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I am currently reading(plodding through) David Eddings' The Redemption of Althalus. I am finding it rather dull.
I read "The Belgariad" and The Mallorean," and while I liked them a bundle at first, I tired of the style after a while. What is it? It is this repartee the characters have that I find is cute for one or two characters, but it seems to happen wih all of them.
Has anyone else read Eddings, and do you know what I mean? I can't think of how to describe it other than "too cutesie."
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I couldn't make it through The Redemption of Althalus and I haven't even tried with the new ones. I really liked his earlier series when I was younger, but they don't much do it for me anymore. I couldn't stand Belgarath or Polgara, either - they were both so forced. Cutsey is just the word for it.
I noticed that the decline in quality came when Eddings' wife was named as co-author. Think there's any connection?
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Hmm, I wondr Mrs. M. Maybe that is their style of communicationg, which is cute, and fine for one or two characters, but is making me want to gag in "Althalus." I may ditch it.
I think it was the end of the Belgariad when it started bothering me, and by the end of The mallorean I was way over it.
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The Ellenium and Tamuli have some of that banter, but, those series, especially the Elenium, is significantly better then the Belgariad/Mallorean.
And his new stuff is CRAP.
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Once I realized that his main characters were invulnerable, I found I couldn't care for them.
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"This is practically the same exact story as the Belgariad! What is this?"
Yes, it is. And he admits it and comes up with a justification for it in the book itself. *boggles*
I was actually amused by his audacity.
That said, I prefer The Malloreon to The Belgariad; it's considerably better written, and the minor characters better-developed.
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I read somewhere that his wife being listed as an author is more of an acknowledgement of what has been the situation for quite some time.
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I read Althalus all the way through and probably won't read it again, though I didn't hate it on the scale I hated Regina's Song. I was actually angry when I finished Regina's Song with a distinct sense of being cheated. I sort of coasted through Althalus without being touched.
OTOH, I like his other series, but readily admit they are fluff. They're wonderful for killing time when I don't have the mind to exert any effort.
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I love the Belgariad and the Mallorean mostly for the "cutesy stuff." But they are also my comfort reading. I don't pretend they're great literature, or even great fantasy, but they were the first adult fantasy books I read and they're really special for me. Pretty consistently when there's something really wrong in my life I read David Eddings.
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Oh, I loved when I first read it. (The Belgariad) Incidentally, would Nicole Kidman or would Nicole Kidman not be perfect for the role of the woman whose name I cannot recall?
I just don't like "Althalus." I have a hard time putting books down, but I went to the store today and bought the fourth "Rhapsody" novel. (which, by the way, I decided I would not read when I finished the first three. Such a sucker) I also got this Knights of the Templar mysteries that look good. Anyone?
[ January 27, 2005, 02:06 PM: Message edited by: Elizabeth ]
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The fourth Rhapsody was a disappointment, to me. The others were way better.
***spoilers if you haven't finished the 1st 3*** * * * * * * * * * * * * I just don't like her being married to Ashe. I just don't like Ashe, period.
Everything Achmed said about him in Elysian when he railed against him for being incompetent was so true - I just realized how weak he really was at that point.
And the 4th book had too little Achmed in it for me. Though it did have Anborn - and I like Anborn. So that was a plus.
edit: added more space after my spoiler warning
[ January 27, 2005, 02:12 PM: Message edited by: Belle ]
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Oh, Belle. I am so like you. We like firemen and bad boys. ha ha. I think Achmed and Anborn are just so darn sexy. I know I am going to kick myself for giving in, but I couldn't help it!
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You are thinking of C'Nedra, Belgaion's wife. The only problem is that Kidman is way too tall. C'Nedra was very very short, being part Dryad, and Kidman made Cruise look like an Ompah Lompah.
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yes, C'Nedra. Kidman is so petite, though, (features-wise)that they could make her appear short, like they make Bruce Springsteen seem tall. (After twenty years of loving that man, I just learned a couple years ago how short he is. It doen't matter, it just really surprised me)
[ January 27, 2005, 02:16 PM: Message edited by: Elizabeth ]
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Elizabeth Haydon "The Symphony of Ages" http://www.elizabethhaydon.com/ I really liked it, but I felt the series ended with three books, and swore I would not read further. Sigh. I broke my promise.
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I still enjoy Eddings when I want fluff. I find them fun and amusing, without being too taxing. I made it through Althalus okay, but I'm starting to wane with these "Elder Gods" books.
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I read The Belgariad and The Malloreon when I was in 7th grade, and I loved them then. I still have all the books, but to be honest, I haven't really looked at them since. So, I don't really know.
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