2006
527 pages.
(This review is based on a comment I wrote on the review of The Blade Itself. It contains NO SPOILERS! The “more” thing is only there to soothe any spoilerphobics who might happen to read this.)
Posts filed in Literature
I think the etymology of this word has to to with putting letters (liter) together. In any case, it’s fictional prose or poetry (preferably the former, but I’m an open soul), and I like it. After all, only morons think reading books is stupid.
Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie
Swords and Deviltry by Fritz Leiber
(If this isn’t my best review, please bear over with me; it’s been over two months since I read this book.)
2001 (1970, 1962, 1970).
165 pages.
“Induction” (2 pages)
“The Snow Women” (74 pages)
“The Unholy Grail” (27 pages)
“Ill Met in Lankhmar” (62 pages)
Swords and Deviltry is the first collection of short stories in the Gollancz Fantasy Masterworks series’ [...]
Status report, Western Europe ca 700CE
“Culturally Latin Christendom, like a ruined family that could no longer maintain its old dwelling, came to live in a few rooms in the cellar.”
— F.B. Artz,
as quoted in Torbjørn L. Knutsen’s A History of International Relations Theory, p. 22.
The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
The Sword Itself
by Joe Abercrombie
2006
527 pages
The Union is about to come under assault. In the south the Gurkish are arming for war; to the north the Northmen have been united under the brutal King Bethod; even further to the north the Shanka are massing; and in the union’s heart, the Agriont, the castle area of [...]
Lord of War
It’s been nearly two weeks since I watched Lord of War, so this’ll be a brief review, but better late than never, eh?
First off, what struck me during this second watching of Lord of War was how similar, in many ways, it was to Charlie Wilson’s War. They both dealt with serious subjects, and they [...]
The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers
Gollancz Fantasy Masterworks.
464 pages, paperback.
1984.
In 1811, a sect of Egyptian sorcerors set out to open the gates to the Ancient Egyptian realm of the dead in order to call back the old gods, vanquish Christianity, and resurrect magic. They failed, horribly, yet something happened that night.
1983: An American college teacher and literary scholar, who has [...]
Is there anything more fun that an academic insult?
“I en klasse for seg er Christian Meier. I Res Publica amissa. Eine Studie zur Verfassung und Geschichte der späten römischen Republik, Wiesbaden 1966, finner han at bruk av valgforbund er sjeldnere enn factio-skolen (Taylor, Scullard og Ronald Syme) har hevdet. For øvrig er boka preget av total mangel på kildekritikk idet moralistiske utsagn fra [...]
Why I’m skeptical to Toynbee
At several occasions in the past two years, I’ve found myself in positions where I critizise other people for referring to Toynbee in discussions on the Roman Republic, but I’ve been unable to remember where I got this antipathy from. Today, I believe I learned why I’m skeptical to Toynbee.
It is often so that one’s [...]
A Message from the Lost Son: Why I Love Heraclius
“The Persians were applying inexorable pressure on what remained of the empire. Heraclius was faced with a stark choice: he could either wait for the Persian grip to tighten, fighting a series of rearguard actions which offered little chance for ultimate success, or he could throw caution to the wind and take battle to the [...]
Enchanters’ End Game by David Eddings
Approximately 445 pages (again!).
1985.
Corgi/RandomHouse paperback.
I feel like most of what can be said of Enchanters’ End Game has already been said in the reviews of the series’ four other volumes, so I’ll restrict myself to summing up the main points, before going on to comment on more general elements of the series as a whole. [...]
Castle of Wizardry, by David Eddings
Ca. 445 pages.
1984.
Corgi/RandomHouse paperback.
The Orb of Aldur has been recovered, and is to be returned to Riva, where waits not only the Warders of the Orb, but also a profound change in the life of young Garion.
Before I started reading this book, I had received some vague warnings (if they can be called as much) [...]
PoV? Whassat?
Today I learned that the term “point of view” has largely gone out of use in literature studies, and been replaced by “perspective” and “voice”.
Why? Well, first of all because “point of view” is used in a lot of other ways, too, such as “one’s point of view on politics” and such like. More importantly, [...]
Magician’s Gambit by David Eddings
Book three of the Belgariad.
1983.
446 pages, Random House/Corgi paperback.
In Magician’s Gambit, the hunt for the Orb of Aldur finally came to an end. The characters pretty much remain the same — there’s some awkward attempts at developing Mandorallen, if that is indeed what it is, by making him suddenly experiencing fear; but it doesn’t take [...]
Queen of Sorcery by David Eddings
Book two of the Belgariad.
1982.
444 pages, Corgi/Randomhouse paperback.
As the hunt for the Orb of Aldur continues, Garion, Belgarath, Polgara, Silk, Barak and Durnik passes through Arendia, Tolnedra and Nyissa. They are also joined by a crippled handful of new companions, all of which (predictably enough) bring some new abilities and idiosyncrasies to the group. The [...]
Another one of GRRM’s ASOIAF fantasy references?
So far, I’ve noticed references to at least two other writers of Epic Fantasy in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. The first was quite simply the use of the name Vance on one of Westeros’ noble families, and the second (which I admittedly didn’t discover myself, I’m ashamed to say) is [...]
Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings
1982.
346 pages, Corgi/Random House paperback.
Several thousands of years ago the seven Gods created the world, and chose a people to care especially for. All of them did this, except Aldur, who became the God of magicians. He also created a powerful Orb which the evil God Torak coveted, and later stole. The sorcerer Belgarath and [...]
The Wizard Knight by Gene Wolfe
2004.
920 pages, Gollancz trade paperback.
An American kid is out walking in the forest surrounding his and his brother’s cabin when he spots a castle in the sky, and follows it. During his pursuit he looses track of where he is, and when night falls he decides to sleep out in the forest. When he wakes [...]
Hässelby by Johan Harstad
2007.
444 pages, Gyldendal hardcover.
This is a tale about Albert Åberg — the main character of a series of childrens’ books written by Gunilla Bergström in the early 1970s. What happened to him after his childhood in the quiet Stockholm suburb of Hässelby? How did he grow from a lively, enthusiastic boy to a disillusioned, bored [...]
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
1968.
168 pages, including an afterword by Jon Bing, translator and professor of information law.
In the not too distant future humans have made Earth almost inhabitable by nuclear war. Colonies have been established on Mars and elsewhere, and most of mankind has moved there. Many still remain, though. Some because they don’t want to go, some [...]
Curses! Or constructing next term’s schedule
I checked my course registration page at NTNU (ooh!) about an hour ago, and much to my delight I discovered that I’ve been registered for not two but three courses this spring, and that these three combined fill my required term quota of 30 study points.
English Linguistics gives me 7,5 points if I pass it; [...]
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