AnHeC (I'm too fucking busy and vice versa)
Hi! My name is Anna, "You'd really like me if you got to know me. I've known me for years and I love me."
The Lies of Locke Lamora (The Gentleman Bastard Sequence)
Word count: almost 200 000
Rating: Bouncing around like a demented bunny
*Stipulation: I’m unable to do it justice!
That book is something different.
"I only steal because it's heaps of fucking fun!"
I’ve become an avid reader soon after learning how to put letters together (stick with me. It’s relevant). My father didn’t read to me (and my brother) children’s stories. Oh no. Because my father is full of awesome he decided to treat us to his favourites. Ergo I grew up with J.R.R. Tolkien and Stanislaw Lem’s science fiction. That move was full of win, as proven by my immediate addiction to fantasy and si-fi (no children’s literature for me. Asimove, Tolkien, Lem, McKillip, Pratchet, King, Orson Scott Card, Zajdel, McCafrey, Sapkowski here I come!).
There is a point to me telling you this – I’ve been reading books (a lot of books, like 3-7 a week ‘lot’) since I was about 10. Now I’m 22. Guess how many books that makes? (view spoiler) Therefore very little surprises me. I see most plot twists coming from a mile away. Whatever you’re trying to show me, I’ve probably seen it done before. And that’s ok, but...
...That brings us to THIS BOOK. That was something else. It was smart, funny, charming, cruel, morally deficient, hart gripping, soul crashing, philosophical, life teaching, pondering inducing, awe inspiring, original, breathtaking, marvellous, shocking, fascinating, creepy, surprising, clever, wonderful, hope bringing, faith in humanity obliterating, moving, palpitations inducing, superb, bloody, betrayals including, action filled, bromance driven, quirky, witty, dangerous thrill ride. It held my undivided attention. I drunk up every word and begged for more.
Ellis, I’ve just figured out the answer to your question. One book you must read before you die? THIS ONE. It may not be life alternating but it certainly affected my view of books. It was a game-changer
Lock Lamorra is not a good person. He’s a criminal. And not a nice one that rebels against evil of this world or tries to feed his dying family or start a ‘children without jam’ charity. No secret noble quest. DEAL WITH IT. He likes to win, to steal, to show his superiority. The thrill of danger revitalizes him. That’s what he lives for. At the same time he’s not exactly a bad person either. He knows loyalty and friendship (Lock an Jean Tannen man, just look at them!). We still sympathise with him somehow. But he’s more of an antihero with his foul mouth, selfishness and joy of theft because ‘hey, he can’ ! Vague criminality with an intense charm -> that is our protagonist.
*I have a weak spot for super intelligent characters. I do. ‘Wicked masterminds’ is my favourite book genre (feel free to suggest that kind of books to me. I’ll be grateful)
I completely understand people that don’t give it 5*. It’s NOT warm and fuzzy, but sweet baby duckling, it is a-fucking-mazing. (and it's long and has descriptions. Some people just can't handle descriptions) I was so nervous for the characters! I don’t know if today that book would live up to my memory. Maybe I should re-read it. About a year ago it single-handedly saved my faith in books. I’ll never forget that. I was on the verge of thinking my love of reading was a childish phase; that I’m finally seeing books for what they are (boring, cheesy, clichéd) when THIS came along to merrily shatter my views and left me standing in the middle of the rode in French countryside under a full moon, holding a dead chicken in one hand and a half-empty bottle of champing in the other, with look on my face, as if there were two people inside of me and both tried to come out at the same time; singing to Napoleons monument and mumbling something about huge block of Camembert cheese. (view spoiler)
Thank you Scott Lynch! For blood, gore, action, violence, foul language and world that isn’t black and white but still stays relatable (so much more than in vast majority of books, it reminds me a bit of Pratchett). Thank you for not making it all soft and fluffy, ‘because hey, heroes shouldn’t kill people and want vengeance.’ Thank you for creating a world, where nobody is safe, so that we stay at the edge of our seats till the very end. Thank you for building fascinating, detailed world. Thank you for a good writing that made even long descriptions/retrospections sound like the most exciting thing since indoor plumbing. Putting it together so that we LIKE the characters (even though we know we shouldn’t) is actually a pretty amazing feat. Sir, you have MAD SKILLS!
Rating: Bouncing around like a demented bunny
*Stipulation: I’m unable to do it justice!
That book is something different.
"I only steal because it's heaps of fucking fun!"
I’ve become an avid reader soon after learning how to put letters together (stick with me. It’s relevant). My father didn’t read to me (and my brother) children’s stories. Oh no. Because my father is full of awesome he decided to treat us to his favourites. Ergo I grew up with J.R.R. Tolkien and Stanislaw Lem’s science fiction. That move was full of win, as proven by my immediate addiction to fantasy and si-fi (no children’s literature for me. Asimove, Tolkien, Lem, McKillip, Pratchet, King, Orson Scott Card, Zajdel, McCafrey, Sapkowski here I come!).
There is a point to me telling you this – I’ve been reading books (a lot of books, like 3-7 a week ‘lot’) since I was about 10. Now I’m 22. Guess how many books that makes? (view spoiler) Therefore very little surprises me. I see most plot twists coming from a mile away. Whatever you’re trying to show me, I’ve probably seen it done before. And that’s ok, but...
...That brings us to THIS BOOK. That was something else. It was smart, funny, charming, cruel, morally deficient, hart gripping, soul crashing, philosophical, life teaching, pondering inducing, awe inspiring, original, breathtaking, marvellous, shocking, fascinating, creepy, surprising, clever, wonderful, hope bringing, faith in humanity obliterating, moving, palpitations inducing, superb, bloody, betrayals including, action filled, bromance driven, quirky, witty, dangerous thrill ride. It held my undivided attention. I drunk up every word and begged for more.
Ellis, I’ve just figured out the answer to your question. One book you must read before you die? THIS ONE. It may not be life alternating but it certainly affected my view of books. It was a game-changer
Lock Lamorra is not a good person. He’s a criminal. And not a nice one that rebels against evil of this world or tries to feed his dying family or start a ‘children without jam’ charity. No secret noble quest. DEAL WITH IT. He likes to win, to steal, to show his superiority. The thrill of danger revitalizes him. That’s what he lives for. At the same time he’s not exactly a bad person either. He knows loyalty and friendship (Lock an Jean Tannen man, just look at them!). We still sympathise with him somehow. But he’s more of an antihero with his foul mouth, selfishness and joy of theft because ‘hey, he can’ ! Vague criminality with an intense charm -> that is our protagonist.
*I have a weak spot for super intelligent characters. I do. ‘Wicked masterminds’ is my favourite book genre (feel free to suggest that kind of books to me. I’ll be grateful)
I completely understand people that don’t give it 5*. It’s NOT warm and fuzzy, but sweet baby duckling, it is a-fucking-mazing. (and it's long and has descriptions. Some people just can't handle descriptions) I was so nervous for the characters! I don’t know if today that book would live up to my memory.
Thank you Scott Lynch! For blood, gore, action, violence, foul language and world that isn’t black and white but still stays relatable (so much more than in vast majority of books, it reminds me a bit of Pratchett). Thank you for not making it all soft and fluffy, ‘because hey, heroes shouldn’t kill people and want vengeance.’ Thank you for creating a world, where nobody is safe, so that we stay at the edge of our seats till the very end. Thank you for building fascinating, detailed world. Thank you for a good writing that made even long descriptions/retrospections sound like the most exciting thing since indoor plumbing. Putting it together so that we LIKE the characters (even though we know we shouldn’t) is actually a pretty amazing feat. Sir, you have MAD SKILLS!
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