I give in!!

To everyones credit that said 'persevere, keep going the book gets better', they were largely right. the book does get better as it goes along and I am enjoying it for what it's worth. If it keeps the upward trend I can see this being a series that I will enjoy and indeed be worth reading, which makes the start more annoying as I can tell it may have stopped a few readers dead in their tracks over the years.
 
I have to say I'm glad I stuck with it as even with work and other things getting in the way, the book has shaped into a damn good read.

Character description is not as strong as I love in most of my reads but the story is flowing nicely now and the plot hooks are starting to work and interest me that is for sure.

My biggest dislike about the book is actually Tattersail. I can't seem to in any way shape or form start to like her? I get the feeling that as a reader we might be meant to be backing her and all I want is for her to find either a quick death or something else equally changing so she can act less cow like :S

I'm unsure if I'm alone in that sentiment?
 
Culhwch said:
Tell me that's an exageration, or I'm afraid I won't be revisiting Erikson.

I have to say, the whole floating mountain thing did me in too. Come on, a floating mountain? I'll believe in some weird stuff, but that's a bit much. But having said that, I've never been a big one for magic-heavy books.
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It's K'Chain Che'Malle. They're not in it much. I thought the floating mountain was a Dragonlance homage, but apparently Erikson and Esslemont came up with it before those books were released.

However, given that Malazan is the most magic-heavy series I've ever read, it's possible the books are not for you.
 
Sparks the Knave said:
My biggest dislike about the book is actually Tattersail. I can't seem to in any way shape or form start to like her? I get the feeling that as a reader we might be meant to be backing her and all I want is for her to find either a quick death or something else equally changing so she can act less cow like :S

I'm unsure if I'm alone in that sentiment?
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Hmm... a lot of the characters are ambiguous in this way. Either they're doing good stuff, but are really annoying, or are likeable but generally evil ;) And Erikson delights in writing annoying characters. There are more to come from there, I'm afraid. Wait till you meet Felisin or the Mhybe:cool: The way I see it, they fit into the story quite well anyway, so it doens't matter.

It may be annoying to hear (I certainly get annoyed at myself for saying it so much) but there are very few black-or-white characters in his books. With the occasional exception, they all have good and bad traits, which is one of the attractions of the books for me.
 
I have to say the book has really stepped up a few gears in many ways, the writing seems to get better the further you get in, the characters become more interesting and the story becomes fantastic. Had a lot of early annoyances but they seem to have all dropped away and whats left is just a really good read.
 
Tattersail is not my favourite as well, however i have no idea how you like Ganoes Paran, i dislike the guy, always whining and complaining and thinking boring thoughts. Only Felesin is more grueling to read about. I kinda like Tavore though ^^.
 
***possible Spoilers***



haha, I did like paran, that was until he got it on with Tattersail, then I instantly disliked him as if he was somehow infected by her annoying-ness :S
 
Sparks the Knave said:
***possible Spoilers***



haha, I did like paran, that was until he got it on with Tattersail, then I instantly disliked him as if he was somehow infected by her annoying-ness :S
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well, i'm way behind you still, but don't worry it's a re-read (after several years, a second attempt at the north face...)

Tattersail doesn't seem all that annoying to me. Hairlock, on the other hand... and Paran is just a very nondescript bloke, all told. Nothing special.

I think I understand the Warrens a little better this time.
 
Whiskeyjack, Gruntle, Itkovian and Toc the Younger makes it all worthwhile.

I did/do find Tattersail a bit annoying, but I do like Paran quite a lot. Through him, I think that Erikson is trying to give a bit of a background on how Whiskeyjack and Dujek got to be the way they are.
 
i had a lot fun reading your comments (sparks) as you got further into the book. i really enjoyed gotm and didnt encounter the problems that many others did when reading it; i found the ideas and the greyness of the characters a refreshing change, although i admit the pacing is uneven.... i loved the way tho that the last 1/4 of the book picks up speed, and how the plotlines all start converging to the shattering climax.
if you continue with erikson i envy (pun!) you your journey; the next 2 books take the way the plotlines converged in the 1st book and ramp it up to levels of emotion and visceral action that only very few authors can equal in my opinion. and then you have the luxury of being able to read up to book 7 before having to wait for the next 1, although maybe 6 more erikson books in a row might become a little heavy for even the most ardent of fans.;)
 
I struggled thru the first half of GotM too, but it got good enough to encourage me to read on.
Erikson's attraction for me is his epic style supported by the type of writing and character development he uses; his dialogue is excellent too. He doesn't always give things to the reader easily. I can't tell you how many times I ran across something during my second reading of the series which resulted in a "oh, that's why" thought or "OMG, how did I miss that?" as I reread the 1st 6 books.
So far, Erikson has written a very tight story, and given the story's scale; this is a feat in itself (GotMism's notwithstanding). I've found that virtually everything written is there for a reason; becoming evident later in the story. This is appealing to me as a reader. I've had few books which required me to engage to such a degree. Maybe that's why you see a lot of "stick with it" comments in this thread.
But for those who find Erikson not to their liking, well, to each his own. I like to emmerse myself in his books, they're almost addicting. And really, I found my second reading at least as enjoyable as the first, sometimes actually better (eg GotM). You don't get overwhelmed by the number of characters, and can focus on the many subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) sub-plots and twists going on; or the expressions of personalities through their dialogue and actions.
Sorry for the long post, I shoulda just written "patience, stick with it, I believe it's worth it".
 
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