Mirael Rozczarowniczona I would agree with that wholeheartedly! I haven’t seen the show, so I didn’t know they cut out Nenneke. Sounds like a head scratcher of a decision to me. Thanks for letting me know!
Fantastic review! Only read The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny collections so far. Look forward to seeing your progress through the series. I find your reviews immensely enjoyable and informative.
Thanks much! I'm excited to continue with this series, and I'm especially keen to get to the full length novels, though I like the short stories too. Next up will be Sword of Destiny!
I am glad you underlined the humor in this series. Before I read it, I thought this would be super dark and serious, but I was pleasantly surprised by the humor of it. I also love how Geralt uses people’s prejudices and pretends he doesn’t have any feelings, when deep down he is a very caring person. I also loved his friendship with Dandelion. I do think the game surpasses the books in every way though. I am looking forward to your Poppy War review!
Memodeth Books The humor completely took me by surprise. Without knowing much about The Witcher, I expected the books to be grim. It is a pretty tough world in some ways, but the humor cuts through all of that, making the stories quite entertaining and clever. I agree about Geralt - there’s a soft heart beating in the fellow. Aided by a very patient former student of mine, I’ve played The Witcher 3 only once (I made it to an inn with some nice beer), but I can definitely see some interesting storytelling in the game and why it has so many fans. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Another excellent review, making it so clear to me that no body matches your level of thought and examination of fantasy books on TH-cam. Thank you. I'm really looking forward to follow your progress with this series. I loved the first several books, and your review made me remember why. Unfortunately for me it took a massive down turn in the last two or three, but maybe your reviews if you make it that far can help me see what I was missing! Or perhaps you'll also feel the same. Time will tell.
Danny Matson Thank you for the kind words! I’m definitely intending to read the entire Witcher series. With its humor and potential for some interesting key characters, The Last Wish has me intrigued and excited to keep going. I just wish I could read Polish since I’d love to know how Sapkowski’s original style feels. Thanks for watching and for the encouragement!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy The feel of the book and the humor is definitely a positive throughout. The characters are so easy to like, too. The plot, however... Well, we'll see! Enjoy ☺️
Danny Matson I’ll keep that in mind! A lot of books have become very character driven since that’s what most readers want these days, but sometimes the time spent on vivid characters takes away from the plot. I’m looking forward to finding out!
i might be biased but I think that Sapkowski has written some of the best female characters in fantasy with Yennefer and Ciri. That being said, it's true that sometimes he uses sexual violence as a writting resource in some debatable ways, and focuses too much in the descriptions of some female characters. Though these ones (the sorceresses) really own their sexuality, which I think is pretty empowering and cool, so the descriptions may make a bit more sense. In general, great female characters, debatable use of sexual violence (it fits in the world, as it's a very dark one). In regards to the prose, I've read the Spanish version (which was praised by the author as one of the best), and while the style is pretty focused for fantasy standarts, it is written in a really beatifull, very poetic way (and even mixing a big amount of arcaic spanish). From the few that I read of the English translation I didn't think that much of it, even the Spanish translator, Faraldo, said he didn't quite like the job they did, although it's not a bad one. I absolutly love these characters and their relationships with each other btw, I think that this and dialogue are Sapko's best qualities. He is also one of the few fantasy author who writes good romance, although mostly turbulent.
I’m really looking forward meeting Ciri, especially since I’m guessing Geralt has a paternal relationship with her, and so perhaps she’ll bring out a different side of him (I’m also speaking as a father of daughters). I’m also very interested to see more of Yennefer. It’s cool to hear about the Spanish version. I wouldn’t call the English version poetic, but it’s effective at evoking a whimsical, fairytale type of atmosphere. I wonder if that’s what Sapkowski was going for in the original Polish? Anyway, thanks much for your take - I appreciate it, and it helps me to be even more motivated to read the whole series!
Yay The Witcher! Are you gonna pick up the next book? Cause Sword of Destiny is my favorite in the series. And yeah, portrayal of women often times be problematic in the series. Nonetheless Sapkowski knows how to write strong individual female characters imo.
Based on The Last Wish, I’m definitely going to read all of The Witcher books. I’m pretty much hooked. I love the humor, and I find the characters intriguing. Also, from what I saw, I think you’re right about strong female characters, and I’m looking forward to seeing more of Yennefer and meeting Ciri. Thanks for the comment!
These books are on my list as soon as I finish reading Assassins Quest! The audiobooks are currently 2 for 1 on Audible in the UK so I got the first few on audio for a change.
Aaron Gomez Nice! I’ve still never tried audiobooks- I really am medieval in some ways. Someday, especially if I ever need to drive again (been working from home, like many other people, for the last few months - and I feel fortunate to be working!), I’ll give them a try. Have fun finishing The Farseer Trilogy!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy Audiobooks for me are very hit or miss, for example I LOVE the first law audiobooks but could not stand the mistborn audiobooks and gave up on listening on it (I will read it at some point).
Aaron Gomez I suppose a lot depends on the skill of the reader. I’m guessing audiobooks must have their own reviews based in large part on the execution of the readers. Someday I’ll venture into one!
Great video. One thing I like about Sapkowski's treatment of themes is that he fleshes them out expertly and then also ensures that the message doesn't overreach to the point it is an exaggeration. Overall I think he does approach women in a way that they want to be beautiful and desirable at all times. He does have some very complex characters that are women later on that I think mitigate that somewhat. I don't think it's abnormal for an attractive, able, mysterious guy that is Geralt to attract many beautiful women in his time, however.
Masood Voon Thanks for your take on that! I get the sense that Yennefer is going to become a fully realized and powerful character as I read further. I also look forward to meeting Ciri. On themes, I think you said it really well. A great author won’t hit you over the head with the themes, but they’ll be there within the story. I appreciate your insights!
Masood Voon I’m actually a medievalist (Beowulf, Chaucer, etc.), but I read a lot of 19th century novelists and poets since my PhD dissertation was on the topic of Victorian medievalism. Unfortunately, Trollope was not among the ones I read, but that’s an era in general that I can claim some familiarity with. Are you a fan of Trollope?
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy I just got into him a little. The Warden was an excellent short novel that was a tragic irony of the designs of the political left and right's designs on society. The second one in the series I got sidetracked on. Just wondered with your background if you've read that author as most skip over him for some reason.
Yes, I’m afraid I too missed him. But that era has some awesome novels, and perhaps one day I’ll return to it. Right now I have too much fantasy to read!
Thanks! I’m pretty sure I got some names wrong. I haven’t watched the show or played the video games (other than what I played in my video where my student shows me how to play Witcher 3). So, even though I looked up some names, I was sort of winging it!
Josh Rees I almost always prefer to read the books first. That way, I have my idea of the characters in my head, not someone else’s idea. It’s fun to compare what I imagine to the show or movie, though.
The Serpent I’ve heard negative reactions to the show before. My feeling, without having watched the show and only having read the first short story collection, is that the books are likely better (aren’t they nearly always?). I’m certainly going to keep reading, anyway.
One thing missing from many reviews is connection to classic russian literature and especially literature about 1917 revolution. In many ways Sapkovski directly borrows from Master and Margarita, Dr Zhivago, Lolita and others. I find that without understanding this connection many reviewers are missing significance of plot points. For example: sexual violence in books could be better understood as kinda both cause and results of revolution and revolutionary terror. In Russia some women became terrorist to avenge real/perceived injustices of imperial government such as famous example of Vera Zasulich en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vera_Zasulich. Her story could be seen as metaphor for lesser evil short story.
Ilya Chesnokov Thank you for sharing these insights! I’ve read translations of some slightly earlier Russian novelists, such as Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, but I admit I could be better read in the rich tradition of Russian literature, so the connections you’re pointing out are illuminating for me. Much appreciated!
I really enjoyed the tv show and game, but I've been hesitant to get into the series. I enjoyed the Robert E Howard Conan stories, which also jump all over the place, so maybe I should give it a shot.
Nick Wurthmann It sounds like the book series would be a winner for you. So far, I must say I’m pretty impressed overall, and I’m definitely looking forward to reading more.
Really great review. I really liked the whimsical atmosphere he created as you said. This was a very comfy read. Have you read the other books? I've only read this one so far.
Thanks! I read and reviewed the second short story collection, which is similar to the first and further develops the characters. At some point, I aim to start the novels too.
Although it might have been done well (I do not know polish, so I can't really say), I firmly believe the phrase "lost in translation" would well fit the Witcher series. It is very rare to have 100% equivalence between languages. This makes the task of translation a very difficult one. Unless the original author translated it himself and in so doing emphasize all the elements from the original in the translated work. When translating something you have to make some difficult choices. Do you want to translate your work literally (formal equivalence), or do you want to use dynamic equivalence or functional equivalence? Do you translate your puns or idioms woodenly? Do you use similar metaphors (that may be lost on your translated target audience). Lots of things to consider. :D
You are absolutely right in every respect, which makes me suspect you’ve done some translating. I’ve done some translating, mostly from Old English and Old Norse, but also from French, German, and Welsh. The truth is that not even the original author, even if he or she were fluent in both languages, could capture the full flavor and still be completely faithful to the original meaning. Such is the nature of languages, and such are the difficult choices that face a translator. I enjoyed your comments very much - thank you!!!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy thank you :) As I appreciate your videos and thoughtful comments. So you know a couple of languages, wow, nice. What do you think of Tolkien's translation of Beowulf? Did he choose a more literal translation philosophy or did he rather focus on retaining the meaning? With regards to me translating something. My mother tongue is Afrikaans and English is a second language. I have had some experience translating between the two, or reading badly translated works from one to the other. I have also some experience with Koine Greek and Biblical Hebrew as I attended Seminary. But I have been fascinated with translations for a long time now. Learning more about the elements and nuances of what is involved with translated texts is really interesting to me. It is also one of the reasons I adore Tolkien so much. A master of various languages (real or made up). I am sure he considered many of the implications of the varied languages in his works that casual readers simply cannot grasp. It is testimony of how important languages and the nuances thereof were to his world. From the creation song in the Silmarillion to the different phrases retained in the text of TLOTR.
@@VicRibeiro777 Tolkien’s immersion in languages and his world creation based on them are huge parts of the attraction to LOTR for me. It’s also true in my case that Tolkien inspired me to love languages. I’m pretty sure he’s the reason I learned Old English, Old Norse, and Welsh. I adore his translation of Beowulf. Obviously, he sacrificed something by abandoning the alliterative verse. In return, he was able to be more faithful to the meaning of the Old English, and he managed to often duplicate the cadence of the original even in prose. I also find that he used just the right amount of archaic language to suit my taste and give a sense of the poem’s ancient origins (even in its own time, Beowulf was archaic as OE verse was very conservative). Having learned English, Koine Greek, and Hebrew, and with your interest in translation, I’m certain you understand the layers of difficult choices that confronted Tolkien as he translated Beowulf, but I think he did an admirable job. By the way, my father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were all Protestant ministers, and seminary was the plan for me until I was about halfway through college.
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy wow, that's awesome, thank you for commenting. I'll definitely look into the Tolkien translation of Beowulf then. I have tried reading a version and it was just.... stale, or I don't know how to describe it. It did not grab me at all, but I thought there must be something wrong with me. This is BEOWULF! So yeah I dnf'd that book. But you give me hope that I might enjoy Tolkien's translation much more. Wow, a long succession of spiritual men :) Thanks again for your comment.
@@VicRibeiro777 Yes, I'd definitely recommend the Tolkien translation of Beowulf. If you'd like to read it in verse, I recommend the Seamus Heaney translation. It loses some faithfulness to the meaning but is aesthetically one of the best translations. Of course, Heaney was a great poet as well, so that makes sense.
Some interesting insights. I've only experienced this series so far through the Netflix show! Have you seen that? I'd like to hear your thoughts if so.
Guilbert Maric I haven’t seen the show yet, but I will once I’ve read all the books. I generally prefer to read first and watch later so that I form my own ideas about the characters. Once I watch the show, it’s fun to compare the two. If I watch first, I find I can’t get the image from the show out of my head while I read. Not the worst thing, but I prefer to use my imagination first. I’m looking forward to watching the show eventually, though some Witcher fans have warned me it’s not as good as the books or video games.
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy I'm normally the same which is why I bumped wheel of time up on my TBR! Well I liked the show as someone who has no other experience of the world. Let's see what you think when you eventually watch it
May I just say something here.... First off I did very much enjoy this book. But this whole notion of having "strong female characters" like it's a box that needs to be checked off is just annoying as hell to me. Would I open a romance novel with Fabio or 50 shades and remark about how "OMG they are treating this man like a meat popsicle!" This whole homogenization of art to be safe for everyone and be relatable for vast groups of people is just the fucking death of art. The female characters were fine imo and I don't go into a book looking to grade how he wrote female characters from a book probably more centered on the male POV. If we're wanting to talk about guys that are super studs in books and it's annoying then lets talk about Mikael Blomkvist from "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" That is something that I found grating. This journalist in Sweden in modern times pulls all sorts of tail while investigating a murder in a remote town. That to me was beyond annoying not Geralt in medieval times in his profession and the looser standards of that society. I've only read the first book and really did love it quite a bit and I'm not being mean but it's just something that's brought up and I feel like there's no genuine reason for it other than to compare our hypocritical modern society that's full of it to a fantasy story written in the 90's which is partly why it's so damn good.
Richard Martin I actually made a video with a former student of mine teaching me to play Witcher 3! I put a link to that video in the description of this video, or you could find it via my channel’s home page. My student was educating me about storytelling in video games, and the second half is me attempting to play. I agree with your assessment!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy Right, but did you play all of it? You got to chug through the 75-125 of game play and experience it to the fullest. Especially take a look at side quests.
Richard Martin Oh, got it! You’re quite right, of course. I really just got a taste of the game - to the point where I was almost able to walk in a straight line. I made it to an inn where there was nice beer, though! But you’re right - I really need to delve much further into the game to get the full, immersive experience. I think I might enjoy that even more after reading the books!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy I would love to see your literary analysis after completing major quest chains. The writing is on par with the best fantasy out there. The game is the exemplar of show not tell. I think you will find yourself surprised on how stories go in unexpected directions.
Richard Martin It sounds pretty amazing. I’ll have to ask my former student to play Witcher 3 again at some point. I’m pretty impressed even with the limited experience I had, but you’re right that I need to spend more time with it to get a deeper sense of the storytelling.
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy hope you read entire Sapkowski's saga. By the way in october tower of fools in EN comes out - it is first part of Hussite Trilogy which he considers to be his best work - it is much more focused on real history with only a little bit of fantasy. I hope he sells his IP to HBO on this one
veritas aequitas Thanks for the heads up! I’ll definitely be reading all of The Witcher books. The second short story collection is up next, and then I’ll start the saga proper. Looking forward to it!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy I encourage to search for fan translations - many say that they are much closer to Sapkowski's true writing style than official translations, second they are for free so you will save few bucks
@@veritasaequitas2386 Thanks for the tip! I'm always wary about reading a translation. I've translated a few things myself, and I know how hard it is to convey the essence of a literary piece while remaining true to its meaning. Sticking too close to the meaning usually results in an awkward, boring translation. Even if a translator is really good, there is inevitable loss and some unintended additions due to the differences in languages. I really wish I could read Polish!
ChiefHandgrenade 11 I’m told you don’t actually need to read the short stories to read the novels. I’m no expert on this, but my guess is that, if you’re familiar with the video games, you might also know a lot of what’s in the short stories. Also, I haven’t watched the recent television series, but my understanding is that the first season is based on the short stories. So, by watching it, you might know everything you need to know, though someone else might correct me on that.
I’m actually not familiar with the games and haven’t seen the show. Maybe I’ll push through the short stories , luckily the books short story books aren’t huge.
ChiefHandgrenade 11 It’s true that short stories are a different beast than novels, and they can actually be harder to write in some ways since an author can’t take loads of time developing characters or world building. Nonetheless, I wish you happy reading!
Hi! There are no intended spoilers in the review. I’m trying to think back to remember, but I can’t recall any unintended spoilers either. There are points about the writing style, observations about the characters, a point about the portrayal of women, and a bit about theme. I also mention some of the fairy tales Sapkowski drew from. If you do watch, my apologies in advance if I do spoil something - But I don’t think I will!
![ค้างคืนโรงเก็บกระสวยอวกาศร้างกลางทะเลทราย [Around The World Ep. 3]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/E5bWZQhABJE/mqdefault.jpg)
Cutting out Nenneke from Witcherflix was a crime. She is such awesome character:)
Mirael Rozczarowniczona I would agree with that wholeheartedly! I haven’t seen the show, so I didn’t know they cut out Nenneke. Sounds like a head scratcher of a decision to me. Thanks for letting me know!
The whole Show was a crime
Fantastic review! Only read The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny collections so far. Look forward to seeing your progress through the series. I find your reviews immensely enjoyable and informative.
Thanks much! I'm excited to continue with this series, and I'm especially keen to get to the full length novels, though I like the short stories too. Next up will be Sword of Destiny!
Awesome review. Excellent content. Also amazing background.
GAUTAM CHAWLA Thank you! My sister-in-law gave us that tapestry, which she brought from Nepal, though I’m not certain it was made there.
I am glad you underlined the humor in this series. Before I read it, I thought this would be super dark and serious, but I was pleasantly surprised by the humor of it. I also love how Geralt uses people’s prejudices and pretends he doesn’t have any feelings, when deep down he is a very caring person. I also loved his friendship with Dandelion. I do think the game surpasses the books in every way though.
I am looking forward to your Poppy War review!
Memodeth Books The humor completely took me by surprise. Without knowing much about The Witcher, I expected the books to be grim. It is a pretty tough world in some ways, but the humor cuts through all of that, making the stories quite entertaining and clever. I agree about Geralt - there’s a soft heart beating in the fellow. Aided by a very patient former student of mine, I’ve played The Witcher 3 only once (I made it to an inn with some nice beer), but I can definitely see some interesting storytelling in the game and why it has so many fans. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Yours is the first review that actually has me wanting to read this series, thanks for a great video, great book discussion!
Thanks! I appreciate you watching, and if you do read The Last Wish, I hope you’ll enjoy it.
Another excellent review, making it so clear to me that no body matches your level of thought and examination of fantasy books on TH-cam. Thank you.
I'm really looking forward to follow your progress with this series. I loved the first several books, and your review made me remember why. Unfortunately for me it took a massive down turn in the last two or three, but maybe your reviews if you make it that far can help me see what I was missing! Or perhaps you'll also feel the same. Time will tell.
Danny Matson Thank you for the kind words! I’m definitely intending to read the entire Witcher series. With its humor and potential for some interesting key characters, The Last Wish has me intrigued and excited to keep going. I just wish I could read Polish since I’d love to know how Sapkowski’s original style feels. Thanks for watching and for the encouragement!
@Danny Matson, Totally agreed!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy The feel of the book and the humor is definitely a positive throughout. The characters are so easy to like, too. The plot, however... Well, we'll see! Enjoy ☺️
Danny Matson I’ll keep that in mind! A lot of books have become very character driven since that’s what most readers want these days, but sometimes the time spent on vivid characters takes away from the plot. I’m looking forward to finding out!
Gee this kid sure has some great things to say! I sure hope he gets to publish books of his own someday. 😅😅
@@iSamwise Ha ha! He’s not a bad kid. 😁
i might be biased but I think that Sapkowski has written some of the best female characters in fantasy with Yennefer and Ciri. That being said, it's true that sometimes he uses sexual violence as a writting resource in some debatable ways, and focuses too much in the descriptions of some female characters. Though these ones (the sorceresses) really own their sexuality, which I think is pretty empowering and cool, so the descriptions may make a bit more sense. In general, great female characters, debatable use of sexual violence (it fits in the world, as it's a very dark one).
In regards to the prose, I've read the Spanish version (which was praised by the author as one of the best), and while the style is pretty focused for fantasy standarts, it is written in a really beatifull, very poetic way (and even mixing a big amount of arcaic spanish). From the few that I read of the English translation I didn't think that much of it, even the Spanish translator, Faraldo, said he didn't quite like the job they did, although it's not a bad one.
I absolutly love these characters and their relationships with each other btw, I think that this and dialogue are Sapko's best qualities. He is also one of the few fantasy author who writes good romance, although mostly turbulent.
I’m really looking forward meeting Ciri, especially since I’m guessing Geralt has a paternal relationship with her, and so perhaps she’ll bring out a different side of him (I’m also speaking as a father of daughters). I’m also very interested to see more of Yennefer. It’s cool to hear about the Spanish version. I wouldn’t call the English version poetic, but it’s effective at evoking a whimsical, fairytale type of atmosphere. I wonder if that’s what Sapkowski was going for in the original Polish? Anyway, thanks much for your take - I appreciate it, and it helps me to be even more motivated to read the whole series!
no no, Milva is the best
@@bogna8877 yes to this
Yay The Witcher! Are you gonna pick up the next book? Cause Sword of Destiny is my favorite in the series. And yeah, portrayal of women often times be problematic in the series. Nonetheless Sapkowski knows how to write strong individual female characters imo.
Based on The Last Wish, I’m definitely going to read all of The Witcher books. I’m pretty much hooked. I love the humor, and I find the characters intriguing. Also, from what I saw, I think you’re right about strong female characters, and I’m looking forward to seeing more of Yennefer and meeting Ciri. Thanks for the comment!
These books are on my list as soon as I finish reading Assassins Quest! The audiobooks are currently 2 for 1 on Audible in the UK so I got the first few on audio for a change.
Aaron Gomez Nice! I’ve still never tried audiobooks- I really am medieval in some ways. Someday, especially if I ever need to drive again (been working from home, like many other people, for the last few months - and I feel fortunate to be working!), I’ll give them a try. Have fun finishing The Farseer Trilogy!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy Audiobooks for me are very hit or miss, for example I LOVE the first law audiobooks but could not stand the mistborn audiobooks and gave up on listening on it (I will read it at some point).
Aaron Gomez I suppose a lot depends on the skill of the reader. I’m guessing audiobooks must have their own reviews based in large part on the execution of the readers. Someday I’ll venture into one!
Great video. One thing I like about Sapkowski's treatment of themes is that he fleshes them out expertly and then also ensures that the message doesn't overreach to the point it is an exaggeration. Overall I think he does approach women in a way that they want to be beautiful and desirable at all times. He does have some very complex characters that are women later on that I think mitigate that somewhat. I don't think it's abnormal for an attractive, able, mysterious guy that is Geralt to attract many beautiful women in his time, however.
Masood Voon Thanks for your take on that! I get the sense that Yennefer is going to become a fully realized and powerful character as I read further. I also look forward to meeting Ciri. On themes, I think you said it really well. A great author won’t hit you over the head with the themes, but they’ll be there within the story. I appreciate your insights!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy on an unrelated topic, what are your thoughts on the classic British authors? Have you read Trollope?
Masood Voon I’m actually a medievalist (Beowulf, Chaucer, etc.), but I read a lot of 19th century novelists and poets since my PhD dissertation was on the topic of Victorian medievalism. Unfortunately, Trollope was not among the ones I read, but that’s an era in general that I can claim some familiarity with. Are you a fan of Trollope?
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy I just got into him a little. The Warden was an excellent short novel that was a tragic irony of the designs of the political left and right's designs on society. The second one in the series I got sidetracked on. Just wondered with your background if you've read that author as most skip over him for some reason.
Yes, I’m afraid I too missed him. But that era has some awesome novels, and perhaps one day I’ll return to it. Right now I have too much fantasy to read!
Great review! It’s always good to compare ways people pronounce characters names!😊
Thanks! I’m pretty sure I got some names wrong. I haven’t watched the show or played the video games (other than what I played in my video where my student shows me how to play Witcher 3). So, even though I looked up some names, I was sort of winging it!
Same. Really wanted to read the books before starting it. Definitely need to start watching it.😊
Josh Rees I almost always prefer to read the books first. That way, I have my idea of the characters in my head, not someone else’s idea. It’s fun to compare what I imagine to the show or movie, though.
I'm definitely will be reading the witcher book series this year I'm a fan of the tv show so I decided to give the books a try
I hope you'll enjoy them, Angela!
Yennefer is my favorite female character ever (tied with Savine dan Glokta)
Excellent choices!
Nice review. I honestly don’t have much interest in the Witcher (mostly because I hated the show) but I found your review intriguing.
The Serpent I’ve heard negative reactions to the show before. My feeling, without having watched the show and only having read the first short story collection, is that the books are likely better (aren’t they nearly always?). I’m certainly going to keep reading, anyway.
Philip Chase sounds good. I’m excited for your Poppy War review since that’s something I’m very interested in
The Serpent Great! So far, I like it. Not too far in yet, though. It’s definitely one I’ve been looking forward to.
One thing missing from many reviews is connection to classic russian literature and especially literature about 1917 revolution. In many ways Sapkovski directly borrows from Master and Margarita, Dr Zhivago, Lolita and others. I find that without understanding this connection many reviewers are missing significance of plot points. For example: sexual violence in books could be better understood as kinda both cause and results of revolution and revolutionary terror. In Russia some women became terrorist to avenge real/perceived injustices of imperial government such as famous example of Vera Zasulich en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vera_Zasulich. Her story could be seen as metaphor for lesser evil short story.
Ilya Chesnokov Thank you for sharing these insights! I’ve read translations of some slightly earlier Russian novelists, such as Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, but I admit I could be better read in the rich tradition of Russian literature, so the connections you’re pointing out are illuminating for me. Much appreciated!
I really enjoyed the tv show and game, but I've been hesitant to get into the series. I enjoyed the Robert E Howard Conan stories, which also jump all over the place, so maybe I should give it a shot.
Nick Wurthmann It sounds like the book series would be a winner for you. So far, I must say I’m pretty impressed overall, and I’m definitely looking forward to reading more.
Really great review. I really liked the whimsical atmosphere he created as you said. This was a very comfy read. Have you read the other books? I've only read this one so far.
Thanks! I read and reviewed the second short story collection, which is similar to the first and further develops the characters. At some point, I aim to start the novels too.
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy Cool Ill check out that video. Always love your reviews.
@@chickenman7252 Thank you!
Although it might have been done well (I do not know polish, so I can't really say), I firmly believe the phrase "lost in translation" would well fit the Witcher series.
It is very rare to have 100% equivalence between languages. This makes the task of translation a very difficult one.
Unless the original author translated it himself and in so doing emphasize all the elements from the original in the translated work.
When translating something you have to make some difficult choices.
Do you want to translate your work literally (formal equivalence), or do you want to use dynamic equivalence or functional equivalence?
Do you translate your puns or idioms woodenly? Do you use similar metaphors (that may be lost on your translated target audience).
Lots of things to consider. :D
You are absolutely right in every respect, which makes me suspect you’ve done some translating. I’ve done some translating, mostly from Old English and Old Norse, but also from French, German, and Welsh. The truth is that not even the original author, even if he or she were fluent in both languages, could capture the full flavor and still be completely faithful to the original meaning. Such is the nature of languages, and such are the difficult choices that face a translator. I enjoyed your comments very much - thank you!!!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy thank you :) As I appreciate your videos and thoughtful comments.
So you know a couple of languages, wow, nice. What do you think of Tolkien's translation of Beowulf? Did he choose a more literal translation philosophy or did he rather focus on retaining the meaning?
With regards to me translating something.
My mother tongue is Afrikaans and English is a second language.
I have had some experience translating between the two, or reading badly translated works from one to the other. I have also some experience with Koine Greek and Biblical Hebrew as I attended Seminary. But I have been fascinated with translations for a long time now.
Learning more about the elements and nuances of what is involved with translated texts is really interesting to me.
It is also one of the reasons I adore Tolkien so much. A master of various languages (real or made up). I am sure he considered many of the implications of the varied languages in his works that casual readers simply cannot grasp. It is testimony of how important languages and the nuances thereof were to his world. From the creation song in the Silmarillion to the different phrases retained in the text of TLOTR.
@@VicRibeiro777 Tolkien’s immersion in languages and his world creation based on them are huge parts of the attraction to LOTR for me. It’s also true in my case that Tolkien inspired me to love languages. I’m pretty sure he’s the reason I learned Old English, Old Norse, and Welsh. I adore his translation of Beowulf. Obviously, he sacrificed something by abandoning the alliterative verse. In return, he was able to be more faithful to the meaning of the Old English, and he managed to often duplicate the cadence of the original even in prose. I also find that he used just the right amount of archaic language to suit my taste and give a sense of the poem’s ancient origins (even in its own time, Beowulf was archaic as OE verse was very conservative). Having learned English, Koine Greek, and Hebrew, and with your interest in translation, I’m certain you understand the layers of difficult choices that confronted Tolkien as he translated Beowulf, but I think he did an admirable job. By the way, my father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were all Protestant ministers, and seminary was the plan for me until I was about halfway through college.
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy wow, that's awesome, thank you for commenting. I'll definitely look into the Tolkien translation of Beowulf then. I have tried reading a version and it was just.... stale, or I don't know how to describe it. It did not grab me at all, but I thought there must be something wrong with me. This is BEOWULF! So yeah I dnf'd that book. But you give me hope that I might enjoy Tolkien's translation much more.
Wow, a long succession of spiritual men :)
Thanks again for your comment.
@@VicRibeiro777 Yes, I'd definitely recommend the Tolkien translation of Beowulf. If you'd like to read it in verse, I recommend the Seamus Heaney translation. It loses some faithfulness to the meaning but is aesthetically one of the best translations. Of course, Heaney was a great poet as well, so that makes sense.
Some interesting insights. I've only experienced this series so far through the Netflix show! Have you seen that? I'd like to hear your thoughts if so.
Guilbert Maric I haven’t seen the show yet, but I will once I’ve read all the books. I generally prefer to read first and watch later so that I form my own ideas about the characters. Once I watch the show, it’s fun to compare the two. If I watch first, I find I can’t get the image from the show out of my head while I read. Not the worst thing, but I prefer to use my imagination first. I’m looking forward to watching the show eventually, though some Witcher fans have warned me it’s not as good as the books or video games.
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy I'm normally the same which is why I bumped wheel of time up on my TBR! Well I liked the show as someone who has no other experience of the world. Let's see what you think when you eventually watch it
Guilbert Maric Excellent idea to read WoT before the show. If I had time, I’d reread it, but my TBR is stuffed as it is. Eventually!
May I just say something here.... First off I did very much enjoy this book. But this whole notion of having "strong female characters" like it's a box that needs to be checked off is just annoying as hell to me. Would I open a romance novel with Fabio or 50 shades and remark about how "OMG they are treating this man like a meat popsicle!" This whole homogenization of art to be safe for everyone and be relatable for vast groups of people is just the fucking death of art. The female characters were fine imo and I don't go into a book looking to grade how he wrote female characters from a book probably more centered on the male POV.
If we're wanting to talk about guys that are super studs in books and it's annoying then lets talk about Mikael Blomkvist from "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" That is something that I found grating. This journalist in Sweden in modern times pulls all sorts of tail while investigating a murder in a remote town. That to me was beyond annoying not Geralt in medieval times in his profession and the looser standards of that society.
I've only read the first book and really did love it quite a bit and I'm not being mean but it's just something that's brought up and I feel like there's no genuine reason for it other than to compare our hypocritical modern society that's full of it to a fantasy story written in the 90's which is partly why it's so damn good.
Even though these are spoilers, Philip sounds a lot better than the book itself.
Tyler Davis Thank you! I really did enjoy the book, and I’m going to eventually read the whole series. Are you a fan of the video games?
You should play Witcher 3, top notch story telling, voice acting, writing, and setting.
Richard Martin I actually made a video with a former student of mine teaching me to play Witcher 3! I put a link to that video in the description of this video, or you could find it via my channel’s home page. My student was educating me about storytelling in video games, and the second half is me attempting to play. I agree with your assessment!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy Right, but did you play all of it? You got to chug through the 75-125 of game play and experience it to the fullest. Especially take a look at side quests.
Richard Martin Oh, got it! You’re quite right, of course. I really just got a taste of the game - to the point where I was almost able to walk in a straight line. I made it to an inn where there was nice beer, though! But you’re right - I really need to delve much further into the game to get the full, immersive experience. I think I might enjoy that even more after reading the books!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy I would love to see your literary analysis after completing major quest chains. The writing is on par with the best fantasy out there. The game is the exemplar of show not tell. I think you will find yourself surprised on how stories go in unexpected directions.
Richard Martin It sounds pretty amazing. I’ll have to ask my former student to play Witcher 3 again at some point. I’m pretty impressed even with the limited experience I had, but you’re right that I need to spend more time with it to get a deeper sense of the storytelling.
great review, but why do you have to review the book lying on the carpet... ;)
veritas aequitas Ha ha! It’s comfortable to lie on carpets while reviewing books. Encourages good blood flow to the brain.
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy hope you read entire Sapkowski's saga. By the way in october tower of fools in EN comes out - it is first part of Hussite Trilogy which he considers to be his best work - it is much more focused on real history with only a little bit of fantasy. I hope he sells his IP to HBO on this one
veritas aequitas Thanks for the heads up! I’ll definitely be reading all of The Witcher books. The second short story collection is up next, and then I’ll start the saga proper. Looking forward to it!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy I encourage to search for fan translations - many say that they are much closer to Sapkowski's true writing style than official translations, second they are for free so you will save few bucks
@@veritasaequitas2386 Thanks for the tip! I'm always wary about reading a translation. I've translated a few things myself, and I know how hard it is to convey the essence of a literary piece while remaining true to its meaning. Sticking too close to the meaning usually results in an awkward, boring translation. Even if a translator is really good, there is inevitable loss and some unintended additions due to the differences in languages. I really wish I could read Polish!
You can look for a map made by CDPR.
DaRiot Cool - thanks!
I dnf this book. Maybe short stories aren’t my thing. May give witcher another try skipping the short stories.
ChiefHandgrenade 11 I’m told you don’t actually need to read the short stories to read the novels. I’m no expert on this, but my guess is that, if you’re familiar with the video games, you might also know a lot of what’s in the short stories. Also, I haven’t watched the recent television series, but my understanding is that the first season is based on the short stories. So, by watching it, you might know everything you need to know, though someone else might correct me on that.
I’m actually not familiar with the games and haven’t seen the show. Maybe I’ll push through the short stories , luckily the books short story books aren’t huge.
ChiefHandgrenade 11 It’s true that short stories are a different beast than novels, and they can actually be harder to write in some ways since an author can’t take loads of time developing characters or world building. Nonetheless, I wish you happy reading!
Please guys and girls, is this spoiler free? I want to read this but do not want anything spolied hahaha
Hi! There are no intended spoilers in the review. I’m trying to think back to remember, but I can’t recall any unintended spoilers either. There are points about the writing style, observations about the characters, a point about the portrayal of women, and a bit about theme. I also mention some of the fairy tales Sapkowski drew from. If you do watch, my apologies in advance if I do spoil something - But I don’t think I will!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy you havent spoilt anything so that's fine 🤗
Farah Rammu Yay!