Memory, Sorrow and Thorn by Tad Williams

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Submitted by Anonymous 
(Oct 17, 2007)

I remember that when I was younger, I thought all fantasy was just kids' books; something to read when you are child, but when you see an adult reading it you had to laugh. I had read most of the greats at that time, Harper Lee, Charles Dickens, Kafka, Dostoyevsky and all the other greats I don't have time to list. It was only when I was looking in a thrift store one day and say the 'Dragonbone chair' on the book shelf and thought: "Ah, what the hell, it'd be good to laugh at the juvenile thing." Boy, was I wrong! I read the book from beginning to end, then read it again and again. I went to the Borders across the street from my apartment and bought the entire series.

I have no shame in saying that this, a fantasy series, was simply the greatest piece of literature I've ever read, and I've read a ton. The characters are real, the dangers are genuine, and the heartbreak and triumphs and just that. This tale of Simon and Binabik and the rest is hands down the greatest fantasy series in the world. J.R.R. Tolkien has been booted out of his throne and a new king sits down.

I really loved this series. It starts slow, but builds the characters and setting so they become real and come alive on the pages. It is not just a book of elves (faries) or dwarfs (trolls) and heroies, but also ordinary people doing extra-ordinary things during times of great need. There are characters in this book that are probery simular to someone you know, some you wish you did know and other that your pretty glad you don't. It has always been one of my favorites along with Lord of the Rings. In fact, I think I may like this just a little better. It is a long read to complete all the series, but at the end I wanted more. The characters are so real you hate to finish, your hooked. Could this been made into a movie? I'd love to see it happen and in the same way Lord of the Ring was made so that none of the book or charactors are lost.

The series of memmory, sorrow, and Thorn has been an adventure. Its wild twists had an intriguing nature. Bringing the world of everyday fictional stories into the forefront of war is an interesting line of story. I had a great time reading these and can't wait to dig into the next series from Mr. Williams.

I really enjoyed this series, I don't know why everyone has the habit of comparing all fantasy series to Lord of the Rings. Tad Williams, firstly, is a great writer. He writes in such depth and describes everything so well with amazing similies it is a joy to just read any of his works. Secondly, Tad has created his own world in Osten Ard with no elves, dwarves etc etc He created his own unique world with his characters and his stories making it very different that other fantasy books i.e. Forgotten Realms, Lord of the Rings. Although there were some flaws in the series it was overall very good. You grew to fall in love with certain characters such as Simon and Binabik and you felt what they were feeling sometimes. Other than the great characters, the plot was wonderful, the romance between Simon and Miriamelle wasn't pushed and exaggerated as in other novels but was more realistic. The adventure and action never stopped also, there was constant trouble throughout the series and constant suspense. Anyways, I enjoyed this series very much and I would definitely hail it amongst the best fantasy series written. Other suggestions are the Belegariad, Icewind Dale Trilogy, and Lord of the Rings.

I loved this series from chapter one of The Dragonbone Chair. The way the author draws you into the world of Osten Ard is truly fabulous, and I really like the way he does not overuse the concept of magic in this story - I find it gets used too much, using Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series as a good example of how the concept of magic is sometimes overused. I like how he diversifies the story and tells it from many points of view, not just Simon's.

Overall, I think this is a really good series and I would put it on an equal footing with J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Lord of the Rings' series.