Re: Some Thoughts on Re-reading

Subject:

Comments:
: : : : : : I'm re-reading Araminta Station, and what a delight it is! : : : ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : I think "Araminta Station" is brilliant; moreover--and lots of people will take strong issue with this--I think it's Mr. Vance's last really good book, ranking right up there with the Tschai or Anome series. : : : The whole dilemma of the Yips speaks to one of the main issues of our times, namely: who is to do society's scut work? : : : Yipton seemed like a cross between Bali, Bangkok, Tijuana, and the West Bank. Glawen's experiences there were very moving, as was the fate of Kirdy Wook. : : : I, too could re-read this book several times more. Can't say that for Night Lamp, Rhialto et al. Sorry, but that's how it is.... : : I agree fully with you about this. It's my suspicion that the reason : : the sequels to Araminta Station are progressively shorter is that : : Jack Vance's vision was rapidly failing at that time, and the effort : : of writing a complex, detailed narrative such as Araminta was beyond : : him. : : His more recent books seem, to me, to be like Reader's Digest : : Condensed Books. The basic stuff is there, but the wordy elaborations : : which are characteristic of Vance at his finest are missing. : : "Nightlamp" seemed to me to be in the nature of an encore in a : : vaudeville where all the performers come back onto stage together for : : a last farewell to the spectators: there's the formidable dame (Dame Clytie and the Clattuc : : sisters), there's the slim-hipped, competent protagonist, and so on. : : BTW, I hope everyone has read "Ecce and Old Earth" and "Throy." Although : : they get bad press, esp. "Throy," in fact each is perfectly : : proportioned to the plot it contains. The ending of "Throy" moves me : : to tears, but I suppose that's just because I'm a sentimental old : : sap. : I really enjoyed the Cadwal trilogy. I think I was angry because Throy was so short compared to the other two, but I suppose I selfishly wanted it to go on forever. I think of that trilogy and Lyonesse as Vance's modern phase, particularly because of the prominence of the female protagonists. Compare just the attention given to Suldrun, Madouc and Wayness, among others, to the place of women in the earlier books, especially the space adventure stories--the difference is striking. Also in general it seems to me that in these trilogies Vance attends more to character development. Perhaps that is in response to criticism, or maybe he just felt he had more space for it in these longer formats. Anyway, it is one of the things that for me makes these books a little more interesting than some of the others, though they are very pleasing in their own way, too. : Gene

Optional Link URL:
Link Title:
Optional Image URL: