It's very different from Dune, I think. I couldn't really get into Dune but I'm a massive fan of the Hainish cycle (they don't have to be read in order, and aren't a series as much as they are books set in the same universe). I found Dune to be a bit mechanical whereas I like the humanness of the Hainish Cycle.

You can enjoy a book without trying or having to find a deeper meaning. A good book can just be a good book

I too am able to be amazed at the greatness contained in those pages. I'm not overly religious but the words and the symbols just the weight of the story that's trying to be told is heavy. There are many like us.

Is the whole series good? I’m exploring sci fi and fantasy right now, read dune series and almost finished with Asimov, this one keeps popping as a must read

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I thought I'd have loads of books on my shelves that Goodreads had never heard of but it doesn't happen all that often. And the little-known books don't generally get low ratings: if you're interested in something off the beaten track you'll have a reason for seeking it out and you'll know what might be good about it.

But by sheer fluke I just looked up a book that's been on my TBR pile for about 40 years and found a big fat zero - no ratings, no reviews.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59084300-modern-common-wind

You have to wonder how it ever got into their database. With a photo, even.

It's rare an author can make fantasy feel like history. But he's one of them.

I read this at 18 after seeing the show and was just blown away. I think I consider Les Mis to be the first real book I every read.

And sometimes a cigar works a subtle metaphor for erectile disfunction (like in La Regenta).

Some fiction books are simply are a series of actions and dialogues, with maybe some world building. Others are way deeper than that and have layers upon layers of meaning. A statement such as “fiction books NEVER have deeper meaning” is way too categorical and absolutely untrue.

I obviously wasn’t trying to be ugly. No reason for you to be.

And don't forget Libby!

Rent library e-books, audiobooks, digital magazines, and more straight to your phone!

The main point of the book is not the hidden meanings of it, whether intended or unintended, and the most sure fire way to ruin a good book is to view it through the lens of other people’s bullshit.

I found IDC following Luke Daniels after listening to Off To Be the Wizard. So happy I did.

It's easy to be critical of a book you haven't read.

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Haggard’s last Quatermain story!

Trivial question about John Sandford's Righteous Prey. A witness is casting about for the kind of car she saw. She says "Oh, you know.... the lesbian car." Lucas thinks and correctly identifies a Subaru.

I googled and found that lesbians are one of Subaru's best market groups. But what's the public face of that? How did Lucas know? How did she know?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Annotated_Alice This might interest you.

I've read Nietzsche's work several times.

From what I recall, the boat was mainly an excuse for an outing together. One of those random things you do with friends where the point is just to go somewhere, except set in a drearier world than ours.

The boat can also have symbolism, etc, as others have said - I agree with that.

But as far as the characters' motivations, it's a reason to get out for a while.

You are a sad person who lacks any sense of imagination if you think that.

Nothing wrong with simply enjoying a story. I've grown to despise literary snobs who look down at folks for not understanding deeper meanings in certain books. That turns so many people off from reading. Reading a book should be for pleasure not for study.

In the case of Alice in Wonderland, it's just meant to be a crazy adventure. If you're interesting in delving deeper into the story, try reading the Annotated Alice in Wonderland by Martin Gardner. It talks about the history of the book and what influenced Lewis Carroll, like how most if not al the poems were actually parodies of popular poems of the day. It's just that most have been forgotten.

Nice. Yes I cried when Cosette lost her mum (Fantine). But at least she had Valjean to look after her, as she grew up. They're all long dead now. But their memories keep them alive. Thanks for reading.

It's a fantasy in that it's about a world that's not ours, a pre/early modern world including some fantasy tropes and feudal vassal states, etc. I've heard it called "hard fantasy," which makes some sense given how well constructed and thought out the setting is. You will not find dragons and magic; though magic is talked about, it's talked about somewhat like the real world: as superstition.

Great book. Looking forward to the fourth book coming out before reading the whole series.

I would, yes.