A book of two halves - but not cliché
|
For the first time in the Iain M. Banks Culture canon, I found myself more interested in the non-Culture, low-tech society existing within a high-tech, alien-built and controlled world. The Sursamen serf and turf-wars, power grabbing and palace intrigue is splendidly, richly and vividly written.
The various journeys, both metaphorically and literally of the main characters, with their speeches and inner thoughts are beautifully realised and realistically human-type-like.
It is almost with regret I found the Culture intervention approximately halfway through to be the start of a slight decline in the story-telling and imagination of the book. With such high-tech, invincibility (however close to final jeopardy they come in the end) it is almost, I repeat almost, a too rapid deus ex machina conclusion wrung from what seems to have been Banks' final threadbare cloth of boredom.
However, to give an example of the wonderful writing in the first half of Matter, how about this from the 2nd page :
'What sullen application these humans devoted to destruction' - Turminder Xuss.
Despite the criticism this is still wonderful stuff. Good science fiction and future imaginings rarely ever matched in the genre.
Just not quite as wonderful all the way through as previous favourites in the series. A pity for this reader and fan.
|
|
I'd give it 3.5 if I could
|
Not his best but a book that gradually improved with a better than average ending for Banks - something I feel he can struggle with.
I don't generally like it when he uses the fiction of old technologies cheek by jowl with The Culture for example but the characters were good and the action increasingly urgent......and I just like the whole concept of the Culture
|
|
Had to skip pages - too long, too slow. cf Lord of the Rings
|
For the record; I love Consider Fleabag (sic) and the other Culture novels (more or less), this one was far too long, for too little content of interest. The same story could have been told in, say, 200 pages. The other 360ish pages could have been used to carry the hanging threads forward (Djan, purpose of shellworlds etc).
While I often re-read books, and have shelves and shelves of books that I won't get rid of...I had to skip pages of waffle to finish it once. The story really got going at around page 490! There were FAR too many speeches and descriptions. For that, and for another common theme; too many silly names, I also failed to read the lord of the rings.
Not one I intend to re-read!
|
|
|
another one to make people argue. me - I loved it.
|
Long, reasonably complex, various levels and themes, as I find with his books-all of which I have read- you cannot pre guess the outcome, the writing is intelligent and provokes thought. Bear in mind, most other decent writers in this genre owe a lot in my humble opinion to Banks.
Whether this is your favourite or not just remember that he sets the benchmark.
|
|
|
Good, great from any other author, but not quite as good as algebraist
|
|
After the fantastic Algebraist I had very high hopes for this Culture novel. It so nearly hit the spot, but as others have pointed out, it seemed very rushed and incomplete in the final section. After a long, slow and detailed buildup, it all went out with a satisfying bang, but somewhat prematurely. Ends were left hanging and loose. Now Banks is by no means an inexperienced lover (I mean, writer), so I can only imagine that he felt pressured to get finished. Perhaps the editor was knocking on the door, saying "keep it down in there!". Perhaps Banks just wanted to get it over and done with. It's well worth the read, but maddeningly just a little bit imperfect.
|
|
|
United States | 
United Kingdom | 
Canada