For the first quarter of this book, I thought it was going into my desert-island-10. However, by the end I wanted it over SO BAD. Overall, I have to say I disliked it, but some of the details, images, characters and subplots are so compelling that I can't just dismiss it so easily. In fact, I think I'm madder about it than if had just been a crappy book.

Helprin kept breaking my heart by breaking his own rules of the world he created. He relied on coincidence instead of logical storytelling. He forced (rather than gently inserted) obvious political views into the storyline. He dropped delightful subplots for no apparent reason. He offered up a dissatisfying ending. He needed an strong-willed editor!

But some of his images and characters will live inside me for a long long time, and for those, it was worth it. Read it. You should. Sections of it are sublime, most of the rest is at least good if not great, and you can skim the crappy parts.

Exciting in every possible way.

Exciting in every possible way.

I'd forgotten how fucking amazing this book is. Read it. Read it, now.

I'd forgotten how fucking amazing this book is. Read it. Read it, now.

I did really like it, but I felt a little let down. I didn't to see how this could be considered magical realism, although the story is certainly fantastic. I really enjoyed the humor and found that the story was captivating. I think that it definitely deserves much of the praise it gets, but overall it left me feeling like a tiny bit of something was missing.

Set in the past, this book creates a world of magical and mystery in the mundane.

This book took me a little time to get 'into', but once I was in, I was entralled!

Meet Fevvers, a rough, working class woman from London. Despite her inauspicious beginnings - she is raised in a whorehouse - she is raised above her station by being in posession of a magnificant pair of wings.

Followed from adventure to adventure by a clearly sceptical American journalist, Fevvers causes mayhem whereever she goes.

The writing takes a little time to get used to, and the style is unlike any other I've come across so far!

A delight (thanks Laini)

Well, I tried desperately to read this and got about halfway through and just couldn't carry on. I really enjoyed the beginning of the book and was quite getting into it and then it just wasn't holding my attention any more. I think that started when Grenouille left Paris and lived in the mountain - that's when the book lost me.

Blurb:
Grenouille has 'the finest nose in Paris and no personal odour'. He uses this talent to become a master perfumier and a sadistic murderer, disgusted by the stench of the human race. Ironic, witty and clever.

Wonderful wonderful wonderful wonderful wonderful wonderful wonderful wonderful.

I'm afraid Mervyn Peake used up all the imagination and eloquence in the world, so I can't really elaborate.

BLURB

Mervyn Peak's gothic masterpiece, The Gormenghast Trilogy begins with the superlative Titus Groan, a darkly humorous, stunningly complex tale of the first two years in the life of Titus Groan, the heir to the ancient, rambling castle Gormenghast. The trilogy continues with Gormenghast and Titus Alone.

REVIEW

Wonderful wonderful wonderful wonderful wonderful wonderful wonderful wonderful.

I'm afraid Mervyn Peake used up all the imagination and eloquence in the world, so I can't really elaborate.

Who is the young girl floating in the river Severn, clutching only an embroidered cloth?

Where has she come from, and why does noone search for her? How did she get in the river?

These are the questions that pulled this reader into a mystical world where myth and the modern mingle in a strange ever lasting dance. Sound a bit fanciful? Well that's the mood that the book inspires...

I've always loved myths and legends and would recommend this to everyone!

All right. I admit it: this is my favourite book.

I'm going to give you/myself some space to get over this revelation.













I'd like to add that this translation is even sexier than I ever thought it could be, especially the notes. So alive! And calming. Wonderful.

One of my favorite books. I love the fact that this book can be viewed from different angles: political(anti communism), (love story), fantasy, etc.
A MUST read. You won't regret it.

All right. I admit it: this is my favourite book.

I'm going to give you/myself some space to get over this revelation.













I'd like to add that this translation is even sexier than I ever thought it could be, especially the notes. So alive! And calming. Wonderful.

Re-reading seems an unnecessary luxury at the moment, but this is short, and it's in my top three favourite books of all time, and I needed it. This book sets out everything imperative to my being; I can think of nothing as beautiful or as perfect in the world.

The little prince is
from another planet so
he's different from me.

Re-reading seems an unnecessary luxury at the moment, but this is short, and it's in my top three favourite books of all time, and I needed it. This book sets out everything imperative to my being; I can think of nothing as beautiful or as perfect in the world.

"It is in the heart that one can see rightly. What is essential is invicible to the eye."

This is the first book to ever make me wish I spoke French. Extraordinarily beautiful and imaginitive. I read the book in one sitting, and look forward to picking it up again, or to sharing it with friends. It was truly wonderful and wonderous - I have far too much to say about it, but far too few words.

Concise and full of content. I re-read it every now and then to remind me in which planet I am.

I feel ridiculous giving this a three. I think this site should grade out of ten - One Hundred Years would get a seven, I think. It started beautifully, but I struggled so much with it in the middle. Just so ... cold, and unbearable, and impossible to be sucked into (NB: I recognise that not all great literature is sucky but c'mon, you need something to keep you going). The language was stunning - some turns of phrase were entirely humbling; the ending was spectacular. But, as a whole, it was a painful experience, and not in a good way. Sorry, Gabe.

I feel ridiculous giving this a three. I think this site should grade out of ten - One Hundred Years would get a seven, I think. It started beautifully, but I struggled so much with it in the middle. Just so ... cold, and unbearable, and impossible to be sucked into (NB: I recognise that not all great literature is sucky but c'mon, you need something to keep you going). The language was stunning - some turns of phrase were entirely humbling; the ending was spectacular. But, as a whole, it was a painful experience, and not in a good way. Sorry, Gabe.

One of my favourite books, fantastical and absorbing from the first page. A story of seven generations of the same family through time from the founding of their town it develops into an exploration of the development of society through surreal characters, magical events and some serious politics and South American culture thrown in for good measure. I love Gabriel Garcia Marquez anyway, and this book is by far my favourite. In my opinion it far surpasses Love in the Time of Cholera. Also, has the best ending of a book ever. Fact.