| Product: |
The Dragonbone Chair - Tad Williams |
| Date: |
12/05/02 (154 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Beautifully Detailed, Hard To Put Down, Well Developed Characters
Disadvantages: Lacks Pace Necessary For A Classic Novel
The Dragonbone Chair is the first release from the Memory, Sorry and Thorn Trilogy by Tad Williams, an author who himself on his unique style of literature and acute understanding of the sci-fi genre.
Tad Williams immediately plunges the reader into the story line and gives the trilogy a heart felt opening. Taking on the life of Simon, an orphan abandoned at an early age and taken in by the dragon Rachel. Working as a scullion boy is far from exciting and not the kind of environment necessary to quench Simon's imaginative mind. He is uninterested and unchallenged by the daily tasks set for him, instead he scampers away from the watchful eye of Rachel.
I don't want to delve into the storyline too much because I feel that reading the story was part of the major enjoyment to the novel. Watching as Simon's life unravels is an amazing experience as you watch him overcome the trials thrust upon him. The Dragonbone Chair is a novel of self-discovery rather than anything else and bares a stark resemblance to Tolkien's Lord Of The Rings trilogy. For instance the different races, Simon encounters on his travels to defeat King Elias, The Pryrates and to find Prince Josua he meets Jiriki and the Quanuc, not so unfamiliar from Tolkien's elves.
In saying this, the story brings one more side to a quest of self-discovery. The thirst for knowledge is very evident in our young hero. We watch as he overcomes boundaries to achieve his goals, his desire for magic and his awe for his teacher Dr. Morgenes.
Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of this novel is the brilliant literature style of Tad Williams when developing the characters within his stories. Not only are the characters unique and individual but they leap out of the page when you read of their exploits, different races have different traits and the reader can't help but imagine of a far away world where such magic could occur. Tad Williams has dre
amt of such a world and has beautifully woven his ideas into the pages of the novel.
My one criticism of the book would be the pace t which it moves. Readers do not misunderstand, The Dragonbone Chair is a wonderful novel but at times it lacks the quintessential action and thirst for fast paced scenes of indecision. Tad Williams has failed to incorporate this into his work. For instance, although Tad Williams successfully converses about the landscapes and the characters motions without being over description, his slow style of literature makes the book predictable at times. For this reason I don't recommend the novel to lovers of fast paced books, but rather those who enjoy and inspiring and uplifting read once in a while.
It has to be said that the conclusion of the novel leaves the reader wondering and curious. One cannot simply read one novel; you must be prepared to read The Stone Of Farewell and To Angel Green Tower. In saying this I cannot deny that Tad Williams has managed to capture my imagination in this witty and well-structured novel.
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