Five thoughts after reading the first five chapters of The Rose Labyrinth
1) The description of Will walking the labyrinth definitely confused me. I know that the labyrinth is something drawn on the floor of the cathedral, but there were times when it seemed Hardie was describing things that could only happen if the labyrinth were walled. I mean, how did he only see the window when he was in one particular place? I guess it's a case of just looking straight ahead when you're walking the path, but the path loops back and forth a lot, so he should have seen the image multiple times. And isn't it difficult to walk a path drawn on the floor without looking down at it? Or is the path well-worn enough that you can feel where it is? Are you intended to be looking at the cathedral or at the floor when all of this is going on? If he was so aware of the windows, how did he miss the people standing around staring at him? I am just not a very visual person at all - I often completely ignore optical input altogether - and I'm even worse with most spatial things, so trying to imagine watching someone walk through a complicated geometry? Not really working for me.
2) I don't think the religious themes are going to be quite as overpowering as the Prologue made it seem, but that could be wishful thinking on my part. There was, after all, a "not really religious but totes spiritual, y'all" experience in the cathedral dealing with the book's central allegory. But there hasn't been a glorification of church-sanctioned murder in five chapters, so that's delightful change of pace.
2a) To be fair, I am not ruling out the possibility that the reference to mercy in the Prologue was ironic. It just didn't seem that way to my reading.
3) Oh, goodie. Rivalry and misunderstanding between a "fair," "straight-haired" brother and a protagonist who "after more than a month in Rome...had started to resemble a local." "And suddenly I'm so painfully bored," as a certain bleached-blonde vampire would say. The fair brother/swarthy brother trope is so played out, I don't know why it's even still a thing. Also, did the narration seriously just say that the book's hero thinks of himself as looking like an extra in a Zeffirelli film? I don't know what to do with that.
4) No, really, this prose is pretty seriously bloated in places. It is not the masterclass in how not to write that is The Da Vinci Code or Twilight, but there are places where I am reminded of late-90s Anne Rice. And, on top of the uninspired attempts at poetic prose, there's this whole paragraph about the best route to drive home. I'm talking a road-by-road rundown. Why didn't this get edited out at some stage?
5) There is potential here, but I'm not certain I would see it if I weren't so enthralled by the note card puzzle. Maybe it'll get better questionmarkhopefulgrin? I am at least intrigued about who this Lucy person is...
Meanwhile, GOOD GODS, what happened on The Colbert Report tonight? UGH, there were many things about that interview, and the whole episode leading up to it, that made me uncomfortable and rather disgusted. Oh noes, we should all feel bad for Charles Murray because it pains him to be asked pertinent questions about citing research conducted by people affiliated with pro-Nazi publications. Look at all of the tears I'm not crying.
ETA: I actually wrote this several hours after reading the relevant passages, and therefore forgot the main point I intended to make - there are things about this book that do remind me of The Da Vinci Code, but I am even more strongly reminded of The Ninth Gate, which is a weird, weird, weird Polanski film that, while not especially great or life changing, is interesting enough that I've watched it a couple of times (note: this could be because it stars Johnny Depp and Frank Langella and features a cameo by Jack Taylor, my favourite Quincey Morris).
EOATA: I finally finished my second time through Firefly. Now, why did that take me so long? (A: For reasons that are obvious to anyone who knows me.) It seems very odd to me that this is my least favourite of the four Whedon shows, that I actually prefer Dollhouse by a fairly wide margin, even given the fact that I am far, FAR more fond of the Serenity crew than the Dollhouse characters, and I wish there were some way for me to know if that is because of the show itself and its inability to establish a serial narrative before its cancellation, or because of the circumstances in which I first saw it. Anyway, Serenity is (finally, for real this time gawdthisisgonnahurt) up next in my hour-long drama rota, and then I'm totally starting X-Files, you guys. Seriously, how have I never done this before?
EABITKON/DTA: SOKKAAAAAAAA...!* Bless you, Jack De Sena, and your ability to convey dorkfishiness. Rewatching A:TLA has been rather joyous, and I'm almost back up to the episodes I watched less than a month ago (TOPH!!)
Korra spoilers: I'M SO HEARTBROKEN FOR KATARA. But, until I am forced to believe otherwise, I am going to go on the assumption that Aang and Sokka both died in a hilarious cabbage-related accident while penguin-sledding on the delivery chutes at Omashu. DON'T YOU TAKE THIS IMAGE OF OLD GUYS HAVING LETHALLY ZANY ADVENTURES FROM ME.
Edited Again Because It's That Kind Of Night/Day To Add