Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
HarperCollins (1991), Edition: 1st, 824 pages
Description
From master storyteller Clive Barker comes an epic tale of myth, magic, and forbidden passion-complete with new illustrations and a new Appendix. Imajica is an epic beyond compare: vast in conception, obsessively detailed in execution, and apocalyptic in its resolution. At its heart lies the sensualist and master art forger, Gentle, whose life unravels when he encounters Judith Odell, whose power to influence the destinies of men is vaster than she knows, and Pie 'oh' pah, an alien assassin who comes from a hidden dimension. That dimension is one of five in the great system called Imajica. They are worlds that are utterly unlike our own, but are ruled, peopled, and haunted by species whose lives are intricately connected with ours. As Gentle, Judith, and Pie 'oh' pah travel the Imajica, they uncover a trail of crimes and intimate betrayals, leading them to a revelation so startling that it changes reality forever.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member dmsteyn
A fantasy epic spanning five Dominions, scores of characters, and over 800 pages, Imajica promises much and, though it does not deliver on all these promises, it is still quite an achievement. Barker is usually thought of as a horror writer in the mould of Stephen King, an idea that is not
The book has two main characters, Gentle and Judith, erstwhile lovers, who both set out on journeys from the Fifth Dimension (our reality) across the Imajica. The dual-protagonist structure is notable, as the book is very concerned with gender roles and expectations of fantastic journeys. The Imajica is a wonderful puzzle-box of the imagination, with creatures of all shapes and sizes inhabiting the world(s). One is constantly assailed by new stimuli – like Mervyn Peake, Barker is also a visual artist – and the visual spectacle is bolstered by other sense information. (I suspect, though it is never made explicit, that the five Dimensions also refer to the senses). As mentioned, this is especially noticeable in the first Book of the novel, in which Gentle and his otherworldly companion, Pie ‘oh’ pah, journey across the Imajica. Pie is a mystif, a being that conforms to one’s desires and expectations of it, but which is essentially androgynous. This gives an even more interesting spin to the gender question, with Gentle becoming ever closer to Pie. Their relationship forms the backbone to the first Book, as Judith tries to reach Gentle across the dimensions. We later learn that no-one is really who they seem; both Judith and Gentle initially suffer from a strange kind of amnesia, which only lifts as they travel and learn more about their histories. What they learn is both distressing and illuminating, and will eventually determine their roles in the Reconciliation of the Dominions. I do not want to give away too much about what is revealed about the characters; not because it would spoil the book, but because it would detract from Barker’s sophisticated smoke and mirrors act. Suffice it to say that characters are doubled and refracted through their histories and families.
Barker makes an interesting point about power relations between the genders, while also commenting on faith and doubt. Without going into too much detail, Barker posits the Imajica as the handiwork of Hapexamendios, a male god (or God) who has subjugated and, in some cases, destroyed, the Goddesses of the Imajica. We get a very intriguing reading of this most-familiar dichotomy, with Hapexamendios and his children representing a very patriarchal and fundamentalist type of religion, while the Goddesses represent the matriarchal and more generous interpretation of religion. But this is not quite the binary opposition that it at first appears to be. Some of the God’s (male) children rebel, some of the Goddesses are dangerous in their own right, and Pie ‘oh’ pah spans the gap that seems unbridgeable.
The book loses some momentum after the first part, but this is understandable in such a long book. Perhaps Barker could have trimmed it a little, but he is such a generously-gifted fabulist that one would be hard-pressed to say what should be left out. After the picaresque journey of the first part, the second part, which is mostly set in our reality, seemed somewhat quotidian. Not a major quibble, but still a bit disappointing. I also found the resolution of the Reconciliation a bit arbitrary and unconvincing. But endings, especially after enjoyable beginnings and middles, are often disappointing.
So, a very entertaining book that considers some heavy topics, without falling into a feminist or masculinist reading of its topics. The book is not perfect – perhaps it worked better as originally published in two parts. Now it is a bit of a shaggy monster. Still, very readable and imaginative.
A note on the edition: if the book sounds interesting, I would get the Perennial edition, as it has a beautifully illustrated appendix that is very useful for keeping track of everything that is going on. Just be careful when looking in it when you read the book for the first time; there are many spoilers!
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completely inaccurate, as he has written straight-up horror stories. But neither King nor Barker can be pigeon-holed as mere horror writers; perhaps as popular genre writers, but neither are purveyors of penny dreadfuls. I know King’s work much better than Barker’s, but I have to say that as a first experience of Barker, this book excites me tremendously. It is very well-written, considering its subject matter and literary background, and it also makes good on its picaresque promise, especially in the first half of the book.The book has two main characters, Gentle and Judith, erstwhile lovers, who both set out on journeys from the Fifth Dimension (our reality) across the Imajica. The dual-protagonist structure is notable, as the book is very concerned with gender roles and expectations of fantastic journeys. The Imajica is a wonderful puzzle-box of the imagination, with creatures of all shapes and sizes inhabiting the world(s). One is constantly assailed by new stimuli – like Mervyn Peake, Barker is also a visual artist – and the visual spectacle is bolstered by other sense information. (I suspect, though it is never made explicit, that the five Dimensions also refer to the senses). As mentioned, this is especially noticeable in the first Book of the novel, in which Gentle and his otherworldly companion, Pie ‘oh’ pah, journey across the Imajica. Pie is a mystif, a being that conforms to one’s desires and expectations of it, but which is essentially androgynous. This gives an even more interesting spin to the gender question, with Gentle becoming ever closer to Pie. Their relationship forms the backbone to the first Book, as Judith tries to reach Gentle across the dimensions. We later learn that no-one is really who they seem; both Judith and Gentle initially suffer from a strange kind of amnesia, which only lifts as they travel and learn more about their histories. What they learn is both distressing and illuminating, and will eventually determine their roles in the Reconciliation of the Dominions. I do not want to give away too much about what is revealed about the characters; not because it would spoil the book, but because it would detract from Barker’s sophisticated smoke and mirrors act. Suffice it to say that characters are doubled and refracted through their histories and families.
Barker makes an interesting point about power relations between the genders, while also commenting on faith and doubt. Without going into too much detail, Barker posits the Imajica as the handiwork of Hapexamendios, a male god (or God) who has subjugated and, in some cases, destroyed, the Goddesses of the Imajica. We get a very intriguing reading of this most-familiar dichotomy, with Hapexamendios and his children representing a very patriarchal and fundamentalist type of religion, while the Goddesses represent the matriarchal and more generous interpretation of religion. But this is not quite the binary opposition that it at first appears to be. Some of the God’s (male) children rebel, some of the Goddesses are dangerous in their own right, and Pie ‘oh’ pah spans the gap that seems unbridgeable.
The book loses some momentum after the first part, but this is understandable in such a long book. Perhaps Barker could have trimmed it a little, but he is such a generously-gifted fabulist that one would be hard-pressed to say what should be left out. After the picaresque journey of the first part, the second part, which is mostly set in our reality, seemed somewhat quotidian. Not a major quibble, but still a bit disappointing. I also found the resolution of the Reconciliation a bit arbitrary and unconvincing. But endings, especially after enjoyable beginnings and middles, are often disappointing.
So, a very entertaining book that considers some heavy topics, without falling into a feminist or masculinist reading of its topics. The book is not perfect – perhaps it worked better as originally published in two parts. Now it is a bit of a shaggy monster. Still, very readable and imaginative.
A note on the edition: if the book sounds interesting, I would get the Perennial edition, as it has a beautifully illustrated appendix that is very useful for keeping track of everything that is going on. Just be careful when looking in it when you read the book for the first time; there are many spoilers!
Show Less
LibraryThing member Panicker
It is rare for me that you find a book, especially one as epic as this , that you don't want to end. Every story needs a beginning a middle and an end after all and I personally think a good ending makes the book, but the magnificent journey Clive Barker takes you through just wasn't enough for me
Having now read the book at least 7-8 times since the first it has never grown dull and couldn't be more highly recommended by me. The only downside to me is that I often muse I'd like to read some of his other recommended books , especially the highly thought of Weaveworld, but unfortunately when I have these thoughts I inevitably pick up my severely battered copy of this and allow myself to be once again drawn into the wonderful and seducing tale of the Imajica.
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. Don't get me wrong the ending was everything I'd hoped for and more , but I just needed the story to go on , he had me hooked on the whole Imajica tale and I wasn't prepared to let go. The first time I read it I finished it in 3-4 days ,reading during breakfast , on the train to work , during breaks and lunch, on the way home , after dinner and before bed. From the first few chapters the book just grabs your attention and the characters are so well formed you get an instant connection that isn't lost throughout the book. Having now read the book at least 7-8 times since the first it has never grown dull and couldn't be more highly recommended by me. The only downside to me is that I often muse I'd like to read some of his other recommended books , especially the highly thought of Weaveworld, but unfortunately when I have these thoughts I inevitably pick up my severely battered copy of this and allow myself to be once again drawn into the wonderful and seducing tale of the Imajica.
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LibraryThing member Birdo82
Highly imaginative and intricately detailed, the book unfortunately suffers from an extensive length.
LibraryThing member LisaMorr
I wanted to like this more than I did - I remember enjoying Clive Barker previously and this book just didn't do the trick for me. I kept thinking to myself - get with on with it already!
The premise of the book is that there are five Dominions within the Imajica, with Earth being one of them.
It was probably about 200 pages longer than it needed to be, and I found the ending anti-climactic. Still, I was interested and I wanted to know what was going to happen next.
The premise of the book is that there are five Dominions within the Imajica, with Earth being one of them.
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Earth has been separated from the other four (and no one seems to visit the first Dominion, where Hapexamendios, the god of all, has his city). Two hundred years ago a Maestro tried to reconcile the five Dominions but failed miserably, resulting in much death and destruction. A group called the Tabula Rasa was formed to clear all forms of magic from Earth to prevent this from happening again. As the two hundredth anniversary approaches, it's time for another attempt at the Reconciliation. It was probably about 200 pages longer than it needed to be, and I found the ending anti-climactic. Still, I was interested and I wanted to know what was going to happen next.
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LibraryThing member michaeladams1979
Audible edition, read by Simon Vance. Good narration does make a difference. I may come back and write a more detailed review, but I just wanted to put some feedback down. Very entertaining book. Lots of big ideas, a sojourn through other worlds, men and magicians standing with and against gods and
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goddesses, all the kinds of stuff I love. Characters behave believably some of the time, but some of the time not at all. Overall I can't think what I'd remove from the book, but it did feel like it could have used some editing. Especially concerning pacing, some segments lingered a bit longer than they needed to. The core ideas could have been told in several hundred less pages, but again, I don't know what could have been cut out without diminishing the whole. Show Less
LibraryThing member aguba
Probably the most beautiful book I ever read, both in terms of writing and the vision. Vast worlds but Clive Barker is never lost for words. He pulls the scenes and characters out and bathes you in them as if he has a 3D cam built-in in his dreams. So thoroughly formed, gloriously described and yet
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full of energy, rage, sweat and tears. Surprising, sad, shocking and terrifying but altogether naked gorgeous. Big book in pages, yet you end up wanting more. Why, oh why isn't there a ten-hour movie of this? Show Less
LibraryThing member pamplemousse
The first Clive Barker I ever read, this is a brilliant and complex fantasy epic. Recommended.
LibraryThing member harahel
Easily one of my favorite novels. Complex, full of rich themes, fantastic creatures and above all a love story of strang proportions.
LibraryThing member briandarvell
Although Imajica is a tome of a novel, the story itself is as good as almost any I have ever read. With magnificent settings and all sorts of bizarre creatures, it was definitely an enjoyable read. Clive Barker does tend to play up a theme of love and libido quite a bit too much for my liking,
This edition comes with a glossary of pictures and sketches in the back which added a bit more culture and mystery to its story. I also noticed a similarity between this novel and Roger Zelazny's Amber series, which is another enormous epic written about 15 years prior to Imajica and probably a good bet if you are looking for a similar style of story.
Good for any age-group I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and am definitely interested in reading more by Barker in the future.
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which at times I thought took away from some of the story.This edition comes with a glossary of pictures and sketches in the back which added a bit more culture and mystery to its story. I also noticed a similarity between this novel and Roger Zelazny's Amber series, which is another enormous epic written about 15 years prior to Imajica and probably a good bet if you are looking for a similar style of story.
Good for any age-group I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and am definitely interested in reading more by Barker in the future.
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LibraryThing member JapaG
Clive Barker is a master in telling stories. His voice is so vivid and strong that it makes every book of his that I've read a page-turner. Imajica has been hailed as one of his best, and I can see why. It is a modern fantasy tale of truly epic (universe-saving) proportions, with surroundings and
The language is really beautiful, and every page is a pleasure to read. If only there weren't quite as many of them! :) The story is very long, and it takes 90 degree turns many times, which makes you feel a bit cheated. But you still want to read more, just to be able to read the next encounter and find out how vividly Barker has expressed it.
And, truth be told, the ending justifies the long trek. It is one of the best endings that I have read in fantasy, or for that matter, in any novel.
This book made Barker into one of my favourite authors in one go.
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characters to match.The language is really beautiful, and every page is a pleasure to read. If only there weren't quite as many of them! :) The story is very long, and it takes 90 degree turns many times, which makes you feel a bit cheated. But you still want to read more, just to be able to read the next encounter and find out how vividly Barker has expressed it.
And, truth be told, the ending justifies the long trek. It is one of the best endings that I have read in fantasy, or for that matter, in any novel.
This book made Barker into one of my favourite authors in one go.
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LibraryThing member Steph78
Anyone who likes fantasy epic should give this one a try!
LibraryThing member phenske
Enjoyable book, however it started out realistic then suddenly seemed to go completely fantasy. Bit too intense on the fantasy!
LibraryThing member hopefully86
If you are a true sci-fi/fantasy fan...look no further than Clive Barker. Imajica is a long book in some ways, but I finished it in a few days. I will read anything by this author.
LibraryThing member Cheryl_in_CC_NV
Riddle: Why is Halloween like Ray Bradbury's writings?
Answer: Because too many of Bradbury's stories in one day will make you just as sick as too much trick-or-treat candy.
..............
The thing about Bradbury is that he has one voice. He always writes in irrevent metaphors and staccato dreams and
And still I love his work.
----------------
But I don't love what he says about women. Although, I must admit, he usually doesn't say anything. Again with the roles. A woman is a beauty, who tempts a boy to grow up, or a man to fall in love w/ a simulacra. Or: (in 2257)a typical suburban housewife who lives as her ancestral mothers lived, in a house, raising her children..." "left behind on Earth" by the space*men*.
The theme of most of the stories in this book is of wishes. How much would you risk for a wish? If it were granted, would you then be glad?
-------------------
Interestingly, a few of these stories stick a tentative toe into the Queer world. Bradbury's not very, erm, enlightened... but neither is he a 'phobe.
.................
And done. And forgotten. The thing about these stories is that they're not sticking in my mind at all. The language overwhelms the ideas, and beyond that there is no plot or characterization. I could take a collection of Bradbury to my 'Desert Island' and I wouldn't need either the complete shakespeare *or* 'How to Build a Boat.' I'd feel like a lotus-eater, and just reread Bradbury's prose over and over again until I wasted away....
Rather than do that, I'll just pass this book on via bookcrossing.com."
Answer: Because too many of Bradbury's stories in one day will make you just as sick as too much trick-or-treat candy.
..............
The thing about Bradbury is that he has one voice. He always writes in irrevent metaphors and staccato dreams and
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sensational sensuality. His characters aren't individuals - they're icons. All the wise ones speak in the narrator's voice, all the naive but receptive ones speak in short questions, all the hostile ones speak almost nothing. And still I love his work.
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But I don't love what he says about women. Although, I must admit, he usually doesn't say anything. Again with the roles. A woman is a beauty, who tempts a boy to grow up, or a man to fall in love w/ a simulacra. Or: (in 2257)a typical suburban housewife who lives as her ancestral mothers lived, in a house, raising her children..." "left behind on Earth" by the space*men*.
The theme of most of the stories in this book is of wishes. How much would you risk for a wish? If it were granted, would you then be glad?
-------------------
Interestingly, a few of these stories stick a tentative toe into the Queer world. Bradbury's not very, erm, enlightened... but neither is he a 'phobe.
.................
And done. And forgotten. The thing about these stories is that they're not sticking in my mind at all. The language overwhelms the ideas, and beyond that there is no plot or characterization. I could take a collection of Bradbury to my 'Desert Island' and I wouldn't need either the complete shakespeare *or* 'How to Build a Boat.' I'd feel like a lotus-eater, and just reread Bradbury's prose over and over again until I wasted away....
Rather than do that, I'll just pass this book on via bookcrossing.com."
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LibraryThing member Clifford.Terry
There are few people who can spin and epic tale like Clive Barker and with such real characters.
LibraryThing member Eric_the_Hamster
Up there with Weaveworld as a favourite Clive Barker book - I prefer his fantasy to his horror, although there are visceral horror elements in all his books.
I find this one difficult to review as so much happens in the book. In short, Imajica is the name for the 5 "Dominions" or parallel universes.
Leaves you breathless.
I find this one difficult to review as so much happens in the book. In short, Imajica is the name for the 5 "Dominions" or parallel universes.
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Earth is one which is disconnected from the others. The story is about the attempt to "reconcile" Earth with the rest of Imajica, with Messianic overtones. There are Gnostic undertones in the themes, and some themes (the death of God) are mirrored in Phillip Pullman's Dark Materials trilogy. Leaves you breathless.
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LibraryThing member JHemlock
A beautiful piece of work. A true treasure chest. Open it and get lost.
LibraryThing member quondame
Though the back blurb and intro give Judith a last name, I found it nowhere in the text while multiple names are bestowed on the male characters. For all the anti-toxic-male thread that develops in this work, the gaze is unrelentingly male. Most of the huge size is dribbled away in dialog between
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characters that only minimally interested me. There are wanderings, but of any wonders encountered, it is mostly the monsters that are reported, though I did like the watery Yzordderrex scenes. I found the blasphemies bland and the debaucheries commonplace and the whole work of more value as fertilizer for what other authors have grown from its substance than for itself. Show Less
LibraryThing member ToddSherman
“Her voice was raw with the dust, and bitter. He liked the sound of it. Women who had anger in them were always so much more interesting than their contented sisters.”
Three months. 824 pages. Incalculable beers. One wife. I wish I’d gotten my new pair of Red Wings before starting this book.
Do I regret the time spent on this tumescent fantasy/horror/erotic tale? Of course not. I got to read to the wife, and it offered moments of originality. But did it need to be so long? Well, maybe. Somehow, though, after all those pages, over five dominions and the In Ovo as glue between them, the world Barker created seems smaller than the sum of its parts. Sometimes more is less. Sometimes less is more. Sometimes more is just . . . more. I felt the terrain, the miles of the journey, the aching heel on my left foot as it desperately tried to heal itself between crushing sessions within the Spanish boot. I don’t feel the passage of time, however. No weathering, no wrinkles, no grand wisdom gained from all that trudging. Sometimes a long book is just a long book whether you feel it in the muscles or not.
The book was heavy, though. The hardback version, switching arms between pages, recto and verso, really tested my bicep and trapezius muscles. Oh, the concepts . . . I guess there was some depth, some interesting creatures, magic and whoop-dee-doo and nearly unpronounceable place names. Holy Hapexamendios! But what was it all about? All that flexion of muscle, both back and tongue, and barely enough food for the lobes of the cerebrum, desperately reaching across their own dominions to touch, ignite fire, burst imagination both vital and vibrant. Mass does not equal breadth.
Am I being reductive? You bet I am. It’s my specialty. The distillation of concepts into a weird, pithy, vibrating whole. You know, like those creepy gelatin molds from the Sixties. The more complicated the ideas, the more pages of notes, the greater the research will always serve as more vegetable matter to blend into a potable soup. Whirring. Liquefaction. Unrelenting shoe leather squeezing feet on their restless paces between opposite ends of the kitchen.
Whether more is more or more is less, I still enjoyed the read. The explicit sex told in exhaustive, laughable detail . . . the mountain of characters who largely will go unremembered, buried at the base of that mountain . . . the vistas on other worlds, in other dominions, feeling all too Earthlike, no more unfamiliar than the prairies of Nebraska, populated with beings stretched, ripped, and recombined from Dali’s canvases.
I don’t know, I don’t really want to talk about the details of the book. Anyone can go to Wikipedia for that. Or read the book itself. It’s worth it—just barely. I can’t help, though, feeling what Clive Barker must’ve felt when starting this project, entering the second dominion and taking all those pages to get there and realizing that there were hundreds more to go. Man, that would’ve been enough for me to hit the button to the Cuisinart then and there. Proof, for me, that grand ambition doesn’t always yield great art. I’m being hard, I know, but Jesus my feet hurt. And my brain doesn’t. After all those pneuma-blown pages, maybe that’s the point.
And I do truly, deeply, madly love reading to my wife. Three months of time well spent. Those beers were super tasty. And man, you should see my biceps right now.
“He had visited the studio on and off through his time with Vanessa—he’d even met Martine there on two occasions when her husband had canceled a Luxembourg trip and she’d been too heated to miss a liaison—but it was charmless and cheerless, and he’d returned happily to the house in Wimpole Mews. Now, however, he welcomed the studio’s austerity. He turned on the little electric fire, made himself a cup of fake coffee with fake milk, and, under its influence, thought about deception.”
Three months. 824 pages. Incalculable beers. One wife. I wish I’d gotten my new pair of Red Wings before starting this book.
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I’ve been spending my reading sessions with them laced up over thick winter socks, pacing the kitchen amongst pan and cutlery clatter, over the whirring of the oven range fan, the howling liquefication from the food processer, and all the while the skin on my feet silently screaming under that unforgiving oxblood leather. These boots would’ve been broken in by now.Do I regret the time spent on this tumescent fantasy/horror/erotic tale? Of course not. I got to read to the wife, and it offered moments of originality. But did it need to be so long? Well, maybe. Somehow, though, after all those pages, over five dominions and the In Ovo as glue between them, the world Barker created seems smaller than the sum of its parts. Sometimes more is less. Sometimes less is more. Sometimes more is just . . . more. I felt the terrain, the miles of the journey, the aching heel on my left foot as it desperately tried to heal itself between crushing sessions within the Spanish boot. I don’t feel the passage of time, however. No weathering, no wrinkles, no grand wisdom gained from all that trudging. Sometimes a long book is just a long book whether you feel it in the muscles or not.
The book was heavy, though. The hardback version, switching arms between pages, recto and verso, really tested my bicep and trapezius muscles. Oh, the concepts . . . I guess there was some depth, some interesting creatures, magic and whoop-dee-doo and nearly unpronounceable place names. Holy Hapexamendios! But what was it all about? All that flexion of muscle, both back and tongue, and barely enough food for the lobes of the cerebrum, desperately reaching across their own dominions to touch, ignite fire, burst imagination both vital and vibrant. Mass does not equal breadth.
Am I being reductive? You bet I am. It’s my specialty. The distillation of concepts into a weird, pithy, vibrating whole. You know, like those creepy gelatin molds from the Sixties. The more complicated the ideas, the more pages of notes, the greater the research will always serve as more vegetable matter to blend into a potable soup. Whirring. Liquefaction. Unrelenting shoe leather squeezing feet on their restless paces between opposite ends of the kitchen.
Whether more is more or more is less, I still enjoyed the read. The explicit sex told in exhaustive, laughable detail . . . the mountain of characters who largely will go unremembered, buried at the base of that mountain . . . the vistas on other worlds, in other dominions, feeling all too Earthlike, no more unfamiliar than the prairies of Nebraska, populated with beings stretched, ripped, and recombined from Dali’s canvases.
I don’t know, I don’t really want to talk about the details of the book. Anyone can go to Wikipedia for that. Or read the book itself. It’s worth it—just barely. I can’t help, though, feeling what Clive Barker must’ve felt when starting this project, entering the second dominion and taking all those pages to get there and realizing that there were hundreds more to go. Man, that would’ve been enough for me to hit the button to the Cuisinart then and there. Proof, for me, that grand ambition doesn’t always yield great art. I’m being hard, I know, but Jesus my feet hurt. And my brain doesn’t. After all those pneuma-blown pages, maybe that’s the point.
And I do truly, deeply, madly love reading to my wife. Three months of time well spent. Those beers were super tasty. And man, you should see my biceps right now.
“He had visited the studio on and off through his time with Vanessa—he’d even met Martine there on two occasions when her husband had canceled a Luxembourg trip and she’d been too heated to miss a liaison—but it was charmless and cheerless, and he’d returned happily to the house in Wimpole Mews. Now, however, he welcomed the studio’s austerity. He turned on the little electric fire, made himself a cup of fake coffee with fake milk, and, under its influence, thought about deception.”
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LibraryThing member 3j0hn
This is a very long visceral book full of weird sex scenes and blasphemy.
LibraryThing member TadAD
I find this book tedious. While I think the underlying story was interesting, it had about 20% too much filler for me and I started skipping pages just to get the plot to move forward.
LibraryThing member LynnMPK
An epic adventure that lags a bit in the middle but is well worth reading.
Subjects
Awards
Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire (Winner — 1998)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1991
Physical description
824 p.; 9.5 inches
ISBN
0061053716 / 9780061053719
Local notes
Signed