Just finished The Hydrogen Sonata
To be honest, I didn’t really like it. It felt like each scene was done well, but the overall plot just didn’t grip me. I felt similarly about Excession, but I liked that more to be honest.
When I say each scene was done well, I mean within each scene or context in the book (for example Vyr being on the water world with QiRia) the imagery was clear and detailed, and the writing was very poetic at times. Each scene was narrated to great effect.
The problem I had with it was it felt like there were a lot of dead ends or loose ends. Every time I was excited for a reveal, there either was no reveal or it felt unsatisfying.
One thing I did like was when Agansu leaves behind an android body with the Girdle City. At first, I was like, ok you missed your chance buddy. Vyr is already gone. But then I thought further, knowing how Banks writes, this is definitely Chekhov’s Gun, and we will be back. As soon as the Culture finds out QiRia doesn’t have the memories anymore, that he removed them, you just KNOW that the body modder has them.
I really liked the scenes with Ximenyr. Amazing character. His and QiRia’s life story in snapshots would have been more interesting to me than the rest of this book I think.
Agansu’s existential crisis, good. The Zoologist discussing subliming, good. Vyr’s personal struggle with feeling she has to play the Sonata, good. Though, it would have been more in line with the rest of the book if she did just let go of it, much like how the Minds let go of the truth of the Gzilt.
Yeah, I liked a lot of parts of the book, but I just had a bad feeling about it all and the end didn’t sell it for me. Is it Culture, sure, but I wish it wasn’t.
What are the community’s thoughts? Till now I thought this book was highly regarded but next to Matter and Surface Detail it feels kind of mid, so I’m wondering why. Those books had much more compelling worldbuilding in my eyes.