Comments | thewronghands: [Book Reviews] Japan and Ireland, both fictional and factual

thewronghands

[Book Reviews] Japan and Ireland, both fictional and factual

Dec 25, 2005 03:06

Massive book review post.

( The Pillow Book of Lady Wisteria, The Perfumed Sleeve )

ireland, mysteries, japan, cr, book reviews, fantasy, karate

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larksdream December 25 2005, 15:54:41 UTC

The book I'm slogging through is Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. I thought I'd love it-- in actuality, teh hatred. I find its glacial pace and full-page footnotes make me want to spork my eyeballs out. No, it's not "a modern Jane Austen". I love Jane Austen and have read her books over and over with increasing delight on each reading. The only thing Jonathan Strange has in common with Jane Austen is that if one set the former on fire, it would go well with a Jane Austen novel and some tea and crumpets.

leg hair

The Assyrian came down like a wolf on the fold
And his leg hair was streaming like scarves in the cold...

Er. Time for caffeine. :-)

madrun December 25 2005, 18:27:27 UTC

I find its glacial pace and full-page footnotes make me want to spork my eyeballs out.

*WAHhahahahahaaa*

thewronghands December 25 2005, 23:07:49 UTC

[laughs] I hadn't tried that one, but now I am less likely to. (I didn't even like Jane Austen, so, not very likely.)

searchingbuddha December 26 2005, 13:12:14 UTC

I'm told it's well worth it once you get through the glacial pace, but I picked up up a year ago, read seven chapters, became busy and alas, the bookmark has not moved in all that time.

Just finished what's been written of the Harry Potter series, though (which Jonathan Strange has often been compared to) and must say it's highly preferable.

larksdream December 26 2005, 15:12:53 UTC

*ROFL* I just opened my copy (borrowed in the summer) to see how far I'd gotten. I'm right at the beginning of chapter seven.

It did win this year's Hugo, and I just hate giving up on books. I'll probably end up slogging through it and consoling myself with chocolate. :P

searchingbuddha December 26 2005, 15:19:20 UTC

Yeah - I'll get back to it and through it again, but probably not until after graduation. :)

One of the other problems I'm having with it is the total lack of female characters, which is something I've never been able to really get past. That was a major problem for me in Tolkein's writing.

The LJ post on ideas of gender and Harry Potter is soon to come. :)

larksdream December 26 2005, 20:03:02 UTC

In some books that bothers me, in some it doesn't. I think I've gotten more sensitive to it as I get older.

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