Oerdin: Funny thing is that Tolstoy was (historically)
very heavily criticized among historians for warping historical facts to fit the theory that he champions: that inevitable social forces and not great men shape history. Most famously, he gave a very revisionist portrayal of the Russian general Kutuzov.
Khar: I'm fond of Eco, but I can't say that I'm a fan. Name of the Rose (which I think was his first novel!) was of course incredible. But Foucault's Pendulum, I thought, was unforgivably baroque with an ending that, as ironic as it might have been, was completely unfulfilling. Haven't read the most recent novels nor any of the short stories, I was so peeved. But I will certainly seek out Granita, I'm intrigued.
Aphi: I remember, years ago, going through the Eddings phase, reading all four cycles (the Tamuli as it came out) and then the Belgarath & Polgara prequels. The prequels were unforgivably bad cynical attempts to cash in, and I don't think there's any debate about that. As for Tamuli/Elenium vs. Belgariad/Malloreon -- weren't they all pretty much the same? I mean . . . same plot (large group of heroes have to chase something or someone dies/the earth is destroyed). Same characters (the funny one (Kalten/Silk), the silent & sturdy (Durnik/Kurik); the mother figure (Polgara/Sephrenia) . . . etc. Same godlike powers given to half the party. As into it as I was, in retrospect, the whole series seems like a well-edited fanfic of a better series.
I'm not going to say that Harry Potter is psychologically complex -- but at least there's some uncertainty about what's going to happen. Whereas at the end of the Tamuli you had Sparhawk (god), his daughter Aphrael (god), his animated stone Bhellium (super-god), the Shining Ones (extraordinarily powerful, good friends with a god), Sarabian (emperor) . . . . How many advantages does this guy need? And the ending -- through the god-stone into the mouth of the angry monster?
And it's not as if Belgariad/Mallareon was any better. Ending to Mallereon was hinged on the Seeress picking
good over
incredible evil. Was there anyone reading that thinking to themselves "Gee I hope she doesn't pick Zandramas because . . . you know . . . she might be into bitch demon-queens allied with hell . . ." I mean, 30 incredibly cool characters with special abilities are neat, and I'm sure that Eddings could make a great FF style video game, but at a certain point don't you start craving -- I don't know --
themes,
moral ambiguity, and maybe even a little
uncertainty.
Also . . . resurrecting Durnik?? And replacing Kurik with his son who was
like him in every way? Gimme a break.
Seriously, put that junk away and read 100 Years of Solitude. It's full of fantasy, and
awesome.
Sorry for the rant
.
--Moiche