[Dragaera] Re-reading Jhereg

[Thomas M. Coyle]

Steve,

Concerning "richness", my question to you would be: did you detect all that
richness in Jhereg the first time you read it, or did it only come out as
these plot points were fully expanded later? For me, while I enjoyed Jhereg,
the situation was certainly the latter. It's only now, looking back, that I
see how cleverly Steven arranged everything (or arranged to have everything
later fit perfectly). That being the case, how much in Iorich might be the
same way - things that might seem mundane right now, but that might be
expanded upon later?

Wishful thinking, perhaps - I do know what you're saying (though I really
have thoroughly enjoyed every single book, albeit to varying degrees),
though the devil's advocate in me wonders if Steven has "sold out" to the
lure of simple hardcover storytelling for the purpose of garnering easy
sales (Piers Anthony has a great discourse about this in Anthonology (IIRC)
where he talks about how he became a financial success as a writer).

But, having lived these stories for so long, I really do expect that Steven
has plenty more tricks up his sleeve, and will, in the end, cause us all to
look back with wonder and amazement about how well the complete puzzle fits
together. It seems to me that the past few books have, in many ways, been
more "character exploration" stories for Vlad - and I can appreciate that
greatly: there are no one-dimensional characters. Sure, some of the later
story premises might be a bit shallow (no, not shallow... call them,
rather... what's the opposite of "clever"?), but as long as the characters
aren't - as long as there's evolution involved - I'm still reasonably
satisfied. As an example, when I first bought Athyra, I put it down and
didn't pick it up for a month, because I was so disappointed at the change
in tenor and circumstance. Now, looking back, I see it as a key
contribution, and thoroughly enjoy it.

Admittedly, however, even with truly paper-thin characters and stories, I'd
probably still be satisfied on some level, if only because I enjoy Steven's
facility with the language - I can't remember another author from whom I've
derived such enjoyment just from the words. The Khaavren Romances were an
unbelievable treat for me.

I re-read the entire series at least once a year (doing so right now,
actually - I'm on Dzur at the moment) - I have plenty of occasions where I'm
too stressed or short on time to dive into a new author - and each time has
been as - or more - rewarding than the last.

Twenty years from now, if we find, looking back, that the series degenerated
into profit-motive adventures, you can slap me with a wet noodle. :)

Tom


On Wed, May 26, 2010 at 7:48 AM, Steve Rapaport <steve at rapaport.com> wrote:

> It's hard to believe, reading Jhereg again, just how much is in that!
>
> Yes, I know Steve and Adrian et al had played the world out until it was
> real, that's impressive too but not what I mean.
>
> It's a huge, sprawling work in just 17 chapters, holding back nothing.
>  Almost every plot point in the series up to Issola seems to have been
> anticipated somewhere in this little book, though not always in agreement
> with what later shows up.  There is far, far more in this book than the
> book
> itself needs for its own plot; a lot of it seems to be there to provide
> hooks for the later books.
>
> A few examples of things like that, in retrospect:  (Remember, the book is
> about unravelling Mellar's revenge)
>
> * The presence of the Necromancer, Sorceress in Green, and Sethra the
> Younger
> * Wondering how Sethra knows things that only Kiera has been told
> * Wondering about Kragar's past and actually asking him
> * The Jenoine at Dzur Mountain, and Jenoine genetic games in general
> * Tortaalik and Adron's Disaster
> * All about Castle Black including its history and why Morrolan calls it
> that
> * Aliera, Kieron, Dolivar and Sethra
> * Lady Teldra's special gifts
> * Reincarnation interacts 'oddly' with genetics
> * How to summon a Jhereg as familiar
> * How an E'Kieron can create amorphia
> * Differences in Eastern and Dragaeran fencing style
> etc...
>
> Some of these are crucial to the story, but most are not, or could have
> been
> left out.  But they're all there.  If there's anything I miss in the later
> books it's this incredible richness.  But now I'm wondering if the richness
> was there to build the world, and now it's built, and it's now down to
> politics, economics, and battles with Jenoine and gods.
>
> The downside to this is that later books like *Iorich* seem almost flat in
> comparison.  We get in, get the plot over with, and we're done.
>
> --
> \Steve
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