Regina's Song, by David and Leigh Eddings
Submitted by Taran on Sun, 07/11/2004 - 01:49
This book was loaned to my father and I almost 2 weeks ago, and my father had been reading it. I was familiar with Eddings from the Belgariad, and when I saw it on my Uncle's shelf, I saw that this book was different.
It was.
My father finally finished reading the book today, and asked me if I wanted to read it before he returned it. I told him I would glance at it and let him know. I started reading, and just put the book down now. 6 hours. No breaks. It's been a long time since a novel as original as this has engrossed me.
It's apparent that there was a lot of work that went into this book. With lead characters ranging from English Doctorate to Philosophy to Abnormal Psychology to Law to Engineering to Medicine, not a beat was skipped - literary minds familiar with Walt Whitman, Chaucer and many others will find themselves in familiar territory. The character development was nothing less than superb.
This is not a book for the weak minded, this is a book that carries a sense of empathy for biological twins, and deep seated humanity in something which Stephen King would also have done justice to - from a different perspective. It seems to me that this book was written not with a plot, but with pure, believable characters placed in positions which could only be termed riveting. What could have taken completely different twists in our own version of reality takes on an almost perpendicular and completely believable perspective.
I do not say these words lightly: Read this book. I am in awe. The writing was excellent, the characters are people out of our own lives who we may barely know, and the story unwinds with the censored horror of chocolate syrup in a bathtub - yet with an empathy which will send Eisner's Disney to a new level: Below.
If/when I ever write fiction, this book will always stand out in my mind. Boo Radley eat your heart out.
"Regina's song" review
Did we read the same book? I thought it was the worst book I've read in ages, if not ever! The dialogue was excrutiatingly bad, the plot ridiculous, the action unrealistic and the book waaaaay too long and full of unnecessary twaddle. Why would a detective relate the inside info on a series of crimes to his younger brother and housemates; ditto a professional psychaitrist with his patient's case history? What was the reason for the drawn out description of bookshelf construction? Who speaks like that?....."Well, Twink, what are you doing today?" "Nothing much, Markie. I have to see Doccie-Poo at the bughouse tomorrow though"
In between
I, too, found the book difficult to put down, but circumstances were such I could not read it all in one sitting. I think I'm glad for that, as the story stayed with me even when the book was still sitting on my bedside table. For me, that's a hallmark of a good read...do I still carry the characters and events in my head when the book is not in my possession? I found myself turning over the clues, trying to figure out the answer long before I got to the end.
I read this book two years ago...and still find myself recalling images from it at odd times. While I'm not sure I'm in awe of Edding's talent (I've read everything he's written, however. So I am a fan), Regina's Song is a book that I can highly recommend as well.
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