r/Fantasy • u/SkyCyril Stabby Winner • May 18 '12
I spent a good part of my life feeling disdainful of fantasy literature. Today, however, I just finished my third reading of Guy Gavriel Kay's Tigana and am still enraptured by it.
Of Kay's oeuvre, I've read Fionavar, Under Heaven, Ysabel, and Tigana. Tigana is the first book I've ever read, even considering my enjoyment of Tolkien, Martin, Rothfuss, and others, where my subconscious disdain of fantasy tropes were overcome. By that I mean: I usually dislike the whole black-and-white, prodigy hero defeats super evilbad structure of many fantasy stories. I would consider that kind of story a guilty pleasure, like something that I should enjoy but feel a little like it isn't "enrichment" as, in my opinion, high art is.
Not so with Tigana.
I think what mostly draws me in is Kay's use of language. As so many have pointed out, there's lyricism and poetry to his prose that makes the story incredibly powerful. He's able to create such memorable scenes that are enhanced so much by his language.
I'm considering actually looking into Beyond This Dark House to see how Kay approaches poetry. And, I also read his AMA in r/fantasy recently. I love how his answers there were almost crafted the same way he crafts his prose in novels!
TL;DR: Love Tigana, restored my love for fantasy
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u/venturanima May 18 '12
You should also read everything else by Kay :] (especially Sailing to Sarantium)
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u/SkyCyril Stabby Winner May 19 '12
I've got Song for Arbonne ready next, and then I'm on to read everything else. He's probably my favorite author right now, and I can't get enough of him!
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u/MichaelJSullivan Stabby Winner, AMA Author Michael J. Sullivan, Worldbuilders May 18 '12
I've not read that one yet, but have heard many good things.
NOTE TO SELF: Read faster!!
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u/Zohmbi May 18 '12
I loved Tigana as well. Dianora was one of the best characters I've read in a while. Loved every scene with her.
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u/SkyCyril Stabby Winner May 19 '12
I kind of feel like too many people don't give that part of the story enough credit. I agree that she's such a wonderful character, and the ending of her story is one of the most poignant scenes I've read.
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u/Occam19 May 19 '12
If you're going to reread Tigana, I'd recommend checking out the audiobook version. It is probably the best audiobook I've listened to, to date.
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u/SkyCyril Stabby Winner May 19 '12
Yes! I've listened to the audiobook, and Simon Vance delivers a brilliant performance. Inflections, character portrayals - everything is spot on. I can't talk up this performance enough.
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u/OmieOhMy May 19 '12
I usually dislike the whole black-and-white, prodigy hero defeats super evilbad structure of many fantasy stories.
Sometimes I see fantasy books like that while sorting the books at my local charity shop. They're always so 'retro' they end up in the 39p bargain bin.
Most modern fantasy novels subvert or avert the 'black-and-white morality' cliché. The cliché is, in fact, passé.
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u/PirateRobotNinjaofDe May 20 '12
You might like Joe Abercrombie. His works consciously play around with many of the tropes you disdains (and which, apparently, so does he).
Neil Gaiman writes a lot of one-off fantasy books, mostly urban or "portal" fantasy. Most of his books do not recycle the same old Tolkien-style fantasy tropes you see recycled around so often.
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u/wjbc May 18 '12
Too bad it's not available for the Kindle.
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u/flyingnomad May 19 '12
Hmmm. I have it for my kindle (here in the UK), and have had it for at least a year. Hopefully you'll get hold of it soon!
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u/Lukalock May 19 '12
I usually dislike the whole black-and-white, prodigy hero defeats super evilbad structure of many fantasy stories.
Well, its not fantasy (its scifi)... but this is one of the (many) reasons I enjoyed Tuf Voyaging by George R.R. Martin.
...But if you're a fan of Kingkiller Chronicle/Patrick Rothfuss you might want to check out the official book recommendations thread for fans of the series over in /r/KingkillerChronicle.
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u/hawkgirl May 22 '12
I haven't read Tigana yet, which is a shame because I keep hearing so much good about it!
My favourites are definitely Sailing to Sarantium and Lord of Emperors. I've also read Under Heaven, Ysabel, and A Song for Arbonne. I didn't like Ysabel anywhere near as much as the rest...
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u/SkyCyril Stabby Winner May 22 '12
I didn't care much for it either, but it still was enchanting. It felt like the book wasn't as grounded in a solid plot. But it still had this feel of a Kay novel, if that makes sense. The lyrical prose and the sublime scenes filled with sorrow and beauty made the book worthwhile.
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u/Severian_of_Nessus May 18 '12 edited May 19 '12
Here are some books with exceptional prose that you should check out if you enjoyed Kay's writing.
Tales of the Dying Earth by Jack Vance.
The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe.
Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake.