[CTJ]∎ [PDF] The Drawing of the Dark Fantasy Masterworks Tim Powers 9780575074262 Books

The Drawing of the Dark Fantasy Masterworks Tim Powers 9780575074262 Books

Download As PDF : The Drawing of the Dark Fantasy Masterworks Tim Powers 9780575074262 Books

The Drawing of the Dark Fantasy Masterworks Tim Powers 9780575074262 Books

So far I've read three of his books: Medusa's Web (a recent novel), this book, and On Stranger Tides (the story that the 4th Pirates was based on, loosly. This is so much better.). From most to least favorite I'd order them Dark, Tides and Web, not that I disliked any of them. Each is very different from the others. What they have in common is that each takes a subset of magic and mythology and weaves them together into something unique and interesting. Not that the stories are "about" magic. They're about fairly ordinary people who find themselves in strange situations, with stranger people, not quite believing what they're doing/seeing/experiencing and having to figure out what they are willing to do, how they're willing to change, to come out the other side whole/sane/still a decent person.

This novel includes mythology I didn't expect woven with tales I already knew. It took them somewhere I didn't expect and made it all sorta plausable for something that took place several hundred years ago, if you can believe that maybe some mythology is a little more history than tall tales. Highly enjoyable. Good for beer aficionados.

Next stop for me will be The Anubis Gates, the novel that first brought the name Tim Powers to my attention.


Tags : The Drawing of the Dark (Fantasy Masterworks) [Tim Powers] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. 'The Drawing of the Dark is not only one of my favourite Tim Powers novels, it's simply one of my favourite novels. The seamless and seemingly effortless blend of action and humour,Tim Powers,The Drawing of the Dark (Fantasy Masterworks),Orion Pub Co,0575074264,Fantasy

The Drawing of the Dark Fantasy Masterworks Tim Powers 9780575074262 Books Reviews

I first read Tim Powers' "The Drawing of the Dark" in the early '80s and thoroughly enjoyed it then. Rereading it for the first time since then on my was just as enjoyable. Powers creates an engaging adventure story with compelling characters, blending historical fiction with the supernatural almost seamlessly. The plot unfolds gradually, and Powers does an excellent job letting the reader develop some understanding at the same time as the main character, Brian Duffy.

Powers utilizes ancient western culture myths and the greatest confrontation between Christian Europe and Muslim Middle East in history, Suleiman's siege of Vienna, as the conflict and setting for the story.

The dialog is largely in modern style, but Powers' use of historical detail might appeal to fans of historical fiction, as long as one is not a stickler for complete accuracy.

The combination of history, mystery and fantasy makes for an appealing, engrossing story. Overall, this novel is a fun read, and a good escape from the mundane.
The stakes could never be higher in 1529, for the Turkish army is camped at the gates of Vienna and western civilization is fractured and riven with religious and political dissentions. What was not at all clear to the time was that this constituted the "high water mark" of Turkish and Islamic expansion,and yes, they were back in 1683 but it was not so much of a "near thing" as was the siege of 1529. I'll provide a quote from page 251 and let the author speak for himself; ""If anything went wrong we'd lose everything. There would be no kingdoms of the West,just a wasteland of hastily organized tribes,living in the burned out ruins of cities,waiting,probably eagerly, for Suleiman to ride through and take formal possession." "Oh,come on," Duffy protested, "let's be realistic, I'll take your word that it would be bad, but it couldn't be that bad." "Said the expert on metaphysical history! Brian, you've never seen a culture that's lost it's center, it's soul, I was not exaggerating." So you see, this is a work,though grounded in history and fantasy, which speaks to the present. What's more....the Fisher King is bedridden...yes, there is a strong element of fantasy to this tale...as well as sword play, derring-do and humor, but by the end of the story it's almost "plausible"...meaning one wonders if it might not have happened as the author told the tale. Add some legends from the past...and I wouldn't want to give away too much here, but the results will delight and, contrary to my expectations, inspire.
Drawing of the Dark is definitely a complex book, pulling from most Celtic and Norse myths as well as historical happenings. It was an excellent story with interesting characters, even the minor ones. It was exciting but somehow seemed to go on and on forever...that's confusing... It was totally worth the read; I enjoyed it immensely. Still, it could have used some minor editing for length... And yet...there were characters I wanted to know more deeply. Is that counter intuitive? Yup. I would say, if you have patience and quality reading time (it's complex), it is a necessary addition to your library.
NO SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW. Exceptionally well written fantasy account of the 1529 siege of Vienna. The key lies in creating sympathetic characters and a believable story. This requires a certain willing suspension of disbelief on the part of the reader. After all this is fantasy and one has to accept that magic is a part of the reality the characters live in. Once this is accepted the characters and their behavior is believable and very entertaining. Powers also does a fine job of incorporating known mythical elements/characters in a manner that is important to the story. This is my second reading of Drawing of The Dark and it was time well spent. If you enjoy fantasy and historical fiction this will become one of your favorites. If you're only a fan of one or the other here's your opportunity to check out a book that does a very good job in both genres. Enjoy
First, I love Tim Powers. He's a solid writer and his plots are usually well played out, quick paced, and can be complex. The Drawing of the Dark has some interesting premises, and some puzzles as you try to figure out what is going on with the hero, but for me it was much more slowly paced than his other works. I also had trouble identifying with the primary character, perhaps because of who/what he is. The personalities were not as fully developed as I prefer. It had the feel of a movie script more than a novel, and would likely translate much better to that venue.
So far I've read three of his books Medusa's Web (a recent novel), this book, and On Stranger Tides (the story that the 4th Pirates was based on, loosly. This is so much better.). From most to least favorite I'd order them Dark, Tides and Web, not that I disliked any of them. Each is very different from the others. What they have in common is that each takes a subset of magic and mythology and weaves them together into something unique and interesting. Not that the stories are "about" magic. They're about fairly ordinary people who find themselves in strange situations, with stranger people, not quite believing what they're doing/seeing/experiencing and having to figure out what they are willing to do, how they're willing to change, to come out the other side whole/sane/still a decent person.

This novel includes mythology I didn't expect woven with tales I already knew. It took them somewhere I didn't expect and made it all sorta plausable for something that took place several hundred years ago, if you can believe that maybe some mythology is a little more history than tall tales. Highly enjoyable. Good for beer aficionados.

Next stop for me will be The Anubis Gates, the novel that first brought the name Tim Powers to my attention.