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Loading... High Couch of Silistra (1977)by Janet E. Morris, Janet E. Morris
  
None No current Talk conversations about this book.  Equestrienne | Jan 5, 2021 |    ) Karen74Leigh | Jul 31, 2019 | ) Karen74Leigh | Jul 31, 2019 | ) Karen74Leigh | Jul 31, 2019 | ) Karen74Leigh | Jul 31, 2019 | no reviews | add a review
Belongs to SeriesSilistra (1)
One woman's mythic search for self-realization in a distant tomorrow...Her sensuality was at the core of her world, her quest beyond the civilized stars.Aristocrat. Outcast. Picara. Slave. Ruler."The best single example of prostitution used in fantasy is Janet Morris' Silistra series... Estri's character is most like that of Ishtar who describes herself as "'a prostitute compassionate am I'" because she "symbolizes the creative submission to the demands of instinct, to the chaos of nature ...the free woman, as opposed to the domesticated woman". Linking Estri with these lunar and water symbols is not difficult because of the moon's eternal virginity (the strength of integrity) links with her changeability (the prostitute's switching of lovers). [...] Morris strengthens the moon imagery by having Estri as a well-keepress because wells, fountains, and the moon as the orb which controls water have long been associated with fertility, [...] In a sense, she is like the moon because she is apparently eternal, never waxing or waning except in her pursuit of the quest; she is the prototypical wanderer like the moon and Ishtar. She is the eternal night symbol of the moon in opposition to the Day-Keepers [...] At her majority (her three hundredth birthday), she is given a silver-cubed hologram letter from her mother, containing a videotape of her conception by the savage bronzed barbarian god from another world. [...] If Estri's mother then acts as a bawd, willing her lineage as Well-Keepress to her daughter, then Estri's great-grandmother Astria as foundress of the Well becomes a further mother-bawd figure when she offers her prophetic advice in her letter: "Guard Astria for you may lose it, and more. Beware of one who is not as he seems. Stray not in the port city of Baniev ...look well about you, for your father's daughter's brother seeks you". Having no brother that she knows of does not stay Estri from undertaking the heroic quest of finding her father." - Anne K. Kaler, The Picara: From Hera to Fantasy Heroine No library descriptions found. |
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 Google Books — Loading...GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.54Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage: (3.48)
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Wikipedia in English (1)
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This was really more of a two star book but I am giving it one star to equalize the overall rating.....way too many unjustified 5 star ratings. I have to wonder if these people actually read this book or if they are part of the group of pseudo-intellectuals who pretend to read these type of books and write erroneous reviews of its quality and significance.
The characters - Not what I would call fleshed out.....paper thin and semi-one dimensional is a more accurate description.
The plot - Boring, slow and not one single thought or concept was introduced that was not already a trite redundancy.
The world building - Usually the best part of fantasy.....this world was really underdeveloped. Their societal structure, infrastructure, customs and traditions were poorly described or just not mentioned at all. To me, world building should consist of more than just inventing one new creature (a big cat with wings) and slapping new words onto already existing creatures ie: threx for horses, parr for hogs, denter for cattle, etc.
To put it succinctly........this book sucked. I would recommend it to people who don't like to read, because this book encourages a person to do anything else. Hmmm......I could clean the toilet or I could read (glances over at a copy of The High Couch of Silistra....)okay, cleaning the toilet it is! (