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I write these words, Dear Reader, from my thoroughly box-filled new apartment, whence I am working today as I wait for the cable company to come bringing the blessing of (non-stolen) internet. In other words, move-in was successful! There may be another round or two of Furniture Tetris still to come as I try and fit everything in an arrangement that will actually let me go through doors without having to climb over something, but the important thing is that I am here and it is mine. *_*
And now: back to your regularly scheduled booklogging, with Jews With Swords! Okay, the actual book is Gentlemen of the Road by Michael Chabon, but the best part of the otherwise awkward author's note (seriously, Chabon, you can stop bragging/apologizing about your genre fiction now! IT'S OKAY) is the knowledge that this was totally the original title. Anyway, I thought it was awesome! I can see how people would hate the ridiculously overwrought wordiness of the prose, but I kind of love it, and Amram and Zelikman's unapologetic bromance, and how Zelikman is totally an emo kid, and the fact that Amram is a Jew who isn't white, and the whole sheer adventure bounciness of the whole thing. (I don't want it to be ever made into a movie. Not that it wouldn't be an awesome movie in theory, but the movie would make Amram Zelikman's sidekick, and that would suck.) Also, this is maybe the first time ever that I was actually surprised by the presence of a cross-dressing girl! I totally should have seen it coming, there is no excuse. Though, uh, I could have done without the rape. Or every other woman in the story being a lovable whore.
I have to admit, I joked about my mom being super-excited about Jewish werewolves and Jewish wizards yesterday, but she is not the only one; I totally get kind of gleeful when I see Jews running around in action and fantasy and sff doing stuff. Sometimes they hit wrong, of course, but it's still kind of nice that the effort is there. I am actually really curious about which Jewish fictional characters make people go 'you're kind of doing it wrong' - I know Sofia in The Sparrow hit me a couple of wrong ways, rymenhild facemakes at Kevin Laine from the Fionavar Tapestry and newredshoes bounced off the whole Yiddish Policeman's Union. It makes sense that different things bother different people, obviously, because not everyone's experience is the same! So if you guys have examples I would love to hear them. Examples of 'doing it right' would be awesome too.
And now: back to your regularly scheduled booklogging, with Jews With Swords! Okay, the actual book is Gentlemen of the Road by Michael Chabon, but the best part of the otherwise awkward author's note (seriously, Chabon, you can stop bragging/apologizing about your genre fiction now! IT'S OKAY) is the knowledge that this was totally the original title. Anyway, I thought it was awesome! I can see how people would hate the ridiculously overwrought wordiness of the prose, but I kind of love it, and Amram and Zelikman's unapologetic bromance, and how Zelikman is totally an emo kid, and the fact that Amram is a Jew who isn't white, and the whole sheer adventure bounciness of the whole thing. (I don't want it to be ever made into a movie. Not that it wouldn't be an awesome movie in theory, but the movie would make Amram Zelikman's sidekick, and that would suck.) Also, this is maybe the first time ever that I was actually surprised by the presence of a cross-dressing girl! I totally should have seen it coming, there is no excuse. Though, uh, I could have done without the rape. Or every other woman in the story being a lovable whore.
I have to admit, I joked about my mom being super-excited about Jewish werewolves and Jewish wizards yesterday, but she is not the only one; I totally get kind of gleeful when I see Jews running around in action and fantasy and sff doing stuff. Sometimes they hit wrong, of course, but it's still kind of nice that the effort is there. I am actually really curious about which Jewish fictional characters make people go 'you're kind of doing it wrong' - I know Sofia in The Sparrow hit me a couple of wrong ways, rymenhild facemakes at Kevin Laine from the Fionavar Tapestry and newredshoes bounced off the whole Yiddish Policeman's Union. It makes sense that different things bother different people, obviously, because not everyone's experience is the same! So if you guys have examples I would love to hear them. Examples of 'doing it right' would be awesome too.