Salvatore compared to Tolkien

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Ok. I don't want a flamewar nor a bashing session for myself, Tolkien or Salvatore. I have read LOTR by Tolkien at least 4 times. I love the story and the writing style. Tolkien was a professor of Enlgish.

I am debating with myself over whether or not I should get or library borrow some of Salvatore's works concerning Icewind Dale and/or Drizzt.

It is hard to know without some sensible feedback. I checked Amazon to get some basic reviews and check out the samples. I must say that my jaw did not drop in awe, but you can't really tell from these things.

I absolutely loathed Eddings, and that was some time ago. Pratchett is funny, but I wanted a real "story", not a laugh. There are other laugh books available like Andy Griffiths "Just" series, that is totally laughable.

I found Dragonlance sorely lacking since it was the novel of the pen and paper campaigns that the author actually played...

C S Lewis' Narnia series? That was so long ago now. Is it really childish?

If I was to rate Tolkien's LOTR as 10 out of 10, how would you rate Salvatore's books. Rating them over 10 is fine, because that means I know you think it is better.

Think about use of language and the story flow. If the book is almost obviously based on DND or a PNP game that was played, then I am not interested.

What ratings would you give Salvatore's books?

PS, I am not 13 (a lot over that!) and so if you think it a "teenager" book say so, so I can avoid it.

Thanks for your input.

 

I read FotR. Flipped through most of the pages. Would've watched the movie instead. TTT was so wordy that I couldn't wrap my head around it, so I just decided to forget about reading Tolkein.

Seeing as how you like Tolkein, very much I would rate Salvatore as 5 outta 10.

It is likely that some books were inspired from a D&D campaign. There is simply too much focus on the "kewl" things, like the spells that are cast, or Drizzt's sword. I am willing to say that there is a relatively weak plot. Relatively. On it being a "teenager" book, well... maybe.

Getting off topic, I think C. S. Lewis' Narnia series were great. For children, but still great.

 

Just trying to understand your post better. You are over 20 years old?

 

'fraid not.

 

That's cool. So did you find FotR "too long and boring"? Link your feeling of it to Salvatore's books. Are they "just about right"?

 

Oh, no very different.

Tolkien is long and boring. But it's innovative. It's creative. I can respect it.

Salvatore is exciting. But it's trite. It has little plot.

D&D was based off Tolkien. Salvatore was based off D&D. And you don't base things off games.

 

There is no question, Tolkien is the master, Salvatore is the little hunchbacked goblin minion that follows him about saying stupid things.
Not that Salvatore is terrible or anything (well, mostly not terrible), its just that he is no where near as good. about a 5 or 4 for his better books, -1 for his worst books.

 

I'd concur with what's already been said. Personally I thought Tolkien could go a little slowly somtimes, but never boring. However I totally agree that Salvatore is fairly crude, and he makes up for a lack of writing talent with a faster and more active plotline. I'd say there's only two authors of Fantasy comparable to Tolkien, (not to start a debate or a flame war, just my opinion) and they would be Feist and Brust.

 

You cant really compare the two but as you have the same low opinion of Dragonlance as I have you wont be too thrilled with Salvatore's writings. Even if they are quite a bit better than Dragonlance, his good ones are decent entertainment for the moment, kinda like reading a comic book, pretty fun but not something that moves you and challenges you.

 

Tolkien is slow? Where? *looks around*
Maybe it's just me, but I really liked his style.

Anyway, Hi Greg!

Well, if you're interested in my opinion-

**wide-eyed stare: now that's an unusual event!**

-then I'm happy to rant. Especially if it'll give me that warm fuzzy feeling of doing something good. In this case: save someone's time and money.

You mentioned Lord of the Rings: I read it, and I beg of you not to mention it ever again in the same line with 'Salvatore'.

Maybe I'm overreacting, but... (well, I usually do, heh) there is a logical explaination to it: after all, LOTR is my all-time-favorite-book since I first read it (fifth grade, if I remember correctly) and I've been re-reading it every two-three years since then.

Let's just say it's been some time since fifth grade.

The Dark Elf Trilogy that is the typical Salvatore work, on the other hand, is of my most hated books ever.

The reasons for this are simple, and the main one(s) I described under the topic 'your least favorite book'.

I hate everything the man writes because he treats the reader as if he was a complete moron. I mean- he exaggarates all the time, and sticks in those annoying expressions like: "The horrifying idea" and such.

would he be so kind and PRESENT this idea and then leave it to ME to judge how horrifying- if at all- it is?

Yes, I know I'm... er... not as successful as a writer in comparsion to Salvatore so probably I shouldn't go teaching him how to write. Still, I can't read anything by him. Sorry.

there's also post under the same topic (by Vargx) that expresses the idea very clearly. he called Drizzt a mega-ninja.

*sigh* These ARE teenager books, and frankly- I even preferred Dragonlance over them while I was one.

By the way, someone mentioned Brust here- now HE is a valuable time investment.

His Taltos series for example, are both a laughbucket *cough* AND have a great plot. Two thumbs up.

Good luck.

 

Thanks for all the feedback. I'm off to the library soon to see if I can read some good stuff. Only problem is, is it there?...

Brust eh?...hmmm...

 

If you really are a *huge* tolkien fan, then don't expect salvatores work to be breathtaking. I find Tolkien's style sometimes refreshing from other authers and sometimes very very boring.

If you can look past all the coments of everybody here on the boards against Salvatore you see the books for what they are:

Really really fun to read.

 

Well, I just finished the Dark Elf Trilogy and I must say, was totally mesmerized from cover to cover. It was my first exposure to Drizzt and he fairly leaped off the pages at me, scimitars zinging. I thought it was a great read, hence putting Salvatore at the top of the heap, in terms of story telling. On the basis of this, I bought the Icewind Dale Trilogy and The Legacy books as well!

 

Apeman and Spelladonna.

Fair enough comments. Can I ask if you are older than 20 years? This is so I can judge if a decrepit oldie like me would be bothered...

Off to the libarary now!

 

I am exactly 20 years old actually but I read the first drizzt book when I was 17, but I still read them on a regular basis.

I just got a friend of mine to read them, and he got up in the morning at seven and never left his bed until 4 o clock just reading the Icewind Dale trilogy.

It's as I said before, they are great fun.

 

Alas for Drizzt, he who was such a huge influence in my writing...

Salvatore's books are fast paced and easy to read. Tolkien's LOTR is an epic and grand work, though it is somewhat dated. I don't think any fantasy writer could ever match Tolkien.

Still, Salvatore is not an unskilled writer and one should surely give his work a chance.


Off topic: Mega-ninjas are cool!

 

Khazraj -- Salvatore's writings are for all ages (except maybe for under 10) -- it's just simply talented writing. His battle scenes are indeed fast paced and spellbinding, but what I found unexpectedly alluring was the in-depth development of the Drizzt personality -- the character itself. He came alive on those pages.

[ March 11, 2003, 14:47: Message edited by: Spellbound ]

 

I've stated my opinion on Salvatore many times in many threads (it's very low, if you missed all of those), so I'll just agree with enjan about Steven Brust's works. Great stuff, the Vlad Taltos books are among my very favorites.

Roger Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber are also great, and one of the few fantasy series that can be read after the Lord of the Rings.

Both the Taltos books and Amber are very original ideas in very original worlds. Salvatore's Drizzt books are second generation bastardizations of Tolkien's ideas.

EDIT: Mega-ninjas are a scourge upon our society.