Scan barcode
twantonie's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
egoorb's review against another edition
5.0
The perfect example of how a thief in D&D should behave. Complete and total sociopath and a fun read.
hideousheart1's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
coris's review against another edition
Cugel is a dick, and I'm just not interested in reading his POV.
cilligt's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
mbs1236's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
hakimbriki's review against another edition
4.0
3.5
Now I can see why people compare this series to The Book of the New Sun; the protagonist is not your typical hero; he travels through a strange future version of earth with a grimdark vibe and a dim sun; he meets a bunch of wild characters who (try to)play tricks on him; both series have sorcery and futuristic science/tech. The Eyes of the Overworld is not as hypnotizing as Gene Wolfe's masterpiece, but it's an imaginative, funny, and mostly entertaining entry in the series. I did find parts of it very dull, and I do not really enjoy Vance's writing style, but the good far outweighs the bad.
One last thing - if you're considering reading this, let me propose a drinking game. Have a drink each time Vance uses the verb "to ejaculate" to mean "to exclaim". You can thank me later!
Now I can see why people compare this series to The Book of the New Sun; the protagonist is not your typical hero; he travels through a strange future version of earth with a grimdark vibe and a dim sun; he meets a bunch of wild characters who (try to)play tricks on him; both series have sorcery and futuristic science/tech. The Eyes of the Overworld is not as hypnotizing as Gene Wolfe's masterpiece, but it's an imaginative, funny, and mostly entertaining entry in the series. I did find parts of it very dull, and I do not really enjoy Vance's writing style, but the good far outweighs the bad.
One last thing - if you're considering reading this, let me propose a drinking game. Have a drink each time Vance uses the verb "to ejaculate" to mean "to exclaim". You can thank me later!
vxmlie's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
sullyisreading's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Quite enjoyable book. Had some moments I felt Jack Vance could have capitalised on, which failed to quite meet expectation, but were highly enjoyable all the same. A bizarre, farcical version of the Odyssey, if taken primarily by land instead of sea. Worth a read if old fantasy tales that tell uniquely odd stories are your bag. I don't know if I would read more of the series, but I enjoyed the read primarily for Cugel. Cugel the Clever. Clever indeed...