Recs for ramble meme, and other fannish things

[hamsterwoman]

Whee! My stocking went up on fandom_stocking, which I had fun doing last year and decided to do again.

Also (as you might notice in the stocking), I finally took the plunge and got myself a (totally empty for now) AO3 account. At some point I will actually need to upload some of my doggerel there (that's basically why I got it).

*

December

Comments

[bearshorty]

I never read Master and Margarita somehow. I think I tried as a kid but didn't continue? But I asked my Dad a month ago to get me a ebook and now it's sitting on my Kindle. It will be my 2016 Russian novel project. I just want to finish Hamilton and Ishikawa first.

I adore Taina Tretey Planety. I have a VCR tape of it in Russian. I loved all the Alisa books so much as a kid and this was a great adaptation.

[hamsterwoman]

I've been meaning to reread Master & Margarita (I've reread my favorite bits over the years, but not the whole thing), so, if you do embark on it as a 2016 project, I'd be interested to read along and share impressions (if you'd want to do that, of course; no pressure!)

We have a DVD of "Tajna" from my first visit to Israel after we had kids -- that, along with a Three Musketeers DVD, were my top items to procure, 'cos they have such plentiful Russian book/video stores there.

Are you going to show it to Tanya when she's a bit older? The rodents enjoyed it, though I could tell they found it kinda slow. But at least L now quotes bits like "ptitsa-govorun otlichaetsya umom i soobrazitel'nost'yu" and (my favorite line) "Hotite ya ego stuknu? On stanet fioletovyj... v krapinku." and such.

I loved the Alisa books, too, but I think the cartoon is dearer to me than either the books or "Gostya iz buduschego" movie, which I also liked a lot.

[bearshorty]

Of course, I wouldn't mind if you read along Master and Margarita with me and share impressions. That would be fun! But you will probably read it much faster than me because of my limited reading time and not that fast reading speed.

I will show Taina to Tanya for sure when she's older. I will just get her started on the books first. That's how my Dad hooked me on sci-fi from my earliest years! He read the Alisa short stories to me first. The one with the Martian Embassy and Baba Yaga is still my favorite and the story I want to read when I'm sick.

[hamsterwoman]

I will probably read M&M alongside something else, so pacing myself should not be a problem, I think. Plus, I kind of want to take my time.

Oh, reading Alisa to her before the cartoon is probably a good idea! I normally do that with the rodents, but I watched Taina before I read the stories myself, I think, so I showed it to them at the first opportunity. I think they're probably too old for the stories at this point, though, which is a pity...

[qwentoozla]

This was such a cool question idea! Monday Starts on Saturday is a great title, and sounds very interesting! And it sounds like now would be a good time for me to read Tam Lin.

I feel like I've always known vaguely what Babylon 5 is, but never looked into what it was actually about. It does sound quite interesting. I might have to add it to my to-watch list, although knowing me, that means I'll watch an episode in about three years... :P

[hamsterwoman]

Now would be the best time to read Tam Lin, in my experience, yes! :)

Monday Starts Saturday is a really neat book, but also rather difficult to translate -- the mixture of academia, Slavic mythology, and some Soviet satire. So it makes sense that it isn't better known outside of Russian-speaking readership, but it's such a pity!

knowing me, that means I'll watch an episode in about three years... :P

Haha, I definitely know how that is! I think I was planning to start watching Buffy for like 4 years before I ever watched a single episode -- and that only when lunasariel actually gave me the DVDs. Otherwise I'd probably still be planning.

[zvuv]

Interesting!
M&M: read three times. first time I was completely besotted (was a sophomore in college, I think). second time I thought it was unbearably sexist (was in my early 20s). third time I felt like I could get more out of it, but the reaction wasn't as visceral as the #1 and #2...

I do think it's a very, very interesting piece of writing. and I like it's unwillingness to be "good." It's really kind of a manifesto against doing the right thing, which in the context of the Soviet Union makes sense...

Vysotski: started listening as a kid (we had to record albums when I was little, plus my cousins had bootlegs). a friend of a friend had given me the complete works as mp3's in my early 20s, and for a while they filled up 2/3 of my iPod mini, and so when I shuffled, it was all Vysotski. But I've lost track of all that music now...

3 Musketeers: I had the biggest crush on Boyarski as a very little kid (like maybe 4 or 5 years old), and my parents told me they were going to invite him to my birthday party. LOL.

[hamsterwoman]

That is a very interesting trajectory with M&M. I confess, it hadn't even occurred to me that I might have a negative reaction to it on full reread, given how much I loved the book. (Of course, the bits I've reread were my favorite bits, and generally the Woland line. I'm assuming the aspects that bothered you as sexist were around Margarita and the Master themselves?)

It's really kind of a manifesto against doing the right thing, which in the context of the Soviet Union makes sense... Right, exactly. I think even as a kid I found that nicely cathartic, but a non-Soviet reader without the background of constraints might just find it puzzling

[zvuv]

Yes, re. M&M, you were right, i was annoyed by Margarita's role. I also made the mistake of reading the biographical foreword at the front of the book, which detailed Bulgakov's life and included info on his personal relationships. That really colored what i was reading. The idea of a woman sacrificing herself for the guy's art is highly irritating to me.

I really liked the humorous songs, like the song about the yogis and the letter to the wife from a kolhoznik who went to attend a fair (and then the song that was the letter back from the wife). I used to know pretty much all the words... I also like the gypsy-ish songs, you know the one with "raz, raz, da escho raz..."?

[hamsterwoman]

I also made the mistake of reading the biographical foreword at the front of the book, which detailed Bulgakov's life and included info on his personal relationships.Yeah, I've discovered the hard way that's generally a bad idea, with authors I like. (Except, like, Tolkien. His personal story just makes everything more adorable

[meathiel]

Well, the Babylon 5 rec definitely has worked for me ... ;-)

[hamsterwoman]

I am very happy to hear that! :D

[aletheiafelinea]

I finally took the plunge and got myself a (totally empty for now) AO3 account.
Yay! Yours is the first account I've seen having poetry only. You're a pioneer! :)

I liked Perscitia, too. She should have gotten more screentime.

What it is with "The Master and Margarita" that literally everyone loves it and I don't... :( I appreciated the style, but the plot and characters left me mostly with 'meh'. One of those cases when I expected to fall in love (because literally everyone), and I failed...

"War for the Oaks" isn't on my love list, but I recall it fondly, as one of the first urban fantasy things I've read. Also, in reading it felt so very much like an '80 fantasy movie, especially the whole music thing. And I liked the doggy shapeshifter, mostly for my general soft point for shifters, though to be honest the only I vaguely remember of him is his playful introduction.

I loved Bulychev's Alisa, though mine were the books, not any of the adaptations.

[hamsterwoman]

Yours is the first account I've seen having poetry only. You're a pioneer! :)Just suffering from an inability to write actual fic like a normal person... But that's a very nice way of putting it, LOL! XD

[aletheiafelinea]

Hey, I'm unable to write a pairing fic like a normal person. You're at least original. ;D

I confess I'm surprised to hear you didn't like Master & Margarita.
I'm not surprised that you're surprised, considering that I was surprised finding it. :)

Haha, it kind of does, doesn't it XD I love it anyway. :P
For me that would make a reason to love it, if I loved it. *g* I have a thing for the esthetic and atmosphere of '80 fantasy movies. :)

If you've not seen the animated adaptation of Alisa (rather than tried it and didn't like it as much as the books), I do recommend it!
I haven't, maybe someday. But more maybe than someday, because when after years I found an Alisa book I hadn't read, it didn't really attract me anymore, which I found with regret. In many cases when a ship of mine sails, it sails for good...

[hamsterwoman]

I'm not surprised that you're surprised, considering that I was surprised finding it. :)

LOL XD Point!

But more maybe than someday, because when after years I found an Alisa book I hadn't read, it didn't really attract me anymore, which I found with regret. In many cases when a ship of mine sails, it sails for good...

Ah, that makes sense. From what I recall, the later Alisa books went off in a different direction, which might've contributed to not working for you. But on the other hand, as you say, it's possible the ship had just sailed. The cartoon has a ton of nostalgia value for me, of course, which makes it hard to be objective about it, but I do think it's a very nice adaptation, so.