"Lord of the Rings" was written as one book and cut in three by the publisher, and Dan Simmons' Hyperion series was written as two books but was cut into four. An old and honored tradition, I guess.
Very true. But LOTR was still written with individual parts, so it worked (or maybe I didn't care because I read it in one fell swoop) and at HYPERION left me flabbergasted enough that I had to get the immediate sequel. I wish Blackout had more of a definitive arc per book...
Although conceived as on epic story, Tolkien wanted to publish LotR as a six volume set. Some publishings retain the Book I, Book II face plates. The original UK publisher insisted on three, figuring no one would ever hang on for six volumes. Remember, the fiction trilogies was new ground with LotR.
Thanks for that tidbit! I didn't realize he wanted to publish them as six separate volumes, even though the book is technically divided into six parts.
I had a quite similar response to the characters as you did--for most of Blackout I found them really only defined by their actions, with no distinctive personality traits to set them apart. And while perhaps Willis was trying to do the old "show don't tell," I still found myself quite divorced from the main characters for much of Blackout (until they met up and she was forced to begin to show how they were different in comparison to each other). I also liked Eileen best, because her optimism set her apart. Mike drove me nuts--I did get tired of reading his fixated chapters. Polly grew on me only because I figured, Colin and Sir Godfrey must have been attracted to something, although it was hard to say what exactly, aside from the blonde hair, legs, and admitted intelligence
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Maybe it's that most heroines I've encountered don't have their adventures with two kids in tow.
That's a good point!
I didn't feel that Eileen was reduced to being a mother
I didn't mean to imply that Eileen was reduced in any way, but rather point out that she became defined as a character by a very traditional role in society. There seems to be such a tension about how the ideal heroine in fiction... too bad ass, and she's a man with boobs, but too feminine and she's a stereotype. Finding that middle is hard, and I found it disconcerting, especially in comparison to Polly the love interest, that Eileen was also defined by a traditional feminine role. If Polly also hadn't been defined by a traditional feminine role, I don't think I would've noticed!
Still, I loved Eileen's arc the most, so it's more observation than criticism. And both women are also defined by their heroic moments. :)
I guess I read Eileen's story more as a coming of age (and yes, children figured into that) but it interested me that she was also the youngest
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In apology, I did not read this review, but would love to know: do you think it's beneficial to read this immediately or relatively close after Blackout? :)
Absolutely, yes. I read one book in between them (MATCHED, actually) but the two books are really one novel split into two, and you'll want to keep the details and particulars of BLACKOUT fresh in your mind when you read ALL CLEAR.
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Wait, what Pandemic/2020s/30s? I must've missed something...
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If you haven't read Willis before, definitely start with DOOMSDAY. If you've already read BLACKOUT, then go ahead and read ALL CLEAR. :)
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That's a good point!
I didn't feel that Eileen was reduced to being a mother
I didn't mean to imply that Eileen was reduced in any way, but rather point out that she became defined as a character by a very traditional role in society. There seems to be such a tension about how the ideal heroine in fiction... too bad ass, and she's a man with boobs, but too feminine and she's a stereotype. Finding that middle is hard, and I found it disconcerting, especially in comparison to Polly the love interest, that Eileen was also defined by a traditional feminine role. If Polly also hadn't been defined by a traditional feminine role, I don't think I would've noticed!
Still, I loved Eileen's arc the most, so it's more observation than criticism. And both women are also defined by their heroic moments. :)
I guess I read Eileen's story more as a coming of age (and yes, children figured into that) but it interested me that she was also the youngest ( ... )
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