January 2011: What Are You Reading?

Michy · Post by **Michy** » Wed January 5th, 2011, 6:40 pm

Still reading Dunnett's The Game of Kings. *sigh* But the end is in sight.

cw gortner · Post by **cw gortner** » Wed January 5th, 2011, 6:48 pm

[quote=""Michy""]Still reading Dunnett's The Game of Kings. *sigh* But the end is in sight.

[/quote]

I burst out laughing when I read this because I felt exactly the same, though somehow it seems sacriligeous to ever admit that reading Dunnett can provoke such a reaction. So, I'm coming out of the closet to admit I never finished the Lymond series; it drove me crazy.

I did finish House of Niccolo series and recall there were several times when I really enjoyed it. However, if someone pushed me against a wall and threatened to shoot me if I didn't reveal the plot, I'd be a dead man.

Brenna · Post by **Brenna** » Wed January 5th, 2011, 6:58 pm

[quote=""Michy""]Still reading Dunnett's The Game of Kings. *sigh* But the end is in sight.

[/quote]

Is it really that bad? I got that one for Christmas because I had picked the second up at a used book store. From this forum, I've learned that the series takes dedication, but I was hoping it was a little easier than that!

emr · Post by **emr** » Wed January 5th, 2011, 7:12 pm

[quote=""Brenna""]Is it really that bad? I got that one for Christmas because I had picked the second up at a used book store. From this forum, I've learned that the series takes dedication, but I was hoping it was a little easier than that!

[/quote]

I did enjoy Game of Kings, once they stopped talking in versified latin riddles, (even the guards refer to the messenger as "the mercurio") its a good adventures book. Queen Play is on my tbr mountain. I hope it starts easier on the poor reader

SonjaMarie · Post by **SonjaMarie** » Wed January 5th, 2011, 8:10 pm

I've finished "A Royal Affair: George III and His Scandalous Siblings" by Stella Tillyard (337pgs, 2006)*. An ok book, that dealt mostly with George's sister Caroline Matilde, Queen of Denmark, and her love affair with a commoner, Johann Struensee, who was controlling her increasingly insane husband, Christian VII. After a coup d'etat, Struensee was removed from power and executed, and Caroline was divorced and exiled to her brother's territory, Celle. While planning another coup to return to Denmark, Caroline died of scarlet fever.

It was due to the inappropriate marriages of two of his brothers, in his eyes, that George III had the Royal Marriage Act passed.

SM

Michy · Post by **Michy** » Wed January 5th, 2011, 8:26 pm

[quote=""cw gortner""]I burst out laughing when I read this because I felt exactly the same, though somehow it seems sacriligeous to ever admit that reading Dunnett can provoke such a reaction. So, I'm coming out of the closet to admit I never finished the Lymond series; it drove me crazy.

[/quote] I'm glad I'm not the only one.

Unless things change within the remaining 100 pages, this will be my first and last Dunnett.

[quote=""Brenna""]Is it really that bad? I got that one for Christmas because I had picked the second up at a used book store. From this forum, I've learned that the series takes dedication, but I was hoping it was a little easier than that!

[/quote]

The first 100 pages are the most difficult; the dialogue is absolutely cryptic. After that it eases up a bit, although Lymond continues to have a tendency to speak over everyone's heads (one of the characters says to him in exasperation, something along the lines of "Man, can't you ever speak in plain prose?!". Best line of the whole book, IMO).

There are 3 or 4 scenes so far that I have thought were extremely good: the dialogue was clear and sharp, the emotions strong and taut, and I had no difficulty understanding what was going on (always nice). But those take up, what, 10 pages probably? Of the remaining 400+ pages, the best I can say is that I've been able to get the gist of what is going on; the relationships and conversations between the many characters is opaque at best. And if I invest the time to read a book I want to get more than just the gist of it!

But, as you know, there are plenty of people who love her work and you may very well be one of them. I'm just not.

EC2 · Post by **EC2** » Wed January 5th, 2011, 8:43 pm

It took me 3 attempts to get into Dunnett, but when I did it was like a key turning in the lock of a door to a secret garden and once I was in, I thought 'wow!' Sometimes she is too clever and opaque for her own good, but some of her set piece scenes are stunning. The sword fight between Francis and his brother in GOK took my breath away. The rooftop chase in Queensplay is sublime. I also like Dunnett for her use of language and her descriptions. She has inventive ways with verbs. Many of the quotes went over my head, but I treated them a bit like Tolkien's poetry - an enhancement if you can be arsed and not too much of an upset if you can't.
Niccolo I have yet to finish. That gets very foggy in places, but the scene in the salt works somewhere along the line - wow again and double wow.

EC2 · Post by **EC2** » Wed January 5th, 2011, 8:44 pm

And I really came along here to say that I've just started Revelation by C.J. Sansom, which I bought DH for his birthday and it's finally reached the top of my TBR.

Michy · Post by **Michy** » Wed January 5th, 2011, 8:58 pm

[quote=""EC2""]The sword fight between Francis and his brother in GOK took my breath away. [/quote] That was definitely one of the good scenes. Also good was the one between Richard and Mariotta (where she voices her frustration), the one between Lymond and Margaret Douglass, and another one I can't mention because it would be a spoiler.

I also like Dunnett for her use of language and her descriptions. She has inventive ways with verbs.

I agree, although I find some of her similes a bit too much. But that's just me.

Amanda · Post by **Amanda** » Wed January 5th, 2011, 9:33 pm

I have read GOK and QP, and while I got to the end, I did wish at times that I had a copy of the Dorothy Dunnett Companion to help me on my way. I have been thinking I should track down a copy before embarking on the 3rd book, as it has been a couple of years since I read QP now.