A Couple of Books
Feb. 28th, 2005 07:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stoutfellowI've finished reading John Barnes' The Merchants of Souls and Rosemary Kirstein's The Steerswoman in the last few days, and moved on to Shippey's J. R. R. Tolkien: Author of the Century.
I'm not sure what to say about The Merchants of Souls. Like the previous Thousand Cultures books, it has as a major theme the role of art in human life. The focus this time is on Earth, which is far gone down a solipsistic path; many people have accepted permanent existence in virtual reality, their bodies tended by machine. Those who have not - at least, those whom we see - live what seems (in Giraut's eyes, and presumably in those of the reader) lives of shallow aestheticism, resistant to any outside influence. One character describes her resentment of one of Giraut's popular songs, for coercing her into feelings chosen by the performer. Others carry out a version of artistic criticism, regarding it purely as a game; they adopt stances not because they believe them, but for the sake of, as it were, scoring points in a competition. That Giraut, and other Occitanians and representatives of others of the Outer Cultures, choose to compose and enjoy art which challenges them, forces them to confront uncomfortable ideas and feelings, is incomprehensible to the decadent people of Earth.
All this occurs against a background of political maneuvering, assassination, and a covert plot against the government of the Thousand Cultures. Barnes drops some fairly obvious hints early on as to the plotters and the nature of the plot; some of the details are fairly interesting, but I found this aspect of the book rather tired. (I know of short stories from the 1970s which featured essentially the same theme.)
I don't think The Merchants of Souls is as good as the first, or even the second, of the Thousand Cultures books. Probably the most valuable part of the book is its continuation of the aesthetic meditations that underlie the other two. (The back cover suggests that Barnes intends, or intended, two more books in the series, but as far as I know he hasn't written them.)
The Steerswoman is (if I recall correctly) the first of a three book sequence by Ms. Kirstein. I won't do a full-scale review now because, judging from the ending of this book, it really is a single story spread over more than one volume. I found it entertaining, despite the fact that I was unfortunately spoiled concerning a major plot point. It was interesting, at least, to watch for the clues concerning that point, but it might have been more fun had I not known ahead of time. I will certainly pursue the next of the series, and after I've finished it I may have more to say.
I'm not sure what to say about The Merchants of Souls. Like the previous Thousand Cultures books, it has as a major theme the role of art in human life. The focus this time is on Earth, which is far gone down a solipsistic path; many people have accepted permanent existence in virtual reality, their bodies tended by machine. Those who have not - at least, those whom we see - live what seems (in Giraut's eyes, and presumably in those of the reader) lives of shallow aestheticism, resistant to any outside influence. One character describes her resentment of one of Giraut's popular songs, for coercing her into feelings chosen by the performer. Others carry out a version of artistic criticism, regarding it purely as a game; they adopt stances not because they believe them, but for the sake of, as it were, scoring points in a competition. That Giraut, and other Occitanians and representatives of others of the Outer Cultures, choose to compose and enjoy art which challenges them, forces them to confront uncomfortable ideas and feelings, is incomprehensible to the decadent people of Earth.
All this occurs against a background of political maneuvering, assassination, and a covert plot against the government of the Thousand Cultures. Barnes drops some fairly obvious hints early on as to the plotters and the nature of the plot; some of the details are fairly interesting, but I found this aspect of the book rather tired. (I know of short stories from the 1970s which featured essentially the same theme.)
I don't think The Merchants of Souls is as good as the first, or even the second, of the Thousand Cultures books. Probably the most valuable part of the book is its continuation of the aesthetic meditations that underlie the other two. (The back cover suggests that Barnes intends, or intended, two more books in the series, but as far as I know he hasn't written them.)
The Steerswoman is (if I recall correctly) the first of a three book sequence by Ms. Kirstein. I won't do a full-scale review now because, judging from the ending of this book, it really is a single story spread over more than one volume. I found it entertaining, despite the fact that I was unfortunately spoiled concerning a major plot point. It was interesting, at least, to watch for the clues concerning that point, but it might have been more fun had I not known ahead of time. I will certainly pursue the next of the series, and after I've finished it I may have more to say.
