I think I have seen the light

[woodsman]

'S weird I was hooked after the first couple of chapters or so, just couldn't put the thing down. I find his writing style irresistible - just waiting for the grocery lists to be published.

I quite enjoyed Williams' M,S&T when I read them although they do get very glacial in parts, I loved the world so plugged away.

 

[biodroid]

Sorry, what I meant was it does grip from the get go but builds up along the way so no real slumps just continuos increments of grip levels (now that just sounds stupid )

 

[the smiling weirwood]

If you really want a heavy dose of Williams, read his Otherworld saga.

 

[biodroid]

I have Dragonbone Chair waiting for me. Will have a look for the 1st Otherland book soon. It's just wierd to see my home city as one of the main locations in the beggining of the book, from what I read a bit of.

 

[Boaz]

woodsman, I've been thinking about my comments on Williams. I know I was harsh. I went a bit overboard, too. I think I quit reading because Williams was close to giving me Martin, but not close enough. Here's an analogy... On Thanksgiving in the US, my family will have a roast turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie. If someone offered me roast duck, baked potatoes, and blueberry pie, I'd probably say no and have a hot dog instead. Why? Because the small differences remind me more sharply of what I'm missing more than something completely different. It's one of my idiosyncracies that makes my world go round.

 

[Ursa major]

Pretty gripping stuff so far, really getting into it, on page 180 now

Glad to see you're enjoying it.

 

[biodroid]

Ursa - I am so far addicted and can't wait to see wait happens

 

[Ursa major]

We're all in the same boat.

(It's just that some of us have made it to a higher deck. )

 

[soulsinging]

As for Tad Williams, I read The Dragonbone Chair and got about a third of the way through Stone of Farewell. Williams bored me with the first four-fifths of The Dragonbone Chair, but he really brought things together at the end. Even though I was disappointed with most of The Dragonbone Chair, I picked upon the strength of TDC's conclusion. Yet Williams again slowed the pace down to a crawl... tedium, is what I'd call it. Obviously, Williams can spin a yarn when he wants to, but his idea of character development, world building and creating tension leave much to be desired. Then again, I think I might have liked Williams thirty years ago... when I was fourteen.

I had the exact same reaction to Williams. I slogged through book one, was floored by how exciting the climax of Dragonbone Chair was, then got 100 pages into Stone of Farewell and saw him slowing it down again and couldn't go any further.

 

[Clansman]

Ursa - I am so far addicted and can't wait to see wait happens

Go away, Biodroid. You shouldn't be in this sub-forum, as even the titles are a threat to your maximum enjoyment of this series. Plus, you aren't frustrated and bitter like us, because you have the better part of AGOT in front of you, plus three big fat books after that.

Go away, quickly. Do not look back, or risk being turned into a pillar of salt...go, before it is too late!!!

 

[the smiling weirwood]

Oh yes, Otherland, not Otherworld, sorry. I really enjoyed what I thought was a very interesting and involving premise. It must have been fun to write too, because of all the freedom provided by the conceits of the setting.

 

[svalbard]

Whilst slow, I thought the whole Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series was fantastic. It was pre-Martin though and both he and Steven Eirkson have remade the world of Epic Fantasy storytelling. Williams is well worth a read though.

 

[Quick Ben]

Whilst slow, I thought the whole Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series was fantastic. It was pre-Martin though and both he and Steven Eirkson have remade the world of Epic Fantasy storytelling. Williams is well worth a read though.

Exactly.

I read Williams before Martin as well and fell in love with the books! On my second recent re-reading, after having read Martin, the pace is considerably slower and Stone of Farewell is by far the slowest and weakest book, but it is still well worth the read.

 

[woodsman]

woodsman, I've been thinking about my comments on Williams. I know I was harsh. I went a bit overboard, too. I think I quit reading because Williams was close to giving me Martin, but not close enough. Here's an analogy... On Thanksgiving in the US, my family will have a roast turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie. If someone offered me roast duck, baked potatoes, and blueberry pie, I'd probably say no and have a hot dog instead. Why? Because the small differences remind me more sharply of what I'm missing more than something completely different. It's one of my idiosyncracies that makes my world go round.

Boaz I think we might have got our wires crossed. My original post about being gripped instantly and loving the series was about AGoT, not M,S&T. I'm constantly surprised (yeah not a quick learner, me) that people take a while to 'get into' AGoT, IMO it's right there from the beginning. No way I wasn't going to finish that book and the rest.

I would concur with your(and others) comments about Williams; that whilst he writes well, he generally falls short of G.R.R.M's standards. Although, Duck is better than turkey any day then again we don't have thanksgiving, although we could be thankful for getting rid of y'all all those years ago .