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View Poll Results: July 2010 Mobile Read Book Club Vote | |||
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien | 17 | 13.08% | |
His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik | 13 | 10.00% | |
The Deed of Paksenarrion: The Sheepfarmer's Daughter (book 1) by Elizabeth Moon | 24 | 18.46% | |
Magic Kingdom For Sale — Sold! by Terry Brooks | 6 | 4.62% | |
American Gods by Neil Gaiman | 22 | 16.92% | |
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll | 8 | 6.15% | |
Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift | 5 | 3.85% | |
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien | 8 | 6.15% | |
The Princess Bride by William Goldman | 11 | 8.46% | |
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin | 16 | 12.31% | |
Voters: 130. You may not vote on this poll |
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07-12-2010, 10:07 AM | #166 |
Bah, humbug!
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The Sheepfarmer's Daughter reminds me of the novels of earlier eras when authors would take their time developing the characters and plots. Perhaps the fault--if fault there be--lies in our modern expectation of instant gratification in all things. For better or worse, our current pace of living has apparently caused us to lose patience with anything that takes time to fully develop.
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07-12-2010, 10:29 AM | #167 | |
The Dank Side of the Moon
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07-12-2010, 10:40 AM | #168 | |
Wizard
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07-12-2010, 10:51 AM | #169 |
Bah, humbug!
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I am among those who find the book too slow-moving for my tastes, and what you say about it's style rings true. For what it's worth, those who have read past the first book in the series say the follow-ups are much more enjoyable.
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07-12-2010, 12:07 PM | #170 | |
High Priestess
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Quote:
But really I'm just chiming in to say that it's hard to judge a book from what others say about it, because there are so many different aspects to books, and different people will enjoy, or expect, or dislike, different aspects. Even among the people who didn't much like this book, we do it for different reasons, so that doesn't mean that we will all like or dislike the same books generally. I think someone here, or in another thread, mentioned Pillars of the Earth, and although I did read it through, I thought it was OK but rather clumsily written. Just an example that mileage will differ |
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07-12-2010, 12:15 PM | #171 |
Warrior Princess
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I do intend on finishing the book, because it does have redeeming qualities, but I did need to take a break from it. Perhaps it just doesn't currently suit my mood. I find that happens sometimes.
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07-12-2010, 12:19 PM | #172 | |
Wizard
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07-12-2010, 02:44 PM | #173 |
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At the end of this volume, there are a few questions that might - just - make me look at the subsequent ones. The author sets up two heavily drawn villains, and then just seems to throw them away. I would suppose that they will turn up again in later installments. There is also the question of why the various bad hats drew attention to themselves by going on the attack when they were, apparently, not sufficiently equipped to follow through. And why did they fight so badly? During one of the battles, halberdiers threw their halberds like javelins before the battle had been fully engaged. Military folly. Why did they do that?
I imagine that the various villains know something about the heroine that neither she nor her friends have yet discovered. It is to clear up these mysteries that one might go on reading. But the prose is terribly wooden, and the characterization remains at the level of a book for adolescents: there's something terribly schooly about it all. I found myself reading as quickly as possible, in order to get it over and done with. If I had put it down, I don't think I'd ever have picked it up again. So on balance, I doubt very much that I will read on. P.S. I have read six of the other books on the original list: all of them are in an entirely different world in so far as the writing is concerned. I'm afraid Elizabeth Moon simply should not be in competition with Tolkien or Gaiman. And Swift???? Last edited by TimMason; 07-12-2010 at 02:48 PM. |
07-12-2010, 02:49 PM | #174 | |
Wizard
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*i.e. a book on how to write |
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07-12-2010, 05:51 PM | #175 |
Hi There!
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So is Sheepherders Daughter? Or Americann Gods. I'm late, as always.
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07-12-2010, 05:57 PM | #176 |
Wizard
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Sheepfarmer's Daughter won, but some of us have found the prose a bit bland and the story a bit slow. Others like it very much. Personally, I find American Gods a superior novel (and will start a non-bookclub discussion thread on it on next Friday in case you are interested).
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07-12-2010, 05:59 PM | #177 | |
Hi There!
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Thanks! And I'll get cracking on SHDaughter. |
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07-16-2010, 03:30 PM | #178 |
Resident Curmudgeon
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But we should not have to read two slow books to get to the good stuff in book 3.
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07-16-2010, 03:47 PM | #179 | |
Grand Sorcerer
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Spoiler:
...I think it picks up and moves quickly again. I am a bit more than 1/2 way through and I am pretty sure at this point I will read the whole trilogy. BOb Last edited by pilotbob; 07-16-2010 at 05:35 PM. |
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07-16-2010, 03:56 PM | #180 | |
Omnivorous
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Waiting for the start of discussion on "American Gods" and about to finish "His Majesty's Dragon" |
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