Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Angry Robot (2010), Paperback, 416 pages
Description
When his girlfriend is killed in a terrorist attack committed by the sinister Bookman, young poet Orphan becomes involved in a web of secrets and lies. His quest to uncover the truth takes him from the hidden catacombs of a London on the brink of revolution, through pirate-infested seas, to the mysterious island that may hold the secret to the origin not only of the shadowy Bookman, but of Orphan himself.
User reviews
LibraryThing member clfisha
Deliciously exuberant Steampunk
Have an urge for wild adventure? Need to rub up against pirates, anarchists, poets and automatons? Fight shadowy forces fighting against the British Empire firmly in control of sentient Lizards? Want to ride strange steam powered contraptions and float high in secret,
This book is a must if you want a fun, playful, lovingly written adventurous tale seeped in a rich world bursting with Victoriana. Take delight in spotting all the references and just wallow in the novelty of it all. It’s packed to the rafters with ideas, some vivid set pieces, a multitude of characters and to be honest it’s hard to find fault.
Maybe I was just in the mood for it. I grew to enjoy the passive main character because it perfectly suits the world and I blinked happily over tiny bits of info dumping. Ok it’s gently paced at 1st, with the winding plot/short chapters stopping the whoosh of a fast paced story but that’s no bad thing. No I guess it's just down to taste: there IS a lot going on, characters can swish in and out, the main character is a poet with a lost love and I guess it depends whether a missed reference will drive you to insanity and despair.
Actually if you don't like this book it will be like kicking a puppy. A mechanical puppy, that probably turns out to be a cool explosive device but still a cute one with doleful eyes. So recommended. I mean royal lizards! Come on!
Have an urge for wild adventure? Need to rub up against pirates, anarchists, poets and automatons? Fight shadowy forces fighting against the British Empire firmly in control of sentient Lizards? Want to ride strange steam powered contraptions and float high in secret,
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silent airships? See what inspired Jules Verne and terrified Irene Adler?This book is a must if you want a fun, playful, lovingly written adventurous tale seeped in a rich world bursting with Victoriana. Take delight in spotting all the references and just wallow in the novelty of it all. It’s packed to the rafters with ideas, some vivid set pieces, a multitude of characters and to be honest it’s hard to find fault.
Maybe I was just in the mood for it. I grew to enjoy the passive main character because it perfectly suits the world and I blinked happily over tiny bits of info dumping. Ok it’s gently paced at 1st, with the winding plot/short chapters stopping the whoosh of a fast paced story but that’s no bad thing. No I guess it's just down to taste: there IS a lot going on, characters can swish in and out, the main character is a poet with a lost love and I guess it depends whether a missed reference will drive you to insanity and despair.
Actually if you don't like this book it will be like kicking a puppy. A mechanical puppy, that probably turns out to be a cool explosive device but still a cute one with doleful eyes. So recommended. I mean royal lizards! Come on!
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LibraryThing member richardderus
Rating: 3* of five
The Book Report: Why have I been trying to do these myself? The book description from Amazon says:
“A masked terrorist has brought London to its knees -- there are bombs inside books, and nobody knows which ones. On the day of the launch of the first expedition to Mars, by giant
For young poet Orphan, trapped in the screaming audience, it seems his destiny is entwined with that of the shadowy terrorist, but how? His quest to uncover the truth takes him from the hidden catacombs of London on the brink of revolution, through pirate-infested seas, to the mysterious island that may hold the secret to the origin not only of the shadowy Bookman, but of Orphan himself...
Like a steam-powered take on V for Vendetta, rich with satire and slashed through with automatons, giant lizards, pirates, airships and wild adventure. The Bookman is the first of a series.
File Under: Steampunk {Alternate History! | Reptilian Royalty! | Diabolical Anarchists! | Extraordinary Adventure!}”
Fair enough.
My Review: It is a simple truism that it's easier to review a book you hated than one you loved, because snark and sarcasm are not difficult to pull off and sincerity is.
I didn't hate this book, and I most certainly didn't love it. I was alternately amused by its cleverness and exasperated by its clever-clever overkill on the world-building front. Not infrequently both simultaneously.
I wanted to like this. And I almost do. But there are simply too many things that rub my tender spots in a disagreeable way. I found the Parliament of Payne cheeky at first, then irksome, in their silly caperings at famous poets (eg, Oscar Wilde) and then their surveillance of Les Lezards. The existence of Les Lezards wore on me a lot faster than I thought it would, too. I know I've carried on about majgicqk and talking dragons and phantaissiee and its manifold mispelings and random capitalization sins, but I was counting on extraterrestriality to make Les Lezards work for me.
Nope.
And yet, while I'm far, far more conversant with loss than I'd like to be, I can still recognize and appreciate the experience of grief well-rendered into prose. Orphan's griefon losing his beloved Lucy, and his only parent-equivalent Gilgamesh is well and accurately written, making his actions fall into a completely comprehensible pattern.
But the clever-clever far outweighed this grace-note writing. Isabella Beeton, the cookbook writer, as an anarchist. Irene Adler, that all-purpose baddie in alt-Victoriana, in a return engagement in the role. Mycroft Holmes as a cross between M and Q from the Bond flicks (sort of). Prime Minister Moriarty. (Fiction + fact = faction?) A reference to Beerbohm Tree, for cryin' out loud! (Only reason I'd ever heard the name was being a theater fag in high school.) The map of London all flippied and damzeled about, which I sort of followed but not really; I suspect a Londoner or permaybehaps even just a Brit would get more out of these things than a mere colonial. Honestly, after a while I wanted to say, “dim down a notch, presh, we get it...you know your onions...now just write me a goddam story.”
Oh, whatever, it's just not there for me in this book, while it might be for you. I'd say this: Don't read past p124 if you're not flying in the door to finish where you left off.
The Book Report: Why have I been trying to do these myself? The book description from Amazon says:
“A masked terrorist has brought London to its knees -- there are bombs inside books, and nobody knows which ones. On the day of the launch of the first expedition to Mars, by giant
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cannon, he outdoes himself with an audacious attack.For young poet Orphan, trapped in the screaming audience, it seems his destiny is entwined with that of the shadowy terrorist, but how? His quest to uncover the truth takes him from the hidden catacombs of London on the brink of revolution, through pirate-infested seas, to the mysterious island that may hold the secret to the origin not only of the shadowy Bookman, but of Orphan himself...
Like a steam-powered take on V for Vendetta, rich with satire and slashed through with automatons, giant lizards, pirates, airships and wild adventure. The Bookman is the first of a series.
File Under: Steampunk {Alternate History! | Reptilian Royalty! | Diabolical Anarchists! | Extraordinary Adventure!}”
Fair enough.
My Review: It is a simple truism that it's easier to review a book you hated than one you loved, because snark and sarcasm are not difficult to pull off and sincerity is.
I didn't hate this book, and I most certainly didn't love it. I was alternately amused by its cleverness and exasperated by its clever-clever overkill on the world-building front. Not infrequently both simultaneously.
I wanted to like this. And I almost do. But there are simply too many things that rub my tender spots in a disagreeable way. I found the Parliament of Payne cheeky at first, then irksome, in their silly caperings at famous poets (eg, Oscar Wilde) and then their surveillance of Les Lezards. The existence of Les Lezards wore on me a lot faster than I thought it would, too. I know I've carried on about majgicqk and talking dragons and phantaissiee and its manifold mispelings and random capitalization sins, but I was counting on extraterrestriality to make Les Lezards work for me.
Nope.
And yet, while I'm far, far more conversant with loss than I'd like to be, I can still recognize and appreciate the experience of grief well-rendered into prose. Orphan's grief
But the clever-clever far outweighed this grace-note writing. Isabella Beeton, the cookbook writer, as an anarchist. Irene Adler, that all-purpose baddie in alt-Victoriana, in a return engagement in the role. Mycroft Holmes as a cross between M and Q from the Bond flicks (sort of). Prime Minister Moriarty. (Fiction + fact = faction?) A reference to Beerbohm Tree, for cryin' out loud! (Only reason I'd ever heard the name was being a theater fag in high school.) The map of London all flippied and damzeled about, which I sort of followed but not really; I suspect a Londoner or permaybehaps even just a Brit would get more out of these things than a mere colonial. Honestly, after a while I wanted to say, “dim down a notch, presh, we get it...you know your onions...now just write me a goddam story.”
Oh, whatever, it's just not there for me in this book, while it might be for you. I'd say this: Don't read past p124 if you're not flying in the door to finish where you left off.
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LibraryThing member Dan1982
Set in an alternative version of 19th century earth, with a point of divergence to our timeline sometime in the early 16th century, The Bookman is without a doubt the most enjoyable, fascinating and captivating book I have read in a long time. It has managed to claim the throne as my favorite
The Bookman is steampunk on multiple levels. Not only because of the plot and the world with its automatons, simulacra and the giant space cannon, it is also in itself an intricate work of art, very much like clockwork. The story’s depth is revealed piece by piece, gear by gear, during the entire length of the novel up until the end, which makes for a very exciting and captivating read.
The reason for its ability to have constantly kept my attention is simple: Whenever I thought I finally understood what was going on and what motivations the protagonists had, another layer of the plot was revealed, another important detail added. This way, a number of theories about what was really going on were shattered and The Bookman kept on surprising me.
It took me very much until the last chapter to piece all the details together, combine all the different gears and cogwheels to one beautiful apparatus, to grasp the full expanse of what was actually going on right from the start of the novel. Finally in the end I understood and was left with the images of a truly fascinating story and world in my mind.
But it is not only the depth of the plot, its many twists and mysteries which kept me glued to its pages, it is also the cast of characters and the many striking details of the world, which make this book so enjoyable.
Lavie Tidhar creates his own reality in which I, while following the main protagonist Orphan, met well known fictional characters and real historic people and sometimes the person and their fictional invention. Jules Verne plays a part in the story and is very much involved in the machinations of the novel’s namesake, the Bookman. He is accompanied by Robur and he takes Orphan on a ride on board the Nautilus and also The Nautilus.
Others are only mentioned in conversation, like Dr. Marbuse, Lovecraft’s Herbert West, even Sherlock Holmes.
Further real-world Victorian notables who play their part range from Karl Marx to Isabella Beeton.
Books, rather unsurprisingly, in many ways also play a significant role in this novel. Books lead the way, books are powerful and books blur the borders of reality. There is a room where Orphan investigates a bookshelf stacked with books that feel strange to him. The titles on the shelf include The Grasshopper Lies Heavy, The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism and De Vermis Mysteriis.
Blurred reality, illusions and deceptions are recurring motifs in The Bookman. This too, adds to the fascination of this novel. After a while I knew that there would be another twist and another layer revealed, yet I could not say when this would happen and what impact it would have on the story and the development of the plot.
However, it is only the reader and the characters who get deceived. The plot itself remains coherent; all the events which unfold make perfect sense and reveal the complete picture in the end.
One final fascinating element of the novel I shall not go pass without mention is Lavie Tidhars use of mythology. Many elements of earth’s mythology, mostly from the ancient Near East, flow into the novel. Orphan also encounters a number characters who, for one reason or another, are in possession of acient secrets and long forgotten tales. Mentioned in the margins are surprising details of The Bookman’s version of earth and its history, which in combination create a whole new mythology with Les Lezards, The Bookman, The Binder and Orphan as the focal points and keystones.
At the end of the novel, there are still many unanswered questions and some events to which the story has built up towards finally happen.
Although the story of The Bookman is finished and Orphan has gained what he wanted, there are many things the sequel can latch onto.
I am looking forward to the next chapter of this saga: Camera Obscura
So, I can wholeheartedly recommend The Bookman to any and all Steamunks out there, it is one captivating read, set in a beautiful, strange world, not really like our own but also not too far removed.
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steampunk novel from Moorcock’s A Nomad of the Time Streams.The Bookman is steampunk on multiple levels. Not only because of the plot and the world with its automatons, simulacra and the giant space cannon, it is also in itself an intricate work of art, very much like clockwork. The story’s depth is revealed piece by piece, gear by gear, during the entire length of the novel up until the end, which makes for a very exciting and captivating read.
The reason for its ability to have constantly kept my attention is simple: Whenever I thought I finally understood what was going on and what motivations the protagonists had, another layer of the plot was revealed, another important detail added. This way, a number of theories about what was really going on were shattered and The Bookman kept on surprising me.
It took me very much until the last chapter to piece all the details together, combine all the different gears and cogwheels to one beautiful apparatus, to grasp the full expanse of what was actually going on right from the start of the novel. Finally in the end I understood and was left with the images of a truly fascinating story and world in my mind.
But it is not only the depth of the plot, its many twists and mysteries which kept me glued to its pages, it is also the cast of characters and the many striking details of the world, which make this book so enjoyable.
Lavie Tidhar creates his own reality in which I, while following the main protagonist Orphan, met well known fictional characters and real historic people and sometimes the person and their fictional invention. Jules Verne plays a part in the story and is very much involved in the machinations of the novel’s namesake, the Bookman. He is accompanied by Robur and he takes Orphan on a ride on board the Nautilus and also The Nautilus.
Others are only mentioned in conversation, like Dr. Marbuse, Lovecraft’s Herbert West, even Sherlock Holmes.
Further real-world Victorian notables who play their part range from Karl Marx to Isabella Beeton.
Books, rather unsurprisingly, in many ways also play a significant role in this novel. Books lead the way, books are powerful and books blur the borders of reality. There is a room where Orphan investigates a bookshelf stacked with books that feel strange to him. The titles on the shelf include The Grasshopper Lies Heavy, The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism and De Vermis Mysteriis.
Blurred reality, illusions and deceptions are recurring motifs in The Bookman. This too, adds to the fascination of this novel. After a while I knew that there would be another twist and another layer revealed, yet I could not say when this would happen and what impact it would have on the story and the development of the plot.
However, it is only the reader and the characters who get deceived. The plot itself remains coherent; all the events which unfold make perfect sense and reveal the complete picture in the end.
One final fascinating element of the novel I shall not go pass without mention is Lavie Tidhars use of mythology. Many elements of earth’s mythology, mostly from the ancient Near East, flow into the novel. Orphan also encounters a number characters who, for one reason or another, are in possession of acient secrets and long forgotten tales. Mentioned in the margins are surprising details of The Bookman’s version of earth and its history, which in combination create a whole new mythology with Les Lezards, The Bookman, The Binder and Orphan as the focal points and keystones.
At the end of the novel, there are still many unanswered questions and some events to which the story has built up towards finally happen.
Although the story of The Bookman is finished and Orphan has gained what he wanted, there are many things the sequel can latch onto.
I am looking forward to the next chapter of this saga: Camera Obscura
So, I can wholeheartedly recommend The Bookman to any and all Steamunks out there, it is one captivating read, set in a beautiful, strange world, not really like our own but also not too far removed.
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LibraryThing member dulac3
2.5 – 3 stars
I’m a bit torn about _The Bookman_. On the one hand it exemplifies a lot of the key elements of steampunk. One the other hand it exemplifies a lot of the key elements of steampunk. Maybe I should explain.
I’m not quite sure where I stand in regards to steampunk as a genre. In many
_The Bookman_ has a lot going for it: an interesting alternate earth where a key event in the past has changed the course of human history (namely the discovery of Caliban’s Island where a previously unknown race of Lizard people (Les Lézards) are discovered who promptly take over the British Empire, turning it into their own world-spanning government); the introduction of a race of automatons of varied origins and types who play an interesting role in the overarching story of this world; a metric (or is that Imperial?) tonne of secondary characters and references pulled from the world of Victorian (and earlier/later) fiction and history. This last could also be listed as one of the things the book has that is *not* always going for it. While it is undoubtedly great fun to play ‘name that reference’ (it’s actually one of the most enjoyable aspects of the book), it can sometimes seem to verge on being a bit much (as a writer I think you have to be careful to make sure your easter eggs don’t counterbalance the actual story, even if they are a lot of fun). Definitely got a "League of Extraordinary Gentleman" and Wold-Newton universe vibe from this stuff.
The greatest failing of the book for me, though, was the fact that the main character, Orphan, was an incredibly boring cypher. It seemed like all of his actions (those few times he did act as opposed to being pushed by circumstance or other characters) were merely the contrivance of the author to get him where he needed to be. Now granted that his mysterious and unknown background partially played into this aspect of his character and he *was* being overtly manipulated by other characters as part of the plot, so his lack of agency is perhaps understandable, but I still found him to be so uninteresting, really nothing more than a pair of eyes through which the reader could experience the author’s steampunk world, that I just couldn’t sustain any lasting interest in him. I also didn’t really buy his own personal motivations for following his quest, despite the fact that I kept being told how much he loved his lost girlfriend and wanted to reach for the remote possibility of bringing her back from the land of death. It’s weird, really. On the one hand it seems like the author wanted Orphan to be a non-traditional ‘hero’, something different (really the exact opposite) from the ready-for-action swashbuckling adventurer that the fictional inspirations for this book would have led us to expect, and yet on the other hand falls into making him simply fulfill a different stock role: the unexpected hero of low birth who discovers the secret of his true noble origins as he is thrust into the events of the wider world.
Ok, a lot of harsh there along with some damning with faint praise I guess. This book still did have a lot going for it. There were many scenes that just came off really well and were lots of fun (Orphan’s discussion with the Turk and the character of Captain Wyvern are two that stand out for me). For the most part these episodes generally involved cool secondary characters (and alternate world versions of same) from the ‘name that reference’ game, or provided a springboard for a further expansion of Tidhar’s admittedly fascinating worldbuilding. The best of these moments for my money was the point at which Orphan gets to the mysterious island of Les Lézards. This was really quite cool. I got a really ‘Lost’ (the TV series) vibe from this episode and that, coupled with the revelations presented, helped to make Orphan’s quest seem more engaging (and even did a little to make Orphan himself a bit more interesting). When we get down to brass tacks, though, Orphan’s overall story just didn’t have the same shine for me as the ‘extra’ elements of the story did.
All in all it was a fun book, but I’m still left with a sense of ambivalence about steampunk overall.
I’m a bit torn about _The Bookman_. On the one hand it exemplifies a lot of the key elements of steampunk. One the other hand it exemplifies a lot of the key elements of steampunk. Maybe I should explain.
I’m not quite sure where I stand in regards to steampunk as a genre. In many
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ways it seems to me less a genre than an excuse for cosplay on the one hand and fan fiction on the other. I mean once you get rid of the goggles and corsets, the airships and gears what have you really got? Oftentimes it is little more than a writer playing with his favourite Victorian era characters/settings in a mashed up version of penny-dreadful and video game. Now let me say that I love video games, and penny-dreadfuls can be a lot of fun, but I’m just uncertain how much all of the motley elements of steampunk really meld successfully into what I would consider a genre. That said…there’s a lot of cool in the idea of steampunk which is, I guess, why it’s become so popular. Ok, let’s move on._The Bookman_ has a lot going for it: an interesting alternate earth where a key event in the past has changed the course of human history (namely the discovery of Caliban’s Island where a previously unknown race of Lizard people (Les Lézards) are discovered who promptly take over the British Empire, turning it into their own world-spanning government); the introduction of a race of automatons of varied origins and types who play an interesting role in the overarching story of this world; a metric (or is that Imperial?) tonne of secondary characters and references pulled from the world of Victorian (and earlier/later) fiction and history. This last could also be listed as one of the things the book has that is *not* always going for it. While it is undoubtedly great fun to play ‘name that reference’ (it’s actually one of the most enjoyable aspects of the book), it can sometimes seem to verge on being a bit much (as a writer I think you have to be careful to make sure your easter eggs don’t counterbalance the actual story, even if they are a lot of fun). Definitely got a "League of Extraordinary Gentleman" and Wold-Newton universe vibe from this stuff.
The greatest failing of the book for me, though, was the fact that the main character, Orphan, was an incredibly boring cypher. It seemed like all of his actions (those few times he did act as opposed to being pushed by circumstance or other characters) were merely the contrivance of the author to get him where he needed to be. Now granted that his mysterious and unknown background partially played into this aspect of his character and he *was* being overtly manipulated by other characters as part of the plot, so his lack of agency is perhaps understandable, but I still found him to be so uninteresting, really nothing more than a pair of eyes through which the reader could experience the author’s steampunk world, that I just couldn’t sustain any lasting interest in him. I also didn’t really buy his own personal motivations for following his quest, despite the fact that I kept being told how much he loved his lost girlfriend and wanted to reach for the remote possibility of bringing her back from the land of death. It’s weird, really. On the one hand it seems like the author wanted Orphan to be a non-traditional ‘hero’, something different (really the exact opposite) from the ready-for-action swashbuckling adventurer that the fictional inspirations for this book would have led us to expect, and yet on the other hand falls into making him simply fulfill a different stock role: the unexpected hero of low birth who discovers the secret of his true noble origins as he is thrust into the events of the wider world.
Ok, a lot of harsh there along with some damning with faint praise I guess. This book still did have a lot going for it. There were many scenes that just came off really well and were lots of fun (Orphan’s discussion with the Turk and the character of Captain Wyvern are two that stand out for me). For the most part these episodes generally involved cool secondary characters (and alternate world versions of same) from the ‘name that reference’ game, or provided a springboard for a further expansion of Tidhar’s admittedly fascinating worldbuilding. The best of these moments for my money was the point at which Orphan gets to the mysterious island of Les Lézards. This was really quite cool. I got a really ‘Lost’ (the TV series) vibe from this episode and that, coupled with the revelations presented, helped to make Orphan’s quest seem more engaging (and even did a little to make Orphan himself a bit more interesting). When we get down to brass tacks, though, Orphan’s overall story just didn’t have the same shine for me as the ‘extra’ elements of the story did.
All in all it was a fun book, but I’m still left with a sense of ambivalence about steampunk overall.
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LibraryThing member irunsjh
I enjoyed this book and will move forward with the series. I did find the stroy a little confusing, but I think that was on purpose as Orphan was confused as who The Bookman, his counterparts and their motives really were. Another winner from Angry Robot.
LibraryThing member Nodosaurus
The Bookman is different from any novel I've read. I'd call it steampunk, with a twist. It is an adventure novel with many twists done in a masterful fashion. It has an array of characters, known and new, that fit into a well-told story. The story weaves pirates, androids (automatons), aliens, and
The story follows Orphan, a youth coming of age, who didn't know his parents. He is raised by Gilgamesh, and finds himself being played as a pawn in a giant power struggle. When his love is killed by an exploding book, he becomes involved in his own struggle to get her back, entangling him with a robotic terrorist, lizards from space, and pirates. But nothing is quite what it seems.
I found the pace of the book masterful. It moves quickly, with just the right amount of slow pacing to provide contrast and let things settle. Most of the characters appear for a few pages, then disappear. The plot is unclear. Every chapter or two, we learn more, it all makes sense, then it changes again.
The writing is good, too. Orhan's love, Lucy is studying whales in the Thames. The whales become a symbol of their love, and becomes a harbinger event to come. The author often uses unusual adjectives that provide an otherworldly feel for characters and events, yet seem quite natural.
I would encourage you to read this one if you enjoy adventure books or like something a bit out of the ordinary. Your creative mind will thank you.
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revolutionaries into an intricate story. It is set in history with many characters, both real and fictional, including kings and queens, Mycroft Holmes, Moriarty, Gilgamesh, Jules Verne, and others. It involves lands that are familiar, but somehow different. We recognize many place names, but they've been altered to fit a new history. The story follows Orphan, a youth coming of age, who didn't know his parents. He is raised by Gilgamesh, and finds himself being played as a pawn in a giant power struggle. When his love is killed by an exploding book, he becomes involved in his own struggle to get her back, entangling him with a robotic terrorist, lizards from space, and pirates. But nothing is quite what it seems.
I found the pace of the book masterful. It moves quickly, with just the right amount of slow pacing to provide contrast and let things settle. Most of the characters appear for a few pages, then disappear. The plot is unclear. Every chapter or two, we learn more, it all makes sense, then it changes again.
The writing is good, too. Orhan's love, Lucy is studying whales in the Thames. The whales become a symbol of their love, and becomes a harbinger event to come. The author often uses unusual adjectives that provide an otherworldly feel for characters and events, yet seem quite natural.
I would encourage you to read this one if you enjoy adventure books or like something a bit out of the ordinary. Your creative mind will thank you.
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LibraryThing member bookwyrmm
I have not read many steampunk novels before, but I do love the genre - and The Bookman is a perfect example. This is a story of adventure, automatons, and aliens set in an alternate Victorian England and populated with both real and fictional people of the time period. And, since most readers are
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booklovers, the plot largely centers around books (which makes Tidhar's writing roughly reminiscent of one of my favorites - Jasper Fforde). This book is a delight for any fan of the genre, and a good introduction for those wanting to try steampunk. Show Less
LibraryThing member amandrake
Steampunk and a bit literary; good as far as it goes, but the author is a trifle too clever (or perhaps ambitious) and there's things (like the inclusion of Irene Adler) that are not particularly useful and, I think, distract from the storyline.
Which is a shame, because his ideas and style are
Which is a shame, because his ideas and style are
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interesting, and his inclusion of Vauchon's devices as leading towards a steampunk development of a Babbage brain make some sense. More time could have been spent on key elements without affecting narrating pacing, and the concept of the "bookman" is rather lost in the shuffle. Show Less
LibraryThing member Groovybaby
I would have liked to have liked this book more but I think far too much time was spent in the set up of the story than the actual tale. I liked the character of Orphan but was disapointed with the predictable fairy tale jouney his character was sent on. That said, there were some definate bright
I guess I was happy enough with the ending even though the book started slow, I was a bit disapointed with the predictability of some of the villians but it was an ok read over all.
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sides to this book and I think it was a worthy enough read for those plot twists alone. I'm not a fan of folks who take real people and give them histories other than their own but the idea of Byron as an automaton settled well enough in the midst if this steam-punk fantasy that I could forgive that slight. I guess I was happy enough with the ending even though the book started slow, I was a bit disapointed with the predictability of some of the villians but it was an ok read over all.
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LibraryThing member krau0098
I read the 2nd book in the Bookman Histories, Camera Obscura, last year and really enjoyed it. I was excited to go back and read the book that started it all. Unfortunately this book was just okay for me; I had trouble engaging with the characters and the story just seemed to drag on and on.
I
This book tells the story of Orphen. He is a poet who wants nothing more than to live our his life with his beloved Lucy. When Lucy is murdered by the terrorist The Bookman, Orphen goes on a quest of revenge. He will either get Lucy back, kill the Bookman, or die trying. Unfortunately for Orphen he becomes deeply embroiled in a plot full of alien lizard races and automatons.
As with Camera Obscura, I enjoyed the wonderfully creative world here. The British Empire is run by a lizard race, automatons are struggling for their rights, and the Bookman seems to have eyes and agents everywhere. Unfortunately since I was introduced to this world in Camera Obscura, while I still enjoyed it, some of the novelty had worn off for me.
I had a lot of trouble engaging with Orphen. His is kind of whiny and weak as a character; he is a poet at heart and spends a lot of time whining about loosing Lucy. He wants to take action but is continually swept up in events that are bigger than he is. By his own omission for most of the book he is a pawn.
The majority of the storyline revolves around political struggles between the lizard folk, the Bookman, the Automatons, and the British people. If you like politics you may really enjoy this. I personally am not big on politically focused books and constantly had trouble staying engaged in the story.
The story takes many side trips along the way. You may find yourself suddenly emerged in a history of this or that when you thought you were on an adventure to a different locale. This lead to the storyline being somewhat ambiguous and convoluted. I was listening to this and constantly found my mind wandering and missing parts of the story because I just couldn’t stay interested in what was going on.
As I said the writing wanders a bit and the pacing is slow. There is some wonderful descriptive writing throughout though and the dark and bleak environments really come alive. There is an oddly heavy science fiction element to this steampunk story as well.
Overall an okay book. The world is wondrous and creative and the descriptions very well done. The main character of Orphan was a weak one though and I had trouble staying engaged. The story was ambiguous at times and wandered quite a bit, again I had trouble staying focused on what was going on at points because I just didn’t care. The story was very political in nature, which I don’t care much for. If you love steampunk stories and are interested in a politically motivated steampunk story that is a bit ambiguous you might like this book. Personally I would recommend Cherie Priest’s Clockwork Century series over this one.
I
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listened to this on audiobook which I do not recommend. The narrator distinguished between voices of different characters well, but his choices for voices were often shrill and obnoxious. There were character voices in the book that made me flinch with their shrillness. Definitely don’t listen to this on audiobook.This book tells the story of Orphen. He is a poet who wants nothing more than to live our his life with his beloved Lucy. When Lucy is murdered by the terrorist The Bookman, Orphen goes on a quest of revenge. He will either get Lucy back, kill the Bookman, or die trying. Unfortunately for Orphen he becomes deeply embroiled in a plot full of alien lizard races and automatons.
As with Camera Obscura, I enjoyed the wonderfully creative world here. The British Empire is run by a lizard race, automatons are struggling for their rights, and the Bookman seems to have eyes and agents everywhere. Unfortunately since I was introduced to this world in Camera Obscura, while I still enjoyed it, some of the novelty had worn off for me.
I had a lot of trouble engaging with Orphen. His is kind of whiny and weak as a character; he is a poet at heart and spends a lot of time whining about loosing Lucy. He wants to take action but is continually swept up in events that are bigger than he is. By his own omission for most of the book he is a pawn.
The majority of the storyline revolves around political struggles between the lizard folk, the Bookman, the Automatons, and the British people. If you like politics you may really enjoy this. I personally am not big on politically focused books and constantly had trouble staying engaged in the story.
The story takes many side trips along the way. You may find yourself suddenly emerged in a history of this or that when you thought you were on an adventure to a different locale. This lead to the storyline being somewhat ambiguous and convoluted. I was listening to this and constantly found my mind wandering and missing parts of the story because I just couldn’t stay interested in what was going on.
As I said the writing wanders a bit and the pacing is slow. There is some wonderful descriptive writing throughout though and the dark and bleak environments really come alive. There is an oddly heavy science fiction element to this steampunk story as well.
Overall an okay book. The world is wondrous and creative and the descriptions very well done. The main character of Orphan was a weak one though and I had trouble staying engaged. The story was ambiguous at times and wandered quite a bit, again I had trouble staying focused on what was going on at points because I just didn’t care. The story was very political in nature, which I don’t care much for. If you love steampunk stories and are interested in a politically motivated steampunk story that is a bit ambiguous you might like this book. Personally I would recommend Cherie Priest’s Clockwork Century series over this one.
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LibraryThing member ladycato
I've been trying to read lots of steampunk books; it seems that I either love them or can't stand them. This one is rare because it falls in the middle: a well-written book that's a bit too weird for my tastes, but still enjoyable.
In this alternative Victorian England, Amerigo Vespucci discovered
As I said, a weird.
It seems every major historical and literary character of the period also makes an appearance. This includes Irene Adler, Sherlock Holmes, Karl Marx, and Jules Verne. I was reminded of Jasper Fforde's books, where the real and unreal blend into surreality. With massive lizards.
This isn't a keeper for my shelves, nor will I read on in the series, but it was a peculiar book and one I will remember.
In this alternative Victorian England, Amerigo Vespucci discovered
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an Island of Caliban in the Caribbean. Intelligent lizard people there then took over, working their way into high British society and taking over the throne itself. There are many steampunk elements brought along with the higher technology of "Les Lizard," such as airships and automatons.As I said, a weird.
It seems every major historical and literary character of the period also makes an appearance. This includes Irene Adler, Sherlock Holmes, Karl Marx, and Jules Verne. I was reminded of Jasper Fforde's books, where the real and unreal blend into surreality. With massive lizards.
This isn't a keeper for my shelves, nor will I read on in the series, but it was a peculiar book and one I will remember.
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LibraryThing member gaskella
Steampunk is a difficult category to get to grips with sometimes, a spec fiction take on Victorian England with added fantasy elements. The Bookman has a great premise - a terrorist is setting off bombs in London hidden in books and unfortunately one of them blows up Lucy, the beloved of a young
Orphan, who really is an orphan and knows no other name, lives in a different Victorian London that is ruled by Les Lézard - the aristocracy is a race of reptiles! The city is peopled by a wide range of characters, both fictional and real, but also simulacra and automata abound. Moriarty is Prime Minister, Isabella Beeton is a freedom-fighter, and Byron is a machine so real it can fool nearly anyone. So you can see that fact and fiction are entirely entwined. The Mechanical Turk, by the way, was a chess playing robot con invented in the late 1700s, (it had a real chess player hidden inside), but here he is a real automaton and oracle.The author also shoehorns in many, many literary references - from the Person from Porlock (a mysterious visitor who stopped Coleridge from finishing Kubla Khan), to much of Jules Verne - the mushroomed island comes from Journey to the Centre of the Earth; there are countless characters from Conan Doyle and nods to H.G.Wells too.
I wanted to really like the book for it was full of good ideas, but the plot was far too convoluted - there were far too many different factions involved. Orphan was far too passive a hero - had he done more of the swashing and buckling, it would have been much more fun. Primarily though, I was too busy playing spot the reference all the time during its 395 pages. I've read a few steampunk novels before, and rather liked them... I'd recommend The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling as a classic of the genre, or The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters by G W Dahlquist for a racy and pacy doorstep of steampunk fun. The Bookman is undoubtedly ambitious, and the writing wasn't bad, but it just didn't quite work. (Book supplied by the Amazon Vine programme, 6/10)
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poet called Orphan. Orphan vows to avenge her and to catch the Bookman, but it also appears that the Bookman is interested in him. He goes to see the Mechanical Turk for advice and this is the start of an adventure that will take him down into subterranean London, in Jules Verne's submarine Nautilus, on a pirateship on the high seas and to a mysterious mushroomed island where everything becomes clear - the Bookman, the lizards and Orphan himself ...Orphan, who really is an orphan and knows no other name, lives in a different Victorian London that is ruled by Les Lézard - the aristocracy is a race of reptiles! The city is peopled by a wide range of characters, both fictional and real, but also simulacra and automata abound. Moriarty is Prime Minister, Isabella Beeton is a freedom-fighter, and Byron is a machine so real it can fool nearly anyone. So you can see that fact and fiction are entirely entwined. The Mechanical Turk, by the way, was a chess playing robot con invented in the late 1700s, (it had a real chess player hidden inside), but here he is a real automaton and oracle.The author also shoehorns in many, many literary references - from the Person from Porlock (a mysterious visitor who stopped Coleridge from finishing Kubla Khan), to much of Jules Verne - the mushroomed island comes from Journey to the Centre of the Earth; there are countless characters from Conan Doyle and nods to H.G.Wells too.
I wanted to really like the book for it was full of good ideas, but the plot was far too convoluted - there were far too many different factions involved. Orphan was far too passive a hero - had he done more of the swashing and buckling, it would have been much more fun. Primarily though, I was too busy playing spot the reference all the time during its 395 pages. I've read a few steampunk novels before, and rather liked them... I'd recommend The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling as a classic of the genre, or The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters by G W Dahlquist for a racy and pacy doorstep of steampunk fun. The Bookman is undoubtedly ambitious, and the writing wasn't bad, but it just didn't quite work. (Book supplied by the Amazon Vine programme, 6/10)
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LibraryThing member AmeliaAndHerBooks
This is one of the more bizarre books I have read. It wasn't horrific, but it lacked design and I felt short-changed on character development. Orphan has the potential to be this amazing character, but I only found him to be transparent and plain.
I believe that Tidhar has amazing ideas that would
I enjoyed the writing style and would perhaps at a later time consider this author again. For me, the Bookman was like "everything but the kitchen sink" to read.
I believe that Tidhar has amazing ideas that would
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make wonderful works of literature. In this particular instance, there is two ideas-the Lizardine Empire and the literary characters- that would make great sci-fi/fantasy storylines all on their own. Combining the two into one storyline was a sensory overload and it was hard to be engaged fully with either. I enjoyed the writing style and would perhaps at a later time consider this author again. For me, the Bookman was like "everything but the kitchen sink" to read.
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LibraryThing member ragwaine
As with a lot of novels I read this one started off very interesting. Many well known fictional characters are included and many non-fictional references to real world people, books, countries are made. Unfortunately this is one of those stories where the clueless hero gets dragged through the
The lizards were cool but I really didn't like their origin story. There was lots of action but not a lot memorable characters. The setting seemed to be cool enough to have a really great story associated with it, so much so that I am almost tempted to read the 2nd book. But I read way too slow to take a 2nd chance on an author. At this point I'm trying to only read things I REALLY like.
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plot. He really doesn't have much of a personality and his name is "Orphan" which screams to me, "I'm an important storybook character and I'm very mysterious don't you want to find out who I really am?" But not in a good way.The lizards were cool but I really didn't like their origin story. There was lots of action but not a lot memorable characters. The setting seemed to be cool enough to have a really great story associated with it, so much so that I am almost tempted to read the 2nd book. But I read way too slow to take a 2nd chance on an author. At this point I'm trying to only read things I REALLY like.
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LibraryThing member Disco_grinch
Unique idea and somewhat fun to read but it was just lacking. I can't put my finger on it but it seemed to lack direction. It seemed that the author had an idea of what he wanted to happen and where he wanted to go but he just got lost many times getting there. Then, the "there" that he got to was
I wouldn't read anymore of Mr. Tidhar's books but unfortunately I already bought them so I will at least attempt.
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bland and really didn't give me a feeling of completeness...I wouldn't read anymore of Mr. Tidhar's books but unfortunately I already bought them so I will at least attempt.
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LibraryThing member jonfaith
It was the freedom that comes from lack of choice and moreover, was the kind that only came with decisions delayed. It was a freedom of inaction.
I was warned, but proceeded without caution. The word twee was employed by those doubtful of my enjoyment.and I agree. I'm sure this will be beans and
My favorite section detailed the imaginary books featured not in the weird canon but elsewhere, such as Orwell's Goldstein. The need to incorporate every trope from classic fantastic literature was personally fatiguing, but, again, I am sure this architecture is necessary for the trilogy. Alas, I will Bartleby to the William James and refrain from the leap.
I was warned, but proceeded without caution. The word twee was employed by those doubtful of my enjoyment.and I agree. I'm sure this will be beans and
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toast for a large crowd, but not for me. My favorite section detailed the imaginary books featured not in the weird canon but elsewhere, such as Orwell's Goldstein. The need to incorporate every trope from classic fantastic literature was personally fatiguing, but, again, I am sure this architecture is necessary for the trilogy. Alas, I will Bartleby to the William James and refrain from the leap.
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LibraryThing member elucubrare
. The plot, though silly, was pretty entertaining. Some of it, like the Persons from Porlock, was clever. Much of it got on my nerves, though: using Conan Doyle's characters got old after the first time Inspector Irene Adler showed up; the lizard people were silly; to be honest, the whole plot was
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kind of silly. Which is okay: there's nothing wrong with a little silliness in a genre that tends to take itself seriously, but it seemed to want it both ways. It wants to be a parody of things that throw in the kitchen sink and to play it totally straight at the same time. Ultimately, I think it’s the lack of interesting characters that did it in for me: Orphan is, in all honesty, really boring. Show Less
LibraryThing member macha
first of a steampunk trilogy set in an alternate Victorian London - an adventure involving a lizard royal family, pirates, Jules Verne and Sherlock Holmes. great fun, and i look forward to the next installment.
LibraryThing member lschiff
This was a huge disappointment for me. The Bookman is full of gimmicky uses of literary figures (both real and fictional), and most importantly fails to provide any explanation or detail about the society in which it is set. The premise is interesting, but there was no follow-through.
LibraryThing member quiBee
This book is set in a bizarre alternate universe where real characters and book characters mix freely. It's lovely reading along and identifying obvious and obscure references as you go. Orphan is in love and also involved in a slightly seedy organisation that is anti government.
The differences in
Interesting world. Orphan is a good hero who doesn't react the way everyone around him is trying to make him, nor in the way a typical hero is expected to do. 3.5 stars
The differences in
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the history of this world are revealed gradually and we discover when and how everything changed. Interesting world. Orphan is a good hero who doesn't react the way everyone around him is trying to make him, nor in the way a typical hero is expected to do. 3.5 stars
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LibraryThing member Shrike58
If you're patient enough to get through the first hundred or so pages (where you may feel the urge to toss the book aside), the plot does begin to tighten up into a basic chase plot set in a steam-punk Britain where the ruling class is made up of lizards from outer space, and it's never clear
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whether or not you're dealing with a real person, or with a simulacrum of one. There was enough of a payoff in the climax that I'm prepared to give the next book in the series a chance. Show Less
LibraryThing member lexilewords
The Bookman is one of those odd books that if I had seen it while browsing its very likely I would not have given it two glances. This isn't to say it wasn't interesting, but rather the cover does not immediately grab my attention (not in the way the publishers want I suspect at least) and the
I have no prior experience with Tidhar, but his writing style is unique. Its just shy of being incomprehensible in some sections, with several of the characters speaking in cryptic vagaries or oblique nonsense. Orphan's ramshackle friend Gilgamesh (not his real name) for instance. He lives on the streets and is kind of a homeless prophet almost, cautioned Orphan at the very beginning of the novel not to treat the Bookman so lightly, but Orphan paid little heed.
Orphan is an 'everyman' character for much of the beginning of the novel, going about his business contentedly and not being a bother to anyone. He has a decent, if somewhat boring at times, job, a girl he loves and plans to marry and friends of a mostly reliable nature. He's not wealthy, but he and Lucy aren't after material wealth. I truly believe they would have been happy just as they were. Except where's the story in that?
After the Bookman's attacks hit too close to home Orphan embarks on a quest to track him down and demand answers. He wants Lucy back and is convinced the Bookman can make this happen somehow. Which is simplifying the plot and the outcome of his quest to a large degree, but that's how it begins. What it becomes is still a little confusing to me, since the writing takes a turn for the surreal with robots made to be literary giants such as Byron (but wanting their own individuality) and more secret societies then you can shake a cane at.
In the end Orphan learns a great deal, a large chunk of which he probably wishes he didn't and the Bookman's motives are made clear. Things turn out...differently then I had hoped, but I liked the ending. It was as unique as the style of writing so it complimented it quite well. Despite my reservations I enjoyed the book and found myself drawn into the world quite substantially. Its our world, but not quite--with a much larger emphasis on reading and authors, as well as a society where the power of words really can be more powerful then any other weapon known.
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blurb only mildly piques my interests. To put it more bluntly, its not my usual reading material.I have no prior experience with Tidhar, but his writing style is unique. Its just shy of being incomprehensible in some sections, with several of the characters speaking in cryptic vagaries or oblique nonsense. Orphan's ramshackle friend Gilgamesh (not his real name) for instance. He lives on the streets and is kind of a homeless prophet almost, cautioned Orphan at the very beginning of the novel not to treat the Bookman so lightly, but Orphan paid little heed.
Orphan is an 'everyman' character for much of the beginning of the novel, going about his business contentedly and not being a bother to anyone. He has a decent, if somewhat boring at times, job, a girl he loves and plans to marry and friends of a mostly reliable nature. He's not wealthy, but he and Lucy aren't after material wealth. I truly believe they would have been happy just as they were. Except where's the story in that?
After the Bookman's attacks hit too close to home Orphan embarks on a quest to track him down and demand answers. He wants Lucy back and is convinced the Bookman can make this happen somehow. Which is simplifying the plot and the outcome of his quest to a large degree, but that's how it begins. What it becomes is still a little confusing to me, since the writing takes a turn for the surreal with robots made to be literary giants such as Byron (but wanting their own individuality) and more secret societies then you can shake a cane at.
In the end Orphan learns a great deal, a large chunk of which he probably wishes he didn't and the Bookman's motives are made clear. Things turn out...differently then I had hoped, but I liked the ending. It was as unique as the style of writing so it complimented it quite well. Despite my reservations I enjoyed the book and found myself drawn into the world quite substantially. Its our world, but not quite--with a much larger emphasis on reading and authors, as well as a society where the power of words really can be more powerful then any other weapon known.
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Awards
Locus Recommended Reading (First Novel — 2010)
Language
Original publication date
2010-10-07
Physical description
416 p.; 7.32 inches
ISBN
0007346581 / 9780007346585
Local notes
A masked terrorist has brought London to its knees - there are bombs inside books, and nobody knows which ones. On the day of the launch of the first expedition to Mars, by giant cannon, he outdoes himself with an audacious attack. For young poet Orphan, trapped in the screaming audience, it seems his destiny is entwined with that of the shadowy terrorist.
Fun steampunk, but nothing that gripped my interest.
Fun steampunk, but nothing that gripped my interest.