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madfil's review against another edition
2.0
(21 February, 2024)
A gem of an idea, the role of language in society, but Vance buries it within a bland story. Some characters, like Beran and Finisterle, are interesting but none are very well developed. Others are just bad: Bustamonte is a hackneyed tyrant, Gitan is but a blip and Palafox is misused. It looks like there was no direction with the latter, he's just kinda there, moving the story along when necessary but with no clear purpose.
Some thoughts are introduced:
Do we shape language or are we shaped by it? Maybe both? Most use it without conscious thought, oblivious that it can limit, or expand, one's mind. Vance 'translates' a few sentences of Paonese to showcase another culture's world view but I think he makes a clearer point using math, a language of a different kind. In a world using a base 8 system, their 80 equates to our 64 (where '0' is still used as a placeholder) and it makes perfect sense! After that, it's all downhill. The prose mirrors the story, simple and boring.
This isn't awful but only just.
A gem of an idea, the role of language in society, but Vance buries it within a bland story. Some characters, like Beran and Finisterle, are interesting but none are very well developed. Others are just bad: Bustamonte is a hackneyed tyrant, Gitan is but a blip and Palafox is misused. It looks like there was no direction with the latter, he's just kinda there, moving the story along when necessary but with no clear purpose
Spoiler
his death feels almost pointlessSome thoughts are introduced:
"It [language] is more than a means of communication , it is a system of thought."and
"When people speak different languages, their minds work differently and they act differently."but they are few. To add insult to injury, no analysis is furnished, and what little discussion these notions generate is fleeting and woefully lacking.
Do we shape language or are we shaped by it? Maybe both? Most use it without conscious thought, oblivious that it can limit, or expand, one's mind. Vance 'translates' a few sentences of Paonese to showcase another culture's world view but I think he makes a clearer point using math, a language of a different kind. In a world using a base 8 system, their 80 equates to our 64 (where '0' is still used as a placeholder) and it makes perfect sense! After that, it's all downhill. The prose mirrors the story, simple and boring.
This isn't awful but only just.
hobbesman45's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
What shines most in this book is perhaps what Jack Vance is best known for, the world building. Exploring how language and words both define and shape a culture, Languages of Pao is a handful of good ideas that would have been better a served in an essay. Weak characters, melodrama, and an aimless plot make this short book feel double it's length.
ajali's review against another edition
challenging
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
smiorganbaldhead's review against another edition
3.0
There are some interesting ideas about language in this book. These were well-weaved into the plot, particularly the ending. Still, I wish these ideas had been explored in more depth. The main story is basically the well-worn plot of Hamlet, and the characters are somewhat flat. I think the ides about language were better explored in Delaney’s Babel-17, though I found this story to be more fun.
readingtasha's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
jacalata's review against another edition
4.0
The characters and writing are good, but more interesting is the thought experiment behind the novel - deserves a read by anyone interested in linguistics/Sapir Whorf.
metaphorosis's review against another edition
5.0
I first read this book a long time ago. It was my first exposure to the idea that language shapes not just how one says things, but what it is possible to say and think. I was tremendously impressed.
Vance takes that idea, and runs with it. While I wouldn't say that this is a complete examination of the concept, he does apply it with a certain amount of rigor, and the result is striking.
The setting is typically Vancian, if a bit less overt than usual, and a little more on the adventurous side. Women barely get a look in, and the one woman who does is to some extent a loose thread.
I didn't like the book as much this time around, but I've left the rating untouched because of its initial impact, and because it's one of the few examples of Vance preferring concept over mood and setting.
All that sounds a bit gloomy, but the fact is I thought this book was tremendously powerful on first read, with a concept that I thought about for years. Beyond that, it's a well-written Vancian adventure, and that's always worth reading. Recommended.
CVIE V
Vance takes that idea, and runs with it. While I wouldn't say that this is a complete examination of the concept, he does apply it with a certain amount of rigor, and the result is striking.
The setting is typically Vancian, if a bit less overt than usual, and a little more on the adventurous side. Women barely get a look in, and the one woman who does is to some extent a loose thread.
I didn't like the book as much this time around, but I've left the rating untouched because of its initial impact, and because it's one of the few examples of Vance preferring concept over mood and setting.
All that sounds a bit gloomy, but the fact is I thought this book was tremendously powerful on first read, with a concept that I thought about for years. Beyond that, it's a well-written Vancian adventure, and that's always worth reading. Recommended.
CVIE V
samboymebob's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75