Riddle-Master: The Complete Trilogy

[I'm Murrin]

Can anyone here tell me how the heck you pronounce "Ghisteslwchlohm"?

[danlo]

I can but you'll have to trap me under the weight of a mountian to get it out of me!

[wayfriend]

The correct answer is "any way you want", of course.
(If it helps, I say "gi-STEZ-ul-WISH-ul-ome").

[Myste]

Ghistestlwchlohm....I pronounce the "w" and the "ch" as they do in Welsh, so it comes out "gist-EST-look-lome", with the "k" in "look" being sort of raspy, as in Scottish "loch"...But I think it's more important to know how to say Iff's name.....

[Isern]

Wow, I just discovered this forum recently, and here you are discussing another of my favorite authors/books.

I always felt McKillip and SRD had some similarities in their writing - the distinctive way they pick their words (though SRD seems to fling them about more violently), the emphasis on the story/character rather than world-building (the worlds were always vivid, but to me felt 'flat' outside of the story), and the Evil Bastards I end up loving anyway.

I found it easier to take in the Riddlemaster trilogy, since the Evil Bastard wasn't the viewpoint character! The flat world annoyed me, but as I reread the books so many times, I ended up making up a lot of "worldbuilder" stuff to fill in the blanks. (I have even had dreams where I found a "lost" 4th volume. Ha.)

Similarities/parallels between Riddlemaster and the Chronicles of TC:

Morgon: I'm so not interested. No, no, why does everyone insist I have power and must save the world? "I'm not out hunting a destiny like a strayed cow."
Covenant: You're not even real! Hellfire!

Morgon: wah, wah, Deth ur teh Evil1!!!
Covenant: wah, wah, woe is me, this totally sux

Wizards and landrulers - a bit like the Lords - perfectly decent folks out of their depth
Earthmasters - the elohim reminded me of these

The weird map boundaries. What is out there beyond those borders? It never feels real. With all those superpowered folk, you'd think there'd be more contact. Even in the real world, humans with primitive tech have managed amazing trade routes.

The 1000s of years that don't feel all that long. What, this old king is centuries old, and only now has grandkids that are still *children*? The language doesn't even change in all that time. (I have to posit magic translator dust or something). The populations are remarkably stable (increase from last disaster, then stay put. Magic contraceptive dust?)
The powerful immortals with their fertility problems.

Spoilers for the Runes of Earth and the Riddlemaster Trilogy:

Spoiler

ONE generation and that's it? The Earthmasters manage it once, and after that it's just a few half-breeds. You'd think there'd be more. The elohim never even manage one generation, it seems, but then you have Kastenessan's kids...but after that, just poor Esmer? You'd think those lusty Haruchai would have spawned a few more than that. (though maybe they did, and will be revealed later) And no great-great-great-great grandkids?

Ok, ok, actually I do like the books, or I wouldn't babble so.
Other McKillip books I love (some just leave me cold): The Changeling Sea,
The Sorceress and the Firebird (wonderful dragons), A Song for the Basilisk

Isern
P.S. And I can't even pronounce "Raederle". In my head it has 4 syllables, and I KNOW that's just wrong.

[duchess of malfi]

One of her more recent books, In the Forests of Serre is quite wonderful, IMO. It was once of the best explorations of obsession and addiction I have ever read.

[Myste]

And I loved Ombria in Shadow. Just incredible.

[I'm Murrin]

P.S. And I can't even pronounce "Raederle". In my head it has 4 syllables, and I KNOW that's just wrong.

For me, Raederle: Ray-durl (like 'hurl' with a 'd').

[duchess of malfi]

That's the way I have always said it, too, Murrin.

[wayfriend]

"ray-ED-er-lee".

Ray-durl? Reminds me of some friends talking about "HER-me-OWN" after reading Harry Potter ...

[Myste]

"RAE-uh-durl"

Don't take my word for it. Take my av's!

[Isern]

Wow, I'm not the only one who put 4 syllables in "Raederle"?

Ah well, too late for me to change the voice in my head.

Isern

[I'm Murrin]

Wayfriend: Ray-ED-er-LEE? Considering that in order to make the 'ay' sound the 'ae' must be taken as a single sound, 'ray-ED' isn't even possible.
'Raed' can be pronounced either 'Reed' or 'Raid', I think.

[wayfriend]

Wayfriend: Ray-ED-er-LEE? Considering that in order to make the 'ay' sound the 'ae' must be taken as a single sound, 'ray-ED' isn't even possible.

I didn't say it was correct. (And I don't think the rules of pronunciation are so clear-cut.) However, a name ending in with an "-erlie" sound seems more attractive and feminine than one ending in an "-url" sound. ray-ED-er-LEE smacks of Penelope and Hermione and perhaps other names (which, without guidance, we might be pronouncing as PEEN-loap etc.)

[I'm Murrin]

Actually, I didn't protest your use of 'erlee' in the pronunciation. It's a perfectly valid way of pronouncing it. It's the 'ray-ed' I didn't agree with.

[wayfriend]

Actually, I didn't protest your use of 'erlee' in the pronunciation.

(Yes, I know.)

[Myste]

I like the "Ray-ed" pronunciation, but maybe it should be more of a "RAH-ed". I don't know. Maybe in my head "RAY-durl" just didn't sound pretty enough.

[MsMary]

A couple years ago, Patricia McKillup came over to Readerville.com to discuss the Riddlemaster trilogy with us.

This is what she had to say about pronounciation of some of the names:

"Ghisteslwchlohm" is pronounced pretty much the way it's written, with the accent on the "wch" syllable which is pronounced sort of like the German "ch" i.e. the sound you make just before you spit.

The king's name "Heureu" is pronounced like the French word for "Happy"

Someone asked her how to pronounce Raederle, too, but I think she never answered that one.

I could be totally off, but I've always pronounced it in my head as Ray-der-lee.

[Encryptic]

I'm midway through reading Harpist In The Wind at the moment (second time reading my copies of the Riddle-Master trilogy). The one thing that impresses me the most is how deep the books are for being so thin (I've got the paperbacks which barely exceed 250 pages each).

I know I'm going to need to re-read the books though because I swear some stuff seems to have gone in one ear and out the other. McKillip's style is excellent but definitely seems as if she's deliberately obscure about some things like just who the Earth-Masters were and what they did. Anyone else notice this or is it just me? Maybe I just need to read the books when I'm not as tired (working full-time and helping take care of the baby definitely chews into my free time, though I wouldn't have it any other way).

As for pronouncing "Ghisteslwchlohm"...I sort of imagine it as "Giss-stez-luh-wik-loam". I've always sounded out "Raederle" as "Ray-derl", personally.

[Myste]

I remember being completely confused by the Earth-Masters at first--and second--too. It took me a while before I really grasped the implications of the (I'm going to spoiler just in case someone who hasn't read them drops in here)

Spoiler

Earth-Master/shapeshifter/High One nexus

.

And if you think Riddle-master is deep (which it is), you should try to get a hold of The Sorceress and the Cygnet and its sequels. Those books are so dense I still don't quite understand them. They're so beautiful, though, it doesn't matter.