Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Undecided, reserving judgement until after volume 2, 4 Sep 2006
Having just completed reading this book (it was hard work, have no doubt about that !), and read the reviews below, I am undecided as to which camp I fall into. On the one hand, this book came across as a self-indulgent, chaotic, stream-of-conscience, prosaic ramble, with little regard for storyline, continuity, character development or reader empathy. On the other, the book kept me intrigued with a fabulous basic premise, rich language and cultural references, loads of hidden connections, metaphors and parodies, historic cameos and the constant promise that, at some point, all these chaotic elements would be drawn together and explained. In the end (of this book anyway) this did NOT happen and plenty was left unexplained. Much reader interpretation, imagination and presumption must be applied to carry out the task of tying these threads together and working out who ended up doing what to/with who and why. This could be considered either artistic genius on the author's part, appealing to an intellectual elite, or sheer laziness. Again, I can't quite decide which (though I hope it's the former and maybe I'm just a little too dense to fully realise).
A minor grumble - The relationship storylines that run throughout the novel (one involving Thomas/Puck and the various Jacks, and the other between Phreedom and Seamus) seem unnecessary. They are never really relevant to any of the other events (not alone in this aspect I suppose). A couple of times, and more so near the end of this volume, the Thomas/Jack relationship appeared about to be used as an element in a morality and persecution exercise (as judged by the contemporary societies described), but the author then always leaves this unfinished. The Phreedom/Seamus relationship seemed completely redundant (and the Phreedom/Jack/Seamus triangle was a real curve ball that didn't go anywhere either). Maybe it will all become apparent in the follow up novel.
The most challenging aspect of this book for me was the way that the characters' personalities seemed to be randomly interchangeable completely blurring the boundaries between good and evil (I strongly suspect that this WAS deliberate). This, combined with almost constant changing of the first-person viewpoint, (IMHO the least forgivable trait of this book), made for a confusing read at times.
However, I have high hopes for the follow up, Ink, and am secretly keeping my fingers crossed that the author panders to some of his less intellectual readers and provides for slightly more structure approach and summary (I'm sure others will disagree).
If I was asked to recommend this book to anyone it would come attached with a solemn warning; be prepared for the unconventional, confusion, a hard slog at times, and just maybe, depending upon your prediliction, disappointment. And most definitely not for the cerebrally challenged!!
I feel that volume 2 will be the ultimate decider for me.
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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The cyberpunk 'His Dark Materials', 10 Mar 2006
This book is not an easy read. While not quite as impenetrable as "Finnegan's Wake", Hal Duncan's style is certainly unique; seamlessly blending dialogue and narrative. But what's even more unusual is his radically new and disjointed approach to story-telling, which forgoes, for the main, the notion of 'characters' and instead introduces us to archetypes; identities shared across time and space. A concept, a person, an entire reality may last for a chapter - or even just a page - before being disposed of in an almost casual fashion, only to be resurrected or returned to later on. There is no real central plot, rather, the story progresses from the viewpoints of many antagonists and protagonists: biker chick-turned-angel Phreedom Messenger; shell-shocked World War One veteran Seamus Finnegan; sometimes-psychotic/sometimes-psychic anarchist Jack; Thomas Carter, who is attempting to reach the limits of the infinite Vellum; and Metatron, an angel using nanotechnology to recruit soldiers for the coming war between Heaven and Hell.Hal Duncan's vision of the Vellum, which encompasses many different universes (including our own), allows him to play with a whole host of otherwordly ideas and dreamlike landscapes. If you can imagine a more adult, more complex 'His Dark Materials' with influences ranging from cyberpunk to Sumerian mythology, then you're on the right track. Perhaps inevitably, Hal Duncan's multiple plot strands and realities make for a whole lot of unanswered questions - which the forthcoming sequel, 'Ink', will hopefully address. As a stand-alone book, however, 'Vellum' is a thought-provoking and richly detailed read - although to digest it fully takes a great deal of concentration and an open mind.
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24 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Captivating, Well Done!, 14 Aug 2005
Being from the States it's not often that I spring for imported UK titles. I took a chance on Vellum and I was pleasantly surprised. I haven't read a rich captivating metaphysical thriller of this sort since Attanasio stopped being published. There are some things about Vellum that stood out from the rest.... One, instead of alterating viewpoints with each chapter a la Ken Macleod, you have multiple view points introduced within a chapter. My favorite thread were the mini-narratives of god/angelic archtypes that influence and shape the mundane character's stories. It sounds strange but it really works. Two, while I've read a lot of 'War in Heaven' fantasy, this one 'felt' nicely researched. I maybe be wrong but I detected a variety of sources from Babylonian mythology to the para biblical Book of Enoch. Third, and most important. While Vellum is a great read and features some fascinating metaphysical explanation, I found that I cared about what happened to the characters.
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