On 9/19/2011 at 3:11 AM, Rhogar l said:

Graendal

TY

Who killed Asmodean? Was it Moridin? I always found this assassination to be needlessly enigmatic and annoying.

Thanks, everyone!

It's funny--this time through TSR and the prologue of TFOH, that particular Aes Sedai struck me as a possible candidate for Mesaana, (that smirk and the stuff with the masons were hints) but she was just one among others, and I would never go so far as to claim that I "guessed correctly." Still ... what a coincidence!

Again, thanks ... knowing this will really boost my enjoyment of her scenes.

A question for which I WANT a spoiler answer:

Who is Mesaana?

Obviously, having only read up through KOD, the Aes Sedai whom Mesaana is disguised as has not been revealed to me. I'm rereading WOT now, but I confess to feeling some impatience with RJ's frequently irritating mysteries. Frankly, I would like to know ahead of time who she is, so that when I encounter her on the page I can feel some genuine suspense vis a vis her interactions with others. This will enhance my enjoyment of the story, not ruin it ... at least that's how it works for me. I don't need all secrets to be revealed ahead of their time, but I would appreciate this one.

Pretty please, and thank you.

  On 8/25/2011 at 9:45 PM, Sleeper said:

  On 8/25/2011 at 2:58 PM, Hybrid said:

The Player of Games, Iain M. Banks. Terrific book, highly recommended.

One of his best for sure. I'm glad that some other people on here read Banks, the guy's created an amazing sci-fi universe.

 

Have you read his latest release, Surface Detail? I would put it up as his second best book, behind PoG. Compelling story, some awesome scenes with Culture warships, and it actually's got some nice philosophy in it.

I read Banks's novel FEERSUM ENDJINN many years ago. I liked the world he created in it, but looking back, I can scarcely believe I got through it. The phonetic spelling used in half of the book was really off-putting. Someday I imagine I'll tackle his "Culture" novels.

Thanks for the warning about JOHNATHAN STRANGE AND MR. NORRELL. I like novels that aren't light reading (and the last book on my list, Wyndham Lewis's THE CHILDERMASS, is by reputation extremely heavy reading), and I'm really looking forward to it.

Right now I'm rereading WOT for the 5th time. I'm in the middle of TSR right now.

Over the last year I read Milton's PARADISE LOST, Bronte's WUTHERING HEIGHTS and Waugh's A HANDFUL OF DUST. Also LORD VALENTINE'S CASTLE by Robert Silverberg. Amongst graphic novels, I read PREACHER by Garth Ennis, LOST GIRLS by Alan Moore, and ZOT! by Scott McCloud. Some literary criticism from David Denby and James Wood, including THE WESTERN CANON and JESUS AND YAHWEH by Harold Bloom. Biggest of all these reading projects was my umpteenth reread of Gene Wolfe's SUN books, twelve volumes in all.

Although I intend to keep up with WOT until I catch up with everyone else (I've only read through KOD, though I have TGS and TOM waiting on my bookshelf), other books on my shortlist of novels-to-read include JOHNATHAN STRANGE AND MR. NORRELL by Susannah Clarke, I CLAUDIUS by Robert Graves, and THE CHILDERMASS by Wyndham Lewis.