A Memory Called Empire Q4: Ekphrasis

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Martine draws rich descriptions of Mahit's experiences of the city. We don't just see the sights, we have the sounds, the smells, the flavours, as well as Mahit's internal sensations of spaces, crowds, anxiety, pain, and all the rest. This intimate, visceral description is different from much SF/F, which (I think) tends towards a more sanitised description of the world. 

Did the description work? Did it immerse you in that world? Was it too much or not enough? 

And, more generally, what did you think of the writing overall? 

Comments

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    Loved it! All of it! An excellent choice, for which thanks.

    Again as I have mentioned in other points, there were echoes of other books - for example the city-world was a bit like Trantor in Foundation - but the creations were unique and, for me at least, compelling. I think, too, that the writing successfully immersed me not just in the World or the Station, but also in the personal worlds of the characters, most notably Mahit.

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    While I absolutely loved the cultures described in the novel, I didn’t come away with a single memory of the physical aspect of the city, so I’m going to go with inadequate on that front.

    Generally speaking, I liked the writing and thought it was competent, though not quoteworthy.
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    @Apocryphal said:
    While I absolutely loved the cultures described in the novel, I didn’t come away with a single memory of the physical aspect of the city, so I’m going to go with inadequate on that front.

    Generally speaking, I liked the writing and thought it was competent, though not quoteworthy.

    I agree that Martine didn't have many quotable phrases, I thought some of her paragraphs were good. I thought the description of Mahit's first real view of open sky (on the way to see Fifteen Engine) and the subsequent explosion were both vivid. I also liked the description of Mahit's sensations during the imago machine replacement.

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    @RichardAbbott said:
    Loved it! All of it! An excellent choice, for which thanks.

    Again as I have mentioned in other points, there were echoes of other books - for example the city-world was a bit like Trantor in Foundation - but the creations were unique and, for me at least, compelling. I think, too, that the writing successfully immersed me not just in the World or the Station, but also in the personal worlds of the characters, most notably Mahit.

    This was my experience! Thank you Richard. I think perhaps what I think of as good writing is very different from what some of you consider good writing.

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    @Apocryphal said:
    While I absolutely loved the cultures described in the novel, I didn’t come away with a single memory of the physical aspect of the city, so I’m going to go with inadequate on that front.

    Wow! The City and the World were extremely vivid sensory experiences for me!

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    @clash_bowley said:

    @Apocryphal said:
    While I absolutely loved the cultures described in the novel, I didn’t come away with a single memory of the physical aspect of the city, so I’m going to go with inadequate on that front.

    Wow! The City and the World were extremely vivid sensory experiences for me!

    Any good bits you want to tell us about?

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    For example, the garden with the hummingbirds, or the solar temple at the end, or the party where Mahit is confirmed as ambassador, to name a few. To me, these were visceral and full of sensory cues.

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