Three Issues

[Conan]

1. Magician has two parts, Magician:Apprentice the Magician:Master. In aus its Pug and Tomas, then Milamber and the Valheru (I like this one better). What the hell Why

2. Why do heaps of people spell Tomas like "Thomas" Its wrong!

3. Exiles Return. In my opinion one of feists best, it up there with Rage etc. So why didn't anyone like it?

 

[Kevin81]

1. ??? I’m not sure what you’re asking

2. Probably for the same reason I always think of it as Thomas. That’s the way I pronounced it in my head for the sake of simplicity.

3. I liked that book. The only book of Feist’s that I didn’t particularly enjoy as much as the rest was (Murder in LaMut) from the Legends of the Riftwar series. To me it just seemed like Feist’s little experiment into Murder Mysteries and for us to believe that 3 lowly mercenary soldiers could suddenly be transposed into brilliant detectives, even though they caught the wrong guy. I found story a little hard to swallow.

 

[devilsgrin]

1. two books mean double the revenue Catalyst. and since Magician is a very long book - especially for the first part of a very long series, i can see why they would split it into parts. not that i think it was a good idea... its just the logic behind it is pretty simple.

2. Ignorance and habit most likely.

 

[Pyan]

1. two books mean double the revenue Catalyst. and since Magician is a very long book - especially for the first part of a very long series, i can see why they would split it into parts. not that i think it was a good idea... its just the logic behind it is pretty simple.

And I imagine that the two-volume set will last longer than my single-volume one - the binding has cracked with the sheer thickness of the thing, and is now held together by an elastic band...

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

2. Why do heaps of people spell Tomas like "Thomas" Its wrong!

I can understand you problem with this until you look at the origins of the word and then all becomes clear.


Basically 'mas' is old Norse for son - similar in the way that a lot of name ending in different languages have an association with the family alpha male. In england this is "son" seems reasonable but with th influx of foreign invaders who brought their own endings with them it has become part of the accepted norm.

"Tho" is short for Thor the ancient Norse god of thunder. Warriors in those days being away from home for so long on viking raids, raping and pillaging and generally enjoying themselves in the surrounding counties in their long boats often came home to find the surprise of a new baby they had no knowledge of. Now the tradition was that rather than kill the child and toss the mother of the rocks in the nearest fjord that the cuckholded father would announce that the child was a gift from the gods and so would name the lad Thomas since as you may be aware Thor was a randy sod and well known for being a ladies man.


I hope that clears it up for you.

 

[Fake Vencar]

I've got the understanding that the two books of Magician (Apprentice and Master) are American copies or am I completely wrong?

 

[Pyan]

I've got the understanding that the two books of Magician (Apprentice and Master) are American copies or am I completely wrong?

No, you're right as far as I know, FV - it's always been a single-volume book in this country, aand split in the States.

Magician (1982)
Republished in two parts in the United States:
1:;Magician: Apprentice (1986)
2: Magician: Master (1986)

Source: Wikipedia

 

[Conan]

2. Why do heaps of people spell Tomas like "Thomas" Its wrong!

I can understand you problem with this until you look at the origins of the word and then all becomes clear.


Basically 'mas' is old Norse for son - similar in the way that a lot of name ending in different languages have an association with the family alpha male. In england this is "son" seems reasonable but with th influx of foreign invaders who brought their own endings with them it has become part of the accepted norm.

"Tho" is short for Thor the ancient Norse god of thunder. Warriors in those days being away from home for so long on viking raids, raping and pillaging and generally enjoying themselves in the surrounding counties in their long boats often came home to find the surprise of a new baby they had no knowledge of. Now the tradition was that rather than kill the child and toss the mother of the rocks in the nearest fjord that the cuckholded father would announce that the child was a gift from the gods and so would name the lad Thomas since as you may be aware Thor was a randy sod and well known for being a ladies man.


I hope that clears it up for you.

It does, thanks. Interesting aswell.

 

[ratsy]

3. I liked that book. The only book of Feist’s that I didn’t particularly enjoy as much as the rest was (Murder in LaMut) from the Legends of the Riftwar series. To me it just seemed like Feist’s little experiment into Murder Mysteries and for us to believe that 3 lowly mercenary soldiers could suddenly be transposed into brilliant detectives, even though they caught the wrong guy. I found story a little hard to swallow.

I thought Murder In Lamut was interesting. You could tell Feist didnt have much to do with the characters. The characters were actually Joel R's characters from one of his series. They even kept the same name, he just transported them into the Feist world...which in its own right is interesting. I have tried to find one of those books to try them but they are out of print as far as I know. I will have to dig at the Second hand book store.

 

[kyektulu]

3. I liked that book. The only book of Feist’s that I didn’t particularly enjoy as much as the rest was (Murder in LaMut) from the Legends of the Riftwar series. To me it just seemed like Feist’s little experiment into Murder Mysteries and for us to believe that 3 lowly mercenary soldiers could suddenly be transposed into brilliant detectives, even though they caught the wrong guy. I found story a little hard to swallow.

I agree Murder in LaMut wasnt Feists best, I have read everything he has written (my copy of Dread Legion arrives tomorrow from Amazon, I cant wait!) and this book is definetly at the bottom of the pile.

Kevin81, I do the same as you, I always pronounce it Thomas in my head, just because thats the way I see it. I always pronounce Crydee as Cree-dee, not a concious descision but habitual.

 

[ratsy]

And I have also always called him "thomas" in my head...I find that I think of peoples names different than they are written a fair bit. I can't say why, its sometimes more recognition of a name that actually saying it in my head, if that makes any sense.

 

[Yuoaman]

Aren't "Thomas" and "Tomas" pronounced the same way? Or are we here in ol' Canadia pronouncing it incorrectly?

 

[Pyan]

I think of Thomas as, well, Tom-ass, and Tomas as Toe-mass...

Don't know if there's a right or wrong way, though...

 

[nixie]

yep I pronounce them same way as Pyan, although I don't think there is a right or wrong way.

Exiles Return I thought was the best one of the Conclave series.

 

[Freespace535]

I for one loved every second of the conclave series. The third one differed from the themes of the first two, which I didn't expect, but it set the scene perfectly for the next saga. Still, it was a great book. But then again, I like them all.

 

[Vertigo]

I have a Polish aquaintance who spells it Tomasz but essentially pronounces it Tomas. The only difference seems to be with Tomas(z) the emphasis is on the last syllable and with Thomas the emphasis is on the first. Or at least that's how I figure it. However I suspect that placing of emphasis is more down the national pronounciations rather than spelling.

It seems to me that the Americans can't take long books (OK OK OK I apologise now before anyone tells me off ). It's just that I have seen so many long books published in a single volume here (UK) and multiple volumes in the States.

As to the content of his other books - I can't yet comment having only recently finished my first Feist book .

 

[Koopa]

Huh, it's not written in the books as Thomas? Dang.

 

[fingy773]

Pronunciation | The Official Raymond E. Feist Website

this shows that tomas is pronounced TOM-us. which is just like thomas. (unless im reading it wrong of course)

 

[Morvai_]

1. Magician has two parts, Magician:Apprentice the Magician:Master. In aus its Pug and Tomas, then Milamber and the Valheru (I like this one better). What the hell Why

2. Why do heaps of people spell Tomas like "Thomas" Its wrong!

3. Exiles Return. In my opinion one of feists best, it up there with Rage etc. So why didn't anyone like it?

1. has been answered by others but when you consider the sub titles included to the Book 1 and Book 2's in the combined edition book 1 is called Pug and Tomas (the boys who we begin with) book two is called Milamber and the Valheru (Who Pug becomes and what Tomas learns to live with as part of himself)

2. Answered by other poster.

3. I thought Exiles return was a well written book, it fits with quite a few other stories Feist has told of characters tho its rare he takes anyone quite as dark in personality as Kaspar was during Talon and King of Foxe's and redeems him. I think one of the main reasons people didnt like it was because it made us after a while start rooting for the villian (something we dont tend to do) But that said even Talon/Talwin likes Kaspar even knowing he hates the man he sees things within him he cant help but like.

 

[Hekateras]

I liked Exile's Return, but I absolutely loathe the character of Talwin Hawkins. He's a boy from some rustic tribe there whom the Conclave picks up and he just easily, within a few years, masters a dozen foreign languages, painting and musical instruments and chess and fencing and hunting and everything else in the world? That's not just ridiculous and boring (it would've been more interesting to read about a less competent Talwin who had to persuade the Conclave to let him avenge his tribe even though he's not the best one for the job), that cheapens and does a disservice to the characters who were uniquely good at some of those things (Jimmy in espionage, Arutha in fencing, Martin in hunting, etc.).