Recommendations for an LotR fan - not necessarily fantasy

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Rbneader

The only Shannara book I tried had a bunch of rape in it. I really don't think it's what the OP is looking for.

May I ask which one? Maybe it's in the later books, but I'm fairly sure I read the first 4-7 books, and I don't recall a single instance. Do you remember which book it was?

Hitch

[thewitt]

Originally Posted by Hitch

May I ask which one? Maybe it's in the later books, but I'm fairly sure I read the first 4-7 books, and I don't recall a single instance. Do you remember which book it was?



Hitch

I just went back thru the book list and I can't figure out what that might be either. I've read them all.

[missimpossible]

Sorry I haven't dropped in on this thread in a few days! I've picked up the first Belgariad book and Shadowmarch, as the book fair I was at didn't have The Dragonbone Chair. I've also got a free voucher to use for some books, so I think I might download the first Dark is Rising book too. I'm looking into maybe picking up a used copy of one of the McKillip books recommended. I'll probably have a flick through all of them before recommending them to my mum as I tend to know what she'll like and what will put her off, plus I quite fancy the sound of some of them myself (I like [high] fantasy but am not terribly well versed in it - I've read some Tolkien, some Robin Hobb, the Malazan Book of the Fallen, and that's about it). A couple of the other recommendations sounded like they might suit me too, even if they're a bit "dark" for my mum!

Thanks so much for all your help

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by thewitt

I just went back thru the book list and I can't figure out what that might be either. I've read them all.

The thing is, I don't even remember any graphic sexual references, for that matter. Maybe in the later books--I admit, I stopped reading them, mostly from ennui, rather than any distaste or whatever. It just sounds peculiarly ODD to me. In the 7-9 I read, there was tons of danger, sure, but for the life of me, I seem to remember all instances of lust arranged as "courtly love," more or less. I'll be really interested to hear which book this is...

Hitch

[DiapDealer]

I don't remember any rape in the Shannara books, and I've read them all. There could be some implied scenes in the later books that I'm not remembering, but there's nothing graphic or even remotely overt. "A bunch of rape"? Nah... you're confusing it with something else. That's not Terry's cup of tea at all. Hell, there's here's only a handful of consensual, "vague references to intimacy" of any kind whatsoever in the first seven books; of that I'm sure. I remember even as a kid thinking they were a bit too "chaste."

Someone please find the "bunch of rape" in a Shannara book. I'd be curious to see how I missed it.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I don't remember any rape in the Shannara books, and I've read them all. There could be some implied scenes in the later books that I'm not remembering, but there's nothing graphic or even remotely overt. "A bunch of rape"? Nah... you're confusing it with something else. That's not Terry's cup of tea at all. Hell, there's here's only a handful of consensual, "vague references to intimacy" of any kind whatsoever in the first seven books; of that I'm sure. I remember even as a kid thinking they were a bit too "chaste."

Someone please find the "bunch of rape" in a Shannara book. I'd be curious to see how I missed it.

Thanks--I was thinking I'd lost my mind. I read the originals, what they call "Shannara" now, and I think what they call "Heritage," and I remember reading the one with the girl on the island, the elves, a ...hedgehog? or something...anyway, I simply don't recall anything overtly sexual, much less rape.

Someone else posted in this thread, about another series with a "lot of rape," maybe it's the same series?? We'll have to wait for the poster to reply, I guess.

Hitch

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Someone else posted in this thread, about another series with a "lot of rape," maybe it's the same series?? We'll have to wait for the poster to reply, I guess.

Hitch

I think Goodkind's Sword of Truth series contain elements of rape/torture. Both his and Brooks' series have "Sword" in their titles as well. Wouldn't be the first time someone got their Terrys confused.

The more I think of it, the more I believe that HAS to be what's going on. I simply can't get my head wrapped around anything in the Shannara series being called "rape" ... let alone a "bunch of rape."

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I think Goodkind's Sword of Truth series contain elements of rape/torture. Both his and Brooks' series have "Sword" in their titles as well. Wouldn't be the first time someone got their Terrys confused.

The more I think of it, the more I believe that HAS to be what's going on. I simply can't get my head wrapped around anything in the Shannara series being called "rape" ... let alone a "bunch of rape."

Well...maybe they meant to type, "bunch of grapes," instead?

Hitch

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Well...maybe they meant to type, "bunch of grapes," instead?

Hitch

The only search results for "bunch of rape" is this thread.

Anyway, have a read of the following and you'll see others say there's no rape.

http://boards.theforce.net/threads/s...ooks.50016896/

[HomeInMyShoes]

The only Shannara books that were suspect in tone might have been the High Druid of Shannara ones. Otherwise, I would suspect as others did of the mixing of Brooks with Goodkind. Goodkind is definitely the subversive one. I've read most of both, although I have sworn off of Fantasy authors named Terry, unless its Pratchett.

[jgaiser]

Originally Posted by Rbneader

The only Shannara book I tried had a bunch of rape in it. I really don't think it's what the OP is looking for.

I *think* you're thinking of the Terry Goodkind series The Sword of Truth. The Shannara books are Lord of the Rings with different names.

[HomeInMyShoes]

I go against Jswolf's theory of reading the Shannara books in chronological order. Brooks' writing develops as the stories go on. From a not being underwhelmed by the writing quality degrading as you go on, the published order would be better. I can definitely see the appeal of reading from a chronological standpoint, but there is something left to how the world got here when reading in published order.

Just my nickel. (There are no pennies in Canada anymore.)

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

I go against Jswolf's theory of reading the Shannara books in chronological order. Brooks' writing develops as the stories go on. From a not being underwhelmed by the writing quality degrading as you go on, the published order would be better. I can definitely see the appeal of reading from a chronological standpoint, but there is something left to how the world got here when reading in published order.

Just my nickel. (There are no pennies in Canada anymore.)

I almost always go against Jon's suggestions for chronological reading instead of published order.

If you don't care about spoilers at all (or possibly for those who are re-reading) chronological order can make sense. But I'd never recommend anything other than published order for first-time Shannara readers. There's big-time spoilers and several moments of revelation that will be meaningless if some of the prequels are read before the earlier books.

But whatever. I know some are weirdly compulsive about chronology--preferring to force external strictures on a large narrative instead of enjoying the organic flow of the original.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I almost always go against Jon's suggestions for chronological reading instead of published order.

If you don't care about spoilers at all (or possibly for those who are re-reading) chronological order can make sense. But I'd never recommend anything other than published order for first-time Shannara readers. There's big-time spoilers and several moments of revelation that will be meaningless if some of the prequels are read before the earlier books.

But whatever. I know some are weirdly compulsive about chronology--preferring to force external strictures on a large narrative instead of enjoying the organic flow of the original.

I've not yet read the entire Shannara series, but I have read enough and I did not find any issue with spoilers reading in chronological order.

That said, regardless of the order, you also have to include the Word & Void series as that is part of the Shannara series. I didn't actually know that it was until I went looking for a chronological list.

[jgaiser]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I almost always go against Jon's suggestions for chronological reading instead of published order.

Wait! What? Jon is advocating something besides published order?

So Jon, you won't have any problems if I read Discworld out of published order, right? Because I could have sworn that you said the only right way to read that series is published order.