Reading roundup of catching up

[hamsterwoman]

I haven't done a reading roundup in so long, and I think it's because I hit a patch where I don't want to talk about books at proper length, with quotes and stuff -- this happens to me occasionally. So, an abridged version, but I'm happy to talk about any of these with you in more detail -- more than happy!

35. D.M.Cornish, Factotum -- This is

Comments

[sephystabbity]

Austen is like, one of my favourite authors and it still took me a loooong time to get through Emma, N.A and Mansfield Park. (actually I still haven't got all the way through Mansfield Park, IIRC, I just keep picking it up and then losing my place in a never ending circle. And it doesn't help that I have no interest in the main character, and am rooting for the Cersei-ish antagonist to win.)

It took me a while to warm up to Northanger Abbey because Austen's approach to the book is different from my other favourite books of hers, and I had to first figure out her approach before I began to actually appreciate it and read it in earnest?

I really loved Lady Susan by her, though. Have you read it? It's short and not really much in the way of actual plot, but it's soooo amusing and the characterization that shine in the letters are so interesting. That's the one I love reading over and over again, even more than P&P.

[hamsterwoman]

I read Mansfield Park back when I was on my Austen kick post-high school, but I don't actually remember much from it, because I was just forcing my way through it -- it was the last novel in the 4-in-1 hardcover I had (P&P, S&S, Persuasion, and MP), and I was going to finish that book, by gum!

I found NA dragging for me a bit in the Gothic fancy sections, because Gothic fancy is so not my thing, but the rest of it I found amusing, and it went quite quickly for me. Although it doubtless helped that I had a reading buddy in ikel89 and she was ahead of me :) I do think I know what you mean about the different approach with NA, though; I felt the oddness/difference too.

I have not read Lady Susan, and have not heard anything about it till now (other than it's an epistolary novel). It sounds quite interesting based on what Wikipedia has to say about it. Must look into it -- thanks for the rec!

[ikel89]

Yay, roundup

[hamsterwoman]

So you've read Graceling? I've heard rather polar opinions on the series, so I'm hesitant to start it. Do you think it's worth the reading time at all?

I have, and also Fire, which is set in the same universe, but is chronologically earlier though published later, and only a loose prequel, if that.

People seem to like Graceling a lot more than I do, so I'm not sure I'm the right person to ask. I thought it was worth a read because there are a few things it does that I respect (though I think there are other books, even in YA, that do some of it better). I like the -- to keep spoilers out of it, I'll say -- romantic resolution, and I like that certain things are irreversible despite a happy ending. I will say that the things I dislike outweigh the good for me. I try not to use the term very often, but I honestly did feel that Katsa was a Mary-Sue, in that way where other characters felt drawn to her without me being able to discern any reason for it other than the author wanted them to, and she had a combination of traits that the

[hamsterwoman]

Ex Caliber is such a neat idea! I love it, even though I have zero ideas on the rest of the book/author.

Adam Rex, whom I never would have known of if not for westerosorting is a very fun author, but I don't think the other two books of his I've read live up to The True Meaning of Smekday, which was the first one I read. It's a kidlit book, but I think I enjoyed it more than my kids (and they both loved it, too). It's very quotable, and the girl-meets-alien feel of it pushes many of the same buttons for me, I think, as Tajna tretej planety, and I dunno, it's just very funny.

It was a great experience reading the book with you (hint: we should do it more often *wink wink*)

Ditto! :D (Please feel free to make me read some more classics I've neglected ;)

ghost story about kids (orphans?) in a haunted house, and one of them is left alone in the streets and traumatized by the end of the book - and the Big Reveal is that he later gets picked by Cathy's father and supposedly grows up to be HeathcliffInteresting! That would explain the ghost fixation

[ikel89]

Thanks for the info!If anything, I just became convinced I don't care to read Graceling even MOAR. Urgh, those tropes kill me even in retelling.

How did you get to know Adam Rex from our community?) And I'm tempted to look for that тайна третьей планеты-style book, I loved Кир Булычев with all my heart *excite*

Ah, classics - there is just so much I haven't read that my choices are numerous XD Is there any book you've been planning to read but never got to? I haven't read any Dickens, and I've been thinking of maybe trying either Pickwick Papers (which I have at home and I think I will like,the book being humourous and all) or Tale of Two Cities (which I've seen quotes with zeal by many a YA author including but not limited to CC)...

In Heathcliff's case, I think he has a very limited idea of causality, which makes him persevere with his stupid revenge to the extend where it loses all reason. Без тормозов, как говорят;)

[lookfar]

I've never read Wuthering Heights, but if you enjoyed it, you must go over to Harkavagrant.com and look at her takes on Wuthering Heights and Jane Austen.

[hamsterwoman]

Thank you :) I read Kate Beaton's stuff, but the Wuthering Heights ones didn't have as much of an impact until I read the actual book. (Love her Jane Austen strips, as well!)

[mezzogiorno]

I think am one of the only people I know who loves Wuthering Heights, and we've talked about this. I would defend the stance that Heathcliff is a Byronic hero, but people place far too much weight on the word Romantic under its little r meaning. But he is most certainly a Byronic hero - vengeful, self-loathing, miserable, but capable of intense love, a love that he disdains in himself. He's absolutely hateful, all brought about by this ridiculous passion, and I think that's the Romantic part. But certainly not romantic. I still love Heathcliff, as a villain, in the same way I like twisted people in books but would never actually want that fantasy realised. It's the desire to place yourself as Catherine, or a character that he would be suddenly different with, while you know in your mind that it wouldn't be different with you

[sephystabbity]

Ooh, this is an interesting way of thinking about it. I can buy Heathcliff as a Romantic with a capital R hero.

[_grayswandir_]

Yes! I was just going to say pretty much the same thing. I love Heathcliff because he's just such a great bad character (and, yes, definitely Romantic in the capital-R sense). I do also find Heathcliff sympathetic somehow, though, in that inexplicable way that it's possible to find fictional people sympathetic even if you know you would loathe them in real life. I guess it's just because they're so damned interesting.

And, hey, the Romantics decided Satan was interesting and sympathetic, so what else can you expect from a Byronic hero, anyway? ;)

[hamsterwoman]

And, hey, the Romantics decided Satan was interesting and sympathetic, so what else can you expect from a Byronic hero, anyway? ;)

See, I find Satan a hell of a lot more sympathetic than Heathcliff. I think it has to do with -- I'll just quote from my response to rougebaiserI do see a lot of the big-R Romantic aspects in his character, but he almost feels like a deconstruction of that to me. I think the distinguishing factor for me is that Romantics had something grander they were trying to be a part of -- ~fight for freedom, artistic ideals, religious vision (in the case of Blake, anyway) -- while with Heathcliff all of his passion and disdain is in service of a selfish and petty goal. It's not even *rightful* revenge -- I could actually forgive him Hindley, the only person he has a legitimate grudge against -- it's just... ugh

[ms_geekette]

WHAT???!!!!???!!!!! There's a Connie Willis novella that I've never heard of?????!!!!!! THIS WILL NOT DO!

I haven't read NA yet, but there was a cute adaptation done of it a few years ago if you want to fangirl General Tilney in the flesh. (There's also an 1980s version that I haven't seen, but it's mainly notable for it's odd soundtrack. I don't know if that version of Tilney is worth fangirling or not.)

Recent NA: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL576F3FE00F243CBF&feature=plcp (hopefully this isn't the edited one put out by PBS)
1980s NA: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAE20EBC7554A3838&feature=plcp

[hamsterwoman]

There's a Connie Willis novella that I've never heard of

It's very short, but was a fun read. I hope you enjoy it if/when you track it down :)

Thank you for the YouTube links! I've been meaning to see if I could check out the film adaptations but didn't realize they were on YouTube. That makes it a lot easier!