Finished in 2005
Submitted by spoky on Wed, 03/02/2005 - 12:44
Tags:
- Earth - David Brin:
A very good book, the first of Brin's that I have read though I do have a few others of his already waiting for me on my book shelf. This was a long book with a few to many plotlines some of which, though entertaining enough, probably weren't needed. Overall though very good and I look forward to his other work. - Cryptonomicon - Neal Stephenson:
A wonderful book, very entertaining. Surprisingly quick to read based on the number of pages, but it probably helped having two long flights over the Atlantic (to and from Paris) in which to chip away at it. - Lady of the Forest - Jennifer Roberson :
An excellent novel focusing primarily on Marion and the very begriming of the Robin Hood legend. I think I read this one even faster then I did the Cryptonomicon and I had no long plane rides this time. - Mythago Wood - Robert Holdstock
A very interesting premise lends itself to a fascinating story. Well written and very enjoyable. So far about halfway through the sequel it is even better. - 101 Things You Don't Know about Science and No One Else Does Either - James Trefil
A bunch of short essays about the future of varies scientific achievements. Some are more interesting then others but overall an enjoyable distraction. - Lavondyss - Robert Holdstock
Very good book especially in the first half. There was something about the second half that didn't pull me in the way the first half did, but over all a very good read - The Golden Compass - Philip Pullman
- The Subtle Knife - Philip Pullman
- The Amber Spyglass - Philip Pullman A very interesting series that I found to be quite enjoyable, but I don't think that it lived up to its potential. There were a few plot lines that seemed to get resolved a bit too easily and a few things that seemed a bit too contrived. Overall I think I liked the second book the best even though it also contained the parts of the series that I liked the least.
- The Snows of Kilimanjaro and other stories - Ernest Hemingway:
Some of the stories weren't bad but nothing I read from this volume of short stories has made want to read more Hemingway. - Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell - Susanna Clarke :
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J. K. Rowling :
- The Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger :
- Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince - J. K. Rowling :
- Brother Assassin - Fred Saberhagen :
Cloned From:
What did you think of His Dark Materials trilogy (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass)?
I've read the first two and the third is on my list to read this year.
Thanks for the push Professor, I had meant to come back and give my little mini review (as brief as it may be) earlier, but then had forgotten all about it. I generally quite liked it but feel he could have gotten something just a bit more out of his ideas. Of course I am no writer and couldn't for the life of me tell you what that might of been, it's just the feeling that I was left with.
I have now finished the series and I see what you mean. It almost promised to reveal the meaning of life, but I guess it was to be expected that it failed to deliver. Of course the need to suspend disbelief is essential but sometimes I find that certain stories are so well-told and involving that the reader begins to directly relate to the characters and starts (just a little) to believe in them.
I enjoyed it immensely, but I felt that after the tale had finished near the end of book three there were a few extra chapters added, possibly to set up sequels to this highly successful series, and that it therefore fizzled out a little.