trb@cbscc.UUCP (Tom Balent) (10/09/85)
I am looking for an opinion (or review) of the five book series by Doris Lessing "Canopus in Argos: Archieves". Has anyone out there read any or all of these books? Are they worth the time (and money)? I have never read any of Ms Lessing's works, but a number of reviewers seem to like her new, non-science fiction work. However, in the reviews that I've read they all make some comment to the effect that it is good to have her back from outer space. So if there is anyone who has an opinion on the series, please share it with me. t.r. balent ostg at&t-ns columbus
ehn0@bunny.UUCP (Eric Nyberg) (10/10/85)
> > I am looking for an opinion (or review) of the > five book series by Doris Lessing "Canopus in > Argos: Archieves". I have started reading the series. The first book, "Shikasta," is in my opinion an excellent book. It is difficult to characterize; although there are many elements of fantasy and SF in the story, the main focus is on "the decline of man" and the futility of modern politics, new/old generations and their relationships, etc. I was definitely blown away by the book, but I can't say whether anyone else would be for sure. I've started the second book (I think it's called "Marriage between Zones 4 and 5"), and it is completely different from "Shikasta." It is almost a fairy tale about a marriage between the female leader of a very peaceful, advanced culture and the crude warrior-king of a warring race, ostensibly to create a balance in the cosmos. That's about all I can tell you - so far I like this one, too. I'm not sure that Lessing's SF is the best place to start. I have also read "Briefing for a Descent into Hell," which is one hell of a book (arrgh, bad pun). If you like psychological/dream-like fiction, this book is for you. In fact, there are notable similarities between the style of this book and some of Gene Wolfe's stories. There is also the "Children of Violence" series, which I have started, but I'm not sure if I'll ever finish it. Set in South Africa, the story seems to be drawn from Lessing's own experiences as a young woman, but the protagonist seems shallow, uncertain, and downright exasperating at times. There are five books in this series too, ending with "The 4-Gated City," which my wife has read and claims is excellent; it takes place in post-holocaust London. I'm not sure I can stand the next 3 books in the series in order to get there, though. As you can tell from my long-winded reply, I am definitely a Doris Lessing fan (of sorts). I would be glad to discuss any of her books with you if you decide to read them. Regards, Eric Nyberg ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CSNET: ehn0@gte-labs Eric H. Nyberg, 3rd UUCP: ..harvard!bunny!ehn0 GTE Laboratories, Dept. 317 40 Sylvan Rd. Waltham, MA 02254 (617) 466-2518 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE ***
mangoe@umcp-cs.UUCP (Charley Wingate) (10/12/85)
In article <6060@cbscc.UUCP> trb@cbscc.UUCP (Tom Balent) writes: > I am looking for an opinion (or review) of the > five book series by Doris Lessing "Canopus in > Argos: Archives". > Has anyone out there read any or all of these books? > Are they worth the time (and money)? I've read the first three (possibly the fourth, too; don't remember too well). Of the first three, the second is VERY different from the other two, and of the three, is the one that most bears reading. The first is a very strange book. Anyone who is the least bit familiar with the mythopoeic fiction knows what is going to happen in the end. Everything runs downhill until it is all fixed in the last chapter. What you get in the meantime is an extended dissertation on the sins of man, culminating with a long-winded and rather contrived (even within the character's point of view) confrontation. This resolves nothing; in fact, nothing resolves anything. I can't recommend this book, I'm afraid, although it's somewhat hard to pin a reason down as to why. The third book is similar, talking about the same time frame in a different region from a different point of view. Both of these books present a dualistic sort of competition for the earth which reads strikingly like a way to reinvent the Judaic view of man, but without the deity. The second book, as I said earlier, is quite different. It's sort of a Beren-and-Luthien Men-and-Fairies sort of sort, except that there are neither men nor fairies. The oppressive sense of "I am telling an Important Story" is much muted, and the cosmic forces all go away (after they set the ball in motion. This book is perhaps worth checking out of the library. There are two things that the whole of this has going against it: Doris Lessing is basically a mainstream novelist. Her "science fiction" is more mythopoeic fantasy; there's a strong kinship in that regard to the book _Out of the Silent Planet_. If you didn't like that book, you will not like any of these books (well, *maybe* the second). The books are simply too self-important. I continually through the first and third books had this feeling of the author having this vision of how she was going to change the world throught these books, the dreaded "I am telling an Important Story" sense. The fact is that both the themes and the form of their presentation aren't new. The first book is in particular marred by this sense of mission, leading to a lot of contrived settings and conflicts. Charley Wingate
lat@druil.UUCP (TepperL) (10/15/85)
I tried reading the first book of the series (Shikasta?) and put
it down after the 3rd or 4th chapter. I especially disliked
her idea of identifying characters and places with numbers, not
names: Planet number 7, agent 23.
With numbers, it's harder to remember who's who and what's where.
We Earth-people have names for everything, even our numbers: pi,
planck's constant, avogadro's number.
I agree with Charley Wingate regarding the feeling of self-importance
about it all.
--
Larry Tepper {ihnp4 | allegra}!druil!lat +1-303-538-1759royt@gatech.CSNET (Roy M Turner) (11/03/85)
Hullo... I have read all (I think) of these books. They are (despite the review I just read in reply to your posting) quite good; I was not put off by the "I am telling an important story" attitude, since 1) I didn't really feel that it was present, and 2) she IS telling an important story. That is isn't a new slant escaped me, too...I really hadn't read anything similar to the first one, and *certainly* nothing similar to the rest, with the exception of _The Sentimental Agents_, which was reminiscent of Swift. I would recommend reading them, but of course everyone has different tastes! Try 'em, you might like them! :-) Roy