06-27-2011, 10:45 AM
I finished it, goddammit. And that's what really counts.
On one level it's an alien encounter story and how we deal with that encounter. On another it's a screwed up discussion about language works. My head is starting to hurt again.
The book is really imaginative, maybe too imaginative for my tiny brain. People who live in the titular Embassytown can be parts of the language for the Akieri aliens. The main character, Avice, for instance, is a simile for the Akieri. The Akieri take trips just to see her because she is the really good simile. Another problem is the Akieri can't lie. When they hear lies or try to lie, they get all ecstatic. They have lying parties, for instance. When Akieri becomes too good of a liar bad things happen.
It takes twins who have been given additional implants, called Ambassadors, to speak the Language of the Akieri, basically because the Akieri have two mouths with which to speak Language. At points in the book this is typed out to kind of show you waht is going on.
But Bremens who oversee the Embassy want a bit more control over the Embassy. They come up with with a way of making new ambassadors which doesn't turn out the way the Bremens nor the Embassytown citizens could foresee. This would be the part of the book I kind of got and was kind of exciting.
But Avice in her role as simile must save the Akierans and the Embassytown people by pushing beyond the boundaries of what they can currently do with the language.
I get it. Mievile comes up with some fascinating concepts, far from the main stream. I'm just wishing the books could be a little more accessible. Although, this one was easier to understand than 'the city and The City'
On one level it's an alien encounter story and how we deal with that encounter. On another it's a screwed up discussion about language works. My head is starting to hurt again.
The book is really imaginative, maybe too imaginative for my tiny brain. People who live in the titular Embassytown can be parts of the language for the Akieri aliens. The main character, Avice, for instance, is a simile for the Akieri. The Akieri take trips just to see her because she is the really good simile. Another problem is the Akieri can't lie. When they hear lies or try to lie, they get all ecstatic. They have lying parties, for instance. When Akieri becomes too good of a liar bad things happen.
It takes twins who have been given additional implants, called Ambassadors, to speak the Language of the Akieri, basically because the Akieri have two mouths with which to speak Language. At points in the book this is typed out to kind of show you waht is going on.
But Bremens who oversee the Embassy want a bit more control over the Embassy. They come up with with a way of making new ambassadors which doesn't turn out the way the Bremens nor the Embassytown citizens could foresee. This would be the part of the book I kind of got and was kind of exciting.
But Avice in her role as simile must save the Akierans and the Embassytown people by pushing beyond the boundaries of what they can currently do with the language.
I get it. Mievile comes up with some fascinating concepts, far from the main stream. I'm just wishing the books could be a little more accessible. Although, this one was easier to understand than 'the city and The City'
So much for the flickr badge idea. Dammit
