a little doctor who, a little book begging

[tempestsarekind]

1. So, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell: convince me, o my flist. I have started reading this book twice now, and each time I've gone along quite happily for 200, 300 pages--until we hit the Napoleonic Wars. And then my brain just gives up. (Last time I made it to page 405, the very end of chapter 30, which had Stephen Black in it, and then I saw

Comments

[viomisehunt]

I'm finding Matt's Doctor more complex, simply because his Doctor, is not as certain as to his role in the Universe. I like the way Moffat gives us the opportunity to confront him when he makes some proclamation, or disrupts a life. As to Emo adding depth-it gives us more volume. Eleven is having to do the one thing Nine understood, but Ten avoided:Choosing a place-- because his home is gone-- and understanding that place. As long as Ten could deceive himself into thinking that he has an "authoritarian" right to Speak for humanity, he could allow himself to use our lives and Earth's defining events as his own personal stage. It is not so much that he assumes slaying a few space dragons make him Earth's savior, It was the act of shoving aside a human being who was giving his one and only life to speak for and defend us. And in spite of Martha's reprimand, he didn't get it. Six was like that, but he had issues. Ten choosing to deflower Elizabeth or showing up on Mars was pure ego. Eleven has to ask himself when is he doing what is

[tempestsarekind]

Oh, yes, Ten was such a train wreck, wasn't he? And I say that with a fair amount of love!

As long as Ten could deceive himself into thinking that he has an "authoritarian" right to Speak for humanity, he could allow himself to use our lives and Earth's defining events as his own personal stage.

I like that analysis. One of the things that's so odd about Ten is the way that he attempts to demonstrate how much he "gets" humanity, especially earlier in S2: quoting The Lion King, the whole "happy-slapping hoodies with ringtones and ASBOs" bit in "School Reunion." And that goes along with the constant "humany humans are so human, aren't they great?" stuff--but when dealing with actual, individual humans, he was frequently rather rubbish. Eleven is much more the benevolent, slightly paternalistic figure, and he's clueless about what's "appropriate" socially (as at Rory's bachelor party)--but so far he's much better at dealing with people *as* people

[viomisehunt]

I thought Nine pronounced just as much love when he told that couple in Father's Day how wonderful he felt their simple life was. It was a life he never had, never could have, and as a Time Lord couldn't dream of having, yet he realized, more than his older self (Ten) appeared to, that it is these little, often undramatic moments in life that are worth perserving. Ten however, seems to wants to be part of the Something Big in human events more so than any other Doctor. And I loved that bit with the wedding cake, and I loved Eleven talking with the Vampire/Fish lady queen, alien to alien, about survival, and what is ethical.

[tempestsarekind]

Yes--I got the sense that Nine really meant that speech, but Ten's treatment of ordinary humans contradicted the overt sentiments of love and affection.

The showdown between Eleven and Rosanna was my favorite part of "Vampires," I think. Well, no, second favorite: my very favorite was Rory's speech about how the Doctor makes people dangerous to themselves. I love it when companions stand up to the Doctor and show the other side of what his brilliance can do to them.

[erstwhiletexan]

JS&MN is one of my all time favourite books and my favourite parts were all the Napoleonic war parts. :( I've always found that people need to be convinced to get past the first two chapters -- I'm kind of surprised you can get to page 405 and not want to finish it! The last volume is electrifying -- it brings everything together, even all the little inconsequential things you forget about. I just absolutely think it is one of the greatest pieces of fiction I have ever read!

What about the Napoleonic War things don't you like?

[tempestsarekind]

Possibly the problem is that I *loved* the beginning and wanted more ancient talking statues and such. :) But I've never been one for military history, anyway--so while I enjoyed the first Napoleonic War bits, a little of that goes a long way, for me. People talking about magic in drawing rooms is much more my thing.

[tempestsarekind]

Yes, it is very episodic, and I think that's part of the problem for me, as well: I like many of the episodes, but it is easier for me to put it down and forget to come back to.

[neadods]

I enjoyed JS&MN, but in that languid "take several weekends to dip in and out of it" way. It doesn't really start taking off until the last third, hate to tell you.

In your shoes, I'd start skimming the war bits. Or just jump to the last 200 pages.

I'm holding off on commenting on Hungry Earth - I liked a lot of it, but I want to see how it goes before I solidify my opinion.

[tempestsarekind]

Well, I'm glad to hear that it's possible to skim the war bits! They're really the problem; I can read the book a little at a time and enjoy it, but I find myself struggling to get through those bits after a while.

[stoplookingup]

To me, Eleven has so much more depth than Ten because he's not as one-note. Ten was entirely defined by his guilt; Eleven is more a character in flux, figuring himself out as he goes along, which I find much more compelling and convincing.

[tempestsarekind]

Eleven is more a character in flux, figuring himself out as he goes along

Yes! And that's so interesting to me, because I don't quite know who he is yet, either, and I'm enjoying the process of figuring that out. Ten never got to grow or change or learn as a character (except *maybe* in "The Waters of Mars," though even that just seems like a continuation of his behavior with Harriet Jones), which was ultimately frustrating.

[stoplookingup]

It almost feels like Eleven is delivering all of Ten's growth-and-change payoffs, FINALLY.

[tempestsarekind]

One can only hope!