Status
Available
Call number
Series
Publication
Harper & Row (New York, 1980). 1st edition, 1st printing. 444 pages. $12.50.
Description
Set in a world teeming with alien races and fantastic, almost magical, machinery, Valentine, an itinerant juggler, wakes up one morning with only a vague and troubled idea of who he is. He gradually discovers, through dreams and portents, that he is in fact his namesake: Lord Valentine, the Coronal, his body and throne stolen by a usurper.
User reviews
LibraryThing member rocalisa
Lord Valentine's Castle by Robert Silverberg
Come to the magical planet of Majipoor. Follow Valentine as he joins a motley band of jugglers to seek the secret of his lost past across a wide and wondrous world. In the shattered city of the Shapeshifters, in the temple of the Lady of Sleep and the
I first read this book long, long ago. It could easily have been twenty years ago. Then, somewhere in the years of house moves and book culls, my copy vanished. Of course, it was not long afterwards that I found myself with a hankering to reread the book. I checked out second hand copies as well as new, but somehow never quite made the decision to buy - buying books can be a long, complicated and expensive process here in New Zealand, especially if you want one that is older or not particularly popular. In the end, I bought an ecopy from Fictionwise and it then sat on my PDA waiting for me to find the time to read it.
I was a little concerned that the book might not stand up to my twenty (or however many) year old memories, but it came up trumps. I greatly enjoyed my long wander through Majipoor with Valentine and the others.
The plot is basically simple - the ruler of the world has his throne stolen from him and has to get it back - but Silverberg adds enough twists and turns to make it fresh. Valentine not only loses his throne, but also his memory and even his own body (although, given it was plagued with a limp, he eventually decides he got the better of the deal) and is dumped on the side of the road to make a new life and future. He falls in with a band of jugglers and, finding he has a natural talent for it, becomes one of the troop. However, his new and pleasant simple life is not allowed to last.
Plagued by dreams - on a planet where dreams hold truth, secrets and communication - the riddle of his past and identity is eventually revealed. Unable to believe it at first, he still finds himself drawn to follow the clues tossed out to him until he finds this amaing tale is true. From there, he sets about to regain his throne.
I like Valentine. At first he is almost simple, untroubled by the weights of life and responsibility, but even as he learns who he is and takes more and more onto himself, that sunny attitude almost never fades completely. The story is told in a close third person POV with Valentine as the focal character, so the only head we ever get inside is his. This means we get to know him very well, while the other characters are never as well developed. All the same, the reader (or this reader anyway) can develop a great liking for them. Besides Valentine himself, Carabella is probably my favourite character and while I fell I know her, I'd still like to know her a little better.
But really, it is Majipoor itself that is the star of the story. As Valentine and his companions slowly make their way from one side of the world to the other, the reader is taken on a fantastic journey around an amazing planet. Majipoor was originally home to the Metamorphs, a race of shapechangers, but people from Old Earth arrived fourteen thousand years ago and eventually took possession of the planet. A large range of other alien races also live on Majipoor and all are well described and make fascinating, well-rounded characters. There are the remains of the high-tech that came with the original settlers, but Majipoor is now in many ways more a fantasy world rather than a science fiction one. I love this mixture of the two genres and it is part of the attraction of the series for me.
As well as the strange races that populate the planet, the geography and flora and fauna are also unique and fascinating, from a mountain so high it's top sits outside the atmosphere and is maintained by ancient weather machines to amazing plants and creatures, Majipoor is a place of wonders and well worth the visit.
Oh, and we mustn't forget the Metamorph plot to regain their lost planet.
I never read any of the futher books in the series originally, but I am quite interested in doing so this time. The second book, Majipoor Chronicles, is now sitting on my PDA, waiting for me to have the time to read it.
Lord Valentine's Castle
Majipoor, Book 1
Robert Silverberg
9/10
Come to the magical planet of Majipoor. Follow Valentine as he joins a motley band of jugglers to seek the secret of his lost past across a wide and wondrous world. In the shattered city of the Shapeshifters, in the temple of the Lady of Sleep and the
Show More
Isle of the King of Dreams. From the depths of a dying emperor's dark domain, to the destiny that awaits him high atop Lord Valentine's Castle.I first read this book long, long ago. It could easily have been twenty years ago. Then, somewhere in the years of house moves and book culls, my copy vanished. Of course, it was not long afterwards that I found myself with a hankering to reread the book. I checked out second hand copies as well as new, but somehow never quite made the decision to buy - buying books can be a long, complicated and expensive process here in New Zealand, especially if you want one that is older or not particularly popular. In the end, I bought an ecopy from Fictionwise and it then sat on my PDA waiting for me to find the time to read it.
I was a little concerned that the book might not stand up to my twenty (or however many) year old memories, but it came up trumps. I greatly enjoyed my long wander through Majipoor with Valentine and the others.
The plot is basically simple - the ruler of the world has his throne stolen from him and has to get it back - but Silverberg adds enough twists and turns to make it fresh. Valentine not only loses his throne, but also his memory and even his own body (although, given it was plagued with a limp, he eventually decides he got the better of the deal) and is dumped on the side of the road to make a new life and future. He falls in with a band of jugglers and, finding he has a natural talent for it, becomes one of the troop. However, his new and pleasant simple life is not allowed to last.
Plagued by dreams - on a planet where dreams hold truth, secrets and communication - the riddle of his past and identity is eventually revealed. Unable to believe it at first, he still finds himself drawn to follow the clues tossed out to him until he finds this amaing tale is true. From there, he sets about to regain his throne.
I like Valentine. At first he is almost simple, untroubled by the weights of life and responsibility, but even as he learns who he is and takes more and more onto himself, that sunny attitude almost never fades completely. The story is told in a close third person POV with Valentine as the focal character, so the only head we ever get inside is his. This means we get to know him very well, while the other characters are never as well developed. All the same, the reader (or this reader anyway) can develop a great liking for them. Besides Valentine himself, Carabella is probably my favourite character and while I fell I know her, I'd still like to know her a little better.
But really, it is Majipoor itself that is the star of the story. As Valentine and his companions slowly make their way from one side of the world to the other, the reader is taken on a fantastic journey around an amazing planet. Majipoor was originally home to the Metamorphs, a race of shapechangers, but people from Old Earth arrived fourteen thousand years ago and eventually took possession of the planet. A large range of other alien races also live on Majipoor and all are well described and make fascinating, well-rounded characters. There are the remains of the high-tech that came with the original settlers, but Majipoor is now in many ways more a fantasy world rather than a science fiction one. I love this mixture of the two genres and it is part of the attraction of the series for me.
As well as the strange races that populate the planet, the geography and flora and fauna are also unique and fascinating, from a mountain so high it's top sits outside the atmosphere and is maintained by ancient weather machines to amazing plants and creatures, Majipoor is a place of wonders and well worth the visit.
Oh, and we mustn't forget the Metamorph plot to regain their lost planet.
I never read any of the futher books in the series originally, but I am quite interested in doing so this time. The second book, Majipoor Chronicles, is now sitting on my PDA, waiting for me to have the time to read it.
Lord Valentine's Castle
Majipoor, Book 1
Robert Silverberg
9/10
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LibraryThing member krisiti
More good fun. Well-realised world, lots of juggling. Odd that none of the other races (except the aboriginals) seemed to mind that all the rulers - 3 or 4 of them - were always human. But good that Valentine at least recognized that some injustice had been done to the aboriginals and that the
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shape-shifters had a reason for their act... And planned to negotiate rather than attacking them. *sigh* Everything sounds like terrorism and politics, these days. Show Less
LibraryThing member Karlstar
I love this book. Its been a long time since I've read it, but it still stands out in my mind as a science fiction classic. Not only the plot, but the huge expanse of Majipoor is what really sets this book apart. I think Silverberg created a unique setting with strong characters and a compelling
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plot. Show Less
LibraryThing member Audacity88
Robert Silverberg has, I'm willing to bet, come across meditation or similar Eastern practices. He's also clearly spent some time juggling, or at least learning how juggling works; and he has had not only had sex with but has also had a normal relationship with an actual woman. All of these facts
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are made manifest in the sometimes sober, sometimes playful, but always adult way in which Silverberg handles Valentine's development. Fantasy isn't usually this realistic. That said, the plot and characters are rather predictable; but if you won't be gasping in amazement, neither will you be chucking the book at the wall and leaving it for the sixteen-year-olds who it was written for. Show Less
LibraryThing member CaroTheLibrarian
I'm not a great reader of fantasy books, but this is a favourite of mine. In some ways it has a hefty dose of sci-fi as well. The huge planet of Majipoor was colonized by space-travelling humans thousands of years ago, and the aboriginal Metamorphs are now in a minority. Joined by several other
Valentine, whose story we follow, seems to know little of his own past, but when he falls in with a crown of itinerant jugglers he is happy to learn from them and join their band. Gradually his dreams, and those of his new friends, lead him to believe that he is not who he once was, and that a dreadful injustice has befallen him, and the planet he lives on.
Wonderful characters and the sheer scale of Majippor make this series that is well worth reading, even if you normally shy away from fantasy novels.
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races from other planets, Majipoor is a cosmopolitan place. Valentine, whose story we follow, seems to know little of his own past, but when he falls in with a crown of itinerant jugglers he is happy to learn from them and join their band. Gradually his dreams, and those of his new friends, lead him to believe that he is not who he once was, and that a dreadful injustice has befallen him, and the planet he lives on.
Wonderful characters and the sheer scale of Majippor make this series that is well worth reading, even if you normally shy away from fantasy novels.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jmourgos
[This review does contain minor spoilers.:]
Somewhat dazed, Valentine wakes up in a field somewhere and is discovered by a passing herd boy. And thus begins Valentine's journey, from a puzzled and confused amnesiac to discovering who he really is.
Can you imagine, a person who was king (or "Coronal"
Scary stuff. The first half of the book deals with not only his self-discovery, but his new loves and new adventures with people he may never have met, had he not been cast from his high and mighty throne.
The crux of the story really has to do with his own self-discovery, his haughtiness replaced with a simple understanding of reality, and then the merging of these two into Valentine the Coronal.
Several parts to this book I like. The author doesn't let on that Valentine is really actually the Coronal but weaves his readers through the self-discovery, laying clues along the way. And he does a bit of planet-building too. New aliens, ancient civilizations and so on. Unfortunately these are not fleshed out all that much.
Silverberg gets into the Metamorphs, the original race that "wasn't really using the planet anyway" and are on reservations. They're called Metamorphs because they can change themselves to look like anyone - shapeshifters.
Valentine meets with a group of jugglers who slowly realize he is not what he seems. It takes some convincing to get him to see that he is in fact the Coronal and that there is an usurper on the throne. And even then, he would prefer the simple life of a juggler to the dubious monarchy. What a conflict!
Despite the fact that there are aliens on this planet and that Earth is all but forgotten, and even the technology laid out in the story is forgotten as well, this story could easily fit in Medieval England or in a Marion Zimmer Bradley story. Calling it "science fiction" is a loose term. It's definitely a fantasy tale.
Bottom Line: Great story, full of imagery, bravery and self-discovery. I would have fleshed out some of the other alien races more and given less to the biology and geography of the planet. Perhaps Silverberg does so in the other books of the series.
Recommended!
Others of Interest:
The Book of Skulls
Valentine of Majipoor : Lord Valentine's Castle/Majipoor Chronicles/Valentine Pontifex
Collected Stories of Robert Silverberg: Volume 1 Secret Sharers
Somewhat dazed, Valentine wakes up in a field somewhere and is discovered by a passing herd boy. And thus begins Valentine's journey, from a puzzled and confused amnesiac to discovering who he really is.
Can you imagine, a person who was king (or "Coronal"
Show More
in this case) who was somehow magically switched with another body, and the new Coronal is really wearing a new body.Scary stuff. The first half of the book deals with not only his self-discovery, but his new loves and new adventures with people he may never have met, had he not been cast from his high and mighty throne.
The crux of the story really has to do with his own self-discovery, his haughtiness replaced with a simple understanding of reality, and then the merging of these two into Valentine the Coronal.
Several parts to this book I like. The author doesn't let on that Valentine is really actually the Coronal but weaves his readers through the self-discovery, laying clues along the way. And he does a bit of planet-building too. New aliens, ancient civilizations and so on. Unfortunately these are not fleshed out all that much.
Silverberg gets into the Metamorphs, the original race that "wasn't really using the planet anyway" and are on reservations. They're called Metamorphs because they can change themselves to look like anyone - shapeshifters.
Valentine meets with a group of jugglers who slowly realize he is not what he seems. It takes some convincing to get him to see that he is in fact the Coronal and that there is an usurper on the throne. And even then, he would prefer the simple life of a juggler to the dubious monarchy. What a conflict!
Despite the fact that there are aliens on this planet and that Earth is all but forgotten, and even the technology laid out in the story is forgotten as well, this story could easily fit in Medieval England or in a Marion Zimmer Bradley story. Calling it "science fiction" is a loose term. It's definitely a fantasy tale.
Bottom Line: Great story, full of imagery, bravery and self-discovery. I would have fleshed out some of the other alien races more and given less to the biology and geography of the planet. Perhaps Silverberg does so in the other books of the series.
Recommended!
Others of Interest:
The Book of Skulls
Valentine of Majipoor : Lord Valentine's Castle/Majipoor Chronicles/Valentine Pontifex
Collected Stories of Robert Silverberg: Volume 1 Secret Sharers
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LibraryThing member DinadansFriend
An interesting fantasy world, Majipoor is revealed. I believe that juggling has a large part of this book's setting.
LibraryThing member TheCrow2
On the giant planet of Majipoor Valentine is a poor amnesiac juggler who has a strange vision... he's none other than the Coronal of this world. He starts to a long and adventurous journey with his friends to reclaim his throne...
Silverberg"s book is a true classic, a must to every fantasy (and SF)
Silverberg"s book is a true classic, a must to every fantasy (and SF)
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fan. Show Less
LibraryThing member suzemo
I've had this book recommended to me a number of times, and I was prepared to love it... but I didn't.
The world-building in this book was phenomenal. I thought it was fantastic, stunning, etc. A giant planet known as Majipoor was settled, well, whenever humans fell from the sky and took the joint
It's brilliant.
And then there are the characters. I found the plot to be tedious. It's a long damned book. Worth it if you are really into world building (I loved it), but the plodding actions of the weak characters felt so tedious. The main character bored me to no end.
I (as anyone with 2 braincells to rub together) figured out immediately that the character, who wakes up with amnesia, wandering around, was the actual leader of the world, who has been replaced by evil villains. He happens to have a strong talent for juggling, so he hooks up with a mixed-race juggling troupe. He travels around, slowly discovering that he's the leader of this planet's government, and then decides he doesn't want to be? but does? And goes to his goddess-like priestess mother for help take the joint over, and then takes the joint over. The end. With plenty of trusty sidekicks, because he's naturally awesome.
I was very, very bored with the action and just wanted it over with. But I really did enjoy the world, so it wasn't a total loss.
(It, btw, feels weird to like a book I didn't like, but I do).
The world-building in this book was phenomenal. I thought it was fantastic, stunning, etc. A giant planet known as Majipoor was settled, well, whenever humans fell from the sky and took the joint
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over. There's a giant continent called Padruid where the story takes place. There is a mix of left-over-from-long-ago science and magic, different species, a fully fleshed out culture, government, society and religion.It's brilliant.
And then there are the characters. I found the plot to be tedious. It's a long damned book. Worth it if you are really into world building (I loved it), but the plodding actions of the weak characters felt so tedious. The main character bored me to no end.
I (as anyone with 2 braincells to rub together) figured out immediately that the character, who wakes up with amnesia, wandering around, was the actual leader of the world, who has been replaced by evil villains. He happens to have a strong talent for juggling, so he hooks up with a mixed-race juggling troupe. He travels around, slowly discovering that he's the leader of this planet's government, and then decides he doesn't want to be? but does? And goes to his goddess-like priestess mother for help take the joint over, and then takes the joint over. The end. With plenty of trusty sidekicks, because he's naturally awesome.
I was very, very bored with the action and just wanted it over with. But I really did enjoy the world, so it wasn't a total loss.
(It, btw, feels weird to like a book I didn't like, but I do).
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LibraryThing member bunwat
This is a long damn book, but once I stopped trying to make everything happen right now and just settled in for the ride it was a great ride, full of strange and beautiful and funny and awesome things and people.
LibraryThing member aeceyton
Another classic that I appear to re-read every decade. Delightful.
LibraryThing member wrk1
An other-world Bildungsroman with a twist--the hero starts his journey as an adult with no past. A compelling read.
LibraryThing member thesmellofbooks
I didn't finish this. I read two, three hundred pages, but despite its charms there is a hollowness to the book. Now let's do this, now let's go there. So much description of places that we visit for a moment and then leave. The protagonist has an interesting enough story. If Silverberg had
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stripped out two thirds of the padding it might have been a more gripping book. On the other hand, a lot of other people liked it very much. Just not my thing. Show Less
LibraryThing member ragwaine
I've had this books sitting on my shelf for no less than 20 years. Eventually saw it available on audiobook and decided it was finally time to find out what this classic was all about.
The first quarter of the book was pretty boring. Way too much minutiae about juggling. I almost gave up. Glad I
I get the feeling that back in the day (when I was kid and before) authors mixed fantasy and sci-fi a lot more readily than they do nowadays. It was strange because the book read like a regular fantasy book 90% of the time, but then he would talk about aliens, or other planets, and hovercraft. It kind of jolted me out of the story.
The first quarter of the book was pretty boring. Way too much minutiae about juggling. I almost gave up. Glad I
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didn't. It got better. I get the feeling that back in the day (when I was kid and before) authors mixed fantasy and sci-fi a lot more readily than they do nowadays. It was strange because the book read like a regular fantasy book 90% of the time, but then he would talk about aliens, or other planets, and hovercraft. It kind of jolted me out of the story.
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LibraryThing member raschneid
This was a lovely book, a picaresque adventure through an incredibly rich and wonder-filled world, played absolutely straight. It took me a while to read because it is so very linear—the characters are likable but uncomplicated, and there's this storybook certainty to the narrative that
I will note that certain details of the plot seem to make no sense, but this is definitely not a book that requires a logical plot. Additionally, Silverberg's female characters, while much better written than I expected, have a couple of WTF moments, and I would have liked to see more gender balance overall.
Nevertheless, a really exceptional adventure tale and not to be missed.
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everything will come out right in the end, despite momentary setbacks.I will note that certain details of the plot seem to make no sense, but this is definitely not a book that requires a logical plot. Additionally, Silverberg's female characters, while much better written than I expected, have a couple of WTF moments, and I would have liked to see more gender balance overall.
Nevertheless, a really exceptional adventure tale and not to be missed.
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LibraryThing member Hamburgerclan
There's been many science fiction "classics" that I have yet to read. Most of the time it's because I usually find the second or third part of a series when I hit the book sales. How I managed to snag this one, the first book of the Majipoor Chronicles, I forget. Anyway, it's an enjoyable book
--J.
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about a man named Valentine, who wakes up amnesiac on a hill overlooking a city. He manages to hook up with a group of jugglers and hits the road with them. However, the tour turns into a quest involving the Coronal of Majipoor, the second most important official on the planet, who also happens to bear the name Valentine. It was an enjoyable, well-crafted book. One of the last I put on my shelf before I took all my books off the shelf and packed them up.--J.
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LibraryThing member thosgpetri
An exciting read, a well created world, all the creative genius Silverberg is so well known for. A dangerous journey with a person who has no idea who he is or knowledge of his life prior to where the story begins. As he wanders looking for clues about himself, he picks up a small band of followers
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who help him in his search for his true identity. The group becomes completely taken by the amnesiac's intelligence and warm manner. The outcome is easily guessed at, but the journey raises question for our protagonists to work through and dangers they face, holds the reader's attention for the length of the book. Loved it Show Less
Awards
Hugo Award (Nominee — Novel — 1981)
Locus Award (Finalist — Fantasy Novel — 1981)
Locus All-Time Best (Fantasy Novel — 25 — 1987)
Best Fiction for Young Adults (Selection — 1980)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1980
Physical description
444 p.; 9.2 inches
ISBN
0060140267 / 9780060140267