Thread:Joooohan/@comment-26222852-20150723201154

Just read the "Narrenturm", around 600 pages, but can catch your attention immediately. Positive impressions, I heartily recommend it, but is somewhat like "Pillars of the Earth" (I just love Ken Follet, and his novels, especially "At the edge of eternity"), a fantasy story (there's is alchemy and magic, but is set against a backdrop of one of the most bloody wars Europe has ever had, the Hussite and the Thirty Year' war, and does portray a life at the end of the 15th century). The protagonist is appealing and a rebel-philosopher, not to be the spoiler, had an impression I was reading Umberto Ecco's "Il nome di rosa" (The name of the rose) all over again. Oh, and "Narrenturm" means "The Fools Tower"-German, sure you have visited it in Wien...

What I didn't like is the same thing I didn't like in the GOT, too much violence, in my opinion even for the middle ages, too much hopelessness, diabolism and nihilism, decadence...I am aware it is a dark age, but somehow have missed the message...Perhaps I'll find it in other two books in the trilogy. Heads up, it is very dark, but written very well though (classical Sapkowski), but kinda lacks the bildungs drama the Witcher,POE, and GOT have (bildungs novel is a german literary expression for the novel depicting growing up from adolescence to maturity, either of a young woman-like Ciri, Arya,Sansa... or a young man..Yareey, Demian in Hesse's novel...This kind of initiation to adulthood is by default painful and involves sacrifices...). Still, whoever lacks the knowledge of the age, can enrich it by reading it and really live ot through the protagonist's experiences.

Curious to hear what you think. When you read it, of course. 