From 8107766380a121d50cb16c30e6df4db9f9e0d18e Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: mms Date: Fri, 26 Apr 2024 22:06:30 +0200 Subject: feat: tidy up brain rots --- content/brain-rot/witcher/_index.md | 19 ----- .../witcher/andrzej-sapkowskis-baptism-of-fire.md | 87 ---------------------- .../witcher/andrzej-sapkowskis-time-of-contempt.md | 77 ------------------- 3 files changed, 183 deletions(-) delete mode 100644 content/brain-rot/witcher/_index.md delete mode 100644 content/brain-rot/witcher/andrzej-sapkowskis-baptism-of-fire.md delete mode 100644 content/brain-rot/witcher/andrzej-sapkowskis-time-of-contempt.md (limited to 'content/brain-rot/witcher') diff --git a/content/brain-rot/witcher/_index.md b/content/brain-rot/witcher/_index.md deleted file mode 100644 index f38c0cbe..00000000 --- a/content/brain-rot/witcher/_index.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,19 +0,0 @@ -+++ -title = "Wicher" -author = ["Michał Sapka"] -date = 2024-04-14T18:10:00+02:00 -categories = ["brainrot"] -draft = false -weight = 3001 -primary_menu = "brain-rot" -abstract = "The Witcher series" -[menu] - [menu.brain-rot] - weight = 3001 - identifier = "wicher" - parent = "series" -+++ - -{{< menu "brain-rot-wicher" >}} -Witcher -{{< /menu >}} diff --git a/content/brain-rot/witcher/andrzej-sapkowskis-baptism-of-fire.md b/content/brain-rot/witcher/andrzej-sapkowskis-baptism-of-fire.md deleted file mode 100644 index eea17bda..00000000 --- a/content/brain-rot/witcher/andrzej-sapkowskis-baptism-of-fire.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,87 +0,0 @@ -+++ -title = "Baptism of Fire (1996)" -author = ["Michał Sapka"] -date = 2024-04-25T16:27:00+02:00 -categories = ["brainrot"] -draft = false -weight = 3003 -primary_menu = "brain-rot-wicher" -abstract = "My review of the third book in the Witcher saga" -[menu] - [menu.brain-rot-wicher] - weight = 3003 - identifier = "baptism-of-fire-1996" -+++ - -_Baptism of Fire_ is the third novel in the _Witcher_ saga. -While I had not that positive reaction to _Time of Contempt_[^fn:1], this time I loved every page. - -We start where we left last time: Ciri joins Rats in the middle of nowhere, while Geralt tries to find her. -Reads like every novel in the series. -Andrzej seems to have a template for a book at this point. - -But I **loved** this book. -And it comes to who is it about. -Yes, we've got Ciri. -Yes, we've got Yennefer. -They exist, but we spend almost the entirety of the book with Geralt, Jaskier and a band of mischiefs who form a fellowship. -We've got Milva, an archer. -We've also got Zoltanm, a dwarf. -And we've also got Regis, a vampire. - -{{< rating 4.25 "sapkowski-baptism-of-fire.jpg" >}} -The classic cover -{{< /rating >}} - -Having spent quality time with an interesting, diverse crowd made it very enable ride. -They even joke sitting by fire! -I think lack of such interactions is why I disliked the last book. -It was full of Ciri, Yennefer and other sorceresses while Geralt was ignored most of the time. -And sorceresses are so up-tight and irritating, so it was not what I would call a nice time. -Also, here, whenever the action moved to, either Rats or mages, my enjoyment went down significantly. - -I don't know why, as I generally don't read fantasy. -Maybe they are written poorly? -I don't know the standards. -For sure the female characters here have nothing to show compared to _Game of Thrones_'s ones. -It is very hard to write powerful characters who are also female. -Most of the time, they are male characters in skanky clothes. -R.R. Martin was able to create menacing woman, who were still woman. -Sapkowski? -Not so much. -And they are not even funny! - -They look as a poor rendition of older hits. -As an example, the sorceresses have a multi-generational plan to mix genomes from selected people in order to create a very specific being. -It's _Dune_, but while Bene Gesrit so much more involved, twisted and multidimensional, here it comes out of nowhere (I think?) and disappoints. - -But let's ignore the woman for a moment, and we've got ourselves an awesome little book. -I loved how, in one introduction to a chapter, we see the same legend told from both sides - Humans and Elves. -This is where _Witcher_ shines. -It's a great commentary about racism and hatred. -No wonder it comes from Poland, with our complex history. -It's as subtle as a bulldozer, but it's not that type of story. -It's obvious, blunt and takes no prisoners. -History is never easy, there is never a clear split between the good and bad guys. -Most likely everything you know is wrong, as it was written by victors. -This is the overarching theme in the _Witcher_. -Even a vampire may be a good person! - -So, for me Witcher is a moral series _dressed_ as fantasy. -The magic system is barely there, no one explains _how_ Witchers work. -And I think it's a plus. -The meat of the story is not diluted by mechanics of the world. -The fact that we've got that lovable bunch here is just icing on the cake. - -Also, the ending here is much better. -I finished my review of _Time of Contempt_ assuming that I will get to know the Rats in the follow-up. -I didn't know anything about them (nor I cared about them), but I assumed they will be the focus. -I was wrong. -I still have no idea who they are outside superfluous facts the short burst of their story the book has. -I _know_ Regis and I want to spend more time with him. - -So, I left very satisfied. -I found charm and a lot of substance. -I hope that Ciri's plot will develop in interesting ways, as her teenage rebellion may be the end of me. - -[^fn:1]: vide [my review](/brain-rot/witcher/andrzej-sapkowskis-time-of-contempt/) diff --git a/content/brain-rot/witcher/andrzej-sapkowskis-time-of-contempt.md b/content/brain-rot/witcher/andrzej-sapkowskis-time-of-contempt.md deleted file mode 100644 index 69e4cf8d..00000000 --- a/content/brain-rot/witcher/andrzej-sapkowskis-time-of-contempt.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,77 +0,0 @@ -+++ -title = "Time of Contempt (1995)" -author = ["Michał Sapka"] -date = 2024-03-24T22:27:00+01:00 -categories = ["brainrot"] -draft = false -weight = 3002 -primary_menu = "brain-rot-wicher" -abstract = "My review of the second book in the Witcher saga" -aliases = ["/blog/2024/andrzej-sapkowskis-time-of-contempt/"] -[menu] - [menu.brain-rot-wicher] - weight = 3002 - identifier = "time-of-contempt-1995" -+++ - -It's a stain of my honor - I am a Pole, but I've never read The Saga. -It's not that I've never read any of The Witcher, but somehow I always stopped after the short stories. -Last year I've decided to finally fix this. -I am a proud nerd for crying out loud! - -{{< img-r "sapkowski-time-of-contemt.jpg" >}} -The classic cover -{{< /img-r >}} - -_Time of Contempt_ is the second part of The Witcher Saga, but it's also the 4th book about Geralt and his world. -Let's ignore the short stories for a second and let's talk about this book in context of The Saga. -Here it suffers from being the middle child: Andrzej is developing the characters and story, but it lacks a impactful begging and an end. -I haven't felt like that after finishing the _Blood of Elves,_ as it had a _begging_ and the ending was emotional. -Geralt reunited with Ciri. -The story is clearly not over, but we have a kind of closure. -We know she is safe and ready for what's coming next. - -Here? -Here we have no beginning as it follows the last book. -It was to be expected. -But I fail to notice anything new created here. -Yes, we've got _amazing_ development of Ciri (I can't wait what how her blood heritage will screw over everyone), but nothing more. -It just moves from scene to scene[^fn:1], not spending any meaningful time anywhere. -After 300 pages of this, it ends with Ciri joining some random group. -I guess I will get to know them in _Baptism of Fire_, but I am not yet there. -Are they good? -Are they cool? -Who the hell they even are? -For me it was a huge let down. - -But the biggest thing missing in The Saga is humour. -Both, _Sword of Destiny_ and _Last Wish_ were hilarious. -It was not on Pratchett's level of humor, but Geralt was amazing when it came to deadpan. -Moreover, I have no idea how well it translated to other languages, as it was based on Polish humour, but: -the books were written for Polish reader who was expected to know _Szewczyk Dratewka,_ and therefore the way Geralt dealt with dragon was a funny refernce. -But this aspect is now completely missingm[^fn:2], but it was what made the short stories for me. - -The biggest problem for me however was the fact I saw two seasons of The Witcher TV Series[^fn:3]. -It was terrible and had nothing to do with the book (luckily for me!), but the TV versions of Ciri and Yennefer were irritating at best. -Their book counterparts are not like that - Ciri is extremely cool and Yen is, well, not so bad - but the visual image is etched in my brain. -I finally start to have a separate personnas for them, but it was difficult. -Yes, to some extent Netflix ruined the books for me. - -I was never a fan of _fantasy_, as I always preferred _SciFi_. -Give me a blaster or give me death[^fn:4]! -If I found _Time of Contempt_ as a random book, I would not care for the rest of the series. -It was ok, but nothing to write home about. -Sapkowski has a great style and I very much want more, but he has not told anything interesting here. -I will continue reading The Witcher, but mostly because it **is** The Witcher. - -I liked reading _Blood of Elves_ much more. - -I give it 3.5/5. - -[^fn:1]: ... _No one had a chance to interrupt_. - _It was really quite hypnotic_. -[^fn:2]: We've got **huge** reference to _Enemy Mine_ in the single best part of the book, but it's not funny at all. - Sad, scary - sure; but not funny. Just like the movie. -[^fn:3]: And not an episode more. - It was already too much. -[^fn:4]: If you get the refence know, that I am no longer that type of a person. -- cgit v1.2.3