I hesitated a little before writing a review of these books, mainly because I don't have many positive things to say about them, and to be honest I was a bit cautious to criticize books that are so widely loved.
That said, a negative ou neutral review can be just as useful as a positive one, so I decided to share my impressions anyway. Also, I din't quite regret reading any of these books, even if the experience was not as valuable to me as reading Kafka, Wolfe, Borges or Moorcock, to name a few authors that might share some themes.
The Chronicles of Amber (1-5), by Roger Zelazny
This is a well-known series, listed in Appendix N of D&D. I read the first pentalogy, which, curiously, wasn't even finished when AD&D was published in 1977. It is a middling adventure fantasy: a mix of predictable ideas and genuinely interesting ones, quite reminiscent of Michael Moorcock's Elric and its concept of the multiverse. Its influence on D&D is obvious, particularly in the conception of demigods and the planes of existence.
The books are full of adventure, epic battles, knights and unicorns. The fantasy, however, is somewhat generic, and the naming conventions are curious (there are references to Avalon and Merlin entirely outside of an Arthurian context, for example). The characters, with the possible exception of the narrator, feel a bit shallow and hard to tell apart. The intrigue tends to rely on the same repetitive devices: someone pretends not to know what they know, or pretends to be someone else, or forges someone's death etc. This happens repeatedly across different books, and sometimes the scheming characters feel incredibly naive after many lifetimes in a court of intrigues.
Overall, it is an enjoyable, light and fun read, with something of a Young Adult feel, though there are a few darker scenes (some very good) and some interesting ideas around the multiverse. There are also cool, interesting twists that finish each separate book, although the ending of the pentalogy is somewhat confusing, and I felt no urge to continue to the remaining volumes, except maybe to reach a more satisfying conclusion, if there is one.
Unfortunately, the series falls a bit short of the works that likely inspired it, such as Anderson, Moorcock, and others. It does, however, surpass a good deal of modern fantasy, and remains a fun read that can certainly provide inspiration for your D&D games, especially at higher levels of play.
Norwegian Wood, by Haruki Murakami
I have to admit that some parts of this book are beautifully written, and that I read it almost compulsively, trying to figure out where the story was headed. Some passages are really quite good. Even so, the hype surrounding the book remains somewhat mysterious to me.
The novel follows a university student who is thoroughly disengaged from his own life, surrounded by deeply depressed people. The exception, perhaps, is the protagonist and his friend, who seems to attract an endless stream of interested women for reasons the text never makes entirely clear, given that neither of them displays any particularly positive qualities.
The protagonist is a hornier version of Holden Caulfield with considerably better luck with women, and seems to have a surprisingly easy time with them despite an apparent lack of ambition, social graces, or redeeming qualities in general. When he does choose to show restraint, he does so without any apparent moral conviction, and surrenders it again without much of a struggle. The other characters, for their part, are profoundly depressed, some to the point of suicide, others struggling with serious hardships such as cancer and poverty (with the exception of one friend that seems to be devoid of empathy and even more successful with women).
Although the protagonist mentions his interest in Western literature, the atmosphere of inexplicable gloom surrounding some of the characters reminded me more of Osamu Dazai than of any European influence. Though perhaps there is also some Camus at work here (and also The Catcher in the Rye, which the author mentions IIRC), as the next book suggests.
The depressing, existential tone is probably the whole point of the book. I didn't find it particularly enjoyable or enriching, but it may be an interesting experience if that sounds like something you'd like.
The Stranger, by Albert Camus
The Stranger is a classic of absurdism with an enormous cultural influence. Much like the previous book, it features a protagonist who is thoroughly disengaged from his own life and fate, but in an even more radical and unsettling way, and without the excuse of being a teenager. It is almost impossible not to wonder whether the protagonist has some serious neurological condition, though his emotional detachment does not make him any less irrational than the other characters, who are guided by their own equally misguided emotions, such as the romantic interest who insists on pursuing him despite his obvious indifference.
In Kafka's The Trial, the accused desperately tries to prove his innocence before a completely surreal judicial system. Here, the accused is indifferent to proving his own innocence, which is questionable to begin with, even when faced with a system that, while unhinged, seems to follow some internal logic and might perhaps have responded to a coherent defense.
The absurdity of the protagonist's thinking and the circumstances surrounding him are, in all likelihood, precisely the point of the book. But, as with the previous entry, that does not make it a particularly enjoyable read.
Ultralearning, by Scott H. Young
This is a book about intense, self-directed learning, and I found it quite useful. I reviewed and summarized it, and added a few study tips for 2026, over on my other blog, which focuses on self-development. If that interests you, check out that post and the others in the same blog:
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