Bay 12 Games Forum

Finally... => Life Advice => Topic started by: Spreggo on October 21, 2009, 01:01:44 am

Title: Leviathan
Post by: Spreggo on October 21, 2009, 01:01:44 am: I'm thinking of buying Leviathan by Scott Westerfield, but the 'young-adult' descriptor is putting me off of it.

Is it a good read?

For context, I lean towards The Hobbit and lean far, far away from Harry Potter. (Excepting Brad Neely's Version)
Title: Re: Leviathan
Post by: userpay on October 21, 2009, 01:11:40 am: I actually recently just got done reading it. I suppose its more young adult than say, mechwarrior, but I found it delightfully steampunky.
Title: Re: Leviathan
Post by: Neonivek on October 21, 2009, 04:51:14 am: Ohh for a while there I thought this was Leviathan from the guy who writes pretty harshly about human beings.
Title: Re: Leviathan
Post by: Walker on October 23, 2009, 02:46:41 am: Young Adult is not a tag to worry about, ever. It just so happens that it is the 'hot' age group to write for (and has been a while) which is why there have been a lot of exceptionally good books for 'young adults' that are perfectly fine for seasoned adults (recommended as a kitten stew complement). Also, I recommend the other <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Leviathan-Selected-Variants-Latin-1668/dp/0872201775/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1256283824&sr=8-1" >Leviathan[/url].
Title: Re: Leviathan
Post by: Spreggo on October 23, 2009, 12:43:48 pm: Yeah the other Leviathan has been on my list for a while. I work pretty slowly through books and tend to read a few at a time so I try to be careful about not starting too many at once. (I have a few books I've been reading on and off for years... :( )

I guess if young-adult is really just a catch phrase than it's no problem. I was just worried that it secretly meant 'no big words' or 'simplistic plot.' I work near ... a popular american university for wealthy kids ... and so my conception of young-adult is thoughtless, destructive, self-centered, and above all, making no effort at critical thinking or learning.

So I guess you could say I am a self-hating young-adult.
Title: Re: Leviathan
Post by: Footkerchief on October 25, 2009, 12:42:36 am: Quote from: Walker on October 23, 2009, 02:46:41 am
Young Adult is not a tag to worry about, ever.

That really, really depends on what you're looking for.

Quote from: Spreggo on October 23, 2009, 12:43:48 pm
I guess if young-adult is really just a catch phrase than it's no problem. I was just worried that it secretly meant 'no big words' or 'simplistic plot.'

Not necessarily. It's more like juvenile fiction, plus *~*sexual tension*~* and angst!, minus the mature approach to those topics that one occasionally finds in the grown-up sections.
Title: Re: Leviathan
Post by: userpay on October 25, 2009, 11:21:50 am: Quote from: Footkerchief on October 25, 2009, 12:42:36 am
Quote from: Walker on October 23, 2009, 02:46:41 am
Young Adult is not a tag to worry about, ever.

That really, really depends on what you're looking for.

Quote from: Spreggo on October 23, 2009, 12:43:48 pm
I guess if young-adult is really just a catch phrase than it's no problem. I was just worried that it secretly meant 'no big words' or 'simplistic plot.'

Not necessarily. It's more like juvenile fiction, plus *~*sexual tension*~* and angst!, minus the mature approach to those topics that one occasionally finds in the grown-up sections.
Bwahaha that actually comes somewhat close to what happens in leviathan but for different reasons than one might think. But like I said I liked the steampunkness it had.