Once more with the I and with the books
As you have probably guessed, I have decided to take a break from my thesis this weekend, especially given that I wasn't feeling very well. A lot of people around me seem to have the same symptoms so there must be something in the air...
A cut to spare the readership, given that, while I answer the meme, I'm sorta digressing on romance novels and genres...
1. What is your favourite genre to read?
I'm fond of crime novels, because I like the puzzles and the darkness that go with the genre (hence my love for hard-boiled detective stories), but I mostly like books that defy the genre categorizing and are just good literature.
I used to like sci-fi but it's been a long time since I read really good science fiction.
2. What is the first romance novel you ever read and how old were you when you read it?
Probably Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor, which I stole from my parents' bookcase. Although I guess it could also be called history novel. I was very young and it was hardly suitable for my age...
I am not a big fan of romance novels. I don't like novels whose the main focus is a romantic relationship. For instance I don't like Belle du Seigneur by Albert Cohen while it's considered to be a literary masterpiece, and that is mostly about a love story. People in France wouldn't label it romance though. Over here romance novels mean Harlequin poorly written books.
But it makes sense since, according to Wikipedia, romance is a genre developped in English-speaking countries just like bildungroman was developped in Germany.
Isn't it funny and ironical that our nation that is so often associated to love (French kiss, Paris, city of lovers etc) never developped that genre? There are many French writers that are "specialized" in mystery or science fiction or erotica...but I can't think of anyone writing romance novels...which doesn't mean that romantic relationships don't exist in French literature of course, but there are usually part of psychological novels (or what is called, over here, roman d'analyse), like La Princesse de Clèves or Les Liaisons Dangereuses (although it also belongs to the epistolary genre) for instance.
A novel is for us all about the mind, not about the emotions.
When it comes to novels, the typical French genres are: roman d'analyse, roman réaliste, roman épistolaire, roman historique, roman autobiographique (the narrator tells his/her own life, but he/she is a fictional character), roman d'aventure (subcategories that became proper genre being roman policier and roman d'anticipation).
In this time of globalization people tend to forget that literary genres have cultural roots. In my case, I guess I'm your stereotypical French since I don't have any inclination towards romance novels. It's scary how much i'm a product of my background!
And yet my favourite living novelist is American.
3. How many books -- paper or ebooks -- are in your existing TBR pile?
Too many!
4. Do you read non-fiction? If so, from which sub-genre?
I have to, for my thesis. They are historical essays, some are monographies, or syntheses of medieval society, medieval politics, witchcraft, heresy, or of medieval theology and canon law.
5. Do you own an e-reading device? If so, which one(s)?
I like "real books"; I like the item that is a book, I think it's a beautiful thing; I like seeing books on bookcases and feeling the paper under my fingers when I read; I'd love to have a true private library, a room devoted to books and reading. My sister gave me a kindle for Christmas. I don't use it. She thought it would be useful when I'm in Rome. Maybe. We'll see.
6. Which one book have you re-read most often?
Either Les Faux-Monnayeurs by André Gide...or Dune by Franck Herbert.
7. How many library books do you have out right now?
None. The library where I study is a place for researchers, we aren't allowed to get the books out.
8. How do you mark your place in a book?
With bookmarks. Sometimes with subway tickets.
9. About how many books do you typically read in a month?
It depends. Usually about 4 books a month, but since I've been working on my thesis I read less for pleasure in the evening and my reading for my studies is slow because I take notes.
10. What was the last book that made you cry?
Books make me think, and daydream, and sometimes make me smile, but they don't usually make me cry(unlike movies or music), but Harry Hole in Jo Nesbø 's The Redbreast made me cry.
11. What was the last book that made you laugh?
Murder In the Hearse Degree by Tim Cockey. Not the best book of the series but Hitchcock Sewel, the detective-undertaker, is still a funny guy!
A cut to spare the readership, given that, while I answer the meme, I'm sorta digressing on romance novels and genres...
1. What is your favourite genre to read?
I'm fond of crime novels, because I like the puzzles and the darkness that go with the genre (hence my love for hard-boiled detective stories), but I mostly like books that defy the genre categorizing and are just good literature.
I used to like sci-fi but it's been a long time since I read really good science fiction.
2. What is the first romance novel you ever read and how old were you when you read it?
Probably Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor, which I stole from my parents' bookcase. Although I guess it could also be called history novel. I was very young and it was hardly suitable for my age...
I am not a big fan of romance novels. I don't like novels whose the main focus is a romantic relationship. For instance I don't like Belle du Seigneur by Albert Cohen while it's considered to be a literary masterpiece, and that is mostly about a love story. People in France wouldn't label it romance though. Over here romance novels mean Harlequin poorly written books.
But it makes sense since, according to Wikipedia, romance is a genre developped in English-speaking countries just like bildungroman was developped in Germany.
Isn't it funny and ironical that our nation that is so often associated to love (French kiss, Paris, city of lovers etc) never developped that genre? There are many French writers that are "specialized" in mystery or science fiction or erotica...but I can't think of anyone writing romance novels...which doesn't mean that romantic relationships don't exist in French literature of course, but there are usually part of psychological novels (or what is called, over here, roman d'analyse), like La Princesse de Clèves or Les Liaisons Dangereuses (although it also belongs to the epistolary genre) for instance.
A novel is for us all about the mind, not about the emotions.
When it comes to novels, the typical French genres are: roman d'analyse, roman réaliste, roman épistolaire, roman historique, roman autobiographique (the narrator tells his/her own life, but he/she is a fictional character), roman d'aventure (subcategories that became proper genre being roman policier and roman d'anticipation).
In this time of globalization people tend to forget that literary genres have cultural roots. In my case, I guess I'm your stereotypical French since I don't have any inclination towards romance novels. It's scary how much i'm a product of my background!
And yet my favourite living novelist is American.
3. How many books -- paper or ebooks -- are in your existing TBR pile?
Too many!
4. Do you read non-fiction? If so, from which sub-genre?
I have to, for my thesis. They are historical essays, some are monographies, or syntheses of medieval society, medieval politics, witchcraft, heresy, or of medieval theology and canon law.
5. Do you own an e-reading device? If so, which one(s)?
I like "real books"; I like the item that is a book, I think it's a beautiful thing; I like seeing books on bookcases and feeling the paper under my fingers when I read; I'd love to have a true private library, a room devoted to books and reading. My sister gave me a kindle for Christmas. I don't use it. She thought it would be useful when I'm in Rome. Maybe. We'll see.
6. Which one book have you re-read most often?
Either Les Faux-Monnayeurs by André Gide...or Dune by Franck Herbert.
7. How many library books do you have out right now?
None. The library where I study is a place for researchers, we aren't allowed to get the books out.
8. How do you mark your place in a book?
With bookmarks. Sometimes with subway tickets.
9. About how many books do you typically read in a month?
It depends. Usually about 4 books a month, but since I've been working on my thesis I read less for pleasure in the evening and my reading for my studies is slow because I take notes.
10. What was the last book that made you cry?
Books make me think, and daydream, and sometimes make me smile, but they don't usually make me cry(unlike movies or music), but Harry Hole in Jo Nesbø 's The Redbreast made me cry.
11. What was the last book that made you laugh?
Murder In the Hearse Degree by Tim Cockey. Not the best book of the series but Hitchcock Sewel, the detective-undertaker, is still a funny guy!