Details Books To The Drawing of the Dark
| Original Title: | The Drawing of the Dark |
| ISBN: | 0575074264 (ISBN13: 9780575074262) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Literary Awards: | Locus Award Nominee for Best Fantasy Novel (1980), Balrog Award Nominee for Best Novel (1980) |
Tim Powers
Paperback | Pages: 336 pages Rating: 3.92 | 4410 Users | 303 Reviews
Mention Epithetical Books The Drawing of the Dark
| Title | : | The Drawing of the Dark |
| Author | : | Tim Powers |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Deluxe Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 336 pages |
| Published | : | November 14th 2002 by Gollancz Paperbacks (first published June 1979) |
| Categories | : | Fantasy. Fiction. Historical. Historical Fiction. Historical Fantasy |
Commentary Supposing Books The Drawing of the Dark
Tim Powers is a mad genius. The siege of Vienna, Vikings, and the Fisher King. Oh, and Merlin, of course. I'm tired, and lazy as hell, so that's about all the plot summary I can muster. On one level this is a book about beer, as might be inferred (playfully) from the title. It's the secret history of what the Ottomans were really after when they marched on Vienna, and a forgotten chapter of Arthurian Legend. This is one of Powers's early novels, and I found it a little more concise than some of his later works. The later books sometimes get a teensy bit saggy or unfocused in the middle (I say that as an ardent fan). Having read most of his work in random order, rather than the order in which it was written, I enjoyed coming to this late because it meant I could watch his first explorations of certain ideas that have become important recurring themes in his later work. The Fisher King, in particular, reappears in several of his other works, including (most notably) Last Call and Earthquake Weather. I think I might have also spotted an embryonic form of the "Jacks" from Last Call. In Powers's later works, the Fisher King loses some of the more overt trappings of Arthuriana, and becomes a more unique Powers construct. His sense of magic becomes much more refined and subtle with each book, but the seeds of his characteristic style are all here. (I say it all the time, but seriously: if magic were real, it would work like it does in a Tim Powers novel.) One of the things I enjoy most about Powers's secret histories is that I always come away wondering just which parts were fictional and which parts really happened. Did a Viking longship really show up on the Danube just before the Siege of Vienna? I'm not sure, but if Powers says so, I'm willing to buy it.Rating Epithetical Books The Drawing of the Dark
Ratings: 3.92 From 4410 Users | 303 ReviewsAssess Epithetical Books The Drawing of the Dark
I read this book years ago ('79 or 80 I believe)...and forgot about it till it was resurrected as a "lost fantasy classic", which I agree it is. This one predates the glut of Arthurian pastiches, adaptions and outright rip-offs that got so popular for a while. Here we start with the story of a 14th century "soldier of fortune" com adventurer who's traveled and been a rogue and mercenary (among other things), Brian Duffy. Faced with what might be termed "an affair of honor" (facing 3 men) heTHE DRAWING OF THE DARK is Tim Powers at his most playful.Sure, he drags a whole bevvy of archetypes on stage as is his wont, with Fisher Kings and wise men to the fore. But we also get drunk Vikings, enchanted swords, wild journeys with high magic through the mountains, more beer, and large-scale battle scenes.The plot revolves around the secret history of Europe, and a brewery that conjures up the stuff that champions are made of. It's fantasy, Jim, but not as we know it.It's early powers, so
I am not a fan of fantasy novels (so bear with me here). This book came highly recommended on a website dedicated to siege warfare, where the novel was described as not only having done a great job describing siege warfare in the first siege of Vienna ~~~but it was a book about how beer saved the western world. While I am not convinced that saving the western world was such a positive thing, I really do love beer and sieges so I immediately bought a copy. You know what? It was wonderful! The
Tim Powers is a mad genius.The siege of Vienna, Vikings, and the Fisher King. Oh, and Merlin, of course. I'm tired, and lazy as hell, so that's about all the plot summary I can muster. On one level this is a book about beer, as might be inferred (playfully) from the title. It's the secret history of what the Ottomans were really after when they marched on Vienna, and a forgotten chapter of Arthurian Legend. This is one of Powers's early novels, and I found it a little more concise than some of
This was my introduction to Tim Powers' work, way back in about 1990 or thereabouts. I don't recall now what attracted me to it (it can't have been the bloody awful cover art) - perhaps the notion of a fantasy hero working as a bouncer; back then, the notion of the fantasy hero not being a Big Shiny Hero was new and exciting to me. Anyway, I've just been rereading it for the first time in some years......and it's stood up reasonably well under the passing years.Brian Duffy is a middle-aged
I enjoyed "The Drawing of the Dark" but also have to declare a slight disappointment. I chose the book because of "Declare" (see what I did there?) which, I have to admit, has spoilt reading other books for me - will I ever find another book as brilliant? Well, I hoped that "The Drawing of the Dark" would be as dramatic, as thrilling, as all-enveloping... It wasn't. It was entertaining, humorous quite often and occasionally enthralling... but it wasn't "Declare". I've been ruined!Our hero,
It's about the Crusades and magic beer. That's going to either sell you on the novel or not.
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