bennysbooks's Reviews (668)

Interesting enough, but not the most engaging reading experience. I thought that Zelazny's writing style, especially for the time, held up well. It seems that some reviewers dislike the mix of archaic wording with 70's slang, but I was fine to roll with it. I had no trouble becoming immersed in the writing, if not necessarily the narrative. 

The beginning worked best for me. I found that following a character with amnesia, who isn't just frantically trying to get his memories back but is instead trying to bluff his way through some intensely complicated family politics, was a blast. And knowing that Zelazny is beloved by Gaiman, I can definitely see the influence this had on Stardust (namely the similarities between the royal families). The magic system was soft but cool. Amber, and the way that you get to Amber, was interesting. 

That being said, the plot was pulpy (not inherently bad), and the pacing kind of maddening. Simply TOO MUCH HAPPENED. I feel like I have whiplash from the amount of battles/hiding/wins/losses that occurred in (especially the last half of) such a small book. Characterization was flat and inconsistent (and the female characters were the worst off, 'cause white man in the 70's). 

Overall I would say I'm glad I read it, and I think I want to continue a little ways into the series, just to see where things go. But I wouldn't necessarily start recommending it to people or anything. It was fine.

There were some great lines, some hilarious moments. And yet every time I went to pick it up I felt dread. That's the surest sign that I need to set a book aside. I'm struggling to piece together why I feel so strongly about it, because objectively I would say it isn't terrible. I think it boils down to this: I'm a third of the way through the book, and I have no idea who Bob is. The character is truly bland, and I think it's probably intentional, given the point of Bob is that he's lived his life through books rather than experience. But then we also don't get any real discussions of the books Bob has read and loved. It would be a great way to get to know the character, but other than a failed attempt to read some Russian literature to a group of elderly people, I don't know much about what he reads. He is truly a neutral character, and it gave me so little to connect to. 

I think I could have used a few more pages of Saul working through his feelings about falling for a zombie - it felt abrupt and whiplashy - but otherwise I enjoyed this. The worldbuilding was fun (necromancers are so common they operate out of offices like a doctor, and it's wonderful), and I was moved by Theo's backstory. Katz's focus on consent and comfort (without minimizing the thrill of roughness) makes me so happy. 

It was interesting to read this in terms of its place in the history of the fantasy genre. The Tolkien influences were obvious, as were the ways in which this influenced so much that followed (especially Martin, Jordan, Hobb). The writing was great, and for someone who loves Hobb and Rothfuss that's always important to me. Regardless, I'm not sure yet if I will continue in the series.

It seems to me, from reading reviews, that many people hated the first section, Simon Mooncalf. I'm definitely in the minority there - I thought that was the most successful part of the novel. Simon is young, stubborn, lazy, and moony, and you get a slice-of-life picture of his youth in the castle, interspersed with worldbuilding in clever, believable ways (rather than misplaced or awkward info-dumping). He's certainly annoying, but I thought he was annoying in a charming way, and I enjoyed how Morgenes and Rachel balanced him out. I loved Morgenes' fondness for and exasperation with young Simon. The Simon Pilgrim section, however, was  b o r i n g. Binabik and Qantaqa will forever have a piece of my heart, and the unique take on troll culture was refreshing. But damn... the travel, attack, travel, attack, travel, attack repetition that carried throughout the rest of the book doesn't really work for me, or at least only in small doses/well-balanced by other plotlines. I had enough of that with Jordan, and while I have many problems with the Wheel of Time books, I would say they're better paced than this (least as far as I am in the series, which is pre-slog). 

I'm disappointed. I went in understanding that as a book written in the 80's, I would probably have some concerns with the female characters (I did - nothing egregious but still noticeably lacking real care) and that I wouldn't necessarily be blown away by the inventiveness since I've read from authors who were inspired by Williams. But I still thought I would enjoy it more than I did. 

Honestly not sure if reading the illustrated edition worked for me. This was a 5 star read previously, but I didn't connect with it as easily this time around. Not going to rate it because it might just be a function of my inability to focus atm. I didn't dislike the illustrations, but the story played out so vividly in my head last time, that I think having someone else's artwork between me and the text was a hindrance (not typically a problem I have). 

Setting aside for now. I think my current state of mind is hindering any potential enjoyment. Not in the right headspace for humour so even when I think something is funny/clever, it isn't making me feel anything. Will return to it in the future, I think it has a lot of potential for fun.