Customer Reviews

Torment

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Most of the time the book is better then the movie, etc.
Not this time.

Maybe it was my fault for playing the game through before reading the book, but this book was run of the mill fantasy dribble.

I read it through in two days but i cant say that that was because of how enjoyable it was. I read it quick so i can move onto another book.

As of right now the game can probably be got for as little as this book. If youre interested in DnD or Planescape, pick up the game. You wont be sorry.
But stay away from this book!

I'll admit it; I have no one to blame but myself for being disappointed by this book. Wizards of the Coast has always released poor novels, with the exception of the Dragonlance series, but I liked the computer game "Planescape: Torment" enough that I assumed this book would be different.

It wasn't.

The storyline was weak, to put it simply. Imagine the basic plot of the game, then cut off three-quarters of its strength. The goal seemed to be to fit the basic idea of the entire game into as short of a book as possible, which translates into a book that is written faster. There seems to be no point to this book except to wrestle the last few dollars out of the buyer's hand after they spent most of it on "Planescape: Torment".

Granted, the characters are true to what you would probably expect, and the atmosphere is equivalent. The thing I just cannot get over is how dumbed-down the whole thing feels. Maybe it's just the fact that I generally dislike high fantasy, but I still suspect a deeper problem with this book.

I have not played the game, but I have been playing the Planescape setting of AD&D since it was launched. In that context, I can't compare the novel to the game, but the book to the book itself. It's Planescape down to the bones. It vividly shows the feel of the setting. Even if it's aimed at teen and pre-teen readers (it's very easy to read), I found it a pleasure of enjoyment. If you like fantasy, give it a try. It's more than worth.

At first I was wary of buying this book, after trying to read the terrible novelization of Baldur's Gate. But gladly, this book claimed my attention and kept me reading all the way to the end.

It's not just a cliffhanger-solution pattern of chapters as some have said. It read to me like a fun, easy, very enjoyable escape. No, It's not great literature, but it is better than one would expect from a simple novelization of a computer game. I think it stands fine as a novel by itself. The closer you get to the end, the longer your reading periods become as you want to find out what happens to Thane.

One thing I didn't like was some of the characters were killed and the end could use something more. What happens to Morte? The other characters? It's as if it calls for a sequal, which I would love to see.

This is a nice, fun, easy read and I recommend it to someone who wants a little escape.

First, the rating is not 'one star', it's a poor substitution for zero stars, since that was not an option. Ok, this isn't the WORST book ever, it just seems that way compared to the game. The game WAS the BEST game ever, with an incredible storyline, fantastic characters and graphics, and it relied more on storytelling and roleplaying than mindless combat. I was so disappointed with how this book took so many aspects of the game that made it so great and mangled them like the scars on the Nameless One (or Thane, as the novel moronically tags him). Annah, a fat, ugly little MAGE? Ravel, a nice old grandma, rather than evil demigod? A stupid green cylinder rather than the enigmatic bronze sphere? WTF?! Anyway, if you actually plan on reading this atrocity (I dunno why you ever would), get the game first; that masterpiece is ruined if this pile of dung is perused prior. Or actually, just get the game, period.

First, the rating is not 'one star', it's a poor substitution for zero stars, since that was not an option. Ok, this isn't the WORST book ever, it just seems that way compared to the game. The game WAS the BEST game ever, with an incredible storyline, fantastic characters and graphics, and it relied more on storytelling and roleplaying than mindless combat. I was so disappointed with how this book took so many aspects of the game that made it so great and mangled them like the scars on the Nameless One (or Thane, as the novel moronically tags him). Annah, a fat, ugly little MAGE? Ravel, a nice old grandma, rather than evil demigod? A stupid green cylinder rather than the enigmatic bronze sphere? WTF?! Anyway, if you actually plan on reading this atrocity (I dunno why you ever would), get the game first; that masterpiece is ruined if this pile of dung is perused prior. Or actually, just get the game, period.

At one point in Torment (the game), Ravel Puzzelwell, an infamous legendary Night Hag who has granted the curse of immortality on the Nameless one looks mockingly into the heart of both him and the hearts of his five companions. Nameless, as she explains acts as a loadstone for tormented souls, all the characters who have followed him thus far are "tormented" to some degreee as well. Each has an internal conflict, and Ravel with her demented but nontheless truthful vision sees the faults and torments of each character: Dak'kon the grimly silent but obedient githzerai is bound to the service of the Nameless one through an old and forgotten debt. Annah, the bitchy but lovable teifling girl, finds herself mysteriously drawn to scarred and leathery man, although this revelation confuses and frightens rather than reassures her. Fall-from-grace, the reformed succubus, also finds that the Nameless one inspires her sympathy, although in turning away from her inherent dark nature she suffers as well. Nordom, the rogue modron, has lived in a world of perfect order until he deviated from the norm in his home. His assured and robotic voice hides is an increasingly confused being behind it. Even Morte, the goofy floating skull, with a wry and sometimes raunchy sense of humor, is stricken with guilt about a past event so distand he doesn't even remember it. Yet now his innate cowardace is his achilles heel. Now, I suppose, if I were traveling with the Nameless one and his motley crew of friends, what would Ravel see in me? What is my torment? Very recently, I had played a turly phenominal game called Planescape: Torment. I revelled in world so fascinating and descriptive, with characters so real and outlandish at the same time, and lived vicariously as complex and tragic figure, a heavily scarred immortal amnesiac who wanders the planes in search of his identity. Games have made me laugh before, but never have made me laugh so hard. And never before had a game made me cry. Never before had I felt such a feeling of dread, despair, and morbid fascination. In short, the experience of Torment is like reading a gripping novel. Not this one, that is. Then I found out that someone had written a novel of this game, so I had to submit to my own curiosity. I expected it to altered somewhat, but for 240 pages this book mechanically toils away and underminds everything about the game it possibly can. The end result: a fast-paced, user-friendly, watered-down, slipshod, juvenile carigature that completely destroys the best elements of the game. Even from the beginning the starts off on the wrong foot. Gone are the vivid descriptions, characterizations, startling revelations, subtlties, and in short scope of the game. Worse than that, the book is badly and hastily written besides. The emotional edge is lost as well as much of the imagery, for the book relentlessly nods away and proceeds, leaving little room for thought. This creates a sense of detatchment and even indifference on behalf of the reader. The story contained within this almost completely incongruous to that of the game, it's as if a sheet of paper was sent to authors within a weeks notice containing only a few vital names characters (The Nameless one, who is referred to as "Thane", Annah, Morte, Fall-from-grace, Dak'kon (who look nothing like how they did from the game), Pharod, etc.). Several of the most interesting locations and characters in the game, such as the Dismembered Crypt, the Warrens of Thought, The Alley of Lingering Sighs, The Brothel of Slating Intellectual Lusts, the Rubikon Testing grounds, the Lady of Pain's maze, the Maloseum, Deionarra, Nordom, Ignus, Vhailor and countless others are completely absent. Although they are familiar with the Planescape universe, it is impossible to assume, or even hypothesize that the authors ever played the game. That alone will be evident after reading the first chapter or two. Therefore, nothing of quality remains in this choked story. It is an injustice of the worst sort (even Vhailor might agree with me on this). I wonder if anyone ever read the book before it was shipped. If you've played Torment, you will regret the experience. If you you have NOT played Torment, then I urge you--no I beg you--go out and buy the game. Or borrow it from a friend at least. Don't bother reading this book. Don't make eye contact with it. In fact, don't even finish reading this review. Even if someone had simply received a copy of the script and all it's countless ramifications from Black Isle and turned it into a book, it would be a much better read than this. (Come to think of it, I would like to see that . . .) There is way to make this material work in book form, though it would hardly be neccisary. If you truly wish to turn Torment into a novel, then for God's sake, I'll have you know that 90% of your dialogue and even descriptions have already been done for you in the game. Otherwise, it makes this book seem even more pointless. Typically, novelizations of narrative-impaired games such as DOOM work for novels, because the authors are free to incorporate their own story encompassing the theme of the game and building on, rather than undermining those elements that made the game so memorable (and by conicidence, I'm being very fair when I state that the DOOM novels are much better than the novelization of Torment, even if you are to read them without prior knowledge of the games). Torment, however is a fluke in the fact that it is the exact opposite. They should have known better.

This book was not worth the 5 dollars I paid for it. I own every book published by TSR (to my knowledge), and have always been a staunch supporter and avid fan of their work. However, this "book" gives me pause. I found this book to be unimaginitive, lacking strong characters or plot, and it appears that the writers received very little guidance or feedback on how to make a novel work. If I weren't so steadfast in my support of TSR, I might accuse them of slapping together an inferior book, naming it "Torment", and throwing it out on the market to make a few extra bucks for the company while riding the coattails of their highly acclaimed pc game under the same name. Knowing TSR and the great history and level of excellence that it has always strived for, I can only pray that this book is a mistake they will not soon make again.

I liked this book. Story is very good and rare, i never get bored while reading , a full of fast action and unexpected scenes inside, fantasy fans must definitely read ....

... you'll love the book. If you havent played the game then you won't. This book helps fill in a lot of questions re: the Nameless One and is a pleasant complement to the game.

A lot of fun.