Saturday, May 11, 2013

Great North Road - Peter F. Hamilton

    
It’s been a while since I picked up a Peter Hamilton book, mainly because of an aversion to great big doorstops. However, I really shouldn’t have let that effect me since I very much enjoyed his previous enormous tomes including a trade paperback version of The Naked God that made my wrist bones crunch every time I turned a page. My version of The Great North Road weighs in at over a thousand pages and, had I not started it in England and then finished it in Crete (with much ado between) I would have finished much sooner than now. Was there stuff that could have been cut without detriment to the plot? Well, yes, but that was world-building and thoroughly enjoyable. Did I find myself skipping any of this and thinking, ‘Oh get on with it?’ Not at all. Right from the start I enjoyed this look into this future and every time I put the book down it was with growing confidence in future enjoyment when I picked it up again. A great big sprawling enjoyable science fiction read. Does what it says on the tin. I finally closed it with a sense of satisfaction and the intention to now get hold of the Void trilogy...     

7 comments:

Unknown said...

Peter F. Hamilton is one of the best arguments for ebooks. You think the books may have too much padding in them, but they never do!

Anonymous said...

If you haven't read the Void Trilogy yet, I think you'll enjoy it even more than GNR; it's structured with two storylines from wildly different settings which satisfied both my competing appetites for Hard SF and Fantasy. It helps to have read "Pandora's Star" and "Judas Unchained" first, however.

Jebel Krong said...

i did find alot of the "winter" events were kind of "should have easily been resolved/avoided" especially with their tech, however necessary to the climax and plot resolutin. other than that not bad, i actually enjoyed the murder mystery plot and investigation more.

Vitesse said...

Yes I thought the murder investigation was very well thought out with realistic police drudgery. Was good to see how ubiquitous surveillance doesn't really make things easier.

Unknown said...

Again interesting, Neal, I loved the Void books but was hesitating on this one as I had heard some negative comments. However I suspect they were largely due to similar feelings about the book size, and I do love Hamilton's detailed world building (actually that's also one of the big things I love about your books!).

Mike (Vertigo on Chrons)

Alex said...

I thought GNR was a bit of a let down. Seems to me Peter F Hamilton is starting to fall into a set pattern, and this book reminded me quite a bit of Pandora's Star and Fallen Dragon with the "myth no one believes turning out to be the truth" angle

lubertdas said...

Peter F. Hamilton was my first introduction into the new wave of British Space Opera writers, including you Neal, and Alistair Reynolds.

As someone stated earlier, PFH's world building is top notch, and much like your work, he does a good job with integrating clever tech into the stories.

I thought GNR was good, but not great PFH. I think his Night's Dawn Trilogy is a classic that ranks right up there with the Spatterjay Trilogy.

I also have to agree that PFH's novels are ideal for e-books or audiobooks.