Monday, May 16, 2016

[bearshorty]

So apparently I'm reading Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell now. It was a little unplanned. I finished Sacks and was going to start Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children . But that book was in hard copy and on Friday morning Tanya woke me up early by moving around but then she went back to sleep for another hour. Since I couldn't sleep and

Comments

[hamsterwoman]

And Mr. Norell just wants to read his book in the corner.

I did not expect to like Mr Norrell as much as I enjoyed liking him after that scene, but grumpy!introvert!Norrell is strangely adorable.

It took me two attempts, years apart, to get through this book, because OMG long. But ultimately I really liked it, and was impressed by it.

And the miniseries is pretty good, although I started out really loving it as an adaptation and ended up kind of side-eyeing it for some choices it made. But overall I'm glad I watched it, too, and I watched all 8 hours of it in a weekend or something, so I was definitely enjoying it.

I'm looking forward to your thoughts on both (eventually :)

Also, I'm deeply unsurprised that you have a cousin Anna. :)

And also also, I'm rather amused that Tanya knows not to decline "moloko" but is understandably confused by the gender of "banana" between Russian and English :)

[bearshorty]

I put Jonathan Strange on my list this year partly because of the miniseries and all chatter about it last year. I generally like reading the book first. The book is interesting so far, just long!

Tanya's Americanized declention of ' banana' is my fault. I don't correct her on it and I fall into the trap sometimes too. It doesn't help that we read this piggy and elephant book (it's in English but I tend to mostly read it to her in Russian) where we need to read and say 'banana' very loudly.

[hamsterwoman]

Yeah, I went back to it last year after having put it aside for like ten years because of the miniseries and the fandom perking up around it. I did feel like I stopped noticing the length once I got to a certain point -- maybe a third into the book? Anyway, I hope you continue to enjoy it!

it's in English but I tend to mostly read it to her in Russian

*nods* I did that with all the picture books for the rodents, too. (Which is why they got very little Dr Seuss until they started reading on their own -- even though I like his books, there's no way to do them justice with a podstrochnik :P)

The "banana" declension trap would be very easy to fall into! And I suppose it's no less legitimate than the regional feminine "pomidora", really :)

[bearshorty]

Tanya has her Papa for Dr Seuss books. She likes the ABC book and Cat in the Hat. Sometimes when Bear isn't home, she still wants me to read them so those I do in English for her, since it's all about the rhyme. But mostly I stick to reading in Russian to her. A lot of Chukovskiy. She loves Moidodyr and Aibolit and Chudo-derevo.

It's funny, but Tanya has this favorite book of stories called 'Stories for 2 year olds' in English which are mostly pictures. I read them in Russian to her. One evening Bear read one of the stories to her in English and I realized for the first time that the story had rhyme. It was a poem. I always just translated line by line without absorbing English structure.

[scripsi]

I love that book! It took me a little while to get into it, but when I found my stride I found it a surprsiingly Quick read, give the size of the book. :)

[bearshorty]

I hope it would be the case. I'm liking it so far.

[denorios]

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell is probably my favourite book in all the world, I just adore it. I've read it four or five times now, and every time I just get sucked into the world and have to look up and take a break and remind myself every so often that magic isn't real. And when I've finished reading it, I tend to carry the book around with me for a little while because I'm just not ready to let go...

It seems like it's the kind of book that people either love or just can't get into it - I hope you love it!

[bearshorty]

That's actually very encouraging. I've read really long books before but usually I hope to love them to make the time investment worth it. The book is definitely interesting so far. I'm reading it on my Kindle.

[qwentoozla]

I hope you like Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell! I really love that book. I've found it to be a strangely quick read for such a long book--I get really involved in its world and can't stop reading it.

I hope you like season 9 of Doctor Who too! It has some great episodes, and the Christmas special is a lot of fun.

I feel you on the phone thing, I hate calling to ask for things too. I'm glad it worked out!

Tanya translating for her dad is adorable. :)

[bearshorty]

I hope that would the case that I would be so involved in the book that the length won't matter! I like it so far.

I'm half way done with Season 9 now. Definitely good season so far. I like 12 in general, much more than 11 for whom I didn't care much. And I hope Missy sticks around for a while, I love her. Looking forward to River in the Christmas special.

[pax_athena]

Ah, I could so see my own thought pattern there in not wanting to commit to books too long. Especially when it's an author I do not know yet.

I also don't like calling people and will much more prefer to write. Although part of it is language for me (no matter which of my three, I always have an accent in them *sighs*), on top of just being an introvert who prefers not to deal with individual people.

[bearshorty]

Re books, I know! I feel that if the book is too long, it better be good or I will miss out on other books! I do like this book so far.

For me not wanting to call is more about asking people something. I don't like emailing to ask either, although that is a little easier. I had to email to ask my colleagues for letters of recommendations and it just makes me nervous. But asking paid off in this case so I know I have it and make myself do it. I used to have anxiety stopping by office hours when I was the student. Now that I'm a teacher I see how ridiculous that was.