literary kinks and other mystical creatures.
Hokay, so I'm writing my BA thesis (which, yes, y'all heard about time and again, and well, get ready for more, because right now this is mostly what's on my brain. I apparently speak of it while sleeping. Srsly).
It's about using literary works in language teaching, instead of artificial textbook materials. And I got to the part about reader/text interraction, and schema theory, and the preconceived notions we bring to each text we read.
And it got me thinking thinky thoughts that led to pondering my literary fascinations, obsessions, and kinks. (BTW, randomly. Oxford comma, yay or nay?)
Some of my kinks are pretty evident, of some I speak often, some are unknown even to me until I see it and go oooh.
One of the biggest, probably, is the retelling of stories. Be it fairy tales, myths, cliches, classic literature, anything (but especially fairy tales), if you have it retold in a novel and interesting way, I'm building a shrine. Which is probably why my love for Terry Pratchett is eternal and true. And why I love shows like Buffy or Supernatural.
Also, characters. cala_jane has a habit of making fun of me, because I am damn predictable in my loves (so far, broke my type for only one guy: Don Flack. BUT, come on, it's FLACK and he is made of awesome, makes bad puns, has sex against walls, runs a lot, has a gun, and is unbearably cute, YES).
So, for guys it would be the Smart and Stoic (TM). Just smart doesn't do it for me, I need sarcasm and dry wit, and a certain amount of being a total bastard at times to go with it. Oh, and being fucked in the head is welcome. Giles. Wesley. Daniel Jackson. Gil Grissom. Occasionally Mac Taylor, but he scares me too much for me to love him unconditionally. Well, I love him, but I can't lust after him :D
Second, The Cop On Edge. I blame Deckard and Marlowe, to whose adventures I had been exposed at a young and impressionable age (I was what, seven? when I watched Blade Runner? Explains so much, doesn't it?), but this is behind my love for the gritty, sarcastic, pessimistic bastards of film and literature. Probably why I love Samuel Vimes so much. But also so many others. And this might be the reason for my recent love for Tin Man miniseries, and Wyatt Cain. YES.
For women... the Smart Little Good Girl, I suppose, as long as she turns out smart and not so really good. Fred Burkle is the perfect example (even if she is as Mary Sueish as they come). The moment she brandishes the crossbow, the moment she goes after Sydel, the moment she is ruthless and scary and perfect. Hermione Granger. Who is an insufferable know-it-all and I love her for it, but then she becomes cruel and scary and fantastic. The memory spell in book 7? Has me in love with Hermione forever.
Relationship kinks. I suppose my mentor/student kink is so evident it dances naked in front of everybody. Add to this the warrior/scholar and queen/soldier (or princess/bodyguard or whatever variations you can think of) and you have a key to noelia's squee (and GOD I SHOULD NOT RHYME because it's worse than my BA thesis summary limericks).
I have more. Let me show you them.
The self-fulfilling prophecy. Fatum, wyrd, whatever you call it, if you have tragic heroes trying to avoid the prohecies just to fall victims to them, I'm so there. That's mostly why I'm a greek/roman mythology fangirl, and why I fell for the Jossverse so hard - each prophecy comes true because the heroes try to avoid it. And then, there is my most favourite moment ever, when Buffy decided to face it, and it all comes to pass, and then she kicks the prophecy's ass.
The one where you can never go home again, because the road, the adventure, the war, changed you. There are places you don't come back from, there are stories that can't have happy endings (not for the heroes anyway). That's why I love Tolkien. That's why I resent JKR. And, for the Polish part of the flist: that's why I dislike Sapkowski - sure, we have people dying, but then they go to freakin' heaven? All is well, MY ASS.
The 'You don't know who you're speaking to' one. Let me explain. Remember the Little Princess? And how Sara told Miss Minchin that she would be so surprised if she found out Sara really was a princess, and then it all comes true (sort of)? That. The moment of the reveal, Prince-in-disguise taking off his cloak, Strider admitting to his kingship, I-Am-Maximus-Decimus-Meridius, THIS. And the OMGWTFPOLARBEAR moment that follows. Ha, take that. That moment.
Many more, but it's late, and I want to ask a question. What are your literary kinks? What makes you love the story instantly? Please, share. Discuss. Tell me, I'm dying to know.
It's about using literary works in language teaching, instead of artificial textbook materials. And I got to the part about reader/text interraction, and schema theory, and the preconceived notions we bring to each text we read.
And it got me thinking thinky thoughts that led to pondering my literary fascinations, obsessions, and kinks. (BTW, randomly. Oxford comma, yay or nay?)
Some of my kinks are pretty evident, of some I speak often, some are unknown even to me until I see it and go oooh.
One of the biggest, probably, is the retelling of stories. Be it fairy tales, myths, cliches, classic literature, anything (but especially fairy tales), if you have it retold in a novel and interesting way, I'm building a shrine. Which is probably why my love for Terry Pratchett is eternal and true. And why I love shows like Buffy or Supernatural.
Also, characters. cala_jane has a habit of making fun of me, because I am damn predictable in my loves (so far, broke my type for only one guy: Don Flack. BUT, come on, it's FLACK and he is made of awesome, makes bad puns, has sex against walls, runs a lot, has a gun, and is unbearably cute, YES).
So, for guys it would be the Smart and Stoic (TM). Just smart doesn't do it for me, I need sarcasm and dry wit, and a certain amount of being a total bastard at times to go with it. Oh, and being fucked in the head is welcome. Giles. Wesley. Daniel Jackson. Gil Grissom. Occasionally Mac Taylor, but he scares me too much for me to love him unconditionally. Well, I love him, but I can't lust after him :D
Second, The Cop On Edge. I blame Deckard and Marlowe, to whose adventures I had been exposed at a young and impressionable age (I was what, seven? when I watched Blade Runner? Explains so much, doesn't it?), but this is behind my love for the gritty, sarcastic, pessimistic bastards of film and literature. Probably why I love Samuel Vimes so much. But also so many others. And this might be the reason for my recent love for Tin Man miniseries, and Wyatt Cain. YES.
For women... the Smart Little Good Girl, I suppose, as long as she turns out smart and not so really good. Fred Burkle is the perfect example (even if she is as Mary Sueish as they come). The moment she brandishes the crossbow, the moment she goes after Sydel, the moment she is ruthless and scary and perfect. Hermione Granger. Who is an insufferable know-it-all and I love her for it, but then she becomes cruel and scary and fantastic. The memory spell in book 7? Has me in love with Hermione forever.
Relationship kinks. I suppose my mentor/student kink is so evident it dances naked in front of everybody. Add to this the warrior/scholar and queen/soldier (or princess/bodyguard or whatever variations you can think of) and you have a key to noelia's squee (and GOD I SHOULD NOT RHYME because it's worse than my BA thesis summary limericks).
I have more. Let me show you them.
The self-fulfilling prophecy. Fatum, wyrd, whatever you call it, if you have tragic heroes trying to avoid the prohecies just to fall victims to them, I'm so there. That's mostly why I'm a greek/roman mythology fangirl, and why I fell for the Jossverse so hard - each prophecy comes true because the heroes try to avoid it. And then, there is my most favourite moment ever, when Buffy decided to face it, and it all comes to pass, and then she kicks the prophecy's ass.
The one where you can never go home again, because the road, the adventure, the war, changed you. There are places you don't come back from, there are stories that can't have happy endings (not for the heroes anyway). That's why I love Tolkien. That's why I resent JKR. And, for the Polish part of the flist: that's why I dislike Sapkowski - sure, we have people dying, but then they go to freakin' heaven? All is well, MY ASS.
The 'You don't know who you're speaking to' one. Let me explain. Remember the Little Princess? And how Sara told Miss Minchin that she would be so surprised if she found out Sara really was a princess, and then it all comes true (sort of)? That. The moment of the reveal, Prince-in-disguise taking off his cloak, Strider admitting to his kingship, I-Am-Maximus-Decimus-Meridius, THIS. And the OMGWTFPOLARBEAR moment that follows. Ha, take that. That moment.
Many more, but it's late, and I want to ask a question. What are your literary kinks? What makes you love the story instantly? Please, share. Discuss. Tell me, I'm dying to know.