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Polgara the Sorceress

Polgara the Sorceress

List Price: $7.99
Your Price: $7.19
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Unfortunately, a disappointment
Review: Although I greatly enjoyed "The Belgariad" ("B") and have even become fond of "The Mallorean" ("M"), I've found "Polgara the Sorceress" (and, to a lesser extent, "Belgarath the Sorcerer") to be profoundly disappointing. My complaints are many, but one of the most important is that it's wildly inconsistent with "B." Going into the details would be possible spoilerage, but if you read "Polgara" and then reread "Pawn of Prophecy," you'll understand almost immediately. Another disappointment is the fact that while the major events of Polgara's life which are alluded to in "B" and "M" are described in detail, there are almost no others. (There's one major exception involving a character of some importance to Polgara of whom we've never heard until now, but it's very silly, and I really don't think it ought to have been included, anyway. Again, details would be spoilerage.) Of less importance, but still somewhat irksome, is the style of the first-person narration. The Polgara of "B" had some mystery and grandeur, and all that seems to evaporate with the bantering and almost anachronistic diction. ("Glandular problems?" "Adolescent"?)

A "Life of Polgara" could have worked very well, but I get the sense that the book was rushed out with little thought or "fact"-checking on the part of the authors. That the characters have grown and changed somewhat in the Eddingses' minds since they were initially created is understandable, but to rewrite much of a major character's history without apparent reason or warning comes very close to betraying the fans of the first books and the characters as we've grown to love them. I had hoped, although the authors gave themselves an out, that we might see something more about Polgara's mother, a "Poledra" book, perhaps, but if "Polgara" is any example of what that book might be like, I'd rather not have it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Well done, no mater what the others said!
Review: I thought this was a rather wonderful novel. Polgara was always the one to keep things going in the previous two series, Belgaraid and Malloreon, with the help of her mother Poledra. This narrative of the 3000 years of Polgara's life was long, but I enjoyed every word and every page of it. Those who have enjoyed the other books about the battle between Light and Dark Eddings has so beautifully written, will appreciate the first look into the mysterious mind of Polgara the Sorceress. The book reveals Polgara's every secret and every experience vividly and completely. Polgara fans will undoubtly be pleased.

P.S. Liked your review Megan Ligas!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: When will fantasy get a strong female character right?
Review: I have followed Eddings through both the Belgariad and the Malloreon. Aside from having rather two dimentional characters, I found his work to be rather enjoyable mind candy. While entertaining when stroking the threads of a detailed plot, he highlights his failings with this book. What should have been a strong character study of a key figure in his history, instead is a boring trek with a b**tchy guide.

Much like Jordan, Eddings has made his supposed 'strong' female into an insufferable ghost of a character. She is a smug, bossy, manipulative, and condescending character who regularly annoys by jumping out of narrative to address other players from earlier books as though everyone will be amused by her self serving 'jokes'. Never does Edding suggest that her character has a ounce of depth beyond the bluster and storm of her anger when her will is thwarted or the equally superficial sadness over the death of her sister, or the countless other figures that we lose along the way. Though she goes through many travels, Polgara never develops as a person. After 754 pages (and the supposed 3000+ years) she is the same unbearable shrew she was at the outset who for all her wandering has gained no insight to her own character. Though, Eddings has her regularly pontificate on her own intelligence, such lack of depth doth suggest that either she or Eddings is not the genius they are trying to appear. If Eddings was truely trying to portray Polgara this way, one has to wonder why he bothered.

I find myself baffled at glowing reviews. I have always felt that Eddings wrote decent mind candy, but this was a clear misstep. The only entertainment I gleaned from this book was hoping to see the main character become mortal and die in the end. Heaven help us if this is the example that young girls aspire to in the hopes of being strong women. Until Eddings, and for that matter other fantasy authors, develop more of sense of character rather then characterization, individual studies such as this one should be avoided.

"Polgara" did a disservice to Eddings earlier works. I feel it was so bad, I can't help but wonder if it was an intentional insult to his readers. I can certainly say I found it to be profoundly insulting to women, bordering on misogyny. For the moment I am willing to give the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps Eddings lacks any experience with real women (despite his apparent marriage). I suggest that Eddings and Jordan get themselves some practical experience before they again tackle complicated workings of women as individuals and women as groups. If their works reflect their thoughts, I can only say they just don't have a clue.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: WOW
Review: Polgara is an awesome, vivid character, very powerful, but human enough that we can empathize with her. A stunningly well written book, something I would recommend for everyone. David and Leigh Eddings did a phenomenal job! If movies can be a "must-see" this book is a "must-read". two thumbs up and a smile.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I LOVED THIS BOOK
Review: This was a wonderful book. David Eddings did a wonderful job of combining drama and humor so that the book doesn't depress anybody, but is taken seriously. It was great. I would reccomend it to anybody who reads this series, and only those who read this series because otherwise you'll have no idea what Polgara is talking about when she mentions characters from the other books.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: I have to put this book down
Review: I have read all these books and i like them very much but i did not like this one very much. it is very repetetive and i wish they would do a different story line. i had to stop in the middle of this book to read a different book cause this was so boring.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Polgara the Sorceress
Review: David Eddings is a masterful author. His wife on the other hand,is a good writer but is not as a powerful writer as David, is more of a neutral/feminmen writer.But in this case as in the book "Polgara the Sorceress" their combined forces makes the book a neutrally written book. Because of this I throughly enjoyed the book.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: It took me 2 years to read this book
Review: I was a big fan of the Belgariad and the Malloreon and I did enjoy Belgarath the Sorceror, but I have never read a more boring fantasy book then this one. My wife teased me that I would never finish it, so I read it when I had nothing else to read. This was a major disappointment. I am now reading the Redemption of Althatus (sp) and I'm happy to see that the Eddings are still capable of writing a good story. At some point in the fantasy genre especially, the sequels have to end.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Quite forgettable
Review: This book is very poorly written. To give the author the benefit of the doubt, however, Eddings seems to do an adequate job with series like the Belgariad and the Mallorean that depend more on plot and action than in this book which is supposed to be an exploration of one character's life. Polgara WAS a very interesting character when I first encountered her in Pawn of Prophecy, but this book diminshes her appeal rather than adds to the series. Also, it seems that the Eddings' don't have much faith in the intellect of their readers. For example, rather than presenting dialogue and scenes which allow us to reason out some of the family dynamics, Polgara hits us over the head several times, explaining that her hostility against her father stemmed from her jealousy over her sister. Readers who have followed the series will probably not be too disappointed because the book offers a chance to revisit some old friends from the earlier books, but this is most definitely not Eddings' best work.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: mikey loves it
Review: i loved this whole series, and i thought that polgara's view gave a lot of closure to the whole series. there was always the wonder of her story, and how she got to be who she was, and whatnot. this really capped that up well i thought. one of the other reviewers mentioned that the book and indeed the entire series tends to be gregariously sexist. though i agree, i don't dislike it personally. the sexism there tends to be humerous, and what i feel is pretty honest about everyday life. though i don't feel most women would agree with me, i have enought female friends to know how manipulative women are and can be. not saying all are, and i don't want like a swamping of hate mail here or anything, but i have to honestly say that the majority of the women i know not only are, but try to be, and i would go so far as to say that they try to hone thier manipulative skills down to what men could only see as an art. the mystery of the female mind, is that they're sitting on an empty box marked fragile.


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