| The Da Vinci Code Whinge, Part 2 |
[14 Feb 2005|03:45pm] |
Note: Some serious spoilers. Although I rather think you have to have suffered through the book to understand this, anyway.
( The Da Vinci Code Whinge, Part 2 )
And now I am done with the horrid book, and it can go back to its owner (a friend of a friend). I am purged. Cleansed and free to move on to something better. Well, it couldn't really get worse…could it? (cue ominous music and fade to black)
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| Well will you look at that... |
[27 Jan 2005|10:14pm] |
It seems I've neglected to update again. Although this time I have a vague excuse - I became quite caught up in a little project tentatively titled "The Da Vinci Code Whinge" (because I cannot of think of a pun, lame or otherwise, at the moment). Basically, I had been given very very bad reviews of the book from two close friends and book buddies, along with numerous other people whose opinions I respect, so there wasn't a chance on earth I was going to like this book. So, lacking the ability to skim/speed read as my friends did, I decided to go to the other extreme - a close, detailed read in which I noted absolutely everything I dislikeed about the piece of trash. Which I will soon proceed to type up and post. Probably tomorrow.
Also, I was sick.
Anyways, before I embarked on those two endeavours, I finished reading Freedom & Necessity, by Stephen Brust and Emma Bull (excuse any name errors as I've returned the book to the library and sacrificed the docket in the cause of marking Dan Brown's atrocities), and Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier. I quite enjoyed both of them, although not so much that I'd bother to read them again. F&N started out as a real laugh, because the characters and their relationships were so strongly reminiscent of the Lymond characters that it could not be coincidence. By the time James addressed Susan as "mo chridh", it was beyond doubt. I must say that was very well excused though, as the authors made James babble in Gaelic quite regularly after that - apparently he was channelling his dead friend. I got over the Dunnetisms after about 100 pages though, and started appreciating the characters for themselves. The story was told through letters, which is not a style I particularly like as it leads to contrivances such as Susan's super-duper video camera memory (as the other characters continually referred to, just in case the reader had forgotten about it and thought the authors were just getting carried away. Really, Mr Brust and Ms Bull, us readers are more attentive than you think). The ending was unfortunately a tad weak. The final letter was sentimental sop that did not need to be there, as the one before had really wrapped up all we needed to know about the future. Also, the climax didn't quite seem to tie all the elements together properly. For example, a prophecy was mentioned early in the piece and was never gone into. Neither was James' ability to 'dream while awake'. Most disappointing. But as I said, still enjoyable.
Rebecca, OTOH, I don't really have any complaints about. It's just that gothic novels are not my favourite genre. I found the heroine a really interesting choice because she wasn't interesting at all, if that makes sense. She was not beautiful. Nor was she intelligent, charming, witty, kind or any particular person. And that is unusual. However, it also meant that the story dragged a bit as it entirely consisted of her angst, until her husband made a shocking confession (!!1one!) which I will not detail so as not to spoil, at which point it picked up considerably. Then, of course, the dodgy morals which make the gothics so interesting came in to play and I was gripped.
In other news, my new bookshelf arrived this week (no more piles on the floor), and I bought Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell and The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman, two books I love dearly.
The Da Vinci Code Whinge, coming soon...
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| About time, eh? |
[19 Jan 2005|05:18pm] |
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So... I haven't actually posted anything because I can never be bothered to sit down and write a good-length review for books I've read. Plus, I have a complete inability to do anything but gush around books I adore (ie Dunnett), and I haven't been reading much else recently, with a few notable exceptions.
One of those would be my attempt at reading David Eddings' Elder Gods. Utter piece of trash. I gave up on it after three chapters, and I used to love Eddings. Admittedly that was when I was a lot younger, but at least he normally does banter well. Not, unfortunately, in this case. The blurb informs me that this is a very characterful work. Unless what said blurb writer really meant was that lots of names are tossed around, I really don't know how that could be claimed. And I honestly don't feel that I am being the bitch reader I know I can be about this. I would cite references, but strangely I seem to have sent it back to the library rather rapidly...
Anyways, back to the point I had meant to make in this post. Which was: I had a sudden realisation last night. There is absolutely no need to make lengthy posts (quite a concept for me to grasp, you must understand, as I am an awful babbler).
Ach, I am explaining myself backwards. You see, I'm part of www.bookcrossing.com, and a few months ago I decided, for a number of reasons which basically boiled down to having far too much time on my hands, to register every book I own over there - despite having no intention of releasing them into the wild. In the registration process, you get to write a journal entry for the book. Most people just give a very brief plot summary, but I tend to comment on what I think about the book, and why I own it. So, last night, I found myself wanting to do that about books I had just read, as well as those I buy. Which is when I remembered this journal.
In other words, what I was doing over there, I will now be doing over here. If anyone should actually read this and be curious, 'over there' is www.bookcrossing.com/mybookshelf/sevigny (Why yes, my username is another Dunnett reference. I hardly deny the fact I am obsessed). I may randomly post about other stuff too. But I may not. I promise nothing.
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| Hello world |
[10 Sep 2004|08:14pm] |
Have to be honest, the only reason I've got myself a livejournal is to facilitate my lurking at a couple of people's/group's ljs. Got fed up with visiting each site separately, so now can merrily use benefit of friends page :).
But I feel like I am mildly abusing the system if I don't actually use this, so am thinking I might use it as a sort of book journal, recording my thoughts on what I'm reading and that sort of thing. Not that I expect anyone to actually read this, but it will be good to jot them down. I come up with all these theories and stuff while travelling on the bus, but then promptly forget them. Perhaps this will help me.
So, yes, greetings all.
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