The Reading Meme

[pameladean]

This is all over my friends-list, and I believe originated at Book View Cafe. wild_irises happened to be the first person I saw doing it, and she invited others to play. I would hate to turn down an invitation from her if I didn't have to. I apologize for the very scattered and inward-looking nature of this entry. You will see why I don't ordinarily post

Comments

[coffeeandink]

I've never reread Funeral Games or most of Renault's contemporary novels. The books that more or less don't have female characters are much easier for me to take than the ones where women, or being female, is hated, resented, despised, or by definition inferior to maleness.

There's a plotline involving sexual violence in the first book of Elliott's Crown of Stars series that I find difficult to take, not because of how the narrative treats it, but because of the social context. I only mention it because your post makes me think it might be difficult for you, too.

[alecaustin]

I will confess I was really not a fan of said plot line in the Elliott books.

[pameladean]

Thanks for the additional data point. I will proceed with caution.

P.

[pameladean]

I have a weird fondness for the contemporary novels, though I concede the force of your argument. I don't like North Face as much because it is too Freudian, and Return to Night makes me want to scream, so that I sometimes skip the ending. But I actively enjoy Kind Are Her Answers because I just think of Kit as an unreliable narrator; and most of The Friendly Young Ladies is lovely. I just think about Helen rather than about Leo. They do start a trend that is horribly fulfilled in Funeral Games, though.

Thanks for the heads-up about the Crown of Stars series. I won't start it carelessly.

P.

[mizkit]

I think I more see why it would be delightful if you *did* post book reviews!

[wild_irises]

Me too! And I am glad you accepted my invitation!

(I don't want to turn down invitations from you either.)

[pameladean]

I'm still sad about that birthday celebration I had to miss.

P.

[pameladean]

Aww, that's very kind; thanks!

P.

[sartorias]

:-)

[jinian]

Ooh, that's newer Toby than the last one I have. Good thing I'm going to the bookstore today!

And I agree, people's tangents on books are more fun than most regular reviews anyway.

[thanate]

I have large swaths of things that I tend to categorize as "this is ghastly, why would anyone want to read about it?" and both the lovingly detailed kind of violence and psychological trauma are definitely high on that list. But I also find that there are people who write things I'd usually expect to fall into that category that I haven't any problem with at all. My usual first example is alecaustin, but I wouldn't be surprised if I drew up a list and found that most of the people who do this are female.

I always find it interesting in discussions with friends who have similar aversions to see which things bother which people, as everyone ends up drawing the line in a slightly different place.