Reading Thoughts

[itsallovernow]

My car and I had a little adventure yesterday involving AAA and a tow truck and the looming possibility of a new fuel pump. However, the towing seemed to have shaken stuff loose and the car started at the service station and the new fuel pump still looms, but I'm not buying it until the car absolutley needs it.

Although this does give rise to the "Invest in maintaining a 10 year old car, or look at options for new vehicles" dilemma. Since I work for a company that writes about vehicles, I did at least ask one of my favorite editors for his reccomendation for a car in the "Have no money, don't want it to be that ugly" range. But argh! Just paid off plastighettocar. C'mon baby. Just another six months. You can do it.

leadensky is asking for book reccs for long travel, and also posted a fascinating list of what doesn't work for her in a narrative.

Lately, I've been having a hell of a time paying attention to most books. I love to read, so this is largely distressing, but some of it is that when I find a book that hits my kinks, that works for me, I devour it in a sitting. When I don't, I can't force myself any longer to pay attention.

So what turns me off?

* More and more, first person narration creates an instant barrier. I have to be so totally engaged in the narrative that I forget the first person POV in order to keep reading, and more often than not, I won't even buy the book if it's in first person. I don't think this is a universal, but I find that I have trouble relating to the characters in first person in a way I often don't in other narratives.

* A certain, hmmmm, bounce to the prose will also turn me off. Not a joyousness, or verve, but a certain breeziness, a cutesiness that I have trouble describing but I know it when I see it. Emma Bull straddles a line for me. If the story didn't kick in so quickly, and I didn't like the rhythms of her dialogues and the spareness of her work, I'd be likely to have put her down quickly. Actually, I almost put "War for the Oaks" down immediately, but it took place in Minneapolis, and started in a bar that read like one I'd been in and then I was hooked on the story. And the prose in Finder worked for me far more effectively.

* Names with too many syllables:) Okay, now I'm getting ridiculous, but one of the many reasons I can't read fantasy is that I feel like the authors spend as much time naming their characters as writing the prose and that makes me nuts. Also, when I read Russian lit, it takes me forever because I feel the need to say the entire name of the character outloud to myself when I encounter it:)

* Useless female characters. As I've said before, I need a woman in the narrative to really connect with the story. Unless it's YA lit, or children's lit and is short. But even as a kid, I still wanted to read about girls.

* Elves. LOTR aside (and yes, I've got MAJOR issues with Tolkien's prose), sci-fi and fantasy needs far fewer elves.

* Copious amounts of text in a high-prose style. I know much of my flist is gaga for Cherryh, but everytime I try to read her, I get so bogged down in her text, I can't pay attention to what's happening. (And frequently, it seems like nothing is happening, which I know can't be true, but is a sign I'm tuning out). McKillip's "Riddlemaster Trilogy" presented me with the same problem. I can't wade through the words to find the story, and that'd be great if I felt like her characters weren't so opaque, that the only things I learned about them were from their own words. Neal Stephenson gets a pass for this because once you hit a particular rhythm in his Where's Waldo style prose, you get sucked in, the other waldo hiders fade away, and the story just bursts open in this breathless way. I have been stuck on "Quicksilver" for a year, but I loooooved "Snow Crash" and "Cryptinomicon". Shrug. Go figure.

* Epistolary texts. I don't want to read other peoples letters and hate this device. I think it goes back to the first person thing.

I'd say that in the past few years, the books that have worked best for me have been books that told a layered story and wove a narrative together, then ended somewhere unexpected. Kate Atkinson's "Case Histories", and Megan Whalen Turner's "King of Attolia" have probably been my favorite books of the last year or so. And they're very different texts, with characters who are damaged and soldiering on in their own perverse, unique ways.

The Gunslinger books totally engaged me, but I got a little burnt out on them. Ian McEwan's "Atonement" is probably the best book I've read in the past five years, although it devastated me, as in its own way, did "The Amazing Adventures of Cavalier and Klay". But then, "Wonder Boys" is one of my favorite books, and I wish Michael Chabon would get back to work. Hmm, I'm searching for a pattern here, and I've yet to find one.

Soooo much to do before I wing my way east tomorrow. I'd say the odds of it all getting done are 50/50.

Comments

[life-on-queen.livejournal.com]

Epistolary texts and first person narration are, when done right, two of my favourite devices. *pouts* You never let me have any fun.

And you just have to suffer through my FPN.

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

Dude, I love you and I will absolutely read what you write, but those two narrative devices have to be so good that I forget I hate them:) The goal, obviously, is to make sure TGCWN reaches that status:)

Thinks hard. The 1st person books that work for me involve deeply flawed characters, often not having all the answers. I love Elizabeth Peters Vicky Bliss books because she's often wrong, and not terribly reflective, and makes bad decisions anyway. But I'm trying to think of other 1st person that I love.

I also find your love of Aquateen Hunger Force highly disturbing:)

[life-on-queen.livejournal.com]

Hee. No doubt because I am neither stoned nor drunk when I watch. Hee.

Aquateen. It's just a pomo goulash of inappropriate.

Epistolary novels that work for me can be summed up in three words "Sourcery and Cecilia" but I often find epistolary exchanges in novels as a bridging device satisfying.

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

An occasional letter, e-mail, etc. is fine. A whole novel of them makes me crazy. I tried to read Sorcery and Cecilia and gave up because the format made me to crazy.

And dude, I just find food that isn't food incredibly creepy. But I also find Spongebob creepy.

[life-on-queen.livejournal.com]

I find Spongebob assinine. I wouldn't let my kids watch and I thinks adults who watch are being incredibly twee. Aquateens is just balls-out whacked. They're selfish mean and crabby and there's no moral. I love it.

Also -- meatwad. How can you not love meatwad.

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

Because he's food!! Talking food and that's just disgusting!!

[life-on-queen.livejournal.com]

Au contraire: he's a cartoon.

And, after the Garbage pile, talking food is nothing, man. Fraggle Rock — it is the answer.

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

Food should just be food. I don't want to do anything with food but eat it - I don't want it involved in sex, I don't want it to talk, wiggle or move around.

Garbage is different. Don't ask me why.

[life-on-queen.livejournal.com]

Two-dimensions. Coloured ochre. Has a lisp -- how can you look at meatwad and thing "hamburger"?

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

Still food. Doesn't matter that it's cartoon food. Still food, still creepy.

Dude, I don't even want the food on my plate to touch!

[kernezelda]

Even peas and mashed potatoes? *is sad for poor freezing peas without their warm fluffy blanket*

No, seriously, anthropomorphized food is very very disturbing.

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

Eeek. Not at all! I'm really, really serious about non-casseroleish food staying away from other of its kind on the plate. If it wasn't so dorky, I'd invest in those segregated plates.

[beck-liz.livejournal.com]

I know much of my flist is gaga for Cherryh, but everytime I try to read her, I get so bogged down in her text,

Yes. I haven't ever managed to read all the way through one of her books, although I tried very hard with both Cyteen and Foreigner, because the ideas and characters are generally pretty nifty. But eventually my brain says enough is enough, and by the time it's unclogged, I can't remember enough of the story to continue where I left off. Argh.

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

Oh thank god it's not just me. I've tried and tried, because so many writers I adore like her, so many people I adore, but I think, like McKillip, my brain is just not made to appreciate her.

[kernezelda]

I love someCJC, not all of it. Cyteen is one I've never read completely through, because of the heavy political chapters. I read for the character sections only.

I think Les Miserables is the only other book I've read that I just had to skip/skip past certain parts. Sometime early on, there's a description of the golden plate in a church, contrasting the wealth there to the poor villages without bread, something like that, and I finally just had to stop slogging through Hugo's exposition and read the character sections.

As an aside, the Jean Valjean and Javert relationship was quite tense, very compelling for me, a precursor to the conflict/bond relationships that pull me so strongly now.

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

I can totally see how you'd love the Valjean/Javery conflict:) I like a lot of Les Miserables, but much of it is endless!!!

[nellisir.livejournal.com]

I really like her sci-fi, but I have to spread it out. It literally gives me a headache. I read Cyteen once, and remember it being pretty thick. The whole Foreigner sequence is good, but you have to remember Cherryh's 2 things are psychology and the incomprehensibility of alien psychology. The whole storyline rests on the impossibility of human understanding of an alien mindset, so it's not off to an easy start.

The Chanur sequence is a good read. It's probably classic Cherryh - multiple alien races, multiple psychologies to reconcile, one lone human (who is not the protagonist).

[leadensky.livejournal.com]

Cyteen is *so* not the story to start CJC with. It's not even a typical CJC *book*.

- hg

[midnightsjane.livejournal.com]

I didn't manage to finish Cyteen; I lost interest about 2/3 of the way through. I really liked Cherryh's Morgaine series (Gates of Ivrel, Well of Shiuan) which are high fantasy. Those were the first books of hers that I read. Her other books do get really wordy and complicated, and I have a hard time getting through them.

[kerlin.livejournal.com]

Epistolary texts. I don't want to read other peoples letters and hate this device. I think it goes back to the first person thing.

For some reason I have it stuck in my head that you really liked Possession. Am I making that up? If I'm not, what about the poetry in Possession - does that count as epistolary or as something else?

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

Oh god, Possession was one of the biggest disappointments in my reading life because I'd heard so much about it, because I so, so loved the idea.

But gah!! Epistolatory text, and frelling Victorian poetry that never ended and I wanted to stab myself and just did not care what happened to anyone!!

Sigh. I actually didn't hate it as much as this sounds. I loved the idea, and some of the writing was utterly lovely and spare and clean, but it was so cold, and I really do loathe Victorian poetry.

I was just... disappointed.

[reginaspina.livejournal.com]

I think Kate Atkinson's next book featuring Jackson is out this September! I'm very excited as I too loved Case Histories.

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

I want it now!! Now, I tell you! I need plane reading for this weekend and next and I'm trying to decide which Kate Atkinson to get to read on the plane. Or I might just buy another copy of Case Histories since I gave mine to my mother and read it again.

[pellucid.livejournal.com]

Ian McEwan's "Atonement" is probably the best book I've read in the past five years, although it devastated me

Oh god, yes!

I've been thinking about what turns me off in narrative now, too, and I can think of exceptions to almost everything that comes immediately to mind. Hmm. ;)

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

Oh, I can think of exceptions in all these categories, but it takes a lot for me to keep going with a book that has any of these things.

And gah, Atonement just shattered me. So, so good. I haven't read Saturday yet, have it there for when I'm ready.

[pellucid.livejournal.com]

I've got Saturday sitting here, and even started it a couple of months ago, but I haven't had a chance just to sit down and really read it, which is how I want to read it (as opposed to bits and pieces here and there, which is how I generally have to read for fun books these days). But I've got a plane trip coming up soon, so maybe I'll finally get to it then.

And yeah, I can't remember the last time I was as affected by a book like I was by Atonement. A friend of mine said she literally threw it across the room in anger when she finished; I simply sat there open-mouthed and gutted, if I recall. I desperately want to re-read it, too, because I think it would be an entirely different experience now that I know the ending. Alas, so many books; so little time!

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

Exactly on the feeling gutted ( and on the wanting TIME to read Saturday). I don't like to read McEwan in dribs and drabs.

[haphazardmethod.livejournal.com]

I just finished The Thief. Eh. But you think it is worth going on to Queen of Attolia?

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

Absolutely worth it. I read The Thief pretty much so I could continue on to the next two books. I think you'll like them. They're far more sophisticated, and I very much like Attolia. She's... well, you'll see.

[infinitemonkeys.livejournal.com]

They're about to film Atonement in Redcar I think. Alas, Keira Knightley is to star in it.

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

AAAAAAHHH. Oh god, I so, so wish I hadn't known that. There is not a single character in there that she should play!

[ropo.livejournal.com]

Like crankygrrl, I admit I do love reading letters. Though it's much better if they're real, rather than fictional. And I like first person, but yeah, it has to be done in a way I like and not a way I hate, otherwise I'll hate it. There are certain characters who should not speak to me directly. *g*

[kernezelda]

Got so distracted by food and books I completely forgot to wish you a bushelful of good luck with the car.

And have fun at IHW!

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

Thank you dear!!

[electricland.livejournal.com]

I find the second point so cryptic and yet so alarming that I fear I'll never be able to rec ANYTHING to you. (Although, fair enough, I was already fairly intimidated.)

Got stuck halfway through Cryptonomicon. I know so many people who adore it that I should probably give it another go, but... meh.

First person depends very much on the person. I generally like it fine, but now I'm in the middle of Lunar Park and I despise the (self-involved, self-pitying, whiny, selfish, and other things beginning with "self") narrator (who has the same name as the author) so much that I'm really having a hard time with it. But I loove epistolary novels.

...yeah. No recs for you. ;)

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

No, no, totally give me recs!! I know almost immediately whether I'll like the text or not, but I LOVE to be surprised and there are exceptions to all these rules:)