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libron26's review
4.0
What I enjoy most about fantasy is a sense of the legendary, mythic, misty quality of storytelling that evokes a sense of mysterious other-worldliness. To me, Kalpa Imperial meets that in spades. It isn't a traditional novel with a main story but rather a bunch of different tales told by a storyteller about the greatest Empire known to man in this world. Through the stories the reader pieces together more and more of the history of this culture and see how it both is similar and different to ours. It reads like a mixture of history, legend, and myth all rolled into one. Some of the stories impacted me more than others. For example. I really liked the story of how the Empire fell and then was reborn out of its ruins. Later in the book, I liked the story of the noble who has to flee to the mysterious and unruly South. To me the stories themselves faded into the background while I drank in the fantasy setting of Kalpa Imperial. It is definitely a work that will continue to marinate in my mind.
competencefantasy's review
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Genocide, Rape, Suicide, War, and Classism
laurareads87's review
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
I just couldn't stay focused on <i>Kalpa Imperial</i> despite my best attempts. I picked up this book having noticed that LeGuin translated it. I can see why, based on her own work, why she'd have been drawn to it; however, I just wasn't captivated. The writing style is compelling and the structuring of the stories as being told orally is interesting, but after a while it felt quite repetitive. It is hard to say whether I'd call this a series of short stories or a novel, given that the stories take place in the same universe but over such a huge span of time that they feel quite disconnected. Every so often, a discriminatory comment or an unexpected reference to gender-based violence would turn up rather unexpectedly; I found these jarring, and not in a good way.
<i>Content warnings:</i> sexual assault, rape, misogyny, racism, violence
<i>Content warnings:</i> sexual assault, rape, misogyny, racism, violence
pancakefox's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this. A meandering journey through the lives of dozens of people in a fictional world, at times edging towards morality tales or parables, but then it surprises me by just being a story, where things happen. The style is very much that of an oral history. The whole experience to me feels like sitting around a campfire with an elder who's telling you stories. The seemingly completely non-linear structure of the book takes us to many such storytellers in different times and places in this fictional empire, with no clear link between them. We experience kind and forgiving storytellers, crotchety and racist storytellers, and a lot of commentary on the role of storytellers in society - providing a memory of times past, that we might choose how to act in the present. Bringing people together in shared experience of their history. Helping people understand, through example, how the world works, or how it has worked. Le Guin's influence as translator comes through, I think, in some turns of phrase - or maybe there are just stylistic similarities in Gorodischer's original work. Certainly the thematic similarities between this work and Le Guin's own must be one of the reasons for her choosing it.
My only discontent with this book is that, once or twice, it felt like wading through a very long story for not much reward - just one or two of the stories. This almost feels like a necessary element of the 'oral' storytelling style, though, and a nod at the idea that not all stories are interesting and punchy all the time. But most of stories I very much enjoyed, and they gave me a lot to think about. This also stoked my appreciation of oral storytelling, and storytelling generally, and made me want to seek out more of this in my own life.
My only discontent with this book is that, once or twice, it felt like wading through a very long story for not much reward - just one or two of the stories. This almost feels like a necessary element of the 'oral' storytelling style, though, and a nod at the idea that not all stories are interesting and punchy all the time. But most of stories I very much enjoyed, and they gave me a lot to think about. This also stoked my appreciation of oral storytelling, and storytelling generally, and made me want to seek out more of this in my own life.
kmowery's review
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
scarfreads's review
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
this was an interesting read, although i'm not sure how much of it i actually enjoyed. i liked several of the stories very much, had indifferent opinions about most, and profoundly disliked two. the last story in the collection, "the old incense road" was my favorite; i found it a delight to read the combination of myth and popular culture, which added to the general theater-of-the-absurd feeling. there's a fun plot twist in that one that really worked on me. i also enjoyed "down there in the south," the next-to-the-last story. apart from these two, it was actually a bit difficult to get through most of this book - maybe because of the long paragraphs of lists and descriptors, which are...certainly there. minor gripes aside, the premise of the whole book is fascinating, and gets underlined in the final story - the empire is the book, its existence subject to the eye of the reader. as the twentier tells the cat in the last story: that's how the world was made.
thejadedhippy's review
3.0
As with many books which are basically compilations of short stories, this had it's highs and lows. Mostly I found the stories interesting but not "page turners" in the strictest sense.
One thing I definitely enjoyed was the way the stories pulled together as tales from the history of an empire, at times alluding to other stories in the book. I can't think of another sci-fi/fantasy book I've read that takes on that particular method.
I also enjoyed that this was written as if it were being told to you in person by a storyteller. This was another unusual element in my reading experience and added another layer to the text.
Overall a unique and interesting book.
One thing I definitely enjoyed was the way the stories pulled together as tales from the history of an empire, at times alluding to other stories in the book. I can't think of another sci-fi/fantasy book I've read that takes on that particular method.
I also enjoyed that this was written as if it were being told to you in person by a storyteller. This was another unusual element in my reading experience and added another layer to the text.
Overall a unique and interesting book.
joepasaran's review
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
emily_britton's review
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
What an unusual read! I thoroughly enjoyed it, although the names were a bit much.
Also, this is most definitely not for children, just FYI.
But the writing (and translating) was just beautiful
Also, this is most definitely not for children, just FYI.
But the writing (and translating) was just beautiful