Customer Reviews

Araminta Station (Cadwal Chronicles, Book No. 1)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"Araminta Station" has a large cast of spirited characters, a plot with enough complexity to match "Dune", an array of bizarre human and alien behaviors and a tone that's one hundred percent Jack Vance. This adventure takes us to the planet Cadwal, which was permanently placed under the control of the Naturalist Society to preserve its great natural beauty. The official charter limits it to 240 inhabitants and their families, divided into six bureaus and structured on a rigid social system. Everyone knows their place, or at least is supposed to. But as usual, problems develop. A young officer named Glawen Glattuc finds himself dealing with family feuds, dangerous rivalries, political intrigue and a major crime spree while also swimming through the confusing currents of adolescent life, which remain quite similar on any planet.

Any detailed discussion would rob you of the delights of discovering this novel's twists and turns for yourself. I can, however, hit some of its main strengths. Of course at 554 pages in hardback, "Araminta Station" is longer than a typical Vance outing. Vance makes good use of this space. The plot is full of surprises, as entirely new aspects arise at the most unexpected moments. Moreover, Vance fully incorporates everything in the story. For instance we have the Yips, a race living on a remote island who perform the menial labor on Cadwal. They have a society packed with Vance-style weirdness (celebrating the foul odor known as the "Big Chife" and charging tourists money to see women doing the laundry) but also a role in the story. Yip maneuvers pop up to complicate life for the Clattucs at the most inconvenient times. (The Yip element also provides a surprising degree of relevancy in an age when we Americans all claim to hate illegal Mexican immigrants yet willingly enjoy the cheap labor that they provide.)

Dominating it all, however, is the unmistakable Jack Vance tone. Unmistakable, I say, yet who can really pinpoint precisely how Vance makes his voice so unique? We can say this much. In "Araminta Station", as in any Vance book, the heroes are a small handful of tough, intelligent, resourceful and clever individuals. Arrayed against them we find all manner of inferiors: murderers, criminals, con artists, ostentatious braggarts, political loons, religious fanatics, the petty, the weak and the stupid. A decently large chunk of the book shows us the good guys dealing with this scum. Vance's heros, if not sarcastic, are at least single-minded in the way they push through the rabble to do what must be done. The wit and wisdom of Vance lies in communication. How do people at cross purposes interact with each other? What happens when conversation becomes more like a battle? Almost every page of "Araminta Station" produces a notable quote. Here are a few:

"Whatever you have heard about me, dismiss it. I do not regard my class as a confrontation between the clear light of my intellect and twenty-two examples of sloth and willful stupidity. The exact number may be only half that, if we are lucky, and of course varies from term to term. Despite all, I am a kindly man, patient and thorough, but if I must elucidate the obvious more than twice, I often become gloomy." (p. 228)

"You are a willful young devil. If insolence were bricks and insubordination were mortar you could build a great palace for yourself." (p. 351)

Glawen said, "I believe that safety is important. It is better to arrive alive than dead."

"This is exactly my point," said Bant. "I have explained this to Esmer: what is the value of thirty minutes, more or less, to a corpse? He is already late and no longer in a hurry. The time is more useful on this side of the veil, such is my belief." (p. 491)

"The theft of this cloak from Arles' room will cause consternation but no surprise, and Arles will learn to dress more modestly in the future."

Kirdy gave a dry chuckle. "Arles might even volunteer his cloak, were he asked."

"Possibly, but when one asks permission, one often gets no for an answer. As it is, Arles has not specifically forbidden us the cloak, which is good enough for me." (p. 250)

This book is the first of trilogy which concerns a whole world devoted solely to a "conservancy" established to preserve the flora and fauna of the world Cadwal. The main characters are as intriguing as the subject matter, and the comings and goings of the most daring members of the families who enforce and enjoy the "Cadwal Charter" are vastly amusing. There is a little of everything in these books: science fiction, of course, but also, murder, mystery, romance, and many other things. I, myself, believe this book and the other two in the series to be the best books Jack Vance ever wrote.

This is a great novel. This is the first Jack Vance novel that I have ever read, yet already I think that he is one of my top 10-15 SF authors.

Jack Vance is one of the old-timers (he's been around since the fifties), and he appears to have pefected his craf...I don't understand why he doesn't get the respect he deserves.

This novel features, rich, rich dialogue, witty and entertaining. The plotting is a marvel, flowing and lifelike. Minor characters later turn out to be important...and other minor characters seem like they also could have become important.

In many ways, this novel reminded me of the seminal SF master, Edgar Rice Burroughs (another seriously maligned character...I personally consider his writing to be great literature, comparable with Dickens, Scott and the rest). The prose has a certain old-fashioned, 19th century slant.

Vance has a serious gift for names, placenames, and memorable aliens and planets.

Vance's prose is totally fluid and engaging...this is the kind of novel that requires me to read it in one single sitting.

Another sign of Vance's mastery is his perfect ability to craft the mood of the novel...on one hand, the first 1/2 of the book is pretty entertaining, even funny. There are numerous smiling points, and even a couple of parts that induce an out-loud chuckle. Vance definately can lull you into a sense of security, as the characters happily banter along, until suddenly WHAMMO! There is a brutal scene of violence, and one of the more likable major characters has died.

In summary, this truly is a great novel, I recommend it to all. You won't be dissapointed.

Here is Jack Vance at his finest! "Araminta Station" is the start of an incredible trilogy, "The Cadwall Chronicles". Once again he has constructed a world and a society utterly alien, yet so believable that one could almost pack their bags for a trip there. Glawen Clattuc is the central character, a quiet, unassuming young man who finds himself thrown into the center of controversies not of his making, the outcome of which will dramatically shape the future of not only his society, but the very planet itself. He comes into conflict with the leader of the people who act as servants to the rest of the population but who plan a rebellion, and stumbles onto an obscure fact which could result in the end of Cadwall's society if it were widely known. Jack Vance is in top form, with his vibrant descriptions and vivid characterizations. One can visualize Cadwall, smell the sea air, and taste the wine. His voice is as sardonic as ever, with razor sharp wit and eloquent commentaries on people in general. If this trilogy doesn't make you a fan, nothing will!

I have lent copies of this book to several friends and relatives who thought that they didn't like science fiction. After they read it, they loved Vance. But this isn't anaemic half-hearted SF: SF fans love it too.

Jack Vance is best known for being able to dash off an entire, bafflingly alien yet utterly logical, culture in a brief paragraph. He is also known for virtuoso use of vocabulary and for a lurid palette: a Vance description is often an interior-decorator's nightmare. If you want that sort of thing, read the 'Demon Princes' series. This Vance is different.

In 'Araminta Station' Vance turns his skills to a much smaller canvas. He proves as masterly on Jane Austen's two inches of ivory as he has already proven in brightly-coloured novel series that span planets at least. The protagonist, Glawen Clattuc, grows up in a small community: the ranger station on a world set aside as a wildlife preserve. The dozen characters who influence his life are drawn with the deftest of touches as Vance displays a previously-unexpected subtlety of dialogue, the ability to write several characters who are all witty but in different styles.

Vance uses less spectacular language in 'Araminta Station' than in his earlier books. His word choice is always perfect, but in this work he aims for a less striking effect, and proves to be as graceful a writer as you could ask for. Vance is always polished: in 'Araminta Station' he is smooth.

Don't fear that this novel will be too placid and bland for your taste. Glawen faces and endures the loss and hardship which seem to befall so many of Vance's heroes, and overcomes them by the familiar level-headedness and determination. Eventually high stakes are revealed and desperate action becomes necessary, which Glawen carries off with all the elan we have come to expect. The difference is primarily that Glawen is the Vance hero whom you will feel that you know best, and whose friends and enemies you will feel that you know best.

If you enjoy 'Araminta Station', I recommend the sequel: 'Ecce and Old Earth'. But don't race to buy the second sequel, 'Throy'. You may feel that the end of 'Ecce and Old Earth' is good enough. I found 'Throy' to be a bit of a disappointment.

I also recommend Vance's 'Alastor' novels (not a series) 'Marune', 'Wyst', and 'Trullion' to anyone who finds that 'Araminta Station' is outstanding Vance.

"Araminta Station," and its sequels, are for fans of Jack Vance, and his unique style, only. If you are not already a Vance aficionado, and are looking for an introduction to his unique style of prose, this is not the place to start. I strongly suggest that you seek out one of his five "Demon Princes" novels (any one of them will do) to wet your feet and to whet your appetite. They are nominally written in a sequence, but you can profitably read them in any order, so grab any one that you can locate in a used book store. Once you have read one of them, you will have fallen under his spell, and will perforce need to read the rest. Then you will doubtless feel compelled to read them all again, perhaps numerous times. Then, and only then, when you have sucked all the marrow out of these five fabulous tomes, will you be able to enjoyably immerse yourself in "Araminta Station" and its sequels, reveling in the inimitable Vance style, despite the fact that there is little in the way of substance to back it up. Oh, and welcome to the club!

This is one of Vance's best novels: the characterisation is superb, the plot gripping and the background detail engrossing and memorable. If you've enjoyed anything else by Jack Vance, you'll love this: if you haven't, this book will serve as a good introduction to his unique style of writing. If you like rigourously developed hard SF, then approach with caution: technical anamolies abound in this novel as in most of Vance's work - he has always been more interested in characters and situations than technology. What you will fund in this book is 500 odd pages of Vance's exquisite prose - Vance is a wordsmith comparable to, and clearly influenced by, the great P.G. Wodehouse. He can spend 50 pages describing an essentially trivial situation or interaction and have you hooked throughout, savouring the flow of words and imagery. If you like this book (and you will), you'll want to read the two sequels 'Ecce and Old Earth' and 'Throy', as this is one of Vance's most tightly integrated series - each actually follows on directly from the earlier book and even resolves outstanding cliffhangers (very unusual for a Vance series). Just be aware that, while very enjoyable, the sequels are nowhere near as good as this book.

This work is simultaneously generic, emotionless, mundane, new, exciting, and hilarious. If you've never read Vance, you now think me crazy...if you have, you're instead chuckling at my accurate description. It is a wonder how he fails to involve you emotionally, and yet he doesn't grab you with a powerful storyline either...but for those select few out there...he's amazing. Do you like Brust's circuitous language but wish it more sophisticated? Well, Vance will be a joy to read. It is said that if you make a deal with the devil, he will keep it to the letter...but oh, the devil's in the details! It is as if Vance has created each character with this mindset and much of the writing describes guys trying to get the upper hand by this sort of devilry. What's this story about?...does it matter? It's about a boy in an aristocratic society which limits the number of aristocrats...and he's right on the edge. Fortunately he's good looking, smart, and honest...unfortunately it's difficult for honest men to prevail against unethical ones. Our protagonist is a detective-in-training and he gets into all sorts of adventures...that's about it...despite what other reviews might say.

This book is excellant. I read it shortly after its publication and have re-read it many times since. It took me years to find the two other novels in the trilogy, Ecce and Old Earth and Throy. This is a very good novel and it is a shame that it is out of print and suffers from low fan exposure.

Another extraordinary world-building story with startliing backdrops, adventure, action, murder, intrigue, wordsmithery, and mellifluous pacing. Jack Vance's eclectic verbiage and poetic storylines are magical, captivating, and addictive. It's no wonder he is one of the world's most revered and awarded authors in the sci/fi fantasy/adventure genres. Another masterpiece from one of America's literary treasures!