January Book Study - Lirael

Fenika · Jan 1, 2011

Hello, and welcome to the F/SF Book Study. This thread is for discussion of Lirael by Garth Nix.

***Spoilers*** will be streaking naked through this thread unpredictably. You have been warned.

Here are the previous book studies:

2008:
Ender's Game (August)
Lies of Locke Lamora (September)
A Deepness in the Sky (October)
A Fire in the Deep (November)
Storm Front (December)

2009:
I Am Legend (January)
The Onion Girl (February)
Lord of Light (March)
Small Gods (April)
Beggars in Spain (May)
The Once and Future King (June)
Foundation (July)
The Graveyard Book (August)
Neuromancer (September)
The Last Wish (October)
The Knife of Never Letting Go (November)
One Hundred Years of Solitude (December)

2010:
Battle Royale (January)
Jhereg (February)
Cyberabad Days (March)
Tigana (April)
Next (May)
Perdido Street Station (June/July)
Boneshaker (August)
His Majesty's Dragon (September)
Never Let Me Go (October)
The Child Thief (November)
Solaris (December)

Thank you to Broken Fingers for starting the book study!

CheG · Jan 2, 2011

SCORE! I read this! LOVE IT!!!!!

Nakhlasmoke · Jan 2, 2011

Oh awesome. I have this lying around so this is a perfect excuse to finally read it.

_Sian_ · Jan 2, 2011

*rubs hands in glee*

This is a very good book, if I remember. And I actually have time this month to participate

Um, Fen, shouldn't this be stickied? Or do you have to wait for a mod to come along and do it (I can hardly profess to be an expert on these things) ?

Whistle_White · Jan 2, 2011

I haven't read this book, but I saw the trilogy at my used books the other day. Maybe it's still there...

...but, I don't really have time to read the entire trilogy, not right now at least. And Lirael is the second book of the deal, isn't it? Would I risk not understanding anything at all if I read it instead of starting w/the first one?

rugcat · Jan 2, 2011

Whistle_White said:
...but, I don't really have time to read the entire trilogy, not right now at least. And Lirael is the second book of the deal, isn't it? Would I risk not understanding anything at all if I read it instead of starting w/the first one?

It's separate -- not exactly a standalone, but I don't think youll be lost.

It's an excellent book, but I do wonder why it was chosen instead of Sabriel, the first book, which is imo brilliant.

_Sian_ · Jan 3, 2011

Because I suggested it, and I like Lirael better

Also, I'm australian, Garth Nix in Australian, so my word rules

I suppose they could have asked for Sabriel. I didn't really like it, myself. That's why I suggested the second one.

The second one and the first one are set in the same world, but they don't really need each other. The second and the third on, however, do.

So you can start at the second and not be lost, imho. But you couldn't start at the third. If that makes any sense.

Sai · Jan 4, 2011

I was in a second-hand bookstore today and I found a copy! Yay! Now I just need to find the time to read it.

Mecegirl · Jan 5, 2011

sianshan said:
Because I suggested it, and I like Lirael better Also, I'm australian, Garth Nix in Australian, so my word rules

I suppose they could have asked for Sabriel. I didn't really like it, myself. That's why I suggested the second one.

The second one and the first one are set in the same world, but they don't really need each other. The second and the third on, however, do.

So you can start at the second and not be lost, imho. But you couldn't start at the third. If that makes any sense.

Awww you didn't like Sabriel. I loved that book.

Nakhlasmoke · Jan 5, 2011

so far, colour me unimpressed

Mecegirl · Jan 5, 2011

Nakhlasmoke said:
so far, colour me unimpressed

Care to elaborate?

CheG · Jan 5, 2011

It's a little slow to start! As soon as she starts working in the library it picks up.

Nakhlasmoke · Jan 5, 2011

I'm past there. I'm enjoying the world-building and a couple of other things. (And yes, i love the Library) but the writing is making me grit my teeth.

I want to start red-penning this book with a vengeance.

Mecegirl · Jan 5, 2011

Are there any particular writing/grammar/structure type things you want to highlight? In other words..... page number and paragraph please.

It could be quite educational to discuss why those specific things bother you as a writer. And how we could avoid them.

Nakhlasmoke · Jan 5, 2011

Mecegirl said:
Are there any particular writing/grammar/structure type things you want to highlight? In other words..... page number and paragraph please. It could be quite educational to discuss why those specific things bother you as a writer. And how we could avoid them.

Plenty.

But, it's too early in the month to start actively discussing the book, and I also don't feel like getting dragged into a situation where I get accused of bashing a book because I'm an unpubbed wannabe.

I'll definitely point out the kind of things that tripped me up, once we're into the discussion and I know I won't be spoilerating stuff for anyone.

_Sian_ · Jan 6, 2011

Good. I'm also curious

And I don't think anyone would ever accuse you of bashing a book because you're an unpubbed wannabe. I definitely wouldn't.

*waits eagerly for discussion to start*

Nakhlasmoke · Jan 6, 2011

For the record. talk of cricket has improved my mood.

Any fantasy book that has a cricket-playing prince who crosses the borders from Fantasy Land to Normal Land, automatically gets at freebie star in its review.

I'm still being pissy about some of the weak writing (bear with me, I just hopped off the editing train - my mindset is all KILL KILL DESTROY BAD WRITING GRRR!) but i'm almost able to put that aside and focus on the story.

huu · Jan 6, 2011

Im glad there's a thread like this around. I got a sample, and now I'm going to buy the rest. Seems pretty interesting.

_Sian_ · Jan 6, 2011

*wails*

On noes, now I'm looking for bad writing when I read it.

Ahh well, I suppose it'll be educational

CheG · Jan 6, 2011

Well I am clueless as to anything in Lirael that could be called bad writing. Slow pacing yes... BUT I am a titanic Nix fan so I am biased because he is pure awesome and I wish I had such an imagination!

I'm skimming it/cheating since I read it before. But I forgot all the intro bits about the Prince and how long it takes for Lirael to leave the glacier.

_Sian_ · Jan 7, 2011

He uses too many adverbs, imho. And he says things with two words sometimes, that could just be said with one.

However, I didn't notice it until I was looking for it, so maybe I've just been made hypersensitive. *shrugs*

Nakhlasmoke · Jan 7, 2011

The things that are tripping me up:

Everything happens suddenly!

No one says anything - it's all grunted, screamed, muttered, whispered, yelled. If he does use tho word said, it's almost always modified - "said angrily", "said stoutly" (I died, that was one of the worst so far) etc.

He repeats things until they are redundant

A lot of dialogue is expository.

Basically, all the stuff that weakens writing.

Yes, it sounds like I'm being nit-picky, and I am, but it's unfortunate that these rookie elements are distracting me from the story.

Sai · Jan 8, 2011

I'm only about 150 pages in, but I'm really liking it. I don't find the writing bad, and I like to think I'm pretty tough on weak writing. I mean, I'm not saying the guy's Nabokov or anything, but the flaws aren't enough to keep me from getting pulled into the book. I like how Nix describes things like the clothes and setting. There's enough detail to paint the outline of a picture, but enough left unsaid that I can color in the rest.

_Sian_ · Jan 8, 2011

Nakhlasmoke said:
The things that are tripping me up:

Everything happens suddenly!

No one says anything - it's all grunted, screamed, muttered, whispered, yelled. If he does use tho word said, it's almost always modified - "said angrily", "said stoutly" (I died, that was one of the worst so far) etc.

He repeats things until they are redundant

A lot of dialogue is expository.

Basically, all the stuff that weakens writing.

Yes, it sounds like I'm being nit-picky, and I am, but it's unfortunate that these rookie elements are distracting me from the story.

What would it do to you if I told you that he's also been an editor? Before he went into fiction writing

Mecegirl · Jan 8, 2011

Nakhlasmoke said:
The things that are tripping me up:

Everything happens suddenly!

No one says anything - it's all grunted, screamed, muttered, whispered, yelled. If he does use tho word said, it's almost always modified - "said angrily", "said stoutly" (I died, that was one of the worst so far) etc.

He repeats things until they are redundant

A lot of dialogue is expository.

Basically, all the stuff that weakens writing.

Yes, it sounds like I'm being nit-picky, and I am, but it's unfortunate that these rookie elements are distracting me from the story.

Wow....I noticed none of that. Or at least not enough of it to bother me. For the most part it was in context. Yes he does use adjectives but I wouldn't call it a rookie mistake. Or rather I've seen worse.

January Book Study - Lirael

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