I just started reading this book. I am not a fan of the random poetry or the odd throwback 4th-wall breaking parts. While the glimpses it offers of the altered world so far are really interesting, the narrative parts feel generic. I am about 60 pages in (Kyu and Bold have just left Hangzhou) ....does it get better?
Years of Rice and Salt...
- Thread starter MNP
- Start date
Kaiphranos
Donor
I actually just re-read this recently. The weird poetry and fourth-wall bits are peculiar to that section; I've heard that they're supposed to resemble Journey To The West, though having never read that I'm not sure how well they succeed.
All in all, I would say that it does get better--or at least I find many of the later sections to be more interesting. If you haven't already realized this, though, The Years Of Rice And Salt is not "hard" AH--it's more like Pavane or The Man In The High Castle than anything you'd find outside of the Writers' Forum here. (Or even something like your typical Turtledove work.) And that stuff about the "bardo" that Bold keeps talking about will be relevant later.
All in all, I would say that it does get better--or at least I find many of the later sections to be more interesting. If you haven't already realized this, though, The Years Of Rice And Salt is not "hard" AH--it's more like Pavane or The Man In The High Castle than anything you'd find outside of the Writers' Forum here. (Or even something like your typical Turtledove work.) And that stuff about the "bardo" that Bold keeps talking about will be relevant later.
AtriumCarceris
Banned
Personally, Awake to Emptiness if one of my favourite sections.
As others said, the poetry and the 4th wall breaking (it's not 4th wall breaking, the Narrator is not a character and can not break the 4th wall) are unique to that chapter because it's trying to be like Journey to the West. Each section varies in style, and some I think are more interesting than others.
It's not really an Alternate History book anyway. It's much less interested in exploring a realistic or even semi-realistic take of what would follow from the PoD, and is instead more interested in exploring eastern culture and religion by removing Christianity.
As others said, the poetry and the 4th wall breaking (it's not 4th wall breaking, the Narrator is not a character and can not break the 4th wall) are unique to that chapter because it's trying to be like Journey to the West. Each section varies in style, and some I think are more interesting than others.
It's not really an Alternate History book anyway. It's much less interested in exploring a realistic or even semi-realistic take of what would follow from the PoD, and is instead more interested in exploring eastern culture and religion by removing Christianity.