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Hm. Novo Send a noteboard - 06/09/2009 11:20:40 PM
The Years of Rice and Salt
Again, an interesting idea looking at a possible alternative history in which the Plague wipes out Europe and most of it doesn't survive leaving China, India, and Africa (if I remember correctly) to continue their expansion and growth into the New World rather than the Europeans.
The book went from interesting to downright boring in no time flat. I forced myself through to the end but I found more enjoyment from the fact that I had finished and would never have to turn another page rather than from the story. No one should waste their time with this piece of junk. Sadly, it still remained highly recommended on WOT. I have no idea why, it sucked.


I only read a few chapters of this before being distracted by other books and things. But I always got the impression from the book itself that it was really good, you knew it was good, it bored you to death but it was going to be really good when you finished it, except that finishing it wasn't likely at all.
Kind of a weird impression. I kept on falling asleep mid-chapter. Not sure whether I'll have another go at it sometime.
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So...what books DON'T you like? Сталин - 06/09/2009 04:57:28 AM 1925 Views
I have a couple I really disliked Brian - 06/09/2009 05:28:38 AM 1329 Views
I agree. Seriana Sedai - 06/09/2009 05:49:28 AM 1325 Views
Ohhhh quotefail! Brian - 06/09/2009 05:54:02 AM 1369 Views
I saw that. Seriana Sedai - 06/09/2009 06:03:29 AM 1208 Views
You actually read Monkey Bridge? Сталин - 06/09/2009 02:47:39 PM 1218 Views
Haha, I'm surprised anyone has heard of it here Brian - 06/09/2009 04:43:59 PM 1205 Views
Some examples Ellestra - 07/09/2009 08:25:37 PM 1128 Views
You think Battlefield Earth is bad, try reading his Mission Earth series. *NM* Brian - 08/09/2009 02:09:22 AM 663 Views
I read those in high school. I liked them. Stupid comic escapism. *NM* TaskmasterJack - 08/09/2009 02:18:31 AM 712 Views
I read them when I was in high school too...at least the first 3 or 4 Brian - 08/09/2009 02:47:12 AM 1241 Views
Re: I read them when I was in high school too...at least the first 3 or 4 TaskmasterJack - 08/09/2009 04:18:07 PM 1350 Views
Re: I read them when I was in high school too...at least the first 3 or 4 Brian - 08/09/2009 06:26:00 PM 1199 Views
No, thanks. I think all my masochism got spent on Terry Goodkind *NM* Ellestra - 08/09/2009 07:25:41 PM 686 Views
Political polemics, for one. Utopian novels, for another. Haggard - 06/09/2009 05:29:54 AM 1138 Views
People always recommend I read Ayn Rand Сталин - 06/09/2009 02:51:25 PM 1308 Views
I started The Fountainhead. It was pretty dreadful. *NM* Ghavrel - 06/09/2009 08:44:31 PM 700 Views
I don't have enough hours in the day to detail this or something even worse Larry - 06/09/2009 05:45:35 AM 1289 Views
The Wanderer's Tale by David Bilsborough. Craig - 06/09/2009 06:24:49 AM 1259 Views
YES! Jessie - 07/09/2009 06:10:29 AM 1148 Views
Oh, a lot of things. But I wonder. rebelaessedai - 06/09/2009 07:00:34 AM 1283 Views
Re: Oh, a lot of things. But I wonder. Brian - 06/09/2009 07:05:51 AM 1228 Views
! rebelaessedai - 06/09/2009 06:50:42 PM 1238 Views
Re: ! Brian - 06/09/2009 07:22:43 PM 1120 Views
Well, I do plan on reading it. rebelaessedai - 07/09/2009 03:38:26 AM 1192 Views
In fantasy, Vellum and Ink were terrible Сталин - 06/09/2009 02:54:05 PM 1215 Views
Duly noted! rebelaessedai - 06/09/2009 06:51:22 PM 1191 Views
Oh plenty Geoff - 06/09/2009 09:37:23 AM 1250 Views
I hated Wuthering Heights more than Jane Eyre, but I hated Jane Eyre, too. *NM* Сталин - 06/09/2009 02:54:49 PM 732 Views
I was never forced to read Wuthering heights Geoff - 06/09/2009 03:44:59 PM 1304 Views
I disliked both as well... more than disliked. *NM* Jacob - 09/09/2009 08:59:37 PM 746 Views
Well... Jacob - 09/09/2009 09:01:18 PM 1220 Views
I like all books I have ever read. jh - 06/09/2009 12:09:51 PM 1302 Views
You hated The Brothers Karamazov? Сталин - 06/09/2009 02:59:16 PM 1222 Views
Umm, yeah. jh - 06/09/2009 03:28:30 PM 1395 Views
Canterbury Tales by Chaucer. In Ye Olde English, it's harder to translate than ancient Greek. *NM* IndigoAjah - 06/09/2009 05:07:49 PM 705 Views
Oh man, the prologue to the Wife of Bath was horrible. Brian - 06/09/2009 05:11:39 PM 1155 Views
The Canterbury Tales are not Old English. They are Middle English. Сталин - 06/09/2009 05:59:59 PM 1313 Views
Indeed, translating old english, and reading middle english are very very different Brian - 06/09/2009 07:11:13 PM 1209 Views
Edit: ignore this, what I had before was blatantly untrue *NM* IndigoAjah - 07/09/2009 12:11:37 AM 718 Views
As I'm translating some ancient Greek right now, I call bullshit on that. *NM* Ghavrel - 06/09/2009 08:45:46 PM 664 Views
EDIT: Last post was basically equally bullsh*t IndigoAjah - 07/09/2009 12:17:01 AM 1206 Views
I was going to, but I felt I had already been pedantic enough. *NM* Сталин - 07/09/2009 02:34:04 AM 723 Views
Jane Eyre. Chas - 06/09/2009 05:13:27 PM 1228 Views
The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel AgentOrange - 06/09/2009 05:58:39 PM 1238 Views
Must remember this. *NM* rebelaessedai - 06/09/2009 06:53:08 PM 691 Views
What do you mean? *NM* AgentOrange - 07/09/2009 10:43:58 AM 719 Views
Re: The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel Nolan - 06/09/2009 08:08:21 PM 1229 Views
well it was the best book in the series *NM* random thoughts - 14/09/2009 04:37:27 PM 639 Views
Catcher in the Rye and Heart of Darkness, among the "classics." *NM* Master Radishes - 06/09/2009 08:15:12 PM 701 Views
Ooh! I second Catcher and the Rye. What a piece of garbage. everynametaken - 06/09/2009 08:20:00 PM 1080 Views
I couldn't finish Heart of Darkness random thoughts - 14/09/2009 04:39:00 PM 1255 Views
Vellum by Hal Duncan and The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson everynametaken - 06/09/2009 08:16:12 PM 1280 Views
Hm. Novo - 06/09/2009 11:20:40 PM 1194 Views
Dubliners and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Vodalus - 06/09/2009 08:24:07 PM 1188 Views
I liked a Portrait of the Artist, personally, though the (lack of real) punctuation grated *NM* IndigoAjah - 07/09/2009 12:18:50 AM 631 Views
I didn't mind Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog...I mean Man Сталин - 07/09/2009 02:40:14 AM 1177 Views
Shame on you. Those books are truly Great. Especially Portrait. Joker - 12/09/2009 10:52:40 PM 1226 Views
What? Handel - 06/09/2009 08:28:17 PM 1362 Views
My problem with Wuthering Heights was the characters. Darth_Katie - 06/09/2009 09:40:24 PM 1185 Views
Re: My problem with Wuthering Heights was the characters. Handel - 07/09/2009 12:27:44 AM 1229 Views
Wait...you're a guy? Сталин - 07/09/2009 02:44:27 AM 1227 Views
Indeed. Handel - 07/09/2009 03:01:59 AM 1234 Views
Stars in His Pocket Like Grains of Sand random thoughts - 14/09/2009 04:41:16 PM 1407 Views
Oh, and maybe it was lost on me, but I never got much joy out of War and Peace IndigoAjah - 07/09/2009 12:22:48 AM 1115 Views
War and Peace is pretty straightforward Сталин - 07/09/2009 02:43:25 AM 1244 Views
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell. Danu - 07/09/2009 12:54:41 AM 1255 Views
Shame! Shaaaaame! *NM* Craig - 07/09/2009 03:06:55 AM 650 Views
Jessie - 07/09/2009 06:13:26 AM 1149 Views
I'm not sure. Danu - 20/09/2009 04:19:52 PM 1493 Views
It probably doesn't help but Craig - 20/09/2009 06:17:34 PM 1579 Views
Don't flame me for saying it.... Erith - 07/09/2009 04:49:40 AM 1308 Views
Nah. rebelaessedai - 07/09/2009 05:18:23 AM 1161 Views
For me it was the other way around. jh - 07/09/2009 07:38:35 AM 1167 Views
You know, I kind of feel that way, too. Erith - 08/09/2009 03:40:58 AM 1186 Views
One last one: Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley *NM* Brian - 07/09/2009 07:44:48 AM 703 Views
*NM* Novo - 07/09/2009 10:33:08 AM 675 Views
Awww man, I thought we got rid of you! *NM* Brian - 07/09/2009 06:05:30 PM 641 Views
Have you ever seen the mini-series? Darth_Katie - 07/09/2009 05:42:45 PM 1233 Views
Never have I seen such good acting in such a dreadful movie/mini-series. Legolas - 07/09/2009 05:44:47 PM 1127 Views
I love really really bad TV movies sometimes....they make for lots of laughter Brian - 07/09/2009 06:06:38 PM 1112 Views
Actually, you might like it. As in, think it's good. Legolas - 07/09/2009 06:11:14 PM 1160 Views
I had a couple of issues with the book that I could easily see being removed from the movie Brian - 07/09/2009 07:01:40 PM 1100 Views
Yeah, you might like it then. Legolas - 07/09/2009 07:20:04 PM 1155 Views
A Confederacy of Dunces. nossy - 08/09/2009 06:13:59 AM 1239 Views
Crap. That's two people now. Chas - 09/09/2009 01:42:40 AM 1112 Views
Don't go by what I say. nossy - 09/09/2009 03:11:17 AM 1196 Views
Anyone with more than half a brain wouldn't. *NM* Brian - 09/09/2009 03:49:34 AM 705 Views
This sounds like a redshirt mission. *NM* Chas - 14/09/2009 01:12:17 AM 696 Views
Re: Hardy Cockatiel of Doom - 09/09/2009 02:42:39 AM 1081 Views
Aw. I liked Confederacy. *NM* Ghavrel - 09/09/2009 06:15:10 AM 676 Views
That probably makes sense for someone from the area though. nossy - 09/09/2009 08:02:23 PM 1188 Views
Oh, I forgot to mention Brave New World. Craig - 08/09/2009 06:26:29 AM 1102 Views
Wha? nossy - 08/09/2009 03:26:29 PM 1253 Views
Wha. Craig - 08/09/2009 06:43:12 PM 1087 Views
*stands and applauds * Here here *NM* M & M Maddy - 08/09/2009 08:19:53 PM 724 Views
The Road andOld Man and the Sea bme - 08/09/2009 04:16:11 PM 1134 Views
Time to give up your man card. *NM* Joker - 12/09/2009 10:53:56 PM 673 Views
The great Gatsby and Romeo and Juliett. M & M Maddy - 08/09/2009 08:24:23 PM 1169 Views
Word! Geoff - 08/09/2009 08:41:27 PM 1308 Views
Hitchickers guide to the galaxy and The Good earth by Pearl S. Buck Murtach74 - 09/09/2009 01:07:01 AM 1208 Views
Ah, man. I love both those books. *NM* nossy - 09/09/2009 08:08:00 PM 711 Views
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