January '14 / Steampunk Reading: Pavane by Keith Roberts

[Scheherazade]

We are reading Pavane by Keith Roberts for our Steampunk reading.

Please share your thoughts and impressions in this thread.

[Calidore]

Glad this won! I always keep this book handy for a reread, but haven't gotten back to it in years. Happy to have an excuse now.

Here's a link to the (non-spoilery) Wikipedia page for the curious:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pavane_%28novel%29

[Scheherazade]

I put a reservation so will probably not get it till next week sometime.

[Dark Muse]

I just started reading the book, but just some initial thoughts.

This will be my first real venture into reading Steampunk. In general I have never been much of a reader of Science Fiction ( Dysptian fiction being the one major exception to that rule) but I am intrigued by Steampunk and it seems that it has recently started to become quite popular, not that is in itself a reason to make me interested in it, but because of its popularity I have come across a lot of Steampunk art, crafts, even people in Steampunk costumes, all of which I think looks quite cool and I have myself bought a few pieces of Steampunk jewelry.

My interest in history and historical fiction, with the fact that Steampunk is set in a historical setting is part of what peeks my interest in wanting to read it.

I am looking forward to this because it will be quite new and it is always fun exploring a new genre, and thus far I am enjoying the book. I do think it proposes an interesting concept, so I am curious to see how it all plays out.

[papayahed]

I'm confused.In the first story it sounds like the guy is driving a steam powered train. But then in some paragraphs it seems like it's the train isn't on rails but driven like a car. What's the deal with that?

[Dark Muse]

I'm confused.In the first story it sounds like the guy is driving a steam powered train. But then in some paragraphs it seems like it's the train isn't on rails but driven like a car. What's the deal with that?

I believe it is a sort of cross between a car and a train.

Here is an image of what I think the Lady Margaret resembles

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/22/Boadicea_traction_engine_Great_Dorset_Steam_Fair.j pg/722px-Boadicea_traction_engine_Great_Dorset_Steam_Fair.j pg

[Dark Muse]

On another note I was curious about the title of the book as it seemed like an interesting word. I don't know if everyone else already knows this, but apparently Pavane is a type of courtly dance from the 16th century. I read that the book itself is meant to be divided into measures and a coda.

[Dark Muse]

Just found this:

An alternate cover for the book which dipicts the Lady Margaret:

http://www.sfsite.com/gif/0012/pav2.jpg

[papayahed]

Those must be the semaphores in the background, at least that is sort of what I was picturing.

[Dark Muse]

Those must be the semaphores in the background, at least that is sort of what I was picturing.

I just got to the part that mentioned the semaphores and yes I imagine that is probably them.

I have to say I don't know exactly what I was expecting, yet somehow this book is a bit different than I thought it would be. Though I am enjoying reading it, and quite curious to find out what will happen next, and where this is all going.

[papayahed]

I just got to the part that mentioned the semaphores and yes I imagine that is probably them.

I have to say I don't know exactly what I was expecting, yet somehow this book is a bit different than I thought it would be. Though I am enjoying reading it, and quite curious to find out what will happen next, and where this is all going.

I just finished the second measure and I'm wondering how it all fits.

[Calidore]

Finally finished my second reading of cousin's novel and writing her feedback, so I'll start this today.

[papayahed]

Just finished the third measure. Slightly confused. What did she give the priest?????

[Dark Muse]

One interesting thing I have noticed so far, at least within the first two measures are how much the book focuses upon the machinery. First the train, and than the semaphores. It seemed to be far about these devices then the people, though we do get an inside look at the lives of the individuals who control these devices. Thus far I still have not been offered a full picture of this world which the story is set within in. Just given small little glimpses that haven't really been put together yet.


~~~~~~Possible Spoilers~~~~~~

I was quite surprised by the appearance of these so called fairy people and interested in perhaps learning more about them and what there role within the story might be. I did really enjoy the allusions to Norse Mythology in Rafe's fevered dreams, but I was surprised to learn of his death, but I wonder if after his visitation by the fairy folk he will make a reappearance within the story.

[papayahed]

One interesting thing I have noticed so far, at least within the first two measures are how much the book focuses upon the machinery. First the train, and than the semaphores. It seemed to be far about these devices then the people, though we do get an inside look at the lives of the individuals who control these devices. Thus far I still have not been offered a full picture of this world which the story is set within in. Just given small little glimpses that haven't really been put together yet.

I hadn't looked at it that way but you're right. The third measure is no different and the fourth is shaping up to be the same.

[papayahed]

Just finished. I'm not completely satisfied with the ending but I'll get over it.

[Calidore]

I feel bad that I wasn't able to keep up with this as I'd hoped, especially since I nominated it in the first place. I did start the book last week, but am only about halfway through the first part. I'll still be finishing it, though, and will post thoughts here as I go.

[papayahed]

I feel bad that I wasn't able to keep up with this as I'd hoped, especially since I nominated it in the first place. I did start the book last week, but am only about halfway through the first part. I'll still be finishing it, though, and will post thoughts here as I go.


No worries, this may be the first time I've ever finished a book in a month and a day for book club.

[Scheherazade]

I will start reading this tomorrow, hopefully. Better late than never! :p

[Scheherazade]

Just found this:

An alternate cover for the book which dipicts the Lady Margaret:



My copy has that cover. And I found it initially confusing as well... I cannot say that I am all that keen on alternative history. It confuses me lil' ole brain.

[Dark Muse]

I finally just finished this book and I find I have rather mixed feelings about it. On the one hand I did feel there where aspects of it that where interesting, and it was fun at any rate to read something different, of which I haven't really read before (beginning the genre of Steampunk and Alternative History). The narrative structure I thought was on the one hand interesting but on the other hand I was hoping for something a little more. I felt the book did not give a wide enough spectrum of this world that the author had created. The book had too narrow of view which made it hard for me at times to understand the context in which certain things where happening, as well there where things of which it would have been nice to have more of an explanation for. I felt this book left a lot unexplained or not fully addressed. As well I did not feel the author really did a good job of tying together each of these different parts of the book. At points I did find myself confused as to just what was happening.

[Scheherazade]

I found this book slow-going for me and was glad to see the back cover!

I thought the structure was good but there was not enough meat on the bone... None of the characters were developed enough for me to feel a connection with and the whole story had a fairy tale feel to it, where everything just happened or people just did things. I am not sure what the author was trying to achieve or where he was heading with the storyline (I know what's happened but why did the author chose to tell this story?)

I cannot say that this book leaves me with desire to read more steampunk.

[Calidore]

In two months, I've only finished up thru the third measure. It must have been longer than I thought since I last read this, because I remember pretty much nothing about the plots. I'm still enjoying the writing itself very much. Even though much of it is scene-setting exposition and mechanical description, he writes it interestingly and blends it in with the action well enough that I never catch myself skimming.

I thought the first measure worked well as a self-contained story, and that's my favorite of the three so far. The writing kept me interested in the second measure, but the ending seemed to make it pointless. The third was somewhere in between, though the bigness of the subject at least left the feeling that these events would figure into the overarching story later.

I feel bad that I'm the only one who really likes my recommendation. Sorry, folks; I'll try to do better next time.

[Dark Muse]

I thought the first measure worked well as a self-contained story, and that's my favorite of the three so far. The writing kept me interested in the second measure, but the ending seemed to make it pointless. The third was somewhere in between, though the bigness of the subject at least left the feeling that these events would figure into the overarching story later.


I felt pretty much the same way. After reading the first two measures I thought this book was written almost as a collection of short stories which are set within the same world/reality. But the ending of the 2nd measure did seem to make the whole story a bit pointless, and it left me expecting it to somehow become more significant later within the book but it never really did.

I did enjoy the 4th measure though by then it was getting difficult for me to keep track of what characters where related/connected to who and how. But I liked the story within that measure but the ending of the book was kind of a let down.