Review Three: 'The Gunslinger' by Stephen King.

Okay, its been a while since I've posted. I haven't given up on this resolution just yet, though it may seem that way. I was, in fact, finishing up a piece of research I had been working on regarding Ukraine's international relations. Not exactly a page turner, but there we have it. The last book I finished was 'The Gunslinger'. The reason I rushed through this one was to give myself a bit more free time to write up my work, it being a short book...too short, but I'll get to that later.

I know this series is supposed to be shit hot and a must read. It didn't tickle my fancy.

 

 

 

 

Its been a few weeks since I finished this so I'll make this brief as details elude me. When I finished the book I was left a little dissatisfied. On voicing my feelings I was told that the series really takes off now, meaning book two etc. Not sure what good that is to anyone, as this all felt a little flat. Yes, I was a smidgen interested, and yes I'll probably read the rest, but its not exactly sucked me in. I didn't believe the characters or almost any of the relationships. The kid and the girl, not sure what was happening with them at all. Sure, I was told all this wonderful stuff, but I didn't see it and I didn't feel it (see my too short comment above). If you asked me this minute to categorize this book I wouldn't know how to respond. Maybe that's the point and I'm too dim to get it, but I've studied enough English Literature and polished up many a turd essay on the subject to whiff bullshit.

All in all, the book was fine, not mind blowing but short and easy to read, if not a bit...meh (if you'll pardon my traveling back to 2010 language).

'The Gunslinger' deserves a 2/5. Read it, but only to get to the meaty stuff. If the rest are bollocks I'll be an unhappy camper.

Next time:
Apologies for this late and very short review, everyone. I was finishing that bloody research and Uni has restarted so I'm somewhat, but not really, busy. I'm reading a 'School of Life' book at the moment, so that will be a change of pace.

I also fancy posting up a little review of one of my favorite TV shows of all time. 

K.D out.

Review Two: 'Dune' by Frank Herbert.

Second book up for review in 2016 is Frank Herbert's science fiction epic 'Dune'. The better half bought me this book as a sort of post-Christmas surprise. She spotted me agonizing over which of three possible books I was going to buy myself before the holidays. As it turns out, 'Dune' quickly overshadowed my purchase of 'Gardens of the Moon' as I found it instantaneously more interesting. I was so impressed by this book, the world it builds and the universe that it hints at, that I'm not even sure where to start this review, but lets give it a go. 

This is the cover of the version that I got my hands on. It's a lovely soft cover book.
 (I'm not a huge fan of hardbacks. Shocking , I know)
It does put an emphasis on the Makers that, in my opinion, isn't carried out through the text. 

So, as I already said, the universe of 'Dune' is massive, or at least it appears that way. Herbert manages to give the reader a sense of scale and history that is very, very impressive. In saying that, the book does not give an inch when it comes to its portrayal of the world Herbert builds. From page one, the reader is thrown in to a world that is not explained or simplified for the reader. There is not neat opening or tidy introduction to ease us into the quick pace of events on Arrakis. In that sense, 'Dune' is unforgiving, perhaps intimidating for many readers. Terms, events, histories, groups and motivations are all thrown at the reader with no effort made to explain or situate them. In my opinion, this only helps 'Dune' reach for epic status. We get the feeling that we are merely glimpsing a singular aspect of a larger construct. 

So, what is it all about?   (Spoilers... maybe)

'Dune' is a science fiction tale, with a handful of fantasy elements thrown into the mix. Sure, there are the futuristic gadgets and the body shields and what have you. However, standing alongside this futuristic equipment are canons, and swords and fearsome warriors that we might more expect in a fantasy epic. The reasoning for this mix of elements is hinted at throughout the book (Perhaps a past war led to a ban on the use of specific weapons in combat etc). This book is a very enjoyable experience, despite it being a bit dense at times. Undoubtedly, the fact that we are thrown in at the deep end from the outset can make progress slow and require some re-reading, but once the reader finds their feet and becomes more accustomed to the flow of the text, they can happily get through this book in a couple of days. I'll admit that there were times when I skipped over certain parts, if it got too dense in regards to an explanation of equipment or an ecological process, or, as I do with Tolkien's work, if one of the characters starting singing a song or some other nonsense (Harsh, I know). Just get to the good stuff!!

One thing I will mention that caused me to pause was the paedophile tendencies of one of the characters. I mention this because it seemed to serve no other purpose than to turn us against the character, who we were already opposed to, based on their actions. It popped up maybe three or four times throughout the book, and threw me off. Had it evolved and been a plot point somewhere down the line, I might have rolled with it, but as it just appeared and then disappeared, it didn't seem to have a place or make sense. 

Another minor annoyance was the inclusion of the classic 'Two Years Later...' routine. Now, I have no problem with using it as a device to push the story along and allow the characters to evolve, however, we get hints of some events that happened in that time gap that don't match the character we knew, nor the character we are presented with after that gap period. There is a violence there that isn't replicated again. Perhaps it was supposed to be a nod towards the myth status enjoyed by the protagonist, where minor and innocent actions get distorted by the wider tribe. There is certainly references to that type of occurrence, so maybe that is what Herbert intended. 

Final thoughts: 

'Dune' is a book that I most certainly recommend. It gripped me with its scale and dragged me away from my other reading projects. It is definitely one for any fan of sci-fi to read, but I would go so far as to say that it is a book that everybody should read. As I've said, some of the plot doesn't really get developed in a satisfying way, Hawat being an example, but the main story more than makes up for that fact. One thing I will say is that you shouldn't read this book with the idea that the Worms are prevalent or of huge significance. While they did remind me of my childhood days watching Tremors they did very little for the plot, bar being a tool for world building. All in all, 'Dune' deserves its epic status and the recognition that it gets as a must-read science fiction book.

'Dune' deserves a 5/5. A hugely enjoyable book, with enough meat on the bone to keep the majority of readers happy. 

Next time:

Right now I have a number of books on my desk, not to mention one or two being sent to me for review before release. At present, I'm planning on reading a slightly shorter story, after the last two big undertakings. Perhaps this time next week I shall be writing a review for Stephen King's 'The Gunslinger', book one of The Dark Tower. 

K.D out. 

Review One: 'The Dwarves' by Markus Heitz.

First on the chopping block is Markus Heitz' book 'The Dwarves', the first, in what I've only recently discovered is a series, of five books. A quick google seems to indicate that the fifth book, and the only one not in my possession, has yet to be translated from German to English, but I'm open to correction on that. Let me preface this by saying that this was my second reading of this book, as I had previously read the first three and wanted to refresh myself before reading the fourth after a gap of maybe three to four years.  

Not a huge fan of this cover art. It gets a pass for being released in 2003,
a time in which we all looked equally as dreadful.
 I was the proud owner of a blue fleece Pokémon sweater back then. Oy vey. 

I'm well aware that there are many people out there that consider this series of books to be complete and utter dog shit, but, at least for me, they serve their purpose. I very happily spent New Year's Day meandering through about three quarters of this book, which stretches to just over 700 pages. It isn't exactly a dense tome or a difficult read, which meant I could relax, switch off the brain enjoy the book for what it was; a by the numbers fantasy book. 

So, what was it all about? (Spoilers... maybe)

'The Dwarves' provides us with the fairly standard fantasy tale. In many ways it reminded me of the 'Gotrek and Felix' offerings from the Games Workshop authors, in the sense that we have a Dwarf protagonist, chopping his way through hordes of nameless, faceless enemies with a magical axe in hand. Personally, I found the plot to be serviceable and the characters decent, if a little repetitive in their actions and reliant on their personal quirks to push along the story or drive conflict that, at times, seemed nonsensical. I found myself confronted with the same arguments and complaints, on behalf of the characters, every few pages once the main journey got underway. 

On top of that, there was a late stage romantic sub-plot introduced which, to my mind, was rushed in a manner more akin to a shotgun wedding. The duo meet, and 100 pages later they are off founding a kingdom together. Undoubtedly romantic, if one excludes the fact that Tungdil, the hero, was second in line for this she-dwarf's attention. Most troubling was the fact that she jumped ship from the poor, soon to be decapitated, one-eyed alcoholic she had been most interested in when she heard that Tungdil wielded his tool with more efficiency. I'm not entirely sure what I'm supposed to be reading in to that, but there you have it.

Final thoughts:

All in all, Heitz gives us an enjoyable journey, with decent characters, in an interesting world. You won't really find anything unexpected here, but it does offer enough that you will happily pass your time reading it, especially if you are the type to read two books at once, and the other is proving a challenge.  I'll plod my way through the rest of the series throughout the year as I'm a stickler for finishing something once I've started. Not to mention that I'm a cheap date when it comes to fantasy warfare or fighting passages. That probably reveals a violent side of myself that I'm not quite willing to come to terms with yet. 

'The Dwarves' deserves a 3/5. Not one to blow you away, but not a mind numbing struggle either. 

Next time: 

I'm currently reading both 'Dune' by Frank Herbert and 'Gardens of the Moon' by Steven Erikson. Most likely I'll be posting a blurb about 'Dune' in the coming days. One down, fifty-one to go. 

K.D out.