(ordered from pbs for Oct 24 Hugo/Nebula group read, giving it a shot because reviewers imply it's somewhat utopian and say it has great world-building)
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Ok done.

It does indeed have both of those elements. Also adventure, humor, a huge theme of friendship, and the political intrigue that I despise but that others enjoy. And lots of ideas. I'm very glad that I finally read it, and do think it worthy of accolades.

As he learns to juggle: "And as his soul journeyed toward the heights of exaltation, Valentine perceived, with the barest flicker of his otherwise transcendent consciousness, that he was no longer standing rooted to the place, but somehow had begun to move forward, drawn magically by the orinting balls...."

"How can any usurper be just? He is a criminal... and he rules already with a criminal's guilty fears eating at his dreams, and as time goes on those fears will poison him and he will be a tyrant."

"On they went through a tamed province of city after city, broken only by modest belts of greenery that barely obeyed the letter of the density laws."

"The Pontifex has an army of petty clerks and officials.... We will find them extremely useful. They, not warriors, control the balance of power in our world."

"May you come to have all the power and prestige you deserve."

"I expect there to be bloodshed, but I intend to minimize it. Those troops down there are the troops of the Coronal; Remember that, and remember who is truly Coronal. They are not the enemy. [The usurper is the enemy.]"

"Why do you think the Divine is fair? In the long run, all wrongs are righted, every minus is balanced with a plus, the columns are totaled and the totals are found correct. But that's in the long run. We must live in the short run, and matters are often unjust there." ( )

An exciting read, a well created world, all the creative genius Silverberg is so well known for. A dangerous journey with a person who has no idea who he is or knowledge of his life prior to where the story begins. As he wanders looking for clues about himself, he picks up a small band of followers who help him in his search for his true identity. The group becomes completely taken by the amnesiac's intelligence and warm manner. The outcome is easily guessed at, but the journey raises question for our protagonists to work through and dangers they face, holds the reader's attention for the length of the book. Loved it ( )

This was a lovely book, a picaresque adventure through an incredibly rich and wonder-filled world, played absolutely straight. It took me a while to read because it is so very linear—the characters are likable but uncomplicated, and there's this storybook certainty to the narrative that everything will come out right in the end, despite momentary setbacks.

I will note that certain details of the plot seem to make no sense, but this is definitely not a book that requires a logical plot. Additionally, Silverberg's female characters, while much better written than I expected, have a couple of WTF moments, and I would have liked to see more gender balance overall.

Nevertheless, a really exceptional adventure tale and not to be missed. ( )

Lord Valentine’s Castle - Silverberg
Audio performance by Stephan Rudniki
5 stars

I read and reread this book several times during the ‘80’s. I loved the diverse human and alien characters, the adventurous quest, and the endlessly exotic settings of massive Majipoor. This is the sort of book that makes me want to start right back at the beginning after I read the final page. It had been at least 20 years since my last reread. This audio performance was a great way to revisit Majipoor. I’d forgotten enough that at least parts of it felt like a new journey. ( )

Another classic that I appear to re-read every decade. Delightful.

11/27/2023 The opening sequence is a favorite of mine and the complete journey an epic of self discovery. This has to be my third or fourth read thru. ( )