I have The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. So far I have only read the introduction and acknowledgments and I am fairly buzzing with excitement.

I loved Watership Down and seem to recall it having a dictionary either before or after the narrative. I didn't mind. I could see how it could bug though, if it weren't for rabbit-speak.

I think dictionaries or guides of that nature can vary. Sometimes they're completely useful and appropriate, sometimes they just come off as a condescending gesture on the author's part. (And I'll admit, part of that comes from knowing something of the author's personality as well.)

Frex, Lewis had a guy he worked with, who fancied himself a writer. And he was super creative, but had all the mechanics of a monkey, which is actually kind of insulting to the monkey. Not only that, but he thought his genius so immense, that it could overcome mere trivialities such as mechanics. It would shine, doggone it.

Well, he finally published his first book with a smallish press and he sent a copy to Lewis. I glanced through it—it was post-apocalyptic, sci-fi material, not my cuppa, but still. Then I flipped to the back of the book and there was a glossary of terms. With terms like AWOL and types of military equipment defined along with the created terms.

I couldn't help it. I laughed my ass off. I mean, it was so typical for him to think that he was so far above his readers that they would need military terms that had made it into colloquial use defined.

I'm trying to remember the last book I read without some kind of glossary in it. It's possible my view on these things may be warped by my genre preferences.

(Anathem, which I'm reading right now and LOVING MORE THAN I THOUGHT IT WAS POSSIBLE TO LOVE A BOOK OMGOMGOMG? xkcd pretty much nails it. Except that once you get into it you realize that the made up words are completely integral to the world Stephenson is creating and OMG did I mention just how FUCKING GREAT this book is???)

So... you're saying I should get to reading the copy my brother gave me for Christmas?

Only if you are a fan of EXTREME AWESOMENESS.

Fair warning, it does take a while to get into. I was engaged by the first 100 pages, and totally in love not long after that, but it's a bit of a steep hill to climb at first, and the language is easily the biggest barrier to entry. It's not that the first 100 pages are bad, but they do require a fair amount of concentration. It's not an easy book. But holy FRACK, is it ever worth it.

I loved Watership Down and seem to recall it having a dictionary either before or after the narrative.

Colbert Report had a WD reference last night that is appropriate here:

"Stephen, you have Watership Down in with your non-fiction books."
"Yeah, so?"
"Stephen, it's about rabbits at war!"
"What's your point?"

I have it on good authority that rabbits aren't harmless like everyone supposes.

!eeH

By the way, thank you to the Buffistas who were conversing recently about the Vorkosigan books and, unrelatedly, Connie Willis. I have had a happy couple of weeks working my way through several of the former and re-discovering how much I like the latter. (Bellwether was a lot of fun.) So thanks!