The Player of Games (Culture)
by Iain M. Banks
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Book Reviews of The Player of Games (Culture)
Book Review: Not as good as "Consider Phelbas"
Summary: 4 Stars
All in all I enjoyed this book, but it did take awhile to get started. It was somewhat slow to start, but Iain M. Banks does paint some beautiful scenes.
I loved the book "Consider Phelbas" because one it was action packed. Also the main charecter in the book is awesome. Kinda like an Indiana Jones type.
"The Player of Games" is a good book, but I never found myself really attached to the main charecter. In fact most of the time he annoyed me how he handeled situations and so on.
All in all though it's worth a read, and about 100 pages in or so you'll get hooked.
Book Review: Stupid- Unless you have read..and understand the others
Summary: 1 Stars
Don't bother unless you have read, and understand, the other Culture books. The description of this is deceiving. If you don't know everything about the Culture, none of this will make sense. The book is supposed to make sense due to all the things the Culture is capable of. Banks seems to make up stuff as he goes along. The Game is never really explained. I guess it is if you understand The Culture. I didn't and the only reason I finished the book at all was to see if and how the guy made it through. If that's enough for you, then by all means...Book Review: Enjoyable But Thin
Summary: 3 Stars
I enjoyed reading this. But it's really just a short story padded out to novel length. It could easily be cut to one third of it's length and sold in an anthology with two other novellas.
There is one main character and the entire story follows this one character in a very linear fashion. It's certainly well-written and consistently interesting but not nearly as thought provoking as it would like to be. Player of Games could have been truly great if given a more complex and layered story with the added perspective of some other characters.
Book Review: Not the best, sorry.
Summary: 3 Stars
Maybe I need to read this again, but it seemed kind of formulaic to me.
Or maybe not formulaic. Maybe just after a certain period of time you simply expected the player's victory to be inevitable, and it was all yawns thereafter.
Sure, it gets a little tense towards the end, but a large Greek Chorus of Dei ex Machina(e) handle the loose ends.
It was one of those OK books to read. Certainly not at all in the same league as "Use of Weapons," or jeez! "Matter." Now, *that*'s quite the book.
Book Review: culture novel
Summary: 4 Stars
I have read some of Banks fiction. I like his tempo and style of characterization.
He has an interesting wit and great story telling skills. His stories are imaginative, with nice character building. I would rate his Science Fiction equal to the Peter Hamilton series. Banks as opposed to Hamilton, has less of a opera approach as the stories have new players and direction. I have Consider Phlebas, Use of Weapons, and Matter at my table and will rate these. I have read Excession and liked it as well.