Hari Gopal
The idea behind this story is something a fantasy-addict like me can't help but love. The execution was, however, somewhat lacking. I kept hoping Zelany would shed some light into how the world, that the new Buddha lives in, came to be, but alas! This story sticks like superglue to a short (relative) time-frame.
This same lack of information extends to characters as well. I really would have liked to find out how the gods came to their powers, but other than hints dropped here and there, distant background information is utterly absent. Zelany teases us by inserting the real names of the god-humans in a few sections of the story, and then... nothing. Other than making it obvious that our protagonist knows a whole lot more than he's speaking (or even thinking) of, we're left high and dry.
Still, this is a book that no sci-fi / fantasy lover can ignore. The meat of the book is highly satisfying, and while the thus-spake-thee speech becomes boring after a while, it's easy to appreciate the contrast between the old-style speech of the future and the modern speech of the past in the few places they occur.
There was nothing new in this book for me. Themes I've encountered before and the same old uber-powerful hero. On top of it all, everything felt rushed. A bit of a disappointment, this one.
The ending of this book was a disaster - there's no resolution, and the supposed cliffhanger is a piece of information that became obvious about halfway through the book. Avoid.
I read this novella in a two-hour sprint, and it seems to me that every word, in this work of art, serves a definite purpose. Absolutely superb storytelling!
One of the books that I consider to be top-tier is the recent sensation, The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss. This book, The Lies of Locke Lamora, was published a year before The Name of the Wind and the two are, in my opinion, equals.
Both are typical, in that they weave the story of a charismatic (flawed genius) hero. What sets both apart from a sea of similar books is the quality of the writing, and how engaging the story is. The Lies of Locke Lamora is a much grittier tale than The Name of the Wind, but it also had me laughing out loud a lot more often than when I read the latter.
What attracted me to The Lies of Locke Lamora, at first, was a review which mentioned it as being “Ocean's Eleven in the middle ages”, and I think that that's about as good a single-phrase description can get. So if you liked Ocean's Eleven, and you liked The Name of the Wind (how can you not?!), then pick this one up, A.S.A.P.
This was my second time reading this book, and I remember that I loved this book the first time through. Now, however, after having read quite a few master-class books (Patrick Rothfuss comes to mind), I'm forced to downgrade my rating and say that Eragon is merely a good book. An easy, fast read - it nevers gets boring, and the characters and mostly believable. However, Paolini steals ideas from other books in the genre willy-nilly, to the point that there's very little in here that's original. To his credit, all the concepts mesh together really well, and make for a great read! Three stars!
I just don't want to read any more of this book. The pacing is quick, but unexciting. The setting is unique (in my experience), but the execution is boring. I thought I'd love a book about cats, but I guess my affection for felines can't get me through strictly average writing.
A must-read for anyone who desires a greater understanding of stock markets, and how regular people can make money outside of speculative actions on the market. This book clearly defines boundaries between stock market speculation, and stock market investment, which is probably the most important lesson that wannabe investors should grasp.
Graham's writing is often hard to chew and digest. The presence of commentary on each chapter by Jason Zweig, however, ameliorates the difficulty by providing well-written, often funny, insights into how Graham's teachings still apply to the stock market.
I love Dune. According to Goodreads, I've read it five times - the last in 2013. After finishing its audiobook a few days ago, I couldn't figure out why I hadn't read the the rest of the series, and so picked up the audiobook for Dune Messiah - the second in the series.
I realized that I remembered the initial portions of the book, so I must have started it sometime in the past; but it quickly became clear why I had never finished this book, and hence never touched the rest of the series.
This book is pretentious, filled with flowery language for no reason other than to be decorative, and bogged down by a plot device that smothers all sense of excitement - the vision of the future that the protagonists possess. It's shocking how, towards the end of the book when Paul lets go of his future sense willingly, the book seems to come alive.
What this book lacks is everything that made the original great - world-building, real tension & conflict, a sense for the fantastical.
What a disappointment. :-(