From: outias@cc.newcastle.edu.au
Subject: Re: Zelazny/Amber (mild spoilers)
Organization: University of Newcastle, AUSTRALIA
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1992 06:22:24 GMT

In article <6APR199208290060@zeus.tamu.edu>, slh5087@zeus.tamu.edu (Steve Hayes) writes:
> Well, I finally did what I've been saying for years now that I would
> not do -- I picked up the first few books in Zelazny's second Amber series.
> I devoured the first series about 8-9 years ago and loved them, even more
> than PJF's World of Tiers series which no doubt inspired the idea; I simply
> thought Zelazny's action and dialogue was better.

      An Antipodean perspective: I loved them (and still love them) too.
I continually marvel at the way Zelazny managed to combine a high-fantasy-
style setting with Corwin's Chandleresque interior monologues. (Now does
that sound pretentious or what?) What I mean is, the way Corwin will be
up against some eldritch horror wielding its rune-carven blade and spouting
comic-opera 'thous' and 'thines' and threats to eat his liver, and Corwin
is making smart-arse comments like 'my cirrhosis would give you indigest-
ion'. Usually mixing things up like that either falls flat on its face or
turns into a farce, but the author made it work for me. I like Corwin's
attitude as well; when Duke Borel of Chaos comes up and challenges him
to a duel, Corwin points out that war isn't a game and does the guy in
in very unsportsmanlike fashion.
      I also like the air of some cosmic mystery afoot, that Zelazny 
sustains all the way through. Just when you think you've got all the 
elements of the story tied down, he tosses something new in: the Jewel
of Judgement, the Primal Pattern, the Courts of Chaos, Dworkin, the 
Unicorn; and all of them seem to logically hang together. 

 ... 
> book to the second series, is this thing open-ended, or what?  I'd like to
> see Zelazny keep turning these out since they do read very fast and are
> quite entertaining, but they are so inextricably connected, usually, that
> I have a hard time keeping my patience dangling from a cliff for 1-2-3 years.
> Anyone else feel this way about Amber?

      Unfortunately, I don't think the second series is as good as the 
first. (Well, fair enough, having your hero create a new universe on his
lonesome is pretty hard to top.) For example; the big fight scene at the
end of the fourth book/series two. (I won't go into details for the benefit
of those who haven't read it. Those who have will now what I am talking
about.) I thought that that particular revelation was a bit over the top;
it lessened the sense of mystery, and it didn't seem to fit in with the
impressions from the first series. I thought it was a little bit like the
'Return of the Jedi' allegation that the Princess was Luke's sister;
unnecessary and not very helpful. Merlin's magic is the same; I prefer
my magic to be mysterious and arcane, whereas Merlin's nuts-and-bolts
descriptions make it seem more like plumbing or plastering. I confess 
that at the moment, I'm mainly reading them to find out what happened
to Corwin. (And, okay, I whinge about them, but they're better than 
ninety percent of what else is on offer.)

      Personally, I'd like to the first series made into a really good
TV series. However, I've reached the age where I realise that such 
things never happen; we'd get a garbage TV series instead. Sigh.

      Andrew Hide
      Escaped Computer Science Student
      University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia
      (will tell people his email address when he finds it out)
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