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Conference noted::sf

Title:Arcana Caelestia
Notice:Directory listings are in topic 2
Moderator:NETRIX::thomas
Created:Thu Dec 08 1983
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1300
Total number of notes:18728

797.0. "Cherryh: Exile's Gate" by HWSSS0::SZETO (Simon Szeto @HGO, Hongkong) Sat Jun 03 1989 02:17

    Has anybody else read C. J. Cherryh's _Exile's_Gate_?  It's about
    Morgaine, "closer of world gates."  Maybe it's only my own likes and
    dislikes in SF&F, but I found it tough going with this book.  The pace
    seems slow to me.  Purple prose like Julian May's or E. R. Eddison's I
    can even like, but this isn't purple prose, it's something else.  I
    don't know how to describe it.  Moody?  Certainly the character
    Morgaine is a bit of an enigma to me.
    
    --Simon
    
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797.1fourth in a seriesAYOV27::GHERMANGeorge Herman 823-3016Mon Jun 05 1989 13:3214
    Simon, 
    
    Had you read the other three books in the series first? Morgaine
    is meant to be somewhat enigmatic, especially from Vanye's perspective.
    If anything, she's more understandable in this last book and has been
    'humanised' somewhat by her time with her ilin. 

    Given this and the previous discussion on the Cyteen: books, it
    seems that Cherryh is an author not for everyone, but those who
    like her style (like me) enjoy her writing. (A bit of a tautology
    there.)
    
    Cheers,
    	George
797.2MORGAINEDELREY::KILMER_ROWed Jul 05 1989 15:034
    I FOUND THE BOOK A LITTLE SLOW, WAS A GOOD STORY LINE, BUT YES THE
    AUTHOR SEEMED TO WRITE ABOUT THE CHARACTERS IN A DETACHED SORT OF
    WAY.  BUT I DID FINISH IT, AND I FOUND IT INTERESTING. 
    
797.3Tell me there's moreKNUTS::BRANDONMon Jul 10 1989 13:406
    Can you please tell me all of the titles of Morgaine's Chronicles.
    I have read the first book or at least I thought it was the first.
    It was called the chronicles of Morgaine. This book was heavy going
    but I have got to find out what happens to morgaine in the end.
    This book may be a collection of all the chronicles, but I hope
    it isn't as the end was left too open for my liking.
797.4CJ not for everyoneAYOV27::GHERMANGeorge Herman 823-3016Tue Jul 11 1989 13:1224
    The Morgaine Chronicles is (I believe) the re-released three first
    books of (order is probably wrong)

    Gate of Ivrel    
    Well of Shuian
    Fires of Azeroth

    The fourth book is 'Exile's Gate'
    
    Possible spoilers after <ff>
    
    Sorry, no final resolution even after the fourth book. Cherryh is
    exploring the quester/follower or eternal champion/eternal companion
    personalities in these books which each have some resolution of
    plot (in that at the end of each book the current world's issue
    is resolved) but the ending allows for further worlds to be explored.
    Think of this series as a more personality oriented development
    of the Moorcock 'Eternal Champion' books that doesn't focus mostly
    on plot. If you are a plot and action lover, you should find another
    author.
    
    George

    
797.5More on Morgaine apreciatedBREW11::MASSARILife in the Diet LaneMon Apr 23 1990 15:0717
    Nearly at the end of the second book "Wells of Shiuan". So far so
    good. I do agree that the pace is not fast and furious but that
    is not always a bad point.
                                           
    I have the three in one trilogy and it is really heavy to carry
    around. I like the realtionship between Morgaine and her ilin although
    I wish he would stop being so obtuse and let her explain the reason
    behind her being the way she is - what she is ...
    
    Can any one tell me if this is ever resolved ... 
    
    I have noticed that in other of her books there is a mention of
    gates - I wonder are these related to the gates that Morgaine is
    trying to close - I haven't read any other of her book - merely
    browsed through some synopses whilst trying to choose a new book/
    author to try - I ended up with "The Chronicles of Morgaine"
    
797.6Maybe someday I'll appreciate MorgaineHGABSS::SZETOSimon Szeto @HGO, HongkongTue Apr 24 1990 12:0910
    Re .1 (George Herman):
    
    No, I have not read other Morgaine books first.  Maybe someday, and
    when I do, I'd like to start with the first one; I hope it's still
    available then.  I suppose that now that I have made it through
    Donaldson's _Lord_Foul's_Bane_ I can manage to tackle something
    slow going.
    
    --Simon