Matt

Quite a slog, unfortunately

Revisado: 10-21-24

Wasn’t expecting this book to read like Frank Herbert, but I’m a little sorry i listened to this book, as it’s kind of ruined the mystique of this period of Dune history for me. It’s an impressive volume, you could say, in the size and scope of its efforts, but maybe less would have been more. And yet, despite its length, it still feels an incomplete story (designed to make us want the following book, presumably).

Unfortunately, the narrator didn’t do anything to elevate the largely wooden characters of the text, nor did they occasional musical-atmospheric flourishes the recording sends our way from time to time to…what…spice things up a bit?

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A wonderful tapestry with a couple of (auditory) frayed threads

Revisado: 08-22-24

Unfortunately, I found a couple of things relatively distracting. First, the quality of the audio recording/production seemed a bit off, a bit difficult to hear clearly at all times. Second, the voice actor who played Brocc seemed either miscast or (because he seemed to do well when voicing other characters in Brocc’s chapters) misdirected.

On the whole, however, investing in this story was well worth it. The weaving-together of the various narrative threads and voices was wonderful, even masterful at times. And I personally found very appealing the subtle approach to the magical world, the “uncanny,” which the author instilled in the storytelling. The characters, and their relationships with one another, grew on me, for sure.

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Still powerful, surprisingly apt performers

Revisado: 01-14-24

Stories not quite as powerful as the original collection, but there’s still tons here that’s striking and thought-provoking and exciting.

Only potential weak link in the readers is Frakes, I’m a bit surprised and disappointed to say. I say potential either because he was doing an incredibly accurate accent that I’m ignorant of, or he kinda bull-in-China-shopped his way through his story. All other readers were actually downright excellent.

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Extraordinary, if a touch unbalanced

Revisado: 09-17-23

Extraordinary worldbuilding, of course, and ultimately very compelling, but this entry could have stood a bit more editing, I think. Some sections drag, seem almost repetitive, but, in the end, this book very much left me wanting more.

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It’s extraordinary and exasperating

Revisado: 07-02-23

This book has some truly, truly wonderful storytelling and imaginative worldbuilding. But I can’t quite get over the romance at the center of the story, between the protagonist and his great love. Unfortunately, the seemingly countless, fairly prudish, will-they-or-won’t-they scenes and themes reached a tipping point for me in this book. Twice I had to put it down and walk away for some weeks at a time, because I found it beyond annoying having to slog through yet another emotionally manipulative scene of this pair’s frustrations and misunderstandings. I understand that the protagonist is (in the story within the story) an adolescent, but that doesn’t mean that the narrative has to be, and that’s how it came across to me.

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Brilliant, heartbreaking, illuminating, epic

Revisado: 03-07-23

Did it feel like the most even narrative journey I’ve ever had? No. Is the assembly of ideas, the sum of the parts, expressed here extraordinary and arresting? Yes.

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I almost gave up. I’m glad I didn’t.

Revisado: 08-27-22

I found the character of Mark Watney, from _The Martian_, fairly unappealing. And so I found aspects of this story’s protagonist, “B,” pretty unappealing, too. (And I say all this as a giant nerd of a person, so it’s not some kind of anti-nerd bias.) Maybe it was the creators’ intention to make B at least a little unappealing. I don’t know. One way or another, it all came together. And beautifully produced.

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Truly essential reading

Revisado: 02-11-22

For the foreseeable future, I (a white man) think I may need to listen to this truly extraordinary book on at least an annual basis.

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So very worth reaching the plateau

Revisado: 04-28-21

Having come straight from the novel previous to this one, I’ll admit to growing a little weary and restless at times during (roughly) the first half of this second book. Once everything this novel was moving towards hit its stride, however, I never wanted to stop listening. It’s kind of painful to come to terms with saying goodbye to these characters. Some extraordinary storytelling by Kay and—another—epic achievement by Clark.

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I haven’t read anything quite like it before.

Revisado: 03-11-21

I can’t quite take the measure of what John Lee has accomplished by narrating this immense work. It’s somethin’, one way or the other....

I suspect the novel itself will stay with me for some time, almost entirely in good ways. It’s a pretty extraordinary accomplishment. (If the book does have a substantial flaw, I, for one would say it’s the final act, which felt variously rushed and—I want to say—disintegrative or even nihilistic.)

If I never hear the phrases “ischial scrag” and “ischial pleat,” though, it’ll be too soon.

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