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Post by Abaratian on Sept 27, 2011 9:21:22 GMT -5
The book is out! Obviously you guys probably need some time to read it, but I'm hoping that some of you will read it quickly in a whirlwind of excitement. I figured I'd start off a general discussion about just some first impressions we have of this book, some initial questions or theories. Things we liked, didn't like, need more of, etc... Okay first there was one thing about this book that drove me crazy: in the last couple of chapters Christopher is present throughout the confrontation with Mater Motley and suddenly in the middle of a chapter we never hear from him again. Did anyone else notice this? He was very involved in the action and conversation, but it seemed like Clive got carried away (I believe this was right around the time of Malingo's "death") and forgot to mention him again. And the thing is, it seems like the characters acted the same way. He's fighting Mater Motley and suddenly she stopped paying attention to him, too. I mean there's only like 2 or 3 chapters following this, so it's not like his missing for a long time, but I just felt like the shift of focus was so sudden that I just imagine Christopher standing there wide-eyed wondering how he's suddenly not in the center of attention anymore XD My other problem with the book was Candy's love interest. It's mostly cuz I wanted her so badly to get with Malingo, but I suppose it makes sense for her to crush on an Abaratian that's sort of the same species as her. Okay now that the bad is out of the way... Rojo Pixler. I loved the chapters about him. I found it actually really endearing how much he loved the Kid. He clearly doesn't just see him as a mascot or an advertising tool; he loves him as a son, and the Kid loves him back. It BROKE MY HEART when Mater Motley was attacking the Kid and even in his hyper-violent, possessed state Pixler was concerned for his well being. After all has been said and done for the third book, I have to say Christopher Carrion has become my favorite character. He was always one of my favorites, but at this point he truly is my favorite. I think his return to life was also metaphorically a rebirth for him (well duh, I'm being Captain Obvious right now). He makes a deal upon living again that he won't let Boa and her love poison him any longer, and it seems from the later chapters that he becomes a better person for letting that part of his life go. He's still not sugary sweet, working at soup kitchens and snuggling kittens, but I do see some good in him now. He's still a dark, suffering man but at his core I believe (especially from the scenes with his father and Candy) that he is capable of love still. Which brings me around to Boa! I totally expected her to be bad but I didn't predict how bad she truly was. I assumed there would be antagonism towards Candy because they shared a body, and I realized there would be a fight for the body. But I had NO CLUE that she was using Christopher and Finnegan so heartlessly. And can I say that after reading this book... I honestly like her and Finnegan better for it? Finnegan is a victim just like Christopher is. And Boa is just totally badass, slinging around magic and parading like a villain from some superhero movie. I hate her for what she's done, but as a character she's totally gotten way more awesome. I'm disappointed that we haven't seen any more Vol, because I'm sure as I've pointed out to you guys, being terrified of bugs beyond all reason I'm quite partial to him as a villain. I want to see him again and be horrified by him again, but he might have been a character that we only see once I suppose. I loved finding out a little bit about the Abaratian government with the Council and all. I wonder how the representatives are chosen? Is it an election, or do they get an invitation, or is it passed down from generation to generation? I feel like that's something that might never get brought up, but I'm curious about it. Which brings me to the camps. It's interesting that in a world of such diversity, there's still racism to the point that purebreds would be put in safer camps during the war. How would they prove their heritage? And what consists of a pureblood? It seems like a difficult thing to determine in a world where everyone looks so wildly different. No doubt geshrats are pureblood, but something tells me that they wouldn't be invited in there. Oh! One more thing I hate - the cliffhanger ending D: AUUUGH! It's just gonna make the wait for book 4 all the more painful. There's literally thousands of things I could say but I'll leave it there for now and pop in again when people have actually read more of the books. Please come in here and post ASAP I'm dying to talk to people about this! If I brought up something particularly interesting, maybe we could start a separate discussion about it? I'm so excited to talk about this all
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eitherangel
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Post by eitherangel on Sept 29, 2011 15:00:11 GMT -5
"Okay first there was one thing about this book that drove me crazy: in the last couple of chapters Christopher is present throughout the confrontation with Mater Motley and suddenly in the middle of a chapter we never hear from him again. Did anyone else notice this? He was very involved in the action and conversation, but it seemed like Clive got carried away (I believe this was right around the time of Malingo's "death") and forgot to mention him again. And the thing is, it seems like the characters acted the same way. He's fighting Mater Motley and suddenly she stopped paying attention to him, too. I mean there's only like 2 or 3 chapters following this, so it's not like his missing for a long time, but I just felt like the shift of focus was so sudden that I just imagine Christopher standing there wide-eyed wondering how he's suddenly not in the center of attention anymore XD
I totally agree with you here! What the hell happend?! On the last page he was holding his grip around Mater Motley when his father/Candy drove out all these souls from her dress. After that...what happend? Is he dead or alive?
Damm you Barker!!!
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Post by Abaratian on Sept 29, 2011 15:50:19 GMT -5
I'm sure he's still alive. He still needs to reunite with Boa! I like to think that he's s mart enough that he doesn't fall for her tricks again. She obviously still has unsavory plans left for him, since he still has knowledge and power that she wants. I just hope that her pretty face, sweet words, and gentle lies aren't enough to have him in love again. That's one confrontation I look forward to. I kind of hope he teams up with Candy and the gang to battle her. One more thing - have you guys taken the jacket off the book? Lordy Lou, it's gorgeous.
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Post by Abaratian on Sept 29, 2011 19:08:48 GMT -5
Why Candy/Malingo needs to happen so badly:
"Candy glanced up at Malingo, who was studying her so intensely, his face so full of love shr could feel its presence, a living thing, coming to drive off her solitude." (168)
But basically this whole chapter. There's so much between them and I feel like Clive's not stupid. He's doing it on purpose, even if he doesn't intend to have them end up together. But baaaahhh I wish they would!
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Post by Cesaria on Sept 30, 2011 12:02:12 GMT -5
This whole OMGLOLLOVEATFIRSTSIGHT nonsense is not new to Clive. It seems like completely apart from Boa's influence, Candy herself was actually part of the Abarat, which has to do with her randomly falling in love with Gazza. Barker did this in Imajica, and the reason for the random-falling-in-love was pretty d**n sinister in that book. Anyway, I wish Gaz would go away. Forever.
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Post by Abaratian on Oct 2, 2011 12:26:48 GMT -5
Yeah, Clive does it a lot; it's definitely a reoccurring theme in his novels. But in The Great and Secret Show, which I think is the absolute most extreme case of that, it was for plot reasons. Same for Imajica - they fell in love at first sight because... well don't want to spoil it, but the people who have read the book know what I mean. There were plot-based reasons for love-at-first-site.
And I guess right now I just don't see anything in the plot that calls for a love-at-first sight reaction between these two characters so it comes off as really irritating. It reminds me of Romeo and Juliet. OH WE'RE TEENAGERS AND HAVE FOUND TRUE LOVE I WILL DIE FOR YOU. Bahhhhhh *grumbles* But I have faith in Clive; I'm sure he'll throw in a twist or redeem the character in some way.
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Post by Cesaria on Oct 2, 2011 20:34:51 GMT -5
Oh. I KNEW there was another instance of that happening but for some reason Howie and Jo Beth totally escaped me. Yeah, there was a really sinister reason for that one too. And it didn't turn out well. Same with Oscar/Judy. I guess there was also Rachel/Galilee but that had some more development.
What really bothers me is not just that this happened, but that the part where he explains WHY is not even in the same book as their falling in love. It just makes Gazza seem pointless and Candy seem emotionally flat because we know nothing about why this is even happening.
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Post by Cesaria on Oct 2, 2011 23:40:34 GMT -5
Also there goes all hope for Candy/Carrion shippers. He pretty much literally friendzoned himself and that was the only way they interacted in the whole book, except when Carrion saves her life. I don't even care who Carrion ends up with anymore, I just want there to be someone, especially since Candy just became a boring character.
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Post by Abaratian on Oct 3, 2011 23:07:29 GMT -5
Yeah, Carrion really did friendzone himself. XD I don't think he'll end up with anyone romantically, but I really do think that he and Candy have a genuine friendship blossoming, and even if he stays single he'll always have her. Perhaps if their friendship continues to develop there will be some really interesting scenes between him and the John brothers or Finnegan? I look forward to that a lot! And I love how the conversations between them reveal so much of his personality, though.
Before, the Carrion scenes we had made him seem just like evil incarnate, but I think we're finally seeing the man behind that. He's got a sense of humor (even joking with Candy about all of the people that he's killed, and "What's a resurrection without fireworks?"), and I totally picture him being completely fed up with all the craziness going on around him. He seems like this sarcastic, exasperated guy who just kind of wants a break, I think. It's great. I totally love him a million times more, now that he's not just some villain on an angst pedestal (I loved him then, too, but now he's totally better)
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inumaru
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Post by inumaru on Oct 5, 2011 21:02:11 GMT -5
(I don't know how to do the spoiler thing! Umm...) SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!(STILL SPOILERS) (Ok, ONTO THE RESPONSE!) Wow! Well, first off, I would like to agree with Abaratian. Malingo and Candy should have happened. Barker set up so many tender moment between the two that I was sure that they might have ended up together, and then came up Gazza from nowhere making Candy drop Malingo like a hot potato. Although, I did like it where Gazza hugs Candy and Malingo butts in, hugging them both. I see what you did there. Anyway, every fiber of my being was rejecting Gazza and rejected him badly. I hope Barker tries to give the character some more...character in the next book. If I grew with Gazza a bit more, perhaps even if he had been introduced in the second book, I might have accepted him more. Might. Speaking of possible love interest introduced in the second book... Did I speed read too much (because I was busy and the only justice I could give to the book was a rapid turbo reading, I'll reread it again later) or did I miss what happened to Letheo? Did he just swim off somewhere wading things off? Because if Christopher could survive the big wave, then I believe Letheo could do. (BTW I loved how Carrion was referred to Christopher). Oh yes, and Boa?! Wow, she went a little bit ballistic. I knew that she wasn't going to be an ideal princess, but I didn't know that it was going to go that far. Did anyone else think that she might have been a little overboard or that it was a little forced? Like Motley, she had an evil flow going, but Boa seemed to burst. When Filth was all, "You can see the good in her eyes," was Boa just a great actress with the ability to change her eyes, or did she gradually turn evil? I don't know, Boa seemed a little too...overpowering. Plus, the Fantomaya said that they believed that Boa was the epitome of good to the point where they broke natural law. To just casually say, "Hey she's bad, you were wrong." And then have a complete, "Wow, you were right and we were wrong. You're a spy!" Was a little sudden. (Spy being Boa can see out of Candy at times.) Anway, cliffhanger, not nice. Evil thing to do. Curses, Barker! Faked Malingo death scene. Even worse. Thought I would stop reading then and there (since Malingo was my driving factor, and Carrion too, but Malingo more so) I was glad that I kept going. Yes, so Christopher disappearing also concerned me as well. The only explanation I can come up with is that he must have sneaked away? Slithered away? Maybe Boa opened a portal and stole him away since she seems to randomly be obsessed with him? Ha, keeping him and Finnegan hostage. Evil Boa is evil indeed. I'm out of steam. Thanks for ready my rants full of terrible grammar mistakes! Ooooh!
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Post by Qwandy Tootinfruit on Oct 6, 2011 2:17:34 GMT -5
Whoops! I definitely put my impressions of the book in the wrong section! I'll quote it here to add to the conversation, but I basically had the same questions and issues as everyone else. And I'm glad you mentioned Carrion disappearing, that was something that deeply bothered me too! I kept hoping that Carrion would just show up out of nowhere to pull Candy away from the edge of the world, while Malingo's severed head (lol) could fly away with them, leaving Gazza to die. (Looks like I'm not the only one who hated the idea of Gazza's character). I liked Gazza up until my hopes that he was just Carrion in disguise were dashed, haha. Oh well, I can only hope Carrion will get more page-time, so to speak, in the next book. I'm also going to point out a few things about the work as a whole here, since there are some things that really only someone who finished the whole novel will understand. Perhaps it was my sick, twisted literary crush on Christopher Carrion that had me thinking wishfully throughout most of the novel since the introduction of Gazza that Gazza was in fact Christopher Carrion in disguise. I had hoped that, and there were a couple reasons I thought that may have been true, considering he was on the island right before she left, knowing she would be seeking out a boat to get off of the island, and he had just been disguised moments before the introduction of Gazza, so we knew that he had the capability of changing form (plus, it wasn't the first time he performed an illusion like that, anyway), and I thought that maybe he would disguise himself, since Candy said she couldn't be seen with him, because he wanted a way off of that island, AND maybe he wanted to watch over Candy, surely knowing she wouldn't follow his advice. And I also felt that all those little subtle hints that Candy and Carrion had romantic feelings toward each other, Boa or no Boa, would have pointed to Candy's immediate attraction to Gazza, not to mention Gazza's introduction was very abrupt and out-of-left-field anyway, so it seemed suspicious to me. However, of course, we find out later that Carrion had been elsewhere, and Gazza is in fact his own being, rendering the wall-of-text above completely obsolete. BUT, while we're on the subject of Gazza, talk about zero character development. He just kind of jumped right into the story (literally). OH, and before I forget it, I think the illustration on pg. 266 is Gazza, right? The lines on his mouth look like Carrion's scars, so that was another reason I suspected he was Carrion in disguise, as well as his ever-changing eyes just like Carrion, not to mention she said when she looked into his eyes, it was like she'd known him her whole life (going back to Boa and Carrion, it made sense). But anyway, not only did Candy fall in love with Gazza for no apparent reason other than the tragically cliche love at first sight (which is very disappointing for a character as complex as Candy), his character (even with very little substance) is... well... annoying to me, haha. He's very childish (and not in a charming, endearing way), whereas I always thought Candy was meant to be mature for her age (perfect for Carrion, hellooo), but in all seriousness, that entire love subplot was like an unexpected punch to the face. I would have liked to see a love triangle between Carrion and Malingo. Heck, maybe even a love pentagon if you add Letheo and John Mischief (gross, I know, she'd have to cover up his brothers, haha). Which brings me to my third point. What ever happened to Letheo? Did he drown in Chickentown at the end of the second book? He seemed to be in good health, and he also seemed to be a good swimmer. Oh well. I was never a Letheo fangirl anyway, but his portrait was one of my favorites of Clive's paintings. Just thought it was strange he wasn't even mentioned in the third book. And lastly, Boa's sudden evilness was completely unexpected too, everyone talked about her being so kind and bright and whatnot, and of course what she did to Carrion was horrible, and we knew that from the first book, but how on Earth did the Fantomaya or Finnegan for that matter never notice how blatantly evil she was? So that felt like a last-minute decision, a convenient plot device. But even then, they had that big climactic battle with Boa, and then we only hear from her once more in the rest of the book and her story just kind of never comes up again. I assume it'll be picked up in the fourth, but that was all very abrupt too. I remember when I read the part where Boa said "I think it's time we parted," and Candy was just like "Okay," I looked up thinking "Well, that was... uh, fast." My hopes for the next book kind of revolve around my ever-so tender feelings for Carrion's character, and as such, my only hopes are this: that when we actually get to know Gazza, Candy will realize she's not actually in love with him, because who IS Gazza, anyway? And instead, we'll see Candy and Carrion's "strange friendship" develop, perhaps making Carrion realize it was Candy he wanted rather than Boa, as someone in the third book said, I already forgot who said it. But I'm glad Clive gave us CandyxCarrion stans those little teasers throughout the book, as if he does plan on developing their relationship, and perhaps Carrion will finally get that little kiss he always wanted. [Wall-o-text, sorry!] TL;DR version:Not enough Carrion, I think Clive forgot all about Letheo, Boa's sudden evilness comes with no precedence, and Gazza who? Candy, girlfriend, you are too old for puppy love.
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Post by Abaratian on Oct 6, 2011 7:02:38 GMT -5
Is Gazza the new Finnegan Hob? (in respects to how we collectively seemed to hate his character - although I totally don't hate Finnegan any longer)
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Post by malingomango on Oct 6, 2011 11:53:58 GMT -5
Where is your spoiler tag!?!
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Post by Cesaria on Oct 6, 2011 20:52:35 GMT -5
Gazza ruined my life.
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Post by carrionsprincess on Oct 11, 2011 19:26:46 GMT -5
Okayyy I FINALLY finished the book and I have to say, alot of you already covered what I wanted to say about it but why the hell not list it anyway First of all, thank god someone else realized Letheo was missing. I actually thought Gazza WAS Letheo in disguise at first, because he was discribed at one point as having the colors on his face seeming to shift under his skin, just like Letheo's skin did. I really missed Letheo, because if I couldnt have Candy/Carrion, Candy/Letheo was my second choice. Seriously though, who the heck was Gazza? I HATED that whole plot thread, I put the book down for a few days because I couldnt stand the idea of their puppy love. URGH. Moving on before I get frustrated. I laughed so hard reading your comments on how Carrion "friendzoned" himself. Its so true, yet I will never give up hope. I did a little jig inside when Zephario asked Candy if she was sure Carrion was only interested in her for Boa. I do love the way that he was 'Christopher' also. And his parts in the book showed a MUCH more human side of him, especially in his conversations with his grandmother. (Calling her an old boneyard? Laughed so hard!) But REALLY Clive? Can you NOT leave Carrion's fate unknown AGAIN? Circling back a bit. Boa? What the hell. I mean I never liked her, but I never knew she was THAT psychotic. I mean at the end of the last book she called Candy 'sister' and asked her to trust her, and suddenly BAM shes making jokes about having her dead. I wanted to punch her so badly when she was going back for "her precious Christopher" and if she had to marry him then that would be the price she was willing to pay for power. >.> Shinde kudasai. I have to say though, Mater Motley definitely rose in my esteem. Since there were so many chapters that were centric to her, I didnt hate her as much, and I have to say I even kind of admire how much of a badass she is. A few random other things: At the beginning of the book when the card reader said how he'd lost his whole family in a fire I like jumped and squealed. I was so excited to meet Papa Carrion. Malingo....when I thought he was dead, I wasnt sure if I was going to read Abarat 4, I could not imagine it without him. And finally to sum it up, did anyone else notice there were a LOT of inconsistencies?
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Post by malingomango on Oct 12, 2011 9:50:02 GMT -5
First of all, thank god someone else realized Letheo was missing. I actually thought Gazza WAS Letheo in disguise at first, because he was discribed at one point as having the colors on his face seeming to shift under his skin, just like Letheo's skin did. I really missed Letheo, OMG! I am so glad I am not the only one that thoughtGazza was Letheo!
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requiax
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Post by requiax on Oct 12, 2011 23:06:52 GMT -5
Since I've ranted all over the Midnight Spoilers forum, hopefully I can do a better summary here. I never thought Gazza was Letheo..but..I wish he was T_T. I am just holding on to the hope that he's in Chickentown....... .. I thought Boa was way to evil. WAY TO EVIL. To the point of nonsense. But, I understand the reason now. It's so Candy and Christopher now have a common enemy. They have that immediate strange friendship now because of it. Plus, it helps all non-Christopher fans sympathize with him. (But seriously...who's a non-Christopher fan?) Gazza....don't like him either. But someone in the other thread mentioned the point that I think has given me hope. At one point Carrion says something like "when you lose a love, come back and talk to me then." And all of you were just referencing how Clive ALWAYS uses love at first sight as a plot device. I'm really starting to think Gazza will definitely die. Malingo's death scene -_- I walked away for a few hours. Seriously, I was in shock. I was like, why would I complain about Letheo or Deaux-Deaux when CLIVE KILLED MALINGO. NOBODY'S SAFE. but then Malingo was a seagull. Malingo and Candy got incredibly set up as the romantic couple. I would really not be surprised if they are the final choice. CandyxChristopher.. eh. But I've never thought so. It was cute how he saved her though, his character was definitely the awesomest ever while on the Stormwalker. Oh yeah, LOL at Christopher being dubiously alive AGAIN. ahhahahaha But I think he's definitely alive. In the revelations interview Clive says "You would know if he died." Finally, I didn't view the ending as a cliffhanger! It was very poetic and I liked it. I'm sort of wondering..where they are...but no cliffhanger. Very beautiful ending. I want to go back and memorize it so I can think about it all the time. Last words... THE REQUIAX ARE AWESOME. SO COOL. BEST NAMESAKE EVER. And they're on the side of good?!?!? ahahhhhaehorowt90 lololol
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Post by malingomango on Oct 13, 2011 0:51:10 GMT -5
Since I've ranted all over the Midnight Spoilers forum, hopefully I can do a better summary here. I never thought Gazza was Letheo..but..I wish he was T_T. I am just holding on to the hope that he's in Chickentown....... .. I thought Boa was way to evil. WAY TO EVIL. To the point of nonsense. But, I understand the reason now. It's so Candy and Christopher now have a common enemy. They have that immediate strange friendship now because of it. Plus, it helps all non-Christopher fans sympathize with him. (But seriously...who's a non-Christopher fan?) Gazza....don't like him either. But someone in the other thread mentioned the point that I think has given me hope. At one point Carrion says something like "when you lose a love, come back and talk to me then." And all of you were just referencing how Clive ALWAYS uses love at first sight as a plot device. I'm really starting to think Gazza will definitely die. Malingo's death scene -_- I walked away for a few hours. Seriously, I was in shock. I was like, why would I complain about Letheo or Deaux-Deaux when CLIVE KILLED MALINGO. NOBODY'S SAFE. but then Malingo was a seagull. Malingo and Candy got incredibly set up as the romantic couple. I would really not be surprised if they are the final choice. CandyxChristopher.. eh. But I've never thought so. It was cute how he saved her though, his character was definitely the awesomest ever while on the Stormwalker. Oh yeah, LOL at Christopher being dubiously alive AGAIN. ahhahahaha But I think he's definitely alive. In the revelations interview Clive says "You would know if he died." Finally, I didn't view the ending as a cliffhanger! It was very poetic and I liked it. I'm sort of wondering..where they are...but no cliffhanger. Very beautiful ending. I want to go back and memorize it so I can think about it all the time. Last words... THE REQUIAX ARE AWESOME. SO COOL. BEST NAMESAKE EVER. And they're on the side of good?!?!? ahahhhhaehorowt90 lololol Oh good now yuo can read that lovecraft story I posted in the spoilers section about requiax. Well, creatures similar to them. Oh and I am glad I wasn't the only one really upset at Malingos death.
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Post by Cesaria on Oct 16, 2011 17:14:49 GMT -5
I never thought Gazza was Letheo..but..I wish he was T_T. I am just holding on to the hope that he's in Chickentown....... .. What the hell happened to Letheo? This is stupid. Gazza....don't like him either. But someone in the other thread mentioned the point that I think has given me hope. At one point Carrion says something like "when you lose a love, come back and talk to me then." And all of you were just referencing how Clive ALWAYS uses love at first sight as a plot device. I'm really starting to think Gazza will definitely die. Not necessarily die. There's more than one way to lose someone. Malingo's death scene -_- I walked away for a few hours. Seriously, I was in shock. I was like, why would I complain about Letheo or Deaux-Deaux when CLIVE KILLED MALINGO. NOBODY'S SAFE. but then Malingo was a seagull. People seriously thought Clive would kill Malingo? When I read that I had no doubt that he couldn't have actually died. Oh yeah, LOL at Christopher being dubiously alive AGAIN. ahhahahaha But I think he's definitely alive. In the revelations interview Clive says "You would know if he died." Uh, that probably means he's going to die. :/ Last words... THE REQUIAX ARE AWESOME. SO COOL. BEST NAMESAKE EVER. And they're on the side of good?!?!? ahahhhhaehorowt90 lololol I didn't realize they were good?
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Post by malingomango on Oct 16, 2011 19:25:21 GMT -5
I am sorry I just want to talk about how I felt about the work as a whole. Please don't kick me out for this lol. *puts up her hands in a signal of surrender* The whole book seemed cinematic. Like, clive wanted it to be on a silver screen someday. And They Who Walk Beyond the Stars? They reminded me of stuff that h.p. lovecraft has written, about horrible entities from beyond. Wikipedia says that clive was inspired by lovecraft when he writes, so that makes sense to see that element that seems almost lovecraftian in his work there. Also, I was furious when malingo died and for a second I was like "omg clive just killed him because he liked gazza better. What a cheap plot twist." -_- I love malingo, no one better ver kill him again. And I hate hate hate gazza. There's something about him I don't trust. I woudlve rathered that leo hadcome back to help candy than him. Gazza seems so bland. Bleh. Clive needs to flesh him out more as a character. Oh and wtf is up with christopher carrion in the 3rd book? All of a sudden he seems like a likeable fellow, whereas in the 1st and 2nd book he was both captivating and somebody to fear. Now he seems almost good. Which makes him a much less interesting character IMO. Gosh darn it, I loved his tormented conflictedness between wanting to be good and being cursed to be evil. Now that's taken away. Also the 3rd book felt like fluff with candy running everywhere. Rojo pixler being a requiax was another lovecraftian inspired thing. Interesting because....lovecraft did something similar with a few of his stories. Having strange buglike alin beings inhabit the body of human beings, but it being grotesque. Candys father having wolfswinkles hats is a boring plot device imo. He's just a bunch of rage. I want conflicted complex characters!! Lol Also in this book the 3 wisewomen don't seem so wise anymore since they failed to see that boa was evil. What else? Clive didn't create any new interesting characters in this book I feel. He just used old ones except for that witch that split candy and boa up in the beginning. That was interesting. I loved the evil son and the good son, and how the good son got ignored. Kinda like nice guys always coming last and...how I tend to like my "evilness" better because it protects me from being hurt. Wow the characterization of the good boy being bland? Oh. Perfect. Aren't good people in real life seen as bland too? Also with the ending it seems like the world of abarat is limitless. If clive doesn't like something he could conjur something up and it would be believable in the world of abarat since nothing seems to make sense and straneness abounds there. It gives him some writing levity methinks.
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