercifully short.
At first, this book inspires the imagination. After about the half way point, however, its novelty wears thin and it becomes a chore to get done.
I kept imagining the book I would rather be reading. Mythologies are better presented through their mortal believers as they try to reconcile the myth with reality. This book should have remained in the author's notes, and a fiction where these myths play a major role would have been a better story for the public. As it is, the effect is as if you skipped the other Narnia books and only read "The Magician's Nephew." It feels like I should be aware of another world that I haven't had the opportunity to read about.
As a final complaint, beginning most paragraphs with the word, "And" is a terrible gimmick. The attempt is to make the prose sound like a holy text, thanks to the terrible translations of the Bible that many of us were forced to wade through. The actual result is cheesy and distracting to the reader. If you start ignoring the opening conjunction, the text carried more weight. One repeated and needless word ruins the effect.
Despite all that, the book was interesting enough that I will be reading more from Dunsany, if only in hope that I get to read the fiction that I was hoping to see evolve from this elementary exercise in world-building.
At first, this book inspires the imagination. After about the half way point, however, its novelty wears thin and it becomes a chore to get done.
I kept imagining the book I would rather be reading. Mythologies are better presented through their mortal believers as they try to reconcile the myth with reality. This book should have remained in the author's notes, and a fiction where these myths play a major role would have been a better story for the public. As it is, the effect is as if you skipped the other Narnia books and only read "The Magician's Nephew." It feels like I should be aware of another world that I haven't had the opportunity to read about.
As a final complaint, beginning most paragraphs with the word, "And" is a terrible gimmick. The attempt is to make the prose sound like a holy text, thanks to the terrible translations of the Bible that many of us were forced to wade through. The actual result is cheesy and distracting to the reader. If you start ignoring the opening conjunction, the text carried more weight. One repeated and needless word ruins the effect.
Despite all that, the book was interesting enough that I will be reading more from Dunsany, if only in hope that I get to read the fiction that I was hoping to see evolve from this elementary exercise in world-building.
shalini_gunnasan's review against another edition
4.0
What a weird book. Intriguing, but weird. I'm glad to have had it as part of my reading life.
rogueleader's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
j_r_bennett's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
mbs1236's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
izumen's review against another edition
Великолепна фентъзи космология от един от първооснователите на жанра, поместена в "Бащите на ужаса".