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Millennial Contest #1
Донеси ми главата на принца
A riotous new fantasy series that will challenge the funniest the field has to offer--from the creator of the bestselling Amber series and one of the genre's legendary humorists. Azzy Elbub, demon, has his sights set on the Millenial Evil Deeds Award, given to the being whose acts do the most toward reshaping the world. But his evil plans go far astray. . . .
270 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1991
45 people are currently reading
2939 people want to read
About the author
Roger Zelazny
745 books3,884 followersRoger Joseph Zelazny was an American fantasy and science fiction writer known for his short stories and novels, best known for The Chronicles of Amber. He won the Nebula Award three times (out of 14 nominations) and the Hugo Award six times (also out of 14 nominations), including two Hugos for novels: the serialized novel ...And Call Me Conrad (1965), subsequently published under the title This Immortal (1966), and the novel Lord of Light (1967).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews
March 1, 2024
This is a humorous fantasy that lampoons conventional fantasy and fairy tales by presenting a regularly scheduled contest between good and evil. I remember thinking that it might have been a better book by either of the collaborators working on their own, but there were some genuinely funny lines and situations, along with a few bits of serious business that were a bit jarring in contrast. It's similar in feel to Good Omens by Pratchett and Gaiman, so if you liked that one...
November 26, 2019
Memorable and hilariously original!
I read this book while I was studying Grimm's Fairy Tales and that may be the perfect way to experience the story. It was really fun to hop back and forth between the old-school fairy tales and their modern parody. With the world being as dark as it is, it was really refreshing to read a story poking fun at the idea of good and evil.
If the state of the world is getting you down pick up this book!
I read this book while I was studying Grimm's Fairy Tales and that may be the perfect way to experience the story. It was really fun to hop back and forth between the old-school fairy tales and their modern parody. With the world being as dark as it is, it was really refreshing to read a story poking fun at the idea of good and evil.
If the state of the world is getting you down pick up this book!
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February 12, 2024How can a demon do some "good Evil" (?????) with an inspector of "Good" watching over his shoulder?
The Millenium is coming and the Christian mythological battle of Good v Evil, with a twist, is raging in a "TV reality show contest" to win the souls of mankind.
As implied by the title, this fantasy novel by Roger Zelazny and Robert Sheckley is a sharp satire of the traditional fairy tale theme, theological mythologies and more.
Mostly it's a spin-off of the "sleeping beauty & Prince Charming" fairy tale, with a twist (yes, another one).
Frankenstein syndrome; A sleeping beauty that is just "napping"; A cowardly prince Charming; A psychopath "Excalibur" with a life of its own but with very low witts; Parsifal on steroids and "high" on...whatever, raping an angel; Ancient Greek gods advising demons; Harpies, Sirens, Dwarves, Cinderella, dragons, Aladim, converted witches... brief, the whole lot.
The characters are not deeply developed since almost all of them, save the main one, are "stock characters", or archetypes; those are a type of character in a narrative whom readers recognize across many previous narratives or as part of a storytelling tradition or convention. The presence of a collection of stock characters is a pivotal component used as a time-and-effort saving shortcut for story creators, as authors can populate their tales with existing well-known character types easily recognised. Another benefit is that stock characters help to move the story along allowing the readers to immediately understand the characters and their motivations. Furthermore, they can be used to build expectations and, in some cases, they can also enhance narrative elements like suspense, irony, or plot twists if those expectations end up subverted. And here, Zelazny & Sheckley excelled and made full use of the "trick".
The novel lacks a little cohesion in my opinion; certain characters seem to be forgotten along the way and the climax comes and goes too fast. The idea behind the story is brilliant, but I felt the plot was somehow unsatisfying, it could have been far more expanded, as it is it seems they were in a hurry to finish the book. Perhaps because it was written as "two hands" and sometimes such collaborations don't work as well as intended.
Even if the book is not at the same level as previous works from these two writers, still, there is a lot of fun and laughs to be found in these pages of a very amusing book about an entertaining fantasy.
The Millenium is coming and the Christian mythological battle of Good v Evil, with a twist, is raging in a "TV reality show contest" to win the souls of mankind.
As implied by the title, this fantasy novel by Roger Zelazny and Robert Sheckley is a sharp satire of the traditional fairy tale theme, theological mythologies and more.
Mostly it's a spin-off of the "sleeping beauty & Prince Charming" fairy tale, with a twist (yes, another one).
Frankenstein syndrome; A sleeping beauty that is just "napping"; A cowardly prince Charming; A psychopath "Excalibur" with a life of its own but with very low witts; Parsifal on steroids and "high" on...whatever, raping an angel; Ancient Greek gods advising demons; Harpies, Sirens, Dwarves, Cinderella, dragons, Aladim, converted witches... brief, the whole lot.
The characters are not deeply developed since almost all of them, save the main one, are "stock characters", or archetypes; those are a type of character in a narrative whom readers recognize across many previous narratives or as part of a storytelling tradition or convention. The presence of a collection of stock characters is a pivotal component used as a time-and-effort saving shortcut for story creators, as authors can populate their tales with existing well-known character types easily recognised. Another benefit is that stock characters help to move the story along allowing the readers to immediately understand the characters and their motivations. Furthermore, they can be used to build expectations and, in some cases, they can also enhance narrative elements like suspense, irony, or plot twists if those expectations end up subverted. And here, Zelazny & Sheckley excelled and made full use of the "trick".
The novel lacks a little cohesion in my opinion; certain characters seem to be forgotten along the way and the climax comes and goes too fast. The idea behind the story is brilliant, but I felt the plot was somehow unsatisfying, it could have been far more expanded, as it is it seems they were in a hurry to finish the book. Perhaps because it was written as "two hands" and sometimes such collaborations don't work as well as intended.
Even if the book is not at the same level as previous works from these two writers, still, there is a lot of fun and laughs to be found in these pages of a very amusing book about an entertaining fantasy.
January 5, 2015
This book could have been a whole lot better. Okay, so basic principle is that there's a contest once every millenium between the forces of Dark and Light. The entry that ends up influencing the world the most wins its side the right to have the more predominant charge of man. A demon, Azzie Elbub, decides to enter this contest to create a fairytale gone wrong. But bureaucracy gets in the way, time and time again...
The biggest problem here was that I couldn't work out how this one little fairytale would have any bearing on the universe.
The difficulties Azzie runs into are funny, sure, but the thing is, he gets into them and out of them in the blink of an eye. It's so episodic. He never really gets personally inconvenienced, and there's never more than one thing going wrong at a time.
What's worse, the events don't culminate into something massively big!
The humour is present, but, considering what it is, it's not obvious the way it should be. Random dashes of blood, gore and sexual references also contributed to its unfunniness.
The characters seemed to be jerked about on strings. There was no development to them, and Ylith (they spelt her as 'Zlith' on the cover) and Babriel were rather... insipid.
Despite all of that, it was entertaining. Two stars.
The biggest problem here was that I couldn't work out how this one little fairytale would have any bearing on the universe.
The difficulties Azzie runs into are funny, sure, but the thing is, he gets into them and out of them in the blink of an eye. It's so episodic. He never really gets personally inconvenienced, and there's never more than one thing going wrong at a time.
What's worse, the events don't culminate into something massively big!
The humour is present, but, considering what it is, it's not obvious the way it should be. Random dashes of blood, gore and sexual references also contributed to its unfunniness.
The characters seemed to be jerked about on strings. There was no development to them, and Ylith (they spelt her as 'Zlith' on the cover) and Babriel were rather... insipid.
Despite all of that, it was entertaining. Two stars.
May 21, 2023
There is this tantalizing mystery:
two American writers, Roger Zelazny and Robert Sheckley, published this book in 1991;
while two British writers, Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, published Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch in 1990.
Both books feature: an angel and a demon; a witch; a contest between Good and Evil; and plenty of humour.
Was this a kind of contest, too, a challenge? If anybody is friendly with Neil Gaiman, could you please ask him?
It's hard not to compare this to 'Good Omens'. The demon Azzie is not as charismatic as the demon Crowley - but then he didn't get to be played by a Scottish actor - I mean, the charm of 'Good Omens' for me has been enhanced by an adaptation featuring some very special music, while Azzie has to fend for himself.
Both books are funny, but this one is grosser in details; and both are page-turners. I certainly do not regret the time I spent with this book, but I'm in no hurry to read the sequel, If at Faust You Don't Succeed.
two American writers, Roger Zelazny and Robert Sheckley, published this book in 1991;
while two British writers, Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, published Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch in 1990.
Both books feature: an angel and a demon; a witch; a contest between Good and Evil; and plenty of humour.
Was this a kind of contest, too, a challenge? If anybody is friendly with Neil Gaiman, could you please ask him?
'Don't be a defeatist like so many other young demons,' Hermes said sternly.
It's hard not to compare this to 'Good Omens'. The demon Azzie is not as charismatic as the demon Crowley - but then he didn't get to be played by a Scottish actor - I mean, the charm of 'Good Omens' for me has been enhanced by an adaptation featuring some very special music, while Azzie has to fend for himself.
Both books are funny, but this one is grosser in details; and both are page-turners. I certainly do not regret the time I spent with this book, but I'm in no hurry to read the sequel, If at Faust You Don't Succeed.
'Charming knew, in the part of his mind which housed ancient wisdom, that shaggy little ponies who appeared mysteriously in the woods could be counted on to give good advice.'
June 11, 2014
A little slow in the beginning, but once all of the characters are introduced, the fun begins. I find this trilogy original and witty, it reminds me a bit of "Good Omens" by Pratchett and Gaiman.
Still, the ending was a somewhat disappointing, as were most of the climatic moments. With all the fuzz, you would expect a more spectacular closure to the major conflicts. There were several moments in the book, where I didn't feel convinced, I know it should be funny, not authentic, but I felt like the author was just being lazy and not really thinking about the situation or how his characters would react, he was just giving us easy explanations, so the story would continue. And I have read all ten Amber-related books and I know this is not how Zelazny does stuff, so I have decided it's Sheckley's fault.
...
Love the book though :D
Still, the ending was a somewhat disappointing, as were most of the climatic moments. With all the fuzz, you would expect a more spectacular closure to the major conflicts. There were several moments in the book, where I didn't feel convinced, I know it should be funny, not authentic, but I felt like the author was just being lazy and not really thinking about the situation or how his characters would react, he was just giving us easy explanations, so the story would continue. And I have read all ten Amber-related books and I know this is not how Zelazny does stuff, so I have decided it's Sheckley's fault.
...
Love the book though :D
October 7, 2012
"Донесете ми главата на принца" е роман-приказка, пропит от черен хумор, черва и кръв. Демонът Аззи решава да се включи в състезанието между силите на доброто и злото, което се провежда всяко хилядолетие, и което определя съдбата на човечеството за следващите хиляда години - дали да бъде управлявано от добрите ангели или от злите демони. Аззи започва да проектира своя коварен план, а той е да пресъздаде приказката за Спящата красавица. Но няма да завърши толкова лигаво и романтично, а красавицата ще убие принца. Така Аззи започва да сглобява своя принц и принцеса, взема за основа главите на трагично загинала двойка влюбени, чийто страхлив мъжки представител е изоставил женския. Взема за помощник и гърбавия верен слуга Фрике, който послушно изкормва крака, ръце и глави, за да осигури необходимите части на господаря му Аззи.
Но накрая всичко се обърква....
Останалата част от ревюто: http://lammothsblog.blogspot.com/2011...
Но накрая всичко се обърква....
Останалата част от ревюто: http://lammothsblog.blogspot.com/2011...
July 6, 2016
Well, once again I tried reading Bring Me the Head of Prince Charming(Millennial Contest, #1)by Roger Zelazny & Robert Sheckley. No go. I like both authors separately & might like them together, but the book is supposed to be humorous & I just don't find it funny. I managed maybe 100 pages & just put it down from sheer lack of will to pick it back up.
January 20, 2017
„Донеси ми главата на принца. Ако с Фауст не успееш. Просто шеметен фарс” на Роджър Зелазни и Робърт Шекли! Три големи романа, от двама големи автора в един голям том в страхотна (и стилна) твърда корица. Какво да ви кажа, когато от издателство „Бард” са решили да кръстят поредицата си „Велики майстори на фентъзи и фантастика” съвсем не са се изхвърлили. А че трилогията „Millennial Contest” си е точно за тук – в това няма никакво съмнение! А шеметен фарс ще получите и то в изобилие. Прочетете ревюто на "Книжни Криле":
https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/201...
https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/201...
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May 31, 2018Znam da sam odavno procitao Hronike Ambera i Gospodar Svetlosti, i da su mi se svidele. Ali ako ih uporedim sa ovom knjigom, moram reci da sam pomalo razocaran... Zato mislim da je bolje da je ni ne ocenim... 😔
June 21, 2019
Я запланувала це читання відповідно до пункту челенджу "книга в співавторстві" і покладала на неї великі надії. Шеклі та Желязни - з моїх улюблених авторів, тож від їх співпраці я чекала чогось неймовірного.
А книга виявилася просто хорошою, гарно написаною, досить цікаво, без такого "замирання подиху", як було в мене, наприклад, від "Князя світла" Желязни, чи від Хронік Амберу.
Мабуть, ця книга на свій час була досить новаторською: боротьба світла та темряви за час якох демон і янгол подружилися -сюжет пізнішої відомої книги за якою тепер зняли серіал. Чарівна казка, що пересатала бути такою вже чарівною, коли її населили люди що відчувають та думають - взагалі тепер популярний хід. Я думаю, що і кохання відьми та янгола, від якого не янголу стало зле, а життя та особистість відьми значно покращилися точно десь обігувалося, просто я це ще не прочитала.
В книзі була низка сцен, що страшенно мені сподобалися: про кастинг на слугу зла, лови демона та банато інших.
Цей текст дуже хороший для відпочинку: розважає, утримує увагу, має стабільним певний градус іронії.
Чотири зірочки я ставлю лише тому, що сподівалася "землетресу та зорепаду", а натомість просто відпочила та гарно провела час .
А книга виявилася просто хорошою, гарно написаною, досить цікаво, без такого "замирання подиху", як було в мене, наприклад, від "Князя світла" Желязни, чи від Хронік Амберу.
Мабуть, ця книга на свій час була досить новаторською: боротьба світла та темряви за час якох демон і янгол подружилися -сюжет пізнішої відомої книги за якою тепер зняли серіал. Чарівна казка, що пересатала бути такою вже чарівною, коли її населили люди що відчувають та думають - взагалі тепер популярний хід. Я думаю, що і кохання відьми та янгола, від якого не янголу стало зле, а життя та особистість відьми значно покращилися точно десь обігувалося, просто я це ще не прочитала.
В книзі була низка сцен, що страшенно мені сподобалися: про кастинг на слугу зла, лови демона та банато інших.
Цей текст дуже хороший для відпочинку: розважає, утримує увагу, має стабільним певний градус іронії.
Чотири зірочки я ставлю лише тому, що сподівалася "землетресу та зорепаду", а натомість просто відпочила та гарно провела час .
April 17, 2022
Odavno me nešto nije ovoliko nasmejalo
January 4, 2009
Two authors collaborate on a bit of fluff. Both authors are fine writers so the individual sentences flow smoothly but overall the book never develops a heart. It reads like a bunch of concepts they found funny while drinking together, but after the drinking bout neither took enough ownership to create a sharp point or graceful story arc for the book.
May 10, 2018
I could go on a diatribe of great length about this book, but I believe the point will be made if I keep this short and sweet:
This book reads like a 4th grader wrote it.
'Nuff said.
This book reads like a 4th grader wrote it.
'Nuff said.
December 18, 2022
Welcome to 999 Anno Domini. Prepare for the millennium year along with The Millennium Contest #1, “Bring Me the Head of Prince Charming.”
If you like touches of irony, the centerpiece of classical comedy, you may enjoy the re-emergence of ancient storytelling in book one of this series by Roger Zelazny and Robert Sheckley. BTW, in the tenth century in Saxony, a rediscovery of ancient literature and the ethic of public service became important in the Holy Roman Empire, so reverting to ancient comedy is, well, period :) . Yes, Zelazny and Sheckley’s twisted use of traditional-fairy-tale motifs dates from 1991, Ballantine Spectra, but is only the beginning of a series.
In the first installment, we learn about The Millennium Competition, when Good and Evil compete in a once-in-a-thousand-years contest to inspire or perhaps dispel satisfaction—bringing on sudden dispair and hopelessness. For the second millennium, who will win? Will the Gothic cathedral amaze and empower the Forces of Light to inspire the next thousand years or will the Forces of Darkness overwhelm the judges with a grim parody of Sleeping Beauty and Prince Charming? Will the Demon Azzie Elbub’s demonic reality-play, acted out by living participants, drain away all hope for meaning? The answer, well…spoilers ;)
Good-narrative flow, combines with light humor with heaps of irony and all-too-familiar encounters with bureaucracyUnfortunately this may be uncomfortably recognizable for any of us who have had carefully submitted applications suddenly tossed out because a bureau chief just wanted too. I am thinking of you US Department of Education.
The theme and narrative may challenge those of us who expect the dramatic, so be prepared for disappointment and encounters with strange complexities of “free will.” Will grace or demonic plotting prove superior? The structure adheres to ironic plot development, rather like “Arsenic and Old Lace” by Joseph Kesselring, or “The importance of being Ernest” by Oscar Wilde.
As developing-fiction writers, Lynn and I enjoyed the diversion from the heavy plot forms and sudden dramas we all enjoy. All things considered, Five Stars for good storytellling and sentence structure, as well as the music of the words. We will add Book #2 to our upcoming reading-list.
If you like touches of irony, the centerpiece of classical comedy, you may enjoy the re-emergence of ancient storytelling in book one of this series by Roger Zelazny and Robert Sheckley. BTW, in the tenth century in Saxony, a rediscovery of ancient literature and the ethic of public service became important in the Holy Roman Empire, so reverting to ancient comedy is, well, period :) . Yes, Zelazny and Sheckley’s twisted use of traditional-fairy-tale motifs dates from 1991, Ballantine Spectra, but is only the beginning of a series.
In the first installment, we learn about The Millennium Competition, when Good and Evil compete in a once-in-a-thousand-years contest to inspire or perhaps dispel satisfaction—bringing on sudden dispair and hopelessness. For the second millennium, who will win? Will the Gothic cathedral amaze and empower the Forces of Light to inspire the next thousand years or will the Forces of Darkness overwhelm the judges with a grim parody of Sleeping Beauty and Prince Charming? Will the Demon Azzie Elbub’s demonic reality-play, acted out by living participants, drain away all hope for meaning? The answer, well…spoilers ;)
Good-narrative flow, combines with light humor with heaps of irony and all-too-familiar encounters with bureaucracyUnfortunately this may be uncomfortably recognizable for any of us who have had carefully submitted applications suddenly tossed out because a bureau chief just wanted too. I am thinking of you US Department of Education.
The theme and narrative may challenge those of us who expect the dramatic, so be prepared for disappointment and encounters with strange complexities of “free will.” Will grace or demonic plotting prove superior? The structure adheres to ironic plot development, rather like “Arsenic and Old Lace” by Joseph Kesselring, or “The importance of being Ernest” by Oscar Wilde.
As developing-fiction writers, Lynn and I enjoyed the diversion from the heavy plot forms and sudden dramas we all enjoy. All things considered, Five Stars for good storytellling and sentence structure, as well as the music of the words. We will add Book #2 to our upcoming reading-list.
November 1, 2018
Funny at times and enjoyable, a bit macabre at times but a fast nice read. Not particularly found of reading about demons but this worked.
January 19, 2022
Разкошно алтернативно фентъзи. Много семпло написано и с вихрена динамика.
November 26, 2022
זה אחד הספרים המהנים שקראתי. היו קטעים שממש צחקתי בקול. הנאה צרופה.
September 6, 2024
Odlicna!
July 7, 2018
Oh now this was just an utter deLIGHT! There are sequels! Be right back.
September 30, 2020
I remember loving this and being vastly amused by a lot of it when I first read it.
July 23, 2010
I knew Roger Zelazny was my favorite author the moment I read the Amber series, but that was back when I didn't do a whole lot of reading, so I never really delved into his other works. I've since started checking out more of his stuff, and the title and back cover of this book were more than enough to get me sucked in.
For starters, Zelazny's voice is like no other. Even if one of his stories were dull, I'm pretty sure I would enjoy it just because of the way he writes. His characters are always witty, his narration always top notch.
That being said, I found myself flying through this book simply because of the voice in which it was written. As far as the plot and characters go--well, there were times when I felt largely unnecessary things were happening just to make the book a little longer. A lot of occurrences seem somewhat random, but I was OK with them because they were still a delight to read since--once again--I just can't get enough of Zelazny's writing.
The concept is great (a demon trying to win a contest that involves doing the most evil deeds imaginable, only to run into every perceivable problem along the way), but it seems like there just wasn't enough content to warrant this being a full-length novel (or at least not one of this size). Or maybe I'm mistaken, and I just haven't taken enough time to digest the story yet (this is what I get for logging onto Goodreads immediately after closing the book).
I was dangerously close to giving this book 5 stars, but ended up settling on 4. As far as the plot and characters are concerned, it's probably not a 5-star book. Yet I was drawn into longer reading sessions with this book than I have been in a lot of other books I've rated 5 stars. So, in a way, I enjoyed this book even more than some books I've rated higher, but I realize that from a storytelling standpoint, it's probably not quite as good (though, don't get me wrong, it's still pretty damn solid).
Bring Me the Head of Prince Charming definitely isn't the first Zelazny book I'd recommend to someone, but that doesn't keep it from being an enjoyable read from start to finish.
For starters, Zelazny's voice is like no other. Even if one of his stories were dull, I'm pretty sure I would enjoy it just because of the way he writes. His characters are always witty, his narration always top notch.
That being said, I found myself flying through this book simply because of the voice in which it was written. As far as the plot and characters go--well, there were times when I felt largely unnecessary things were happening just to make the book a little longer. A lot of occurrences seem somewhat random, but I was OK with them because they were still a delight to read since--once again--I just can't get enough of Zelazny's writing.
The concept is great (a demon trying to win a contest that involves doing the most evil deeds imaginable, only to run into every perceivable problem along the way), but it seems like there just wasn't enough content to warrant this being a full-length novel (or at least not one of this size). Or maybe I'm mistaken, and I just haven't taken enough time to digest the story yet (this is what I get for logging onto Goodreads immediately after closing the book).
I was dangerously close to giving this book 5 stars, but ended up settling on 4. As far as the plot and characters are concerned, it's probably not a 5-star book. Yet I was drawn into longer reading sessions with this book than I have been in a lot of other books I've rated 5 stars. So, in a way, I enjoyed this book even more than some books I've rated higher, but I realize that from a storytelling standpoint, it's probably not quite as good (though, don't get me wrong, it's still pretty damn solid).
Bring Me the Head of Prince Charming definitely isn't the first Zelazny book I'd recommend to someone, but that doesn't keep it from being an enjoyable read from start to finish.
December 20, 2014
Bring Me The Head of Prince Charming begins just before the start of the millenium, the first one, not the Y2K one. The powers of Darkness and Light are having their turn of the millenium contest to see who will rule the next 1000 years. The anti-hero is the demon Azzie, who stages a garbled version of the classic fairytale 'Sleeping Beauty' to prove evil's case. His only real competition is Good's entry, Gothic Cathedrals, so Azzie stands an excellent chance of winning even as he's hampered by evil's very nature...
I love fairytales, and when I saw that this one was written by the unlikely duo of Zelazny and Sheckley, I just had to read it.
Zelazny and Sheckley could easily have easily have gotten it all wrong considering the subject material. But they haven't.
Bring Me The Head Of Prince Charming is deliciously light and sublimely subversive. It retains all the characteristics of a twisted fairytale with the wit of all ages running through it. How could anyone not enjoy this, even without ichor running through their veins.
I love fairytales, and when I saw that this one was written by the unlikely duo of Zelazny and Sheckley, I just had to read it.
Zelazny and Sheckley could easily have easily have gotten it all wrong considering the subject material. But they haven't.
Bring Me The Head Of Prince Charming is deliciously light and sublimely subversive. It retains all the characteristics of a twisted fairytale with the wit of all ages running through it. How could anyone not enjoy this, even without ichor running through their veins.
August 2, 2016
Много неща в тази книга ми напомняха на други. Имах усещането, че вече съм я чела. За мен тя беше смесица от Ерик на Тери Пратчет, Епидемия в Рая на Zотов, Книга за гробището на Нийл Геймън и любимата ми анимация - Булката труп на Тим Бъртън. Хумор, бюрокрация и фентъзи в големи дози - сполучлива колаборация между Зелазни, който обичам с цялото си сърце и Шекли, който чета за първи път. Всичко това гарнирано с мъдрост на фона на вечната битка между Светлината и Мрака - another good read for this year.
June 28, 2012
I'm going to skip read-the-book-first-and-then-comment because I've read it 3 times already, an unbelieveably funny novel (don't read its sequels, horrible!). You can imagine my genuine happiness when I stepped in my local library, not looking for anything in particular and then finding this book. Finally in English. Plus the fact that the book has been out of print for quite some time now.
Anyway, if you by any chance happen to cross paths with this novel, be sure to give it a try.
Anyway, if you by any chance happen to cross paths with this novel, be sure to give it a try.
October 11, 2023
Ovo je bila prva knjiga koju sam zaradio davne 1999. kada sam radio na štandu prodavajući knjige, eto srećom jednog lijepog dana gazda nije imao pare da mi isplati te mi rekao da si izaberem par knjiga. Izabrao sam ovu i U planinama ludila...i dalje mi je ovo skroz simpatičan roman, iako nije u stilu Zelaznya kakvog volim nego više Sheckleyevski, radnja je dobra, likovi su simpatični...možda nastavim sa serijalom
December 1, 2014
Oh dear god this was boring, I fought it to 20% and abandoned it. People who think this is like hitch hikers or Pratchett are sorely mistaken I'm afraid. The crux of the problem is that it's clearly not finished, perhaps there was a deadline? The basic plot is there but a lot of the language and prose feels like ideas or holding sentences written by a 15 year old who thinks they are a lot funnier than they really are.
January 8, 2010
Love this book: a total western lit geek's feast, silly but well written, and there are even a couple moments of genuine sweetness and some interesting philosophical nuggets to chew on. The best of the trilogy, but the whole trilogy is a delight and worth checking out if fantasy and/or western culture is your forte and you don't take it or yourself too seriously.
March 22, 2012
Great humour! Great thoughts too! A parody of most of the well-known fairy-tales, a book written with great imagination, but also a book that could make anyone think about the difference between good and evil and why good is actually better than evil...
August 17, 2023
Rather creepy in the beginning (and up to the first half of the book), somehow funny afterwards. To me it looked as if Zelazny started the book and Sheckley finished it. It was enjoyable but not something I will pick up again, and I might give up on Zelazny for good.
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