Books, Movies and Random Thoughts

Dan Simmons certainly builds up a rich and complex universe, and I always feel I should like these books more than I actually do.

I think part of the problem is the stylistic choices he makes. Hyperion is a sort of Canterbury Tales structure, in which each character in the group of “pilgrims” tells their own story. For each story, Simmons emulates a different writing style, which is interesting, but (for me) ultimately unsuccessful. Fall of Hyperion is even more fractured: I find the concept of telling the tale through the “dreams” of Keats becomes increasingly strained. I also dislike the switches between past and present tense.

The other thing is that I find I don’t really care that much about any of the characters. There are some I feel a degree of interest in – Sol, for example, and Meina Gladstone – but I am pretty indifferent to most of the others. I think this is particularly a problem with the second book: I suspect that if I had connected more with the character of Keats, I would have been a lot more gripped by the book.

This is a pity, as the sweeping events of Fall of Hyperion, in particular, are fascinating, and extremely well presented. As a reader, however, I find I generally need a “small” story in the foreground to keep me emotionally engaged – and Keats’ story just didn’t do it for me. This is probably why The Hollow Man is my favourite of Simmons’ books. I was also gripped by Ilium (and am looking forward to its sequel) – another sweeping story, but one in which I was engaged by the individual characters and their stories.

I think it says it all about my relationship with this series that, although I fully intend to re-read Endymion and The Rise of Endymion as well as the two Hyperion books, I have decided to “take a break” before doing so.