Posted by Robert Ruork on April 30, 1998 at 20:08:43:
In Reply to: Re: (spoiler!): About Ports of Call posted by Trusty Jules on April 29, 1998 at 04:16:39:
: : : I agree. I kept waiting for a plot to develop. Now I'm thinking that "Ports of Call" was only a long, (maybe too long), teaser,
: : I agree there's no plot, but that was true of CUGEL'S SAGA, for example. The plot was to return and get revenge, but that was incidental to the tale(s), and I'm not sure the book even had a "theme", although, like POC, one could argue the individual episodes did.
: : POC is a picaresque romance (in the old sense); a "Pilgrim's Progress". I wish it would go on forever, and never come to a conclusion. I can't bring myself to care if Myron's aunt gets her just desserts or not, as long as Myron continues to develop.
: Having just read the book, I am now going through this spoiler section. I am sorry for those who were disappointed by the book but I do not shar etheir feelings. IMHO Vance has finally written what he always yearned to do but which publishers prevented him doing: a plotless book.
: Call it vignettes or whatever else but to my mind it is much more along the lines of the pictorial of the peoples of the Gaean Reach developped in the book. I enjoyed it thoroughly because Vance's imagery in developping worlds from just a few sentences is so amazing.
: Plotting is quite often incidental to the rest of the books. Even in Lyonesse where a major war is being described Vance slips off into very multi-faceted journeys in other dimensions. Many others are travelogues of wandering individuals and I love them all. In that respect PoC is the most ambitious step yet.
: Julius
:::At last, Julius, the book is given its due praise.
:::Its detractors may be likened to those who go to their favourite restaurant again and again, but will not put themselves in the hands of their chef when promised a delightful, perfectly orchestrated repast -- instead, they would order only from the printed menu.
:::I expect the feast that our chef, the Grand Master, is preparing will be toothsome indeed (POC's just the appetiser). I'm salivating into my keyboard as I type.