Chronicles of Amber

[hamsterwoman]

So I finished The Chronicles of Amber, what, a few weeks ago, but have been waiting for my brain to decide what I think of the whole thing (also, been sick, of course, which hasn't helped, but still...)

Well, I really liked Corwin's Saga, with Guns of Avalon probably my favorite of the lot

Comments

[cerulean_eyes]

Julian! For all the things you've listed, definitely. And oh the whole brother tending injured brother thing again, when they drop in on Benedict - that got me too. I am a very very big fan of Caine/Julian as a pairing, but I'm also extremely curious about their relationship as brothers - as buddies as Corwin called them. I wish there was more on that in the books. :\ And gah, I almost dropped Merlin's chronicles when I found out that Caine's dead. Again. Whatever. That must have been quite a tripout for Julian, I imagine... even though he wouldn't show it.

Ahh, so many fic possibilities! Maybe now that _grayswandir_ kicked off the fandom, there will be fic and will be discussion and stuff. It got me writing in any case, heh. :)

Eric/Corwin (what *really* happened there) - That always bugged me too! I'm also almost tempted by the idea that there was Deirdre involved... and the man Corwin saw in Tir-na'Nogth with her was not himself but instead Eric! Mmm, that could make for such a delicious angsty (and porny) fic

[hamsterwoman]

Oh, wow! Thank you for the in-depth response -- I've been trying to get a glimpse of other people's perceptions of the books ever since I finished them (and found it rather more difficult than anticipated due to the puzzling lack of -- English-language, at least -- fandom). So it was really great to read your thoughts!

I remember when I first read the Corwin chronicles in Russian (around 11 years ago, I was only 9 years old), I thought that it had to be the best book ever. [...] The writing itself was so very different to everything I'd read before that, [...] Zelazny just had a very distinct style, even in translation, and the ideas seemed so grand and epic and placed within an incredibly rich scene. Later, as I reread the books while growing up, I started seeing the faults and things that I knew could have been done better, but I think by that time I was so in love with the world of Amber that the little things didn't matter much. A tangent, but I just had to say that your description above is pretty much exactly what happened

[hamsterwoman]

Now, favorites! It depends on my mood, but usually falls between Bleys, Corwin and Julian. Sometimes Benedict is in there too, but only when I'm feeling self-righteous. Or something. *g*

Totally with you on the top three (not sure about the order...). Benedict -- he is easier to admire than to simply like, I guess... I'm rather partial to the (latter) Random, too.

Oh Bleys. [...] He's like... I dunno, Han Solo of Amber, or something. He's a bastard, but he's such a lovable bastard - he has a real personality despite the little amount of screentime that he actually gets.

LOL, yes! I was very disappointed that he was missing for the second set of books as well -- because I like the character, but also because he seems like the sort of person to really spice up the narrative (even though he seems to believe in discretion being the better part of valor...)

I am a very very big fan of Caine/Julian as a pairing, but I'm also extremely curious about their relationship as brothers - as buddies as Corwin called them. I wish there was

[cerulean_eyes]

there seems to be a significant Russian-language fandom for Amber - yeah! One of my first "places" to be on the net was a Russian sci-fi/fantasy chatroom and it seemed as though 90% of the people there read the books. It was really quite phenomenal. Although it isn't - or at least it wasn't - a fandom in the way Western fandoms seem to exist - with fangirling and slash and stuff like that. It was more of a general thing... and the fic that was written was more of a general fanfic. I've known a couple of people who extrapolated from the last of Merlin's books and went on writing from that - some of it was actually not bad at all.

Was the translation any good, in retrospect? - There are three or four translations that I've come across through the years and the first one that I read was, thankfully, very good. The publisher was "Ассоциация независимых издателей" and the edition was of 1992. This was, in retrospect, the best translation of the Corwin books, because the ones that I saw in later editions, especially in separate editions of

[hamsterwoman]

There are three or four translations that I've come across through the years and the first one that I read was, thankfully, very good. The publisher was "Ассоциация независимых издателей" and the edition was of 1992.

Thanks! I'll keep an eye out for it, as I'm rather curious.

I do think he preferred Corwin and the original Princes much better... the first Chronicle feel a lot more genuine.

They do, don't they? I think a lot of it has to do with the narrator again. Merlin really *feels* like a character (to the reader, and I wouldn't be surprised if to Zelazny, too), while Corwin feels like a really good friend, who tells stories about his wacky family :)

I have some very obscure likes... like Swedish synthpop band Vacuum and just last week I gave up and wrote slash for it, even though that no one even knows this band, much less want slash about it. ;)

:) On the other hand, I'm sure having RPF slash written about one's band is a sign one has arrived, so they ought to be grateful, in a way, if then knew... :))