Book Review: Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett (DIscworld #26)

 What is time to you?

I think we humans, have an interesting way to define our day-to-day experience of “time”. For starters, we have the tendency to attach meanings and values to time. For example, we describe time with expressions such as: “I had a good time”, “this is a perfect moment”, “a waste of time”, “an agonizing moment” (so on and so forth). Then we also request time to behave in certain ways, with expressions such as “I wish time could go faster/slower”, or “I wish there was more time”.

The question is, are we saying these things, because time cares? Or, are we saying these things because we care?

Thief of Time, is the 26^th Discworld novel. Like other Discoworld novels (such as Small Gods), Thief of Time wraps metaphysics and philosophy under the cloth of a comedic, fantasy story. It is a book that appears to be packed with light-hearted fun, where you can loose yourself in the depth of the author's imagination and creative power. At the same time, making you think furiously and seriously about yourself. In other words, this is my kind of book (the best kind of book, in my opinion). Today, I would like to share some of my thoughts about this book in a review.

Synopsis:

In our 21^th century, market economy driven world, “time management” is an essential skill.

It should not be a surprise then, on Discworld, time management is also very important. In fact, time management is treated with such paramount importance on Discworld that, it is a duty literally managed by a group of dedicated, highly skilled experts called the Monks of History. On Discworld, saying you are a History Monk, is like saying “I know Kung Fu”.

Our story began, when a talented young man called Lobsang Ludd joined the Monks of History. Lobsang was placed under the tutelage of the legendary sweeper, Lu Tze, who discovered his late apprentice is a bit unusual. Meanwhile, in the city of Ankh Morpork, a beautiful, mysterious woman commissioned a master clocksmith called Jeremy Clockson, to build the mythical glass clock. This is a device that will bring the end of the Discworld, where the 4+1 Horsemen would ride out into the apocalypse.

Is this the end of Discworld?

What I think about this book:

I enjoyed Thief of Time. Like all other Discworld books, Thief of Time will make you laugh, feeling entertained, but it will also make you think.

I noticed Thief of Time is more plot driven when compared to other Discworld novels I've read in the past. As a result, the multiple sub-plots in Thief of Time converged, and revealed its central plot device quite early in the book. I speculate, some readers may appreciate the structure in Thief of Time, because the pace in in this book feels faster, when comparing to past Discworld novels.

Having said this, I still found Thief of Time a very complex book. While the story is simple, but it is complex because the strengths of the story, lies in the exploration of personalities in this book. Thief of Time is cast with a group of imaginative, memorable characters. Fan favorites such as Death and Susan returned in this book. However, Death is cast as a supporting character in this book, who acted as some sort of a “quest giver”. Susan is as an interesting character as ever. As Death's grand daughter, Susan wrestled between “what is logical” and “what is meaningful”, I think most people can relate with her journey.

This book also brought Lu Tze into the spotlight. He made an appearance in Small Gods, but much about Lu Tze was shrouded in mystery. In Thief of Time, Lu Tze became a major character alongside his apprentice, Lobsang. I like the character of Lu Tze. In this book, Lu Tze is given a Master Yoda/Mr. Miyagi role, to mentor his apprentice Lobsang. The story between this master and his apprentice, is packed with funny moments, but it is also an interesting commentary about education.

I also found the style of humor in Thief of Time, is somewhat different to other Discoworld novels. That is, jokes and humors still scattered throughout the book, but they carry less satirical effects. i.e. other Discworld books often commented on social phenomena, exploring philosophical questions via satires and parodies, but in Thief of Time, these things are (more often) explored via the story and the characterization itself. Despite the slight difference in the style of humor, I still had a broad smile on my face while reading this book.

Overall, each character in Thief of Time is depicted with distinctive, impressionable features. They personified the different aspects of the philosophical/metaphysical conjuncture between science, life, death, history, logic, existence, and religion. This is the type of book that will not just entertain you, but will also make you think. For example, in this book, there is a story about a monk called Wen the Eternally Surprised. When I read about Wen, I laughed real hard, then afterward, I felt the need to change my view about “boredom” (Do you want to know why Wen is called “Eternally Surprised”? I thought the explanation was gold. But Read this book and find out for yourself).

I think Thief of Time is an excellent book. From the first page to the last one, Terry Pratchett captured my imagination with a fun, eccentric world. A living, breathing world inhabited with vividly portrayed, interesting characters. The time I spent reading Thief of Time proved to be an exhilarating ride, full of laughter and thought-provoking moments. When I closed the book, I walked away, and got a few meaningful things out of it. I would highly recommend this book (and the entire Discworld series) to anyone who is looking for some good books to read.

Book Review: Hogfather by Terry Pratchett (Discworld #20)

  When I was little, I believed in Santa Claus. On Christmas Eve, I used to hang up socks, then went to bed early. The following morning, I would get out of bed, feeling excited, ran to the socks to see what present(s) Santa Claus gave me. In those years, my parents told me, Santa Claus gave out gifts to good boys who behaved well. That kept mini-me well behaved, especially at the end of every year. (I did, eventually figured out, it was my parents who stuffed my socks with presents. But that's a different story).

Looking back at those memories about Santa Claus, I am often astonished at how powerful a belief can be. i.e. a belief in a fantasy, was enough to inspire a hyper-active, naughty child to behave well (for a limited period of time only). It's almost as if a belief in a fantasy, could create order out of chaos!

My opinion is, if we feed our human beliefs into a grinding machine fitted with gears of logic, coming out at the other end, we will (probably) find most of our beliefs, are fallacious in their elemental forms.

But the question is, can we be who we are, without beliefs?

In the 20^th Discworld novel, titled Hogfather, Sir Terry Pratchett explored the power of belief (and many other things). Hogfather is a funny book, excellently written, and it is colored with the atmosphere of Christmas. In my opinion, Hogfather is a very good book to read for Christmas. Since we are one month away from Christmas, I would like to review Hogfather, sharing some of my thoughts about this book.

Synopsis:

On Discworld, Hogswatch is approaching.

Hogswatch, is a time for giving. Traditionally, on Hogswatch night, a mythological entity known as Hogfather, would fly across the sky in a sleigh pulled by 4 boars, giving out presents to children across Discworld.

This Hogswatch night, however, is unlike any other in the history of Discworld. Because Hogfather is missing! Drastic times call for drastic measures, as Death (with a capital D) volunteered to be the temporary replacement for Hogfather. It is hard to imagine the grim reaper dressing up as a jolly old man in a red robe, giving out presents to children on Hogswatch night.

With Hogfather missing, will denizens of Discworld see the sun rise again? The fate of Discworld is shrouded in mists of uncertainty.

What I think about this book:

I have seen the movie adaptation for Hogfather. While it was a good film, but I prefer the book. This book is funny and lighthearted. The characterizations are vivid and colorful as in other Discworld books. From the protagonists, Death and Susan, to the eccentric wizards at Unseen University, every character in this book is funny and memorable. They came to life under Terry Pratchett's pen (or keyboard?). I especially like how Terry Pratchett portrayed Death in this book. Death is an awesome character! Death is an anthropomorphic personification of, death. His mindset operates on pure logic, but Death's interest in humans led him to try and understand (sometimes even mimicking) humans with his 100% logical mind. The result? Readers are bound to a journey filled with endless laughter.

I also like Susan, Death's (non-biological) grand daughter. She is an equally awesome character as Death. In this book, she explored the meaning of life and death among the misadventures she found herself in. Other characters from previous Discworld books also took spotlights in Hogfather, such as the crazy wizards from Unseen University and Death of Rats. They provided loads of funny moments in this book.

The structure in Hogfather feels more “concentrated” in comparison to previous Discworld novels. That is, I often feel Discworld books start with a series of random events in the first 50 pages, then the story gradually made sense afterward. In Hogfather, the structure has less random events (in comparison to other books), but there are still sections of the book which appear to be pretty random. However, these “random” events do make Terry Pratchett's Discworld feel like a living, breathing place, which is another reason I adore Discworld books. For example, whenever I read a Discworld book, the city of Ankh-Morpork (resembling a fantasy version of London in Victorian era) always paints a colorful image in my mind, depicting a city teeming with endless possibilities and interesting, eccentric characters.

One of the strengths of Discworld books, is Terry Pratchett's genius way of presenting philosophy and social issues, in the form of satire/parody. Hogfather is no exception to this hallmark. In the short space of 350 pages, Terry Pratchett masterfully embedded a number of thought-provoking topics in a witty, comedic fantasy yarn. He invites his readers to explore themes such as; the power of belief, commercialization of Christmas, the concept of justice/mercy, economic redistribution, and computers. As I have mentioned earlier, in my opinion, I think the central theme of Hogfather is the power of belief. I also think this book provided a very interesting, stimulating perspective to look at the nature of belief. Let me just say, there is a section at the end of the book, where it entailed probably the best argument I've ever heard about “belief and life's meaning” (I think it is ultimate philosophy). I don't want to spoil anything, so I'd say to the would be readers, please go and enjoy this book, and feel free to come to your own conclusions about these matters.

Hogfather is an excellent book, it fits nicely with the mood of festival season. If you decide to read this book, then I hope you would enjoy it, and find it as meaningful as I did. Furthermore, it is one month away from Hogswatch...er.. no, I mean, Christmas. This is a time for giving, a time to be charitable, and I just want to share, I personally found a quote in this book especially meaningful:

“Charity ain’t giving people what you want to give, It’s giving people what they need to get. “

Happy holidays! Ho ho ho.

Book Review: Soul Music by Terry Pratchett (Discworld #16)

  When it comes to music, my opinion is that we are the music we listen to (the same thing applies to books, movies etc..).

About 17 years ago, when I was in highschool, a friend introduced me to heavy metal/rock music. After that fateful day, my parents stepped on a journey of sufferance, where in the decade that followed, they endured the daily presence of high volume metal/rock music in their house, until I moved out. Looking back, I am often astonished by the fact, that my parents managed to stay sane in those years.

I think for people belonging to Gen X and older Gen Y group (such as myself), rock music was a shaping influence during our teenage years. For example, I am pretty sure, that all those Metallica and Nirvana CDs that I listened to while growing up, has somehow influenced my personality and the way I view life today. Indeed, people can become the type of music they listen to. Furthermore, no matter where you go on earth, where people go, music goes. If you can understand the music some folks are listening to, then you can understand them. But what is the magic behind music that it plays such a central role in the world of man? The 16^th Discworld novel, titled Soul Music, is a book about music. It is also a humorous commentary about the music business.

Synopsis:

We've all heard of the phrase “soul music”. On Discworld, “soul music” is not just a metaphorical allusion....

When a young bard, Imp, arrived at Ankh-Morpork, he came to possess a mysterious guitar. After this union, the city of Ankh-Morpork is about turn upside down, by music with a personality, and it literally has rocks in it.

Meanwhile, Death has once again, entered a mid-career crisis and disappeared. In his absence, Death's grand daughter, Susan Sto Helit, was called to take up the family business of “undertaking”. But how will a blood and flesh human, such as Susan, fare in the job as the grim reaper?

What I think about this book:

Soul Music is split into two major plot lines. The first plot line followed Imp and his band, as they reached the celebrity status in the city of Ankh-Morpork. The second plot line followed the story of Susan and Death. I must say, I did not enjoy Soul Music as much as other Discworld novels. This is not saying Soul Music is a bad book. My problem is, I could not fully relate to the many inside jokes, and pop culture references in this book. I think people who have something to do with the music business, may be able to better appreciate these inside jokes and pop culture references. So if you are in this category, then perhaps you will enjoy this book more than I did. In other word, I could not fully appreciate the part of the story about Imp and his band (but I still found some of the jokes funny).

Having said this, I still like the humors in Soul Music. For me, the best part of the book, is relationship between between Death and Susan. Soul Music introduced Susan Sto Helit, she is Death's grand daughter (the daughter of Mort and Ysabel from Mort). In this book, Susan entered the story as a bright, but bored student at a boarding school in Ankh-Morpork. Susan didn't know she is Death's grand daughter, but Susan knew she is a little bit different to other kids at her school. As the plot unfolded in this book, Susan came to the knowledge about her personal connection with Death, and this part of the story focused on her exploration for the meaning of life and death.

I like the way Terry Pratchett characterized and portrayed Susan, she is a memorable and likable character. I also appreciated the golden wisdom in this book, when Terry Pratchett pointed out, that “education” is not necessarily the same as “learning”.

The writing style in Soul Music, is similar to other Discworld novels, where Terry Pratchett used words in witty, clever ways to create parodies and humors. Several plot lines developed separately, but gradually converged. This means Soul Music, like other Discworld novels, is a complex book. While it is not exceedingly difficult to understand this book, but a reader may feel the beginning of the book is filled with random events, and that the book is flowing at a slow pace. Similar to other Discworld novels, the pace in Soul Music sped up after 50 pages, as readers become familiarized with the different plots and characters. I found this is a trait shared by other Discworld books I've read in the past.

I did not enjoy Soul Music as much as other Discworld novels, but I still think it is a good book packed with funny jokes, memorable scenes (I especially love the scene when Death rode a motorcycle), tinging with some philosophical pondering about life and death here and there. People who has something to do with the music business, may be able to fully appreciate this book as an excellent, humorous commentary about the music business. Meanwhile, I like the introduction of Susan as a new, central character in Discworld series. I've heard there are more Discworld books featuring Death and Susan as central characters, and I look forward to reading them.

Book Review: Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett (Discworld #11)

“Five exclamation marks, the sure sign of an insane mind”

                                           

                                               - Terry Pratchett, Reaper Man

Many people compare Terry Pratchett to J.R.R Tolkien. I do not think such a comparison do Terry Pratchett justice. Personally, I would compare Terry Pratchett to Jonathan Swift, or Mark Twain, because these 3 authors often made sharp, crisp observations about the human society, and seek to expound their thoughts in the form of satires. Satires, when done correctly and well, can be very powerful and persuasive, while also giving its readers a good, hearty laugh.

Terry Pratchett's Discworld series are mostly satirical, fantasy/comedy novels. The beauty about Discworld books, is that even though they all fall under the umbrella title of, “Discworld”, but every Discworld book is also a stand alone novel, each with an individual, unique theme. The 11^th book in this series, Reaper Man, is no exception to this tradition. After Mort, Reaper Man is the second Discworld book featuring Death as the central character. While this book is all about Death, but it is not gloomy or depressing. Instead, this book is jolly good fun but also meaningful. Today, I would like to provide a book review for Reaper Man.

Synopsis:

Discworld is a strange place. This is a place where death is not just an invisible, philosophical concept, but an actual, physical presence. On Discworld, the physical incarnation of Death took form as a 7 foot tall, scythe wielding skeleton. This fellow works tirelessly, day and night, collecting the souls of the dead, ushering them to whatever awaits for them in the beyond.

On a normal business day, in the house of Death. Three gray robed, mysterious figures appeared. They announced Death's “retirement”. The reason? Apparently Death is no longer suitable for his job, because he was developing a personality. But Discworld needs Death. What will happen to the dead, when Death no longer comes for them? There is no telling what's in store for Discworld, when Death is made redundant from his job.

What I think about this book:

Following Mort, Reaper Man is the second book in the Discworld series featuring Death as the main character. Apparently, there are five Discworld books featuring Death, and I am planning to read them all. Mort was a very good book, but I like Reaper Man a little bit more.

This book is beautifully written, some parts of the book will make you laugh until you are tumbling on the floor, but there are also heart warming, tear jerking moments to warrant a memorable reading experience. Every character in this book is colorful and impressionable, humors and jokes filled the book as starry stars in the sky. (For example, I especially love the ideas of anti-vitalism, wereman, and the anti-pasta! I leave the would-be readers to discover for themselves what these are) However, some readers may find this book starts slowly. I think this may be a trait in Discworld novels, where the author usually spend time to build up the story, by throwing random events into the first 50 pages of the book. But after the first 50 pages, Reaper Man raises steams, picking up its pace as the story gets going at a continuous rate. 

On the surface, Reaper Man appears to be a straight forward book, a humorous tale about the misadventures on Discworld, when Death is made redundant from his job. Yet, underneath this simple story, this book is so much more than just a fun ride. Allow me to explain:

The plot in Reaper Man follows two major story arcs. The first story arc follows the tale of Death after his “retirement”, when Death suddenly ceased to exist as a timeless creature, but starts living a life as a mortal. The tale of Death is very interesting. As a mortal creature, Death learns the joys and sorrows of living on borrowed time. Meanwhile, the second story arc follows the tale of Windle Poons, a 130 years old wizard who died but returned to Discworld as an undead (because of Death's absence). In this part of the story, as an undead, Windle Poons gradually discovered the irony that he was more “alive” as an undead, because he never “lived” in his 130 years of existence as a living man.

In Reaper Man, Death and Windle Poons explored life from two opposite ends of the spectrum (i.e. Death was a former immortal being made mortal, while Windle Poons was a former mortal now made immortal), but their stories converged to present this book's major theme to the reader; this is a book exploring what it means to be alive.

Reaper Man is a brilliant book. It is witty and meaningful, an unforgettable reading experience. I am a fan of Terry Pratchett's literary works. Reading a Discworld book is like stepping on a party bus full of funny but thoughtful satires, where he invites his readers to explore serious topics alongside all of the fun. These books are such a pleasure to read, and they also make me think and ask questions. I would recommend Reaper Man to anyone who is looking to read a good book.

Book Review: Mort by Terry Pratchett (Discworld #4)

 Can we be certain about anything? I don't know about you, but personally, I can't think of many certainties in life. Yet, there are two things I know for certain; the first one is the inescapable reality of paying tax (this comes yearly). The second one is the unavoidable reality of death (this will come eventually). Sooner of later, we will all meet death, when the grim reaper will swing the scythe of finality, cutting us down, collecting his due. While most people treat death/dying as a grim business, but author Terry Pratchett wrote a comedic fantasy book, taking a humorous look at death, where an anthropomorphic personification of Death (with a capital D) plays the role as a central character in his book. This book is the 4^th installment in the Discworld series, it is called Mort. Under the guise as a comedic fantasy, this book explored death, a destiny shared by all things in the physical universe. This book is half joking, half philosophical, and I think it is worth a read. Here is my review for this book.

Synopsis:

They say death comes to us all. On the surreal world of Discworld, Death has a very literal presence, where he exists as an anthropomorphic personification. Death is a very professional fellow, dedicating his timeless existence to the business of “undertaking”, where he works diligently at collecting people's souls when their times are up.

When Death entered a mid-career crisis, he decided to take an apprentice under his wing. He offered a young boy, Mort, a position of apprenticeship. The job entitlement comes with free food, accommodation, and the exciting opportunity of entering the business of “undertaking”, under the tutelage of the grim reaper himself. Mort thought he has found the golden opportunity of a life time, but soon, Mort discovered this dream job, may be more than he can stomach.

What I think about this book:

About a month ago, I entered the universe of Discworld after reading Small Gods. I thought Small Gods was a fabulous book, where Terry Pratchett used a witty satire to portray religion. I appreciated the humors and the philosophy behind Small Gods, and I became an instant fan to Discworld.

Being a Discworld novel, Mort bears the Discworld trademark of being a comedy clothed in funny eccentricities. Terry Pratchett depicted his characters with over-exaggerated characteristics, this increases the fun factors in the story, making the characters colorful and impressionable. Some may find the pacing of the story a little bit slow in the beginning of the book, but the story picks up speed after the first 50 pages, turning into a light hearted adventure full of laughter and romance. Mort is also a very different book in comparison to Small Gods. It is not as dense, and the story is straight forward. However, one needs to pay attention to every sentence when reading this book, because Terry Pratchett embedded a considerable amount of themes, jokes, and wisdom behind what appears to be an irreverent, humorous story. This is the kind of book where I am sure I will discover new things upon a re-read.

This book is about death, but it is not grim or depressing. Instead, this book is really funny. While I was reading this book, laughter became my constant companion, the smile on my face lingered until long after the book's end. Meanwhile, under the waves of laughter, this book also provoked me to think about death, and what it actually means. In this book, the anthropomorphic personification of Death took on a physical form, as a scythe wielding, 7 foot tall skeleton wearing a hooded black robe. This image conforms the stereotypical, cliched depiction of death, but (in my opinion) the greatest humor resides in the fact that a skull has an unchanging facial expression, one that resembles a permanent, maniacal smile. By choosing to depict death this way, the author emphasized a fine point: Death is indifferent, he is the great equalizer. No matter who we are, from a king to a vagabond, death will come and collect us all when our time is up. All of our beliefs about that which lies beyond death, are human speculations. While death, is the only certainty in life. This makes all of our obsessions, worries and guesses about the “after life” laughable, especially if we linger on these unknowable things too much and overlook the significance of being alive.

Mort is the second book I've read in Discworld series, and this book is funny, meaningful, and thought provoking. I like the character of Death, and I found this character very interesting. I have no regret about the time spent to read this book, I only wish there would be more books about Death. The good news is, apparently there are other Discworld books featuring Death as the main character.

I can't wait to read them all.

Movie Review: Interstellar

  Space, the final frontier for the human exploration. From our home, the 3^rd rock from the sun, mankind stares into the black infinity of the space, marveling at the stunning sights of the celestial bodies, and wonder what is our place among the stars; “what is out there?” “Are we alone”? These inquiries have inspired many of our most celebrated technological inventions up to date. When Apollo 11 landed on the moon in 1969, this pivotal moment entered the river of history, as a giant, forward leap of the human evolution on earth. From that day and onward, mankind demonstrated our ability to leave the planet that gave birth to our species, to explore other worlds. Most importantly, we proved that we can survive out there.

Since then, powerful nations around the world have poured billions of dollars to further the pioneering of space exploration. Today, some have voiced their opinions, criticizing space exploration as a waste of valuable resources. However, what if one day, the continuous survival of our species can only be ensured by our ability to expand our existence onto other worlds? Director Chris Nolan, constructed a science fiction movie based on this hypothetical scenario, in a 2014 movie called Interstellar. This movie was rumored to bear reminiscence to the 1968 sci-fi classic, 2001: A Space Odessey. I have been waiting to see Nolan's space opera, since its announcement at the beginning of this year. On Friday, this movie was finally released in the cinema, and I was able to attend a screening of this film with eager anticipation. Today, I would like to provide a review for this movie:

Synopsis:

Cooper, a widowed father of 2 children, former NASA test pilot and an engineer, is a man with big dreams but born in the wrong time. In his time (in the future), the earth is no longer able to sustain humanity. Dust storms plagued the earth, destroying valuable food resources such as crops. The once flourishing human civilization transitioned into a dying, agrarian society, with a main focus on producing food resources.

Cooper chanced upon a discovery, where he came upon a secret NASA installation led by Professor Brand. Hiding from the eyes of the public, Brand and his team have been secretly working on a ground-breaking project. A project of paramount importance, it is the final hope for the continuous survival of mankind. Should this project bear fruition, then mankind will survive the dying earth, stepping into an interstellar future.

What I think about this movie:

I am uncertain what to say about this movie. I like most of the movie, but there are some places that I just couldn't appreciate. For starters, I found this movie fascinating, because it is mostly based on the idea of Einstein Rosen Bridge (wormhole). Meanwhile, many interesting scientific theories, such as relativity (and the twin paradox), singularity, gravity etc.. all served as fabrics, to be weaved and integrated together, forming a very clever plot.

Secondly, the technologies shown in this movie are actually believable. For example, the design of Cooper's spaceship is based on the design of the international space station, one that can simulate artificial gravity, allowing a fitful environment for astronauts to endure an extended period of stay in the space, without loosing too much bone mineral density and muscle strength. Furthermore, this movie is beautiful to look at. It is packed with breathtaking, stunning images of the celestial bodies, from a jaw dropping view of a black hole, to some intense scenes of wormhole travel, coupled with a constant note, resonating the vastness of the universe in the movie's background, this movie is a true visual spectacle to behold.

However, this movie is not just about showing beautiful images of the universe and introducing scientific theories. At its core, Interstellar is an emotional story about the spirit of human perserverence, triumphing against seemingly impossible odds. It is also a story about the human condition, the fears and love for one another, our failed dreams and how we deal with them, to find other ways to appreciate life. These themes are commonly shared across a spectrum of human experiences. Personally, I can somewhat resonate with Cooper's situation, because I too, have invested a lot of time and energy, to gain training and education in what was to be my dream, but unable to put my trained skills into practice due to the lack of opportunities in that field, and I was forced to turn to the next best widow of opportunity to go about life, learning what it is to find joys from contentment, realizing we are more than our professions.

However, while I agree a good story is usually based on the reality of the human experience, but unfortunately, this is also where the story of Interstellar over-extended itself a bit, especially in the last 20% of the film, leading to a somewhat far-fetched, disappointing finale. Having said this, the first 80% of this film is superb, with a well knitted story portrayed by stunning works of cinematography, based on interesting science. This is a movie that bears resemblance, in both tones and atmosphere, to the classic sci-fi movie, 2001: A Space Odyssey.

My second item of complaint about this movie, is the loud volume of background music. I found the volume of these background music too loud, not only does this become annoying, but many times I struggled to hear the dialogues exchanged between the characters on top of the soundtracks. This happened several times in the movie, and it is especially frustrating if you miss the critical dialogues (for example, I could not hear the narrations at the end of the film, because the volume of the soundtrack was too loud, and it interfered with the narrations, so I had to find it from Google after I came home from the movie).

After I watched this film, my opinion is that while Interstellar did not meet my expectations, it has flaws, but it is still a good movie. I think this movie is a visual spectacle, deserving to be seen in the cinema, where we can bear witness to the awesome grandeur of our universe, on a big, silver screen. The last 20% of this movie felt somewhat flat and uninspired, but its attempt to depict an emotional drama about the human condition, is partially (if not mostly) successful.

Book Review: A Darkness at Sethanon by Raymond Feist (Riftwar Saga #3)

A Darkness at Sethanon is the final book to Raymond Feist's epic fantasy trilogy, Riftwar Saga, which was launched with the phenomenal success of its first book, Magician. The general consensus among readers is that Magician is the best book in this trilogy, where its sequel, Silverthorn, while being a good book, is a much weaker book in comparison. A Darkness at Sethanon continued the story that started in Silverthorn, bringing a conclusion to this trilogy. After reading A Darkness at Sethanon, I think this is a really good book, and it concluded Riftwar Saga in a most spectacular fashion. Today, I would like to provide a review for this book.

Synopsis:

Kingdom of Isles has enjoyed one year of peace following Prince Arutha's quest for Silverthorn. A conspiracy shattered this peace, when a mysterious assassin appeared at the royal court during the celebration for the birth of Arutha's two sons. The death cult known as Nighthawk, has returned!

The climax for Riftwar Saga approaches, as Arutha journeys north with his friends, to confront Murmandamus for one last time. Battles would be waged, cities and lives would be destroyed. Sagas and songs will remember the deeds of bravery and courage in the river of history. However, Arutha and his friends have yet to realize, that they are fighting a war where a victory cannot be secured by the might of mortal man.

Meanwhile, Pug and Tomas are engaged in a perilous quest, crossing the barrier of space and time, to search for Macro the Black, who happens to be the only person with the knowledge about Murmandamu's master. Should they fail this quest, not only will Arutha loose the war against Murmandamus, but every life on Midkemia, will surely perish.

What I think about this book:

I think A Darkness at Sethanon provided a fitting conclusion to Riftwar Saga. This book and Silverthorn, are essentially one book. Raymond Feist stepped up a notch in his storytelling, packing it with more actions and dramas in this book than in Silverthorn. A Darkness at Sethanon is split into two storyline; Arutha's final showdown against Murmadamus, and Pug and Tomas' quest to search for Macro the Black. These two, seemingly separate plots are packed with dramas, epic in scope, crescendoed to a final converging point at the climax of the story. Although this book is not as long as Magician, but it is almost an equal to Magician in terms of scope and contents. In other words, A Darkness at Sethanon almost reciprocated the epic feel in Magician.

Riftwar Saga is often marked by its memorable characters. A Darkness at Sethanon, is no exception to this hallmark. This book is supported by a cast of impressive characters. Readers will reunite with past favorites such as Arutha, Pug, Tomas, Amos Trask, Jimmy the Hand, Martin Longbow, Baru etc.. while also meeting a somewhat new, superbly crafted character, Guy du Bas-Tyra. Guy made a very brief appearance in Magician as an antagonist, but this character was never explored in depth. In A Darkness at Sethanon, readers would meet Guy, as the story finally explained his motivations and his past. From here, Guy became one of the pivotal characters in the story. Without spoiling the plot, let me just say, I think many readers will like Feist's portrayal of Guy, and the role he played in this book.

Pug and Tomas also returned as central characters in this book. Half of the book revolves around their quest to search for Macro the Black. I think this part of the book is very interesting, because Pug and Tomas' quest involved traveling across both space and time, giving off a vibe of science-fiction which is atypical in the fantasy genre. I think Feist managed to capture the mind blowing strangeness of space/time travel from science-fiction, and masterfully grafted it onto a medieval themed, fantasy novel. With grand narratives and vivid portrayals, Feist depicted several breathtaking scenes about the grandeur of the universe.

Furthermore, I also like how Tomas, as a central character, was finally given something important to do in the story. Allow me to explain, in Magician, the story detailed the journeys of how Pug and Tomas became the most powerful entities in the world of Midkemia, i.e. while Pug became a powerful wizard through training on another world, Tomas became a mighty warrior who inherited the strength of a long vanished, ancient race known as Valheru. Afterward, in the ensuing story, Pug was designated to face obstacles that challenged the limit of his power in several pivotal moments. Meanwhile, the same cannot be said about the treatment for Tomas. Instead of setting up real challenges for Tomas, Feist used Tomas as a deus-ex machina solution in Silverthorn. As a result, inevitably, one will feel that even though Feist spent a great deal of time building the character and story of Tomas in Magician, but he didn't do much with it afterward, and it is a waste of potentials. Thankfully, in A Darkness at Sethanon, Tomas is finally given difficult, and important obstacles to overcome, pushing his strength to the limit, while pitting him against powerful foes.

I enjoyed reading A Darkness at Sethanon. This book is packed with all elements that made the fantasy genre great. In my opinion, this book brought Riftwar Saga to a satisfying conclusion. All mysteries, plots, and sub-plots are neatly tied up. I did not find a dull moment in this book (and this series in general), from page one to the last, I was constantly immersed in the story, savoring every moment of it as the story unfolded at the turn of every page. If you are a fan of fantasy fictions, but have not read Riftwar Saga, then I would highly recommend this series to you, and I envy you, because you are about to discover its charm for the first time.

Book Review: Silverthorn by Raymond Feist (Riftwar Saga #2)

  After I discovered the treasure that is Magician, I paddled on, and read the second book in Riftwar Saga by Raymond Feist, titled Silverthorn. In terms of the sizes of these books, Silverthorn is only 380 pages, not even half as long as Magician which is 840 pages. The general consensus from Goodreads (and from other book review sites), is that Magician is the best book in Riftwar Saga. In fact, a few people even claimed that Magician is the best book Raymond Feist has ever written. As a result, I lowered my expectation as I ventured into Silverthorn. Yet, the question remains, even if Silverthorn cannot fully re-create the charms of Magician, does it stand up as a worthy sequel to Magician? Let's find out.

Synopsis:

Following the events in Magician, the Kingdom of Isles enjoyed one year of peace under the reign of her new king, Lyam coDoin. While his younger brother, Arutha, ruled as the Prince of Krondor. More blessings greeted the already peaceful kingdom, when Prince Arutha and Princess Anita announced the news of their engagement.

Tragedy struck at Arutha and Anita's wedding ceremony, when an assassination attempt left Princess Anita wounded by a deadly, poisonous dart. To save his beloved, Arutha must discover the cure. Old and new friends joined Arutha on this mission, as they set out on a race against time, to uncover the cure to the poison. However, our band of brave heroes could not have foreseen, that their quest would unveil a sinister plan at work, manipulated by an ancient, dark power seeking to dominate Midkemia.

What I think about this book:

I was surprised at how good this book is. Perhaps this is because I lowered my expectations for Silverthorn after reading various book reviews. In my opinion, I do think Silverthorn is not as charming as Magician, because not only is this a much shorter book, but the scope in Silverthorn is also much narrower than in Magician. In other words, while Magician gave readers a very “epic” feel, Silverthorn feels like a much narrower, specific story. Instead of having a storyline that spanned over a decade like in Magician, the story in Silverthorn took place over a much shorter period of time.

Another major difference between Magician and Silverthorn is, while Magician had a theme that's not common in fantasy fictions, the theme in Silverthorn is a one that is more typical to a novel in the fantasy genre. i.e. At its core, Silverthorn is a quest story, where a band of heroes travel to a certain location to fulfill a mission, while combating the minions of a dark lord. Furthermore, unlike Magician, Silverthorn is not a stand alone novel. The ending of Silverthorn has a cliffhanger, where the story would be completed in the final book in Riftwar Saga.

Having said all of these, I still think Silverthorn is a good book. While it is not in the same league as Magician (but again, not many fantasy novels are as good as Magician), still it spellbinds its readers with its own strengths. For starters, Silverthorn is supported by a very strong cast of characters. Not only do readers meet returning characters such as Arutha, Lyam, Martin, Pug and Tomas, but this book also introduced a very interesting, new character called Jimmy the Hand. He is a witty, young thief who became a loyal friend to Arutha, and provided invaluable aids to his quest. The story in Silverthorn is much darker than in Magician, but Jimmy's occasional, witty humor certainly brightened up our heroes' perilous journey. I really like Jimmy the Hand, I think he is a fun and interesting character, and I can't wait to see more future stories featuring Jimmy.

Feist also did an excellent job at creating mysteries and suspense in the story. Several plot twists and mysteries unfolded gradually as the story progressed, and the suspense was gripping enough to keep me guessing throughout the whole book. I was surprised by several unexpected twists and turns in the story. While reading this book, I never knew what to expect in the next chapter, although at the back of my mind, I knew our heroes weren't going to endure any permanent harms in the story, but I still felt a real sense of danger for the characters anyway.

The scope of Silverthorn is nowhere as grand as in Magician. Nevertheless, Feist still jam-packed a lot of story elements and sub-plots into Silverthorn. Despite the large amount of contents in this book, it never became convoluted, and it was really easy to follow the story. Feist seem to be a master storyteller who is able to spin a yarn loaded with contents, yet still tell it in a most simple, unconfused way; complex but not complicated. The pace of the book flowed smoothly, I cannot recall a single, dull moment while reading this book. When I turn to the last page of Silverthorn, I was eager to start reading the next book.

I enjoyed reading Silverthorn. While it may not be as epic and charming as Magician, but Silverthorn has its own unique beauty, enchanting its readers. It has a very strong cast of characters, and a gripping story to warrant a fun, enjoyable read for lovers of fantasy fiction.

Book Review: Magician by Raymond Feist (Riftwar Saga #1)

  There is a list for books called The Big Read, this is a survey carried out by BBC in 2003, to find the most beloved novels in the UK of all time. There are 200 books on this list, very few of them are fantasy novels, written by famous practitioners of the genre such as; Terry Pratchett, J.R.R Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, Philip Pullman, and C.S Lewis. At number 89 of this list, is a fantasy novel called Magician, written by Raymond Feist,.

When Magician was published in 1982, it was an instant success. Based on this success, Feist expanded the storyline and wrote 2 more books, and the trilogy is collectively known as Riftwar Saga. When Magician was published, it defined what the fantasy genre was going to be for the next two decades, at least until the recent arrival of “grim dark” fantasy such as A Song of Ice and Fire and The Malazan book of the Fallen, in the 21^th century.

I guess this means, a 21^th century reader may expect Magician to be a typical fantasy trope tumbling with cliches. This is why I did not read this book until recently, when Magician (and the rest of Riftwar Saga) were published with new covers. I really like the artworks on these new book covers, so I purchased the entire trilogy (yes, I confess, sometimes I buy a book based on its cover). After I read Magician, I have to say this is an excellent book, but most importantly, I was really surprised by this book, because it proved my expectations for this book were completely off the mark.

Today, I would like to provide a review for Magician.

Synopsis:

Kingdom of Isles has enjoyed two decades of peace, one of its frontier cities, Crydee, is ruled by Duke Borric, the third most powerful man in the kingdom. Our story began at the city of Crydee with two boys, Pug, and his best friend Tomas. Pug was an orphan, a kitchen boy at Duke Borric's castle, while Tomas was the son to the master cook at the castle. When they came to age, Pug became an apprentice to a master magician, his friend Tomas became an apprentice to the duke's sword master.

An otherworldly, mysterious shipwreck landed at the coast of Crydee. Out of curiosity, Pug and Tomas arrived at the scene to investigate the alien wreckage. What Pug and Tomas discovered at the wreckage whirled them into a tornado of conflicts, a war waging across a rift that tore through the fabrics of time and space. Here began an epic adventure, where a kitchen boy is destined to become the most powerful magician ever lived, and the fates of two worlds will be changed forever.

What I think about this book:

I love Magician. I regret not having read this book sooner than later. As I have mentioned earlier, when Magician was published in 1982, it defined the fantasy genre for the next two decades. Therefore, it does have story elements that would be deemed as cliches by modern day readers. For examples, not only do elves, dwarfs and goblins appeared in this book, but the story hinged on the journey of two seemingly unimportant boys, as they gradually transitioned into mighty heroes who would eventually save the world. This kind of story elements have almost taken the status of permanent residency in the fantasy genre, especially in fantasy novels from the 80s (such as The Belgariad by David Eddings).

However, at the same time, Magician also surprised me. Yes, this book does have elves, dwarfs, and goblins. Yet, unlike most fantasy novels, these magical creatures have very little to do with the main story. Furthermore, while the protagonists are two boys becoming mighty heroes to save the world, but the story of Magician is also refreshing, and in many ways, it is unique because it is not a typical good versus evil yarn. Neither is Magician radiating auras of moral ambiguities (A trademark of “dark grim” fantasy). Instead, what makes Magician unique and refreshing, is at its centre, it is a story about the clash of cultures. Not just a clash between the old culture against the new one, but it is also a story about two, totally different cultures colliding heads on against each other, presiding over a conflict of interests.

Let me explain (minor spoiler alert here), in Magician, the story revolves around a war, waged across a rift that tore through time/space, bridging two worlds together. On one side, we have the protagonists who are denizens, and defenders for Kingdom of Isles, which is based on a culture resembling the medieval, European influence. On the other hand, we have the invading Tsurani forces, they resemble a pseudo Samurai, feudal Japanese culture. In this book, the invading Tsurani forces played the role of antagonists, but as the story unfolds, readers gain an insight into the Tsurani world, where the book explored the motivations behind the Tsurani invasion. And just like most real life wars involving 2 nations, there are good and bad people fighting on both sides. Meanwhile, the conflict may be resolved by improving the old culture with an integration, and an understanding of the new one. This book weaved the theme of a cultural clash into its essence, depicting the complexity and the dynamics of a cultural clash thoughtfully, it is unique and refreshing in that it did not inherit the typical fantasy trope such as a quest against an evil overlord (minor spoiler alert ends here).

Magician is also vast in its scope. The story spanned over almost a decade, where more than a handful of characters appeared in this book. All characters are very likable, portrayed vividly with memorable qualities. Feist included a titanic amount of story elements, and subplots into this book, but it is marvelous that with this amount of content, this book never became convoluted. Despite it enormous scope, the story was extremely easy to follow through. The story flowed at a very good pace, it is fast enough such that there is not a dull moment. Yet, the story is not told in haste, allowing readers to explore the world and the characters in great details, savoring the rich background and the atmosphere in this book. This book can truly be described as “epic”, in a good way. I was really impressed by how Feist managed to fit a story of this scope into one book, and still kept the story exciting, concise and easy to follow. I mean, usually a story of this scope would be released in the format of a series, but Feist managed to put everything into one book at 800 pages in length, so that at the end of Magician, all plots and subplots are neatly concluded, and it is pretty much a stand alone novel by itself.

After I read Magician, I have decided to add this one to my personal list of favorite books. This book is vast in its scope, and rich in the story, blended with an interesting theme that is atypical to most fantasy novels. I have read many fantasy novels, and many times in the past, I felt a sense of relief when I finished a book. Magician, however, is not one of those books, I felt refreshed after I read this book instead. In fact, reading Magician turned out to be a rare occasion when I wished a book would never end, and was sorry to see the last page, wishing for more. In my opinion, I think Magician is a “must read” for any lovers of fantasy fictions, don't miss out on this one!