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Originally Posted by Saurreg
I did not like the Wizard of Earthsea because it was IMO lacking in descriptions and details unlike LoTRs or the other fantasy books. I couldn't picture anything much from the narrative and felt so detached from the characters that I couldn't care less whether Ged won or lost at the end... Perhaps the Tombs of Atuan with its ancient temples, blood sacrifices and such would work better.
Susanna Clark eh? Did she write Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell? It was voted by my varsity's book club as the best fantasy book of the year back when it just came out. I should make time to look for a copy of that book that everyone swore by, however priority must be given to Don Quixote by Cervantes (Penguin Books edition). 
P.S: Anyone here read Promethea by Alan Moore and J.H. Williams III? Some would consider it as mere main stream comic or worse, cheesecake filler. I however think that the story was as good as that of Neil Gaiman's Sandman. |
Well from what I remember (I really must read it again, I picked it up and read a chapter a few weeks ago but had to lay it to one side as I was in the middle of something else) there wasn't all that much description either! Funnily enough I found the first book the best - not all of them had even been published when I read it (think it was only a trilogy?). But Ursula Le Guin seems to go more for getting into the heads of characters. I liked the way it was a lot darker than LotR though - you need contrasts like that - darker books and more hopeful stories.
Now I'd recommend Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell to anyone. A mad mixture of dark faerie, the Napoleonic wars and all served up in an Austen/Dickens style. With footnotes. A slow building story, you won't be able to put it down as you hit the final third part. The Penguin Don Quixote is a good translation anyway so davem says - he read it last year.
Also I opened up my copy of The Ladies Of Grace Adieu earlier (it was sealed in plastic) and was pleasantly surprised to find its full of fab Charles Vess illustrations.
