brendamn's reviews
363 reviews

I honestly don't know what I just read here. There is a coherent enough plot to string everything along forward, so the book wasn't unreadable even if a majority of the subtext flew over my head. So much of it remains a mystery, but I still came out in the end with a valuable interpretation of my own. I don't know if that was the intention. On one hand it feels like the kind of book where author's intent becomes very important to know in order to "get" the book. Though somehow simultaneously it also gives the feeling that any intent Delany might have doesn't matter, the book proves so amorphous that hammering for a unified meaning would only detract from its power. I think William Gibson put it best, Dhalgren is "a riddle that was never meant to be solved".

It takes on class struggle, sexuality, racial injustice, and mid 20th century bohemia and scales it all down to just a "city" of 1,000 or so people. If that sounds like a lot of people, it is not.

I have my own goofy interpretation of what the book really is trying to do, but probably best to keep to myself. This is the sort of book where it is better to have everything revealed along the way.

The only reason I read through Pratchett's series on Death was to finally read Hogfather. The three preceding books were entertaining throughout, as Pratchett is incapable of otherwise, although except for Mort it was quite mediocre. In the end it was worth it, Hogfather is up there with the best of his works that I have read so far.

An undeniably creative and insightful take on the nature of mythology and belief. The silliness of Pratchett's characters and circumstances on the surface give the impression of a popcorn read without substance, no offense, but there is always a depth to them that would catch the uninitiated off guard. At least that had been my initial impression, shame on me for underestimating Sir Terry Pratchett.

My now second favorite Discworld book after Small Gods, but there is still much more for me to explore within his realm. Everything I have read so far has been worth the effort, I dare say it might be impossible to be disappointed no matter what you pick up within Pratchett's catalogue.

The most powerful concept that is conveyed in Rendezvous with Rama is that the more you learn about something you are left with more questions than answers. Each discovery made strengthens the mystery of what it is that you are dealing with. Even at the end of the book there is so much that is left unknown, but hopefully all the pieces will fall into place with the subsequent Rama novels.

This actually is not as frustrating as it might possibly be seen. In fact, it is what makes Rendezvous with Rama so magnificent. With the book starting at a place where absolutely nothing is known every discovery big or small adds to the intrigue. Those discoveries make the place become a little more real each time, and fuels an eagerness for the next layer to be revealed.

Rendezvous with Rama had a seemingly slow build up for a book of under 250 pages, but I believe it added a lot to the tension and feeling of suspense. Besides, since it isn't a standalone novel any slowness is not a real loss, and there is (at least at this point) much more left to be revealed. I had been looking forward to getting into another Arthur C. Clarke book after Childhood's End, and I am glad my anticipation was not in vain.

A masterfully written book that I couldn't wait to be completely done with. Thanks I absolutely hate it. Possibly the most vile character I have come across in any book. Yes, there are characters who have done much worse in terms of crimes than Humbert Humbert in other works, but it is the vivid detail that makes it so much more horrid. Him taking you through his rationale, thought process, and salivating the whole time. I wish I could spend my time talking about the merits of the book, but the stench of H.H. is so overwhelming that I can't bring myself to do that.