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souloftherose's review against another edition
2.0
So relieved to have finally finished this trilogy....
metaphorosis's review against another edition
3.0
3 stars
Metaphorosis Reviews
In Helliconia Winter, Brian Aldiss finally settles into the human-scale story he approached in Summer. The result is, if not exactly intimate, still substantially more engaging than the previous volumes. Winter is coming, and with it the Fat Death, the plague that kills some and transforms others to prepare them for centuries of cold ahead.
Metaphorosis Reviews
In Helliconia Winter, Brian Aldiss finally settles into the human-scale story he approached in Summer. The result is, if not exactly intimate, still substantially more engaging than the previous volumes. Winter is coming, and with it the Fat Death, the plague that kills some and transforms others to prepare them for centuries of cold ahead.
It's hard to say that any of Helliconia's characters is particularly likeable, but they are, at least, interesting. There's more action and less philosophy here. Enough of the secrets of the world are revealed for the content to be satisfying, though some of the mechanisms lean toward the arbitrary.
To be frank, my reaction on finishing the series was mainly of relief. It's seldom that I find books this slow. Mainly, I think the issue is that Aldiss, lost in the vast scope of his plan, forgot to approach it through characters we could identify with. That gradually improved as the trilogy progressed, but even in this last volume, I didn't care enough about the lead protagonist, Luterin Shokerandit, to have strong feelings about what happened to him. While an improvement on its predecessors, Winter is not a strong book.
To be frank, my reaction on finishing the series was mainly of relief. It's seldom that I find books this slow. Mainly, I think the issue is that Aldiss, lost in the vast scope of his plan, forgot to approach it through characters we could identify with. That gradually improved as the trilogy progressed, but even in this last volume, I didn't care enough about the lead protagonist, Luterin Shokerandit, to have strong feelings about what happened to him. While an improvement on its predecessors, Winter is not a strong book.
nwhyte's review against another edition
3.0
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/2583651.html
Helliconia Winter didn't work for me anything like as well as the first two. I found the plot meandering, the gender politics pretty unpleasant, and the Earth observation sections taken in unwelcome and not very interesting directions. I may be in a minority; it also won the BSFA award, though I must say I have not heard of three of its four opponents
Helliconia Winter didn't work for me anything like as well as the first two. I found the plot meandering, the gender politics pretty unpleasant, and the Earth observation sections taken in unwelcome and not very interesting directions. I may be in a minority; it also won the BSFA award, though I must say I have not heard of three of its four opponents
ianbanks's review against another edition
5.0
And it ends, still a few centuries before true Winter descends upon the world. This time the story is a little less epic, but still compelling, as the cycle comes a little closer to home. The Earth Observation Station is a ruin, as is Earth, and Helliconia itself seems to be descending slowly into hibernation. There's a lot here to depress you, as Helliconian society seems determined to do the work of the winter for it and wipe itself out. People behave badly and do stupid things in the name of things even more ridiculous than themselves. However, this story does contain the Great Wheel, one of the most magnificent Big Dumb Objects in all of spec fic, which makes the journey worthwhile. It also contains Hope, one of the best things in the world. This is a much shorter volume than the previous two but it feels no less immense or weaker for it. It ends with a cry against tyranny as society begins to shrink and huddle in on itself. Questions are answered, more are asked, and you begin to wonder if it (meaning everything, really) is really worth it at all. But the hint is that there is always something of value to inspire us and keep us going. Like this series.
riduidel's review against another edition
2.0
Dans ce roman, on suit les pas d'un homme, Luterin Shoderankit, dans ses aventures autour du glacial continent de Sibornal, qui s'enfonce doucement dans l'hiver des grandes années d'Helliconia. Toutes ces aventures n'ont hélas pas vraiment de but, car Luterin est un pantin dont les ficelles sont tirées par son père (mais de loin, donc il s'en doute pas). Du coup, on le voit errer à travers les préparatifs militaires d'une nation qui souhaite survivre par tous les moyens à un hiver qui durera plusieurs siècles. Et dans ce cas, d'une manière typique, on voit apparaître le combat classique entre les conservateurs, qui vont tenter de faire survivre un mode de vie quitte à le vider de sa substance, et les partisans de l'adaptation, qui ne savent pas trop ce qu'ils vont venir, mais savent néanmoins qu'ils veulent voir changer les choses.
Je ne sais pas si ça se voit, mais j'ai trouvé l'ensemble de ce roman franchement ennuyeux. Le héros n'est pas franchement charismatique, pas plus que les personnages l'accompagnant, ses aventures ne sont pas non plus vraiment palpitantes et les décors traversés sont (à l'exception de la roue de Kharnabar) quasiment sinistres.
Et ce n'est pas le paratexte qui nous présente une Terre transformée après un hiver nucléaire qui va semer ce roman. car ce paratexte vire dans le new-age le plus sordide, avec amour universel, illumination de Gaïa et nomadisme bobo.
En fait, je me demande bien ce qui a pu m'attirer dans ma jeunesse dans le cycle d'Helliconia. Parce que oui, c'est une relecture. Je devais avoir environ quinze ans quand je l'ai lu la première fois et je dois reconnaître que ces bouquins m'avaient plutôt marqué, avec leurs phagors et autres nécrogènes. Je n'y vois plus maintenant qu'un moyen pour Aldiss de masquer les multiples incohérences de ces livre-mondes. Car incohérences il y a : de l'apparition de l'homme à la station Avernus, il n'y a pas grand chose qui tienne la route.
Et du coup, je n'ai plus qu'à vous recommander de passer votre chemin, pour lire des oeuvres plus intéressantes (et il y en a quand même un paquet).
Je ne sais pas si ça se voit, mais j'ai trouvé l'ensemble de ce roman franchement ennuyeux. Le héros n'est pas franchement charismatique, pas plus que les personnages l'accompagnant, ses aventures ne sont pas non plus vraiment palpitantes et les décors traversés sont (à l'exception de la roue de Kharnabar) quasiment sinistres.
Et ce n'est pas le paratexte qui nous présente une Terre transformée après un hiver nucléaire qui va semer ce roman. car ce paratexte vire dans le new-age le plus sordide, avec amour universel, illumination de Gaïa et nomadisme bobo.
En fait, je me demande bien ce qui a pu m'attirer dans ma jeunesse dans le cycle d'Helliconia. Parce que oui, c'est une relecture. Je devais avoir environ quinze ans quand je l'ai lu la première fois et je dois reconnaître que ces bouquins m'avaient plutôt marqué, avec leurs phagors et autres nécrogènes. Je n'y vois plus maintenant qu'un moyen pour Aldiss de masquer les multiples incohérences de ces livre-mondes. Car incohérences il y a : de l'apparition de l'homme à la station Avernus, il n'y a pas grand chose qui tienne la route.
Et du coup, je n'ai plus qu'à vous recommander de passer votre chemin, pour lire des oeuvres plus intéressantes (et il y en a quand même un paquet).
indrabar's review against another edition
3.0
Not as strong as the others (specifically the first one) but still enjoyable.
I would be interested to see what another installment of the series would entail, if the eradication of the phagors was as widespread as the Oligarchy was claiming, and presumably, if the Fat Death plague was halted. Also, with the ending of operations on the Avernus... -
On the whole, it was a fitting end to the series, with things sort of trailing away into the sunset in a dreamy sort of way.
On the whole, it was a fitting end to the series, with things sort of trailing away into the sunset in a dreamy sort of way.