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Review - The Player of Games
May. 28th, 2009 01:49 amI didn't expect to like this book as much as I did. I pretty much tried it on impulse, never having read anything by Iain M. Banks before. I don't think I'm going to go out and buy his stuff or anything, but I might pick it up from the library in future when I have nothing else to read and it catches my eye, or borrow my mother's copies. It's the kind of plot I've come across before -- it reminded me a little of Le Guin's Hainish cycle -- but that didn't hurt it any.
I got absorbed in the ...more I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did. I pretty much tried it on impulse, never having read anything by the guy before. I don't think I'm going to go out and buy his stuff or anything, but I might pick it up from the library in future when I have nothing else to read and it catches my eye, or borrow my mother's copies. It's the kind of plot I've come across before -- it reminded me a little of Le Guin's Hainish cycle -- but that didn't hurt it any.
I got absorbed in the story, wondering if he would beat the game, wondering what everyone's motives were. I didn't know what would happen if he did win the game -- I wondered if he'd end up the Emperor against the wishes of the Culture or something. I was wrong, but the end didn't particularly surprise me either. It was the kind of book I enjoyed but didn't get completely engaged with -- which seems to be a trend with me and reading lately.
I didn't really start caring about the characters, as such, but they were interesting, especially the drone. I had half a guess about who the drone was, and originally assumed that Mawhrin-Skel would be the drone that went with him.
The cultures in the book are interesting, too. The changing gender thing is something I've seen in other books, but it was appropriately used as a part of the Culture's attributes. The three genders in the Empire were also pretty interesting -- again, the playing with gender reminded me of Ursula Le Guin.
Didn't get that emotionally invested in it, but it was a good read, anyway.
I got absorbed in the ...more I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did. I pretty much tried it on impulse, never having read anything by the guy before. I don't think I'm going to go out and buy his stuff or anything, but I might pick it up from the library in future when I have nothing else to read and it catches my eye, or borrow my mother's copies. It's the kind of plot I've come across before -- it reminded me a little of Le Guin's Hainish cycle -- but that didn't hurt it any.
I got absorbed in the story, wondering if he would beat the game, wondering what everyone's motives were. I didn't know what would happen if he did win the game -- I wondered if he'd end up the Emperor against the wishes of the Culture or something. I was wrong, but the end didn't particularly surprise me either. It was the kind of book I enjoyed but didn't get completely engaged with -- which seems to be a trend with me and reading lately.
I didn't really start caring about the characters, as such, but they were interesting, especially the drone. I had half a guess about who the drone was, and originally assumed that Mawhrin-Skel would be the drone that went with him.
The cultures in the book are interesting, too. The changing gender thing is something I've seen in other books, but it was appropriately used as a part of the Culture's attributes. The three genders in the Empire were also pretty interesting -- again, the playing with gender reminded me of Ursula Le Guin.
Didn't get that emotionally invested in it, but it was a good read, anyway.
