So, anyone read this? I can honestly say that it's one of my favourite books of all time. Probably not the best book I've read, but it has a special place in my heart for being both the longest novel I've ever read and also introducing me to a brilliant style of literature that I've been in love with ever since. If I had to describe the book in one word, it would be INSANE. It has quite possibly one of the wackiest plots ever, supported by a whole host of colourful characters in a setting just as immersive and well-realised as any Middle Earth or Galaxy far far away. Seriously, check out this map: http://images.wikia.com/zamonia/images/6/6e/Zamonia_Map.png Every single one of those locations is visited or at least described at some point in the story. As the plot follows the main character, BlueBear, through half of his life and travels across the lost continent of Zamonia, there's a ton of little side-stories and random encounters that give the story depth. No element is added haphazardly: all tie into the overall plot and advance the characterisation of not just the cast but the setting as well, a feat that no other book I've read has done quite as well. One thing potential readers should know: The book is HUGE. I've seen it sold in 13 and a half different volumes, each a hefty paperback in themselves, and the complete novel in one volume is close to 20 centimetres tall and nearly 5 centimetres thick. This is balanced slightly by a large selection of beautiful illustrations, but still, there's a lot of ground to cover if you want to reach the end. I actually got halfway and had to put the book down for six months, only to discover it again and finish it in a few days. I won't say anything about the plot, because there's really too much to cover comfortably here, and I don't want to spoil anthing, but here's an example of the crazyness of the story: About halfway through the story the main character is stuck, seperated from a the mythical city of Atlantis my a wall of mountain made of crystal. What does he do? Why, climb through the discarded head of a giant of course, meeting thoughts, ideas and insanity along the way. This is not a book for the weak reader or the casual paperback-thumber. But rest assured, persevere with the novel and you will be rewarded with what is in my humble opinion one of the best novels of the last century. Looks like I've gone on too long and not said nearly enough, so if you have any questions feel free to ask. Thanks for listening, and happy reading!
You can get it for cheap online, but I woudn't think you could find it in bookstores. I also discovered the other day that there's actually a few more books set in the same universe, I'll have to check them out.
I never heard of this book before The map location looks interesting going to look for information about and maybe can read it
