Pieter

This series is famous, or infamous, among fantasy fans.

It is said that these books are difficult, and for many people, these books are therefore a formidable opponent. I have only one response to this: don't let it bother you.

Gardens of the Moon is not difficult in the sense that the language used is complex. It's also not difficult due to complicated theories (as in the case of Neal Stephenson).
Yes, there are many characters, but that's the case in many (fantasy) series. And, this is actually the crux, Erikson simply starts somewhere in the middle of a history of an empire. At least, that's how it seems. This empire is the Malazan Empire. No background is given, nothing is explained. The prologue just starts, and as a reader, you can only let yourself be carried along in the story that Erikson is telling you. And you must trust that things will become clearer as the story progresses.
If you, as a reader, find this annoying, then this book can indeed be perceived as “difficult.” Difficult to deal with, difficult to understand, and especially difficult to accept.

I have no problem with this at all. Imagine the Roman Empire, which was immense at its peak. It encompassed countless peoples. There were local rulers, generals, intrigues, wars, assassination plots everywhere. All at the same time. Now, just imagine that you are focusing on a specific event in that vast history and span of the Roman empire. Movies and books do this all the time. It helped me a lot translating this attitude towards this book.

From the beginning, Erikson gives you the feeling that you are part of an immense epic story, even if your view of it is still very limited. On one hand, a high-level chess game unfolds where various individuals are moved around the board like pawns; on the other hand, Erikson also shows the human side.
Everything slowly converges as if it were a kind of comedy. Independent storylines intertwine, with coincidences that sometimes seem like a “deus ex machina.”
This might be a point of criticism from my side. If this were a stand-alone book, the author might have taken some shortcuts in certain respects. A deus ex machina plot device has never been my favorite. So, I also trust that some things will be woven into the story as the series progresses.

For me, after the first read, this is a 4 to 4.5-star book.
It's possible that this could increase or decrease as more of the Malazan world becomes clear.

“Night” by Elie Wiesel is a moving and impactful account of the author's experiences during the Holocaust. The book takes the reader through the brutal reality of the Holocaust and the effect it had on his life. Wiesel's writing style is straightforward and effective, making the reader feel the gravity of the events described. The book is a personal testament to the atrocities committed during that time and will linger in the mind of the reader long after finishing it.

One of the most striking aspects of the book is how Wiesel manages to convey the immense suffering and trauma of the Holocaust in a raw and personal way. He does not shy away from describing the concentration camps in detail, but also delves into the emotional and psychological impact it had on him and those around him.

Are we going to die now?
No.
What are we going to do?
We're going to drink some water. Then we're going to keep going down the road.

There are few books that have left such a deep impression as The Road.
A man, a boy, a desolate post-apocalyptic world, and The Road.
That's all.

McCarthy's writing style is just as desolate as the world he writes about. It never becomes entirely clear what has happened; brief, fleeting flashbacks are all the reader gets.
You can feel the despair of the world in which the man and the boy live.
The man is cynical, and survival is his top priority. The boy, on the other hand, has great compassion.
This gives rise to highly emotional situations.

A beautiful story that is heart-wrenching.
5 stars

Because we're the good guys.
Yes.
And we're carrying the fire.

Like many people, I watched the Netflix series a few years ago. I found the series good, and now that I came across the book, I definitely wanted to read it.

I certainly don't regret it. Tevis's writing style is somewhat distant; he describes things in a fairly straightforward manner. The dialogues are quite sharp, and what stands out is his knowledge of chess. His expertise is good enough to make it seem realistic.

The story itself is, of course, quite standard and predictable. Even without the Netflix series as a spoiler, the story has no real surprises. An outcast in an orphanage, a girl, turns out to be a prodigy and becomes the world's best chess player.

It's no wonder that the book has been adapted for Netflix because it reads like a movie script.
A very entertaining book, but in this case, the series is better. The characters and the zeitgeist come more to life in the series. Refreshing, for a change.