Customer Reviews

Dying of the Light

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Purely by accident, while looking for something else in the library, I stumbled on a couple of George R. R. Martin's books, a collection of short stories called "A Song for Lya" and one of his early novels, "Dying of the Light", both published in the 70s. Friends have been recommending his later fantasy writing to me for years, so I thought - what the heck, I'll give him a go.

My god. I had no idea!

The short stories were enough to leave me wanting more, but it was "Dying of the Light" that really took my breath away. The writing is completely engrossing; I found myself missing bus after bus and staying late at work because I couldn't drop the book even for the ten minutes it would take to get to the bus stop. It's one of those rare books where everything fits together perfectly: the characters, the atmosphere, the setting, the way the story is resolved.

The premise seems deceptively simple: a man is asked by his former lover to meet her on a strange planet that has no star, a dying world that has been all but abandoned. But when he gets there, he finds that his Gwen has found a new place for herself among the ruins, and what's more -- she is married. So why did she call him? And is she really as happy as she seems to be? I should mention that the man she's married belongs to an alien culture where the strong hunt the weak for sport. Oh, and he already has a husband. Things only become more complicated when we meet all the characters and find out more about their cultures.

And the cultures alone are spectacular. It would be grossly unfair to try to cover them all, and completely unnecessary in a review. Suffice it to say that the breadth of Martin's imagination is matched only by the iron grip he has on his world and the plot of the story. Part of the experience is the way the story unfolds, the way the writer cleverly feeds you bits of information -- but he always remains one step ahead.

One image that particularly touched me was a city where the buildings are constructed in such a way that when the wind blows across the rooftops, it plays a symphony -- a lament that is almost hypnotic. Much of the book is like this, hovering right on the thin line between tragic and uplifting.

I was surprised to see that this book got some rather negative reviews here. A few people said there wasn't enough action, or that you couldn't see where the story was going, or that the characters are too complicated to be interesting. I guess if someone was expecting a shoot-em-up with cardboard villains and shining golden heroes, this book would definitely disappoint: the characters are deeply flawed but intensely sympathetic (even the apparent villains), the action unfolds as much in the minds of the people as in the world they inhabit (although there are still shoot-em-ups and chases), and the conclusion of the story is an organic and plausible development for the protagonist. It's the answer to the question he doesn't know to ask when he first sets out to find his long-lost love.

It's just a beautiful, intricate, deeply human story.

"Dying of the Light" was George R.R. Martin's first novel, and it certainly shows. He is very ambitious in this initial attempt and the results are mixed. The book is usually catalogued as Science Fiction, but it hardly feels like it. Sure, there is a glimpse of a history of human expansion into other galaxies and even 'Old Terra' is mentioned, but it is a mere background to set the story, not a relevant ingredient. Even when Martin uses scientific aspects ( technological applications ) throughout the book it is in a rather superficial and somehow 'pulp' way; Martin is more interested in the landscapes and in his characters.

As I said, the book feels over ambitious, the length being to short to be able to develop in a proper way the complex cornucopia of names, places, languages and customs that Martin set to create. The drive of the plot depends entirely in the amusing planet Worlorn, a once bright world where for a decade a 'Festival Of the Worlds' was held, but which now is turning dark, little by little leaving the sun than once brightened it. Worlorn is now almost unpopulated but the past glory of its cities still remains and is the stage for a story which moves around a past romance and the traditions of war-like people called Kavalar.

Martin tries hard to make his characters be as 'flesh and bone' as possible but in my opinion he only partially achieves it: At the end of book the Kavalar characters seem much more interesting than the main ones, Dirk and Gwen (although probably that was all along Martin's final intention).

Don't expect a fast paced adventure; Sometimes the story drags with seemingly no apparent direction but Martin is building tension towards a quite philosophical finale when the experiences on this planet have transformed the main character's views on life

It is in the impressive set of vistas from Worlorn that we get the best parts of the novel. The exquisite description of each abandoned city and its secrets already shows the magnificent talent that Martin will develop fully in his most successful saga: 'The Song of Ice and Fire'.

I became a fan of George Martin when I read "The Hedge Knight" in Legends and from there I went straight to a "Game of Thrones." Eager for more of his work, I was browsing in my university's library and came across "Dying of the Light".

I was amazed at the beauty of the writing, the vividness of the imagery, and the originality of the story. I would like to see more stories about the "manrealm" and especially the Kavalaar people (how about some "teyn" poetry?)

I would give this book five stars except the ending was too sad. Actually, it was so sad I've been up late every night for the past week thinking about it. Also, no one I know has ever even heard of George Martin, let alone this book, so I have no one to talk to. "Dying of the Light" is full of dark and lonely imagery, and even though it has made me feel depressed, it is a wonderful story.

(I would have liked to see Garse and Dirk become teyns!)

This is a melancholy first novel from George R.R. Martin, author of A Song of Fire and Ice series, but his energetic description will keep you entertained.

As usual, George's characters are 3D, full of emotion and motive. Called to a promise by whisperjewel, Dirk t'Larien heads to Worlorn, a planet that sneaks through galaxies like a rogue. There was a festival there once where several planetary civilizations came to celebrate diversity, building architecture and establishing foreign wildlife. Most of them have left, though, as Worlorn is moving into unlivable territory. The planet's only inhabitants now are the wild ones and those who want to die.

The whisperjewel Dirk recieved was Gwen's, the lost love of his life. Ever since he lost her, his life was barren. He's a moper, but he jumps at a chance with her. But when he gets to Worlorn, he finds out that Gwen is married to Jaan, a dude with a messed up culture on his planet. The relationship is strange; Gwen is bound to Jan and his partner, essentially a wife to both of them.

Nothing seems right to Dirk. As the story progresses, he finds his answers by exploring the planet. Soon he is on the run for his life and love and dignity.

This is a story that will send emotions quivering through your body. Dirk comes to terms with many things: his life. It's sad, like life sometimes, but there is still hope. It must be said that the story does slow down in spots, but it always recovers quickly. This novel is recommended for all GRRM and science fiction fans.

Like many readers, I was introduced to George R. R. Martin through his excellent "Song of Ice and Fire" series. After I finished "A Feast for Crows" I decided to check out Martin's first novel, "Dying of the Light". The novel's unique setting--a dying planet where the light never shines beyond dusk--had me immediately hooked on the story. Martin's relatable characters and his incredibly detailed alien cultures kept me reading through the first half of the novel, and the second half detailed a breathtaking cat-and-mouse sequence that rivals anything else I've ever read. There is a deep theme of sadness, loss, and dying that runs through "Dying of the Light" so it is not a light-hearted adventure tale. Some readers may be put off by this, but I found it incredibly refreshing and satisfying. The plot unfolds as a direct consequence of the choices made by the main characters; none of whom are stereotypical heroes or villains. These consequences add up to produce an ending that is fitting and sad at the same time. "Dying of the Light" kept me up at night for about a week after I finished it, as I could not stop thinking about the characters, their motives, and their decisions. For me, this is the mark of a great book, and it is why I prefer sad novels to happy ones--they really make the reader think about the story after they turn the last page. For those readers familiar with Martin's "Song of Ice and Fire", this novel contains the gritty realism present in that series, but it also contains themes of love and loss present in the T.H. White classic "The Once and Future King". "Dying of the Light" is one of my very favorite novels, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a quality read, regardless of whether or not you are familiar with Martin and his other work.

While awaiting "A Feast For Crows" I found myself at the airport needing a book to read on the flight, so I decided to go back as had been meaning for some time to read some of Martin's earlier work and was not disappointed.

While certainly not as complex on the intrigue level of the current series, this is a nice high paced (once you get about 30-40?) pages in that you can't put down. The symbolism, emotions, customs, and name origins are all quite fascinating.

As a nice quick escape, I highly recommend it.

Just finished this book. It was a subtle tale, and I find myself challenged to sum it up in a few words. I suspect it's not done working on me. It was well worth the read. While it is set on another planet in the far future, it's mostly character drama, playing out against a backdrop of invented human culture and history. Technological and "hard sci-fi" elements are minimal.

The culture and history of High Kalavaan, with its holdfasts and teyn and kethi, was fascinating to "learn" about. The struggles of the characters to resolve what it all means to them are what drive the story forward, and it is compelling. That said, the story does suffer from pacing problems at times. I suspect some of the uneven pace is intentional, to build tension further or enhance the melancholy mood, but at other times it's just irritating.

The characters are complicated and hard to figure out, but very real, not in spite of that, but because of it. As with real people, they are constantly evolving, driven by multiple forces, haunted by their history, at times unsure and emotional, different and unique yet connected to each other, struggling to be both individuals and parts of a whole.

There were no clear paths here, no obviously right or wrong choices. From reading other reviews, I can tell many don't like that. But it's this very tension that made this book work for me. Easy answers are rare.

I tried this book out based on the fact that I'm a huge fan of the "A Song of Ice and Fire" series. The best parts of the book inolve his extensive world building and impressively imagined histories for each of the many divergent cultures in the book. His characterization at times is a little weaker than his current writing, and his plotting isn't as sure-footed either. There are long pieces through the middle of the book which get a bit tedious to read, but almost all can be forgiven thanks to an exciting, propulsive ending that's a real page turner. All in all, not bad.

I first read this book several years ago, and I've searched it out and reread it twice. The imagery and the concepts are out of sight. Martin has created two of the most original worlds in literature, the world of the teyn and the frozen world. I was somewhat disappointed in the resolution of the story. I wanted to stay longer.

I first read this book over twenty years ago, and it has lost none of its charm. I am buying it for Kindle, even though I have three other copies.

I won't go into detail about why I like it -- other reviewers have done a good job of singing its praises -- but the characters feel very real to me, and likeable, notwithstanding that they all have flaws.