The Last Wish. What an awesome way to start a book, man. I am reading it in my native language instead of English 'cause I've heard the English translations lose Sapkowski's signature prose which is often described as flowery and detailed
Finished LotR, and now it's time for something much older: Boccaccio's The Decameron.
A translated version again, as I don't know even modern Italian.
A translated version again, as I don't know even modern Italian.
Unsolicited advice, but it's worth reading in moderation / interspersed with other things rather than in one sitting. It's rewarding, but not all the stories stand equal, as you'd probably expect given that he had to hit a numerical target, and it can get a bit wearing / repetitive if done in one slog!
The thing is so long and the font so tiny that there is no way I'd read it in one sitting, especially this time of year.
The Last Wish is great, but Sword of Destiny is unreal.
Unsolicited advice from me: read last 3 stories from SoD in one sitting.
Ah, there are some jolly tales in that. Also, they are rather an intriguing reflection of late-mediaeval Italian culture, around the time of the Plague. Interesting choice. I hope you enjoy the collection!
Meanwhile, on my side, more light, non-mediaeval, reading: The Jeeves stories, by P.G. Wodehouse. The plots may be vapid, but the language is fun.
Would it be ok to read Season of Storms before SoD? If I'm not mistaken it is the second book chronologically.The Last Wish is great, but Sword of Destiny is unreal.
Unsolicited advice from me: read last 3 stories from SoD in one sitting.
That and TLW and SoS are the only books I own thus far (can always borrow the others from the library but I just prefer to read at my own pace)
The setting is far from cheerful, yeah, but apart from that and so far (I am two or three stories into day 2) I've enjoyed the reading.
I do have to admit the Italian names the characters have confused me a bit; I very rarely encounter Italian names anywhere, and many of them seem more similar to each other than let's say typical English (the language) or Finnish names would.
The translation shows, in the Finnish it uses, that it most likely mirrors the style of the original text as it certainly comes across as somewhat aged and different from what I'm used to. It says the translation's from 1985, and while most books I read are (notably) newer than that 1985 wasn't that long ago.
For example, I've spotted cases where two words that in modern Finnish would be written as two separate words are in this text written as a compound. There have been other, similar things too, small but clear ones.
I happened to spot the tome in a bookshelf, and spontaneously decided I wanted to read it as it is certainly a classic, I'd never read it, and I didn't have any current reading going on.
And now I've written a novel almost as long as the shortest stories in the book. Fitting.
You're not mistaken - chronologically, it fits right between TLW and SoD, but it contains some sections that ties to the ending of the last book, it features a prominent character from the last book and it's a self-contained sidequel, unrelated to the main saga. It came out 14 years after The Lady of the Lake. So, you should definitely read it last. Here is the correct reading order:
1. The Last Wish
2. Sword of Destiny
3. Blood of Elves
4. Time of Contempt
5. Baptism of Fire
6. The Tower of the Swallow
7. The Lady of the Lake
8. Season of Storms (optional)
Stephen Hawkings "A brief history of time". I'm in a halfway and already fascinated.
James Patterson's Cross Justice. Well over 400 pages, but I've spent hours on it and no doubt will finish in a couple more. The author is popular for a very good reason; all of his books I've read have been page-turners.
After this I'll be diving into Tolkien's The Silmarillion. I still have The Decameron in progress as well, but it's not a library book and so doesn't have a deadline.
After this I'll be diving into Tolkien's The Silmarillion. I still have The Decameron in progress as well, but it's not a library book and so doesn't have a deadline.
Tolkien's best. It's so different from LOTR and The Hobbit. Children of Hurin totally seems like something from ASOIAF
Last edited:
Currently re-reading Eric Flint's The Philosophical Strangler. Digging around through my garage and found a couple of dozen books I'd purchased years ago...
After having read the first two books of the Dune trilogy, I started Pandora's star by Peter (F.) Hamilton. I must say I'm very much impressed. I've never seen
. Sometimes you might get overwhelmed by the numerous subplots, though 90% do add to the overall story. Next up: Judas Unchained...
such scale of destruction in a fictional world, MorningLightMountain is terrific and truly scary opponent to have!