Railsea

China Miéville
Railsea Cover

Mieville continues to surprise

theman
6/8/2012
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So many writers begin to sound the same over time, with similar plots, similar styles, smilar characters. Mieville manages to find uniques voices for many of his books, although none more so than this book. I might never have guessed this was the same author who wrote such dense fantasyscapes filled with rich details and complicated characters.

I have the impression that Mieville consciously tried to ignore his previous styles and approach his writing with a different voice. This was partially acheived by abondoning the perfect grammer and eldrich adjectives we are accustomed to in a Mieville tome. The characters, like in every "youth fiction" fantasy, are simple and one-dimensional, but this again feels like a choice.

Fortunately, the world created is well thought through and sufficiently complex to amaze with the unique details of the setting and culture. I read avidly and finished satisfied, impressed again at the writer's versatility.

In short, one could call this Dune meets Moby Dick, but that reduces the book too much to convey the fun of the read.