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Discussion on Perdido Street Station
#1 - 11th Jan 2008 07:50:00
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Perdido Street Station, a gigantic and strikingly complete parallel-world fantasy, filled with exotic and erotic creatures, is wonderfully drawn. Mieville is a descriptive writer with an eye for detail.
In Chapter, One Mieville graphically describes the sexual passion of a human and his sculptor beetle mistress. This is spectacular. He avoids generic plotlines and characters and writes about alienation, love and difficult relationships. The book’s strength comes from the incredible tension.
Perdido Street Station (the name of the rail hub where vast numbers of lines meet) is set in a murky alternative Victorian London where electricity does not exist but magic works. The city teems with races and species of perplexing diversity. In this world, Hell actually exists and Satan makes deals with inept politicians.
The scenes build in tension. They stop you eating and sleeping… this is dark fantasy at its best. I noticed some borrowed stuff (no plagiarism though) but overall this is an original tale told by a master storyteller.
Mieville has left a great deal to the reader’s imagination. This story is so vast, that the reader could never have enough background detail. There is much to explain but also much revealed. He has the balance right in my opinion.
Isaac is a fat scientist whose ideas have made him an outsider and a loner at his university. He believes his taboo romance with a woman named Lin, (a khepri sculptor) endangers his career. (Khepri women are humanoid except for their head scarab, which is exactly what the name says: a head-size scarab body sitting atop their necks. She is exotic to say the least and she makes art with her SPIT.
A mutilated xenian comes to Isaac hoping to find a restoration. Meanwhile, a powerful gangster hires Lin to sculpt his likeness (in her spit YUCK!). The ensuing tale brings together characters from many species and societies, from the hopeless to the powerful.
The story deals with racism, hope, corruption but the ending leaves a bittersweet taste- it has a dash of hope for the future but an undertone of Xenophobia. This is not a book for the unwary, it will turn your dreams into nightmares and it will force you to think of your own motivations. This book will make you squirm, It will challenge your beliefs but most of all it will give you an experience that you will never forget.
The writing is complex, many words (I used my dictionary a lot in reading PSS) are unknown and difficult to comprehend but the richness of the writing adds to the tale. The hustle and bustle of the city of New Corobuzon is mirrored by the words selected by Mieville. The city is the strongest character in the book.
At over 700 pages it's not a quick read. The themes are complex and deal with the search for art and science, the racial tension is hostile, the plot twists and turns, when you think you have it worked out; new characters appear and change the direction... even when you know that Issac has unleashed something VERY BAD it takes most of the book to resolve the issue...it is not a straightforward read. It is tough going... but when the going gets tought... the enchantments takes over and you are forced to read... you feel a better person for doing so.
On the flip side, you learn more about humanity and what it is capable of doing, we learn more about the dark side than Luke can even imagine.
BE WARNED: Mieville doesn't pull away from showing the harshness of human nature. His heroes are flawed, and they discover horrific things about themselves and inflict horrific things to achieve their ends. Enlightenment does not come cheap.
The emotions the reader feels when reading PSS are tremendous. This book is has an uncompromising brutal streak... the thread is never broken.
Can you tell I adored this book…? I would like to thank Brad Beaulieu for suggesting it.
If you read only one book this year… read Perdido Street Station. Read it for the language, read it for the setting, read it for the darkness, I don't care why you read it, Just read it... You will not regret it.
This is a very rare book... I will continue to read and re-read it for the remainder of my life... I hate to say it's up there with Peake, Dunsany and Tolkien... because even though it is... it is something unique... this is a true fantasy in aworld created by a wonderful writer.
The down side is that Mieville is pretensious and I think he wants to create literature of the highest quality, he takes himself too seriously and the story runs away with itself in places... but hey I can forgive the flaws (there are a few) nothing is perfect.
Read PSS and my advice is to read it today.
In Chapter, One Mieville graphically describes the sexual passion of a human and his sculptor beetle mistress. This is spectacular. He avoids generic plotlines and characters and writes about alienation, love and difficult relationships. The book’s strength comes from the incredible tension.
Perdido Street Station (the name of the rail hub where vast numbers of lines meet) is set in a murky alternative Victorian London where electricity does not exist but magic works. The city teems with races and species of perplexing diversity. In this world, Hell actually exists and Satan makes deals with inept politicians.
The scenes build in tension. They stop you eating and sleeping… this is dark fantasy at its best. I noticed some borrowed stuff (no plagiarism though) but overall this is an original tale told by a master storyteller.
Mieville has left a great deal to the reader’s imagination. This story is so vast, that the reader could never have enough background detail. There is much to explain but also much revealed. He has the balance right in my opinion.
Isaac is a fat scientist whose ideas have made him an outsider and a loner at his university. He believes his taboo romance with a woman named Lin, (a khepri sculptor) endangers his career. (Khepri women are humanoid except for their head scarab, which is exactly what the name says: a head-size scarab body sitting atop their necks. She is exotic to say the least and she makes art with her SPIT.
A mutilated xenian comes to Isaac hoping to find a restoration. Meanwhile, a powerful gangster hires Lin to sculpt his likeness (in her spit YUCK!). The ensuing tale brings together characters from many species and societies, from the hopeless to the powerful.
The story deals with racism, hope, corruption but the ending leaves a bittersweet taste- it has a dash of hope for the future but an undertone of Xenophobia. This is not a book for the unwary, it will turn your dreams into nightmares and it will force you to think of your own motivations. This book will make you squirm, It will challenge your beliefs but most of all it will give you an experience that you will never forget.
The writing is complex, many words (I used my dictionary a lot in reading PSS) are unknown and difficult to comprehend but the richness of the writing adds to the tale. The hustle and bustle of the city of New Corobuzon is mirrored by the words selected by Mieville. The city is the strongest character in the book.
At over 700 pages it's not a quick read. The themes are complex and deal with the search for art and science, the racial tension is hostile, the plot twists and turns, when you think you have it worked out; new characters appear and change the direction... even when you know that Issac has unleashed something VERY BAD it takes most of the book to resolve the issue...it is not a straightforward read. It is tough going... but when the going gets tought... the enchantments takes over and you are forced to read... you feel a better person for doing so.
On the flip side, you learn more about humanity and what it is capable of doing, we learn more about the dark side than Luke can even imagine.
BE WARNED: Mieville doesn't pull away from showing the harshness of human nature. His heroes are flawed, and they discover horrific things about themselves and inflict horrific things to achieve their ends. Enlightenment does not come cheap.
The emotions the reader feels when reading PSS are tremendous. This book is has an uncompromising brutal streak... the thread is never broken.
Can you tell I adored this book…? I would like to thank Brad Beaulieu for suggesting it.
If you read only one book this year… read Perdido Street Station. Read it for the language, read it for the setting, read it for the darkness, I don't care why you read it, Just read it... You will not regret it.
This is a very rare book... I will continue to read and re-read it for the remainder of my life... I hate to say it's up there with Peake, Dunsany and Tolkien... because even though it is... it is something unique... this is a true fantasy in aworld created by a wonderful writer.
The down side is that Mieville is pretensious and I think he wants to create literature of the highest quality, he takes himself too seriously and the story runs away with itself in places... but hey I can forgive the flaws (there are a few) nothing is perfect.
Read PSS and my advice is to read it today.
Member
Total Posts: 344
Last Online: 5th Nov 2004 15:53:20
Registered: 14th May 2004 00:00:00
Can you believe that the #$@%$@#$(#@$ book club sent all my books except for PSS? 
oapbox">
I'm glad you liked that book, soldier. This unique way of sculpting sounds very interesting (I'm a sculptor myself, but I'm not about to start spitting, thanks very much.)
You managed to give us a very complete review without revealing or spoiling the plot. Nicely done! Now, all I'm missing is the book.
oapbox"> I'm glad you liked that book, soldier. This unique way of sculpting sounds very interesting (I'm a sculptor myself, but I'm not about to start spitting, thanks very much.)
You managed to give us a very complete review without revealing or spoiling the plot. Nicely done! Now, all I'm missing is the book.
Member
Total Posts: 123
Last Online: 25th Nov 2003 15:37:00
Registered: 14th May 2004 00:00:00
Whew. Ok, I finally got a chance to read this beast.
Perdido Street Station.
I suppose I'll start with the good. China has an amazingly complex world. Man, he must have spent years developing this thing. Seriously, it must have been bubbling along in his mind for quite some time, because he's developed several races, technologies, political groups, and lifestyles. Everywhere you look, he's introducing something new to the world, giving you a glimpse of it and immersing you in it's strangeness.
China has *very* strong characterization. I never had a feeling of a typical story character. All of them seemed like real people with their own, very unique lives.
The core story was quite intriguing. China used his great creativity again to create a very unique problem for the characters to deal with. Kudos there.
Now on to the not so good. I mentioned the complex world. I'll put that here, too, because in some ways, it was mentally draining to constantly have to learn more as the story moved along. Now, I don't mind learning a thing or two, but there was so little to rely on, so little that was familiar, that it was exhausting. I guess part of this particular puzzle was that China, too often for this reader, went into some pretty long diversions on his world. Many times, it was unnecessary, and dropped the tension the story had built up. It was *too* tangential to the story, and I found myself wanting (very badly) to get back to the *real* story.
China created a distopia in New Crobuzon. I haven't read many of these types of stories. He really hammered home the squallor of the characters' lives in his world. I started to have a hard time reading about it because it was so ... gross. By the end, I was jumping over the "life here is crap" descriptions and getting back to the action.
China also writes a bit ... heavy. He's got a large vocabulary and he sure uses it. I had to grab the dictionary quite often. That's fine and all, but it seemed like he made his prose more complex than it needed to be. It read very slow for me. I'm not a fast reader to begin with, but this one slowed to a crawl for me.
Well, those are my initial thoughts. I, personally, would recommend this type of story only for those that like this type of heavy prose. Perhaps for those who like Stephen R. Donaldson stories with more disease and pestillence.
">
Cheers all,
Brad.
Perdido Street Station.
I suppose I'll start with the good. China has an amazingly complex world. Man, he must have spent years developing this thing. Seriously, it must have been bubbling along in his mind for quite some time, because he's developed several races, technologies, political groups, and lifestyles. Everywhere you look, he's introducing something new to the world, giving you a glimpse of it and immersing you in it's strangeness.
China has *very* strong characterization. I never had a feeling of a typical story character. All of them seemed like real people with their own, very unique lives.
The core story was quite intriguing. China used his great creativity again to create a very unique problem for the characters to deal with. Kudos there.
Now on to the not so good. I mentioned the complex world. I'll put that here, too, because in some ways, it was mentally draining to constantly have to learn more as the story moved along. Now, I don't mind learning a thing or two, but there was so little to rely on, so little that was familiar, that it was exhausting. I guess part of this particular puzzle was that China, too often for this reader, went into some pretty long diversions on his world. Many times, it was unnecessary, and dropped the tension the story had built up. It was *too* tangential to the story, and I found myself wanting (very badly) to get back to the *real* story.
China created a distopia in New Crobuzon. I haven't read many of these types of stories. He really hammered home the squallor of the characters' lives in his world. I started to have a hard time reading about it because it was so ... gross. By the end, I was jumping over the "life here is crap" descriptions and getting back to the action.
China also writes a bit ... heavy. He's got a large vocabulary and he sure uses it. I had to grab the dictionary quite often. That's fine and all, but it seemed like he made his prose more complex than it needed to be. It read very slow for me. I'm not a fast reader to begin with, but this one slowed to a crawl for me.
Well, those are my initial thoughts. I, personally, would recommend this type of story only for those that like this type of heavy prose. Perhaps for those who like Stephen R. Donaldson stories with more disease and pestillence.
"> Cheers all,
Brad.
#4 - 19th Nov 2002 13:02:00
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Sure, Steve. If you read The Scar, let me know how it is. The thing was up for a Hugo, so it must've been pretty impressive. I need to recharge my China batteries. I'm off to read LOTR again, then George Martin, and then who knows? Maybe The Ill-Made Mute. I'll miss the discussion on it, but I've been wanting to read it for some time.
Brad.
Brad.
#6 - 24th Dec 2002 13:32:00
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Last Online: 8th May 2003 21:41:00
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Actually the Scar is probably my next book to read (choice of three at the moment)
PSS - Did anyone think that this could be Earth. Being Sci Fi orientated, and there was nothing detailed to say that it was not Earth. It also details the same human flaws, racism to other cultures, predudices, class hierachy etc.
* Edit - just noticed China has a Novella coming out next. The cover is in the similar style to PSS and the Scar - but instead shows a broken down, dark tower bridge in the city of London.
Edited by: Dystran Hart at: 12/25/02 1:40:59 am
PSS - Did anyone think that this could be Earth. Being Sci Fi orientated, and there was nothing detailed to say that it was not Earth. It also details the same human flaws, racism to other cultures, predudices, class hierachy etc.
* Edit - just noticed China has a Novella coming out next. The cover is in the similar style to PSS and the Scar - but instead shows a broken down, dark tower bridge in the city of London.
Edited by: Dystran Hart at: 12/25/02 1:40:59 am
#7 - 10th Jan 2003 13:48:00
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PSS was simply excellent in every regard. Original, vivid and thorougly enjoyable.
The Scar was even better. I really saw the influence of Mervyn Peake's amazing Gormenghast in this book, more so than PSS. I can't believe nobody has produced motion pictures of these books yet.
Anyway, Mielville's third book in this world (Iron Council) isn't a patch on the first two. I don't know what happened, perhaps his success went to his head. Perhaps his homo-erotic fantasies just broke free. Either way, I never finished the book and ended up throwing it in the wheelie-bin.
I'll still check out his next book based on the strength of PSS and The Scar. Hopefully Iron Council was just a slight fumble.
Nathan
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