A Strange Thing That Turned Out Not So Strange, Strangely Enough

[perelleth]

A few weeks ago I picked up Ancillary Justice, by Anne Leckie. a first novel that has won every major award lately, including a Hugo. I picked it up because of this trick highlighted in every review: The story is narrated in first person by the last surviving segment of a warship's conscience, which belongs to a race that doesn't have a social use

Comments

[dawtheminstrel]

I haven't read it yet. It sound so strange I couldn't tell if it was something I'd like. But my to-be-read pile is low. Maybe I should try it.

[perelleth]

It sounds stranger than it is. The devices are entertaining: when the MC is actually several other people at the same time it's funny to try to follow the pov: (she is reporting from inside a meeting and from the ship and from the park and from a surveillance mission at the same time. BUt the narrative is weak: no clear motivation for actions, and too many secondary characters that are basically props. Guess it got all the awards because of the original storytelling devices.

[dot_o_choillmor]

Hmm. I suspect it might not be for me, considering the fact that I barely understood your first paragraph ;-)

[perelleth]

The storytelling devices are original and easy to follow. It is the plot resolution I have trouble with, honestly.

[clodia_metelli]

I've had that on my Kindle for a few weeks now, mostly because I saw so many glowing reviews and then it was on offer. Must get around to reading it.

[perelleth]

I really liked the idea, and following the pov was not as difficult as it may sound. And yet the narrative in itself was a bit disappointing to me. NOt much sense in motivations and actions and a lot of props to move the plot along. I may be reading the second one just because.. :-) but i wasn't really swept off my feet..

[clodia_metelli]

You remind me of Gaiman's The Graveyard Book, which I read not so long ago after having on my Kindle for a few years. The material was interesting and original (orphaned child brought up in graveyard by ghosts!) but the actual plot was incredibly slight. It left the same sort of disappointed aftertaste - kind of a pity that it's the disappointment you (well, I) remember.

[perelleth]

Yes! the same happened to me with the graveyard Book!

[frenchpony]

I read that! I really liked it, too. To me, it was just one of those books that you suck down like lemonade.

One thing that enhanced the book for me is that the author is a shape-note singer from Missouri (I think I met her at WisCon the year I went, and possibly also at the Missouri Convention or a Midwest Convention or so), and two of the songs in the book are shape-note songs! She's paraphrased the poetry so it's more in prose and doesn't rhyme, but it stands out from the other songs, and if you're as familiar with The Sacred Harp and The Missouri Harmony as I am, those texts just leap right out at you.

So not only did I love the emphasis on song, but I loved that I knew some of the tunes!

[perelleth]

That's cool! Actually I was reminded of you when I read about the songs, although the singing part was actually more promise than delivery, tried too hard to be Iain M BAnks Hydrogen Sonata IMHO.

I quite liked the parts in the planet, the relationship with the natives and between the two lieutenants but as a whole was kind of disappointed by the general execution.

[frenchpony]

Having never read Hydrogen Sonata, I guess I wouldn't have been all that disappointed by the premise. But perhaps I should check that out while I wait for the next Ancillary book. What's Hydrogen Sonata like?

[perelleth]

I guess I expected that the Justice of Toren's appreciation of music would play a larger part in the tale...

About the Hydrogen Sonata... if you haven't read Iain Banks series about "The culture" it may be difficult to explain. BASically The CUlture is an outreaching highly- technological empire with sentient ships that absorbs planets and civilizations as it goes (rings a bell?) And the hydrogen Sonata is -among other things- about a Lieutenant Commander of a world about to be annexed by The Culture who is called from retirement to fight for his race. The commander had retired to learn to play the Hydrogen Sonata, a very difficult piece of atonal music written to be played with an eleven string instrument, and mastery of which takes almost a lifetime ( and the growing of two additional arms) to achieve. IN the end, she gets to play the Sonata in a hauntingly beautiful scene.

Leckie's Ancillary has been reviewed as drinking from Banks, maybe that's why I was expecting that music played a larger part in the whole plot.

[elliska]

Too easily achieved is the problem for me. I don't like an MC (or any character) who can accomplish things too easily.

I have a list of stuff to read (library requirements) and only the smallest fraction of it looks interesting. Sigh.

[perelleth]

Hi there! How are things ?
It's not exactly easy, but kind of everything goes the right way or the expected way. The MC ends up almost in pieces so there's that, but still I'm not convinced by the execution of the plot.

I haven't read much, trouble finding things that hook me, found it easier to watch tv and movies, so I've been catching up with years of certain shows and movies! Also found out that binge watching a show is far better than watching week after week. But my attention span is kind of wrecked, I fear.

[elliska]

Crazy, but whatever...

Binge watching is good. I've been doing a lot of that too. I have to read certain books for my new library job, and some of them are just so boring! No attention span here either.

[perelleth]

There used to be a time when reading for work would be the greatest luck! LOLOL