Hello, Toast. I am very ill and tired and this will be quick, but please don’t think it’s because I don’t love you.
What did I especially like this week?
Paintings of the Nine Muses Dejectedly Performing Their Duties
Is IT Feminist? (I love this series of Jaya’s enormously, and I approved a pending comment on this post [it was not terrible, just WRONG] just so I could go argue with the person, and then someone else deleted it before I had a chance! DISAPPOINTMENT. Allow me to now shout from the rooftops that IT DOES NOT “READ AS FEMININE.” Whew, okay.)
Classic Toast: Eight Classic Female Bildungsromane You Should Know
Ten Scenes From My Bollywood Marriage
Joyless Children’s Games in Western Art History
Finally, Joanna Horton wrote an absolutely gorgeous essay on the experience of being motherless. I loved it. I cried.
I am going to lay down and sleep haha oh wait I have to go pick up my kids from school I am going to drink more coffee and try not to be sick. Please enjoy your weekend and I will be more chipper come Monday. Ooooh and HEY, maybe tell me what I should read in my decline, since I just finished Queen of the Night and Hamilton and now have all kinds of time on my hands.
Get well soon!
I’ve been reading this trilogy by Deborah Harkness that begins with ‘A Discovery of Witches.’ It’s a grown-up witch/vampire/demon book set at Oxford with a Massachusetts-raised historian protagonist. Nearly through the third book now and it definitely keeps the quality as it goes on! There are parallels to Twilight but it’s so grounded in the logistics, politics and lore of magic that I will forgive it.
I…have issues with those books, although I agree with you that the plot is solidly intriguing. The main characters, I found less so.
I read the first one and did not pick up the next when it came out because I didn’t care for the love interest. I find I have that problem with a lot of the “old fashioned gentleman” love interests. I just find them really irritating or…maybe unsafe-feeling? I think it might have to do with disliking when the male romantic interest has more power than the female main character with no mitigating circumstances to level the playing field besides “he’s just so taken with her that of course he would never hurt her!” It just feels like she is constantly unsafe and depending on his continued interest. Makes me hella uncomfortable.
On the other hand, I did think all the magic stuff was cool, like the politics and shifting alliances and so on.
Incidentally, this is what I like about Martha Wells’ books: her couples almost always have the woman in a dominant social, political, or sheer power position over the men they are with. Also, maybe I should just read more fiction with queer romances.
I get where you’re coming from and almost didn’t go for the second one because Matthew kind of got to me, (and to be honest, in some ways he still does) but other than physical strength and virtual immortality–areas where he DOES have an obvious advantage–Diana’s actually shown to be the stronger of the two and totally the hero of the series before the trilogy’s out. You might give it another try. Also, the second book is where the author really hits her stride. Personally, I love that it’s a historian writing the books. Especially seeing as the second one takes place in the past. It’s a nice change from all the anachronisms you find in most historical fiction.
Also, maybe it’s just me, but the main characters’ relationship felt like an allegory for queer relationships, which always spikes my interest. The characters tend to be a bit more diverse than in most books, too, which I like.
I’d give the next one a go. She definitely comes into her own power and it’s clear she could kill him as easily as he could kill her. That makes his vampire overprotectiveness more bearable.
I’d stopped halfway through the first one for similar reasons to the others! Myabe I’ll skip the end of that one and start the second, as apart from the relationship that gave me rage, I really liked the rest of the premise.
Honestly, I don’t think it will make a lot of sense if you don’t finish the first one. She recaps some of the necessary events, but it’s hard to appreciate what’s going on in the second if you don’t finish the first.
The central relationship didn’t do much for me, but straight relationships tend not to, anyway. The author’s clearly got a thing for putting her main character in situations of shock/health complications/injury, etc, but she does it some to the guy, too, so I think it’s more of a personal choice than a “women need men to take care of them” line of reasoning. Diana proves to be pretty fucking capable of caring for both herself and others.
Even if you’re not a fan of the central relationship, the secondary characters are worth reading the series. A lot of them are fantastic, and that aspect really picks up in the second and third books. The second one, being set in the past, actually has a fair number of fictionalized versions of real people, which is fun. Matthew’s still pretty chauvinistic, but that has a lot to do with them being in the 16th century in that one. It’s still worth reading for people like Sir Walter Raleigh, Mary Sidney or Queen Elizabeth. It’s fun seeing which historical figures could be viewed as having been creatures. Although, if you’re a big Christopher Marlowe fan, you may want to avoid it. His character’s pretty impossible to like.
I think the biggest issue with the books is that the author seems to have an internal struggle with both being a feminist and wishing she had some gorgeous guy who takes care of her, and I think that shows through in the writing. I get the impression–from what I’ve been able to find–that she’s unmarried, has no kids, and her life is pretty wrapped up in her teaching, like her main character. It’s not really fair to assume things about her personal life based on her writing, but the Matthew/Diana scenarios (particularly as there continue to be scenes of panic/torture/rescue/etc.) feel like personal fantasies being played out. She makes a couple of fairly obvious references to Twilight in the later books, and it’s clear that she doesn’t think highly of them, but she still seems to struggle with finding a way to make a predatory, territorial vampire likable. I think that may be because they can’t really be unless you’re into the whole domination/submissive thing. Apparently a lot of women are based on the success of vampire stories.
The writing could be stronger without it, for sure, but I’m willing to give her the benefit of the doubt because the creation of a fictional universe as rich and detailed as hers is a pretty impressive feat for someone who’s only ever written–or, at least only published–scholarly works (and apparently some sort of wine guide) before this. I’m eager to see what the next one looks like, as it’s supposed to largely take place in the past–which is where I think the historian-turned-author really shines–and her books are progressively better with each new publication.
That said, I’m hoping whenever they get around to making the tv series/film that they downplay Matthew’s faults, as I’d find it harder to watch than to read, I think.
Huh, sounds like I might like the later ones better. I posted that comment and then remembered that Diana turns out to be basically super-powered by the end, lol. But since we spend most of the first book with her not being super powerful, it still gives off the vibe I didn’t like. Like you said, though, since she does end up powerful, seems like there should be more balance in other books. And I do like historical fiction. Thanks for the detailed but remarkably spoiler-free heads-up!
You’re welcome. Although, I guess if you haven’t finished the first one, technically the fact that the second one takes place in the past is a spoiler, so sorry about that, but I thought it was worth mentioning since it’s what really makes Harkness’ (I’m so jealous of how cool her last name is) writing work, I think.
I also have only read the first and had problems with Matthew – would agree with unsafe-feeling. I think I read it around the time I first discovered Captain Awkward and was reading a lot of the archives, which may have made me more conscious of the red flags (so many red flags!).
I found it a very weird reading experience – I listened to it on audiobook, and the narrator was good, and the plot or _something_ was very compelling, alongside the aspects I found so infuriating. By the end, I was doing a lot of mental shouting at it, but I couldn’t stop listening.
Have you guys read Lois McMaster Bujold’s series The Sharing Knife? It’s a romance between this grizzled, middle-aged Aragorn-type monster hunter and an 18-year-old farmer’s daughter, which sounds like a recipe for serious power imbalance, only they’re both less interested in torrid romance and more interested in building a home and a life together, so farmgirl practicality winds up being just as important as the whole swordsmanship-and-wizardry thing.
It’s a really cool take on the genre, I thought. Also the only fantasy world I’ve ever seen that’s based on 19th-century American frontier life, which is cool.
I have! And I love them! And yeah, they have a power imbalance that on paper is largely about “well, he just is too taken with her to hurt her!” but I think you are right about how it doesn’t come off that way. I like that Bujold has both characters resisting the relationship right up until they suddenly aren’t. It makes them feel like equals in deciding to get together. And even though the woman is technically significantly underpowered, she brings her own important perspectives and skills to the relationship and the plot. Of course, that would have worked significantly less well if the characters weren’t already so outward looking, but like you said, they have bigger concerns and are more interested in building together.
I super loved all the secondary characters which kept me going and happy
I would like a lot of books written for the secondary characters–the housekeeper, the coachman, the worried mother of the 4 marriageable daughters, the little yappy dogs. Can somone write those books, please and thank you?
The loveliness of the House Which is a Person (a series of novellas about The House would be great, Dr. Harkness!) could not overcome the Twilight-esque squick of the main relationship for me. But I might give the next two books a go, as you all are reliable recommenders.
She’s putting another one out next year, FYI. And a television series is in the works, too. 🙂
It makes me feel better about myself that you feel the desire to argue with righteous indignation at those who are incorrect, because elsewhere I have definitely messaged co-moderators to just delete things so that i could stop looking at it wanting to argue with it and knowing i should just delete it.
I recently finished re-reading Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, which I feel like fits the style of humor of pretty much everyone who hangs out here. It’s not new, but it’s fun!
I am in the middle of the audiobook after audible had it on sale for £3 the other day. Loved the book, loved the TV series and am loving the audiobook too!
How does the audiobook handle the copious footnotes?
Reads them in line with the text as an aside (which works great!).
They were the reason I had been dithering for ages over getting it but for £3 instead of using a credit I thought I’d just bin if it it was annoying, but it works well, as alicia says.
If you like JS&MN (which I do, I do, I do!), check out Zen Cho’s Sorceror to the Crown. It’s got a similar Regency + magic setting and a beautifully dry authorial voice, but it’s even more explicitly about race and colonialism.
oh my god i loved that so much, and i was sooooo surprised by it, because the description amazon had made it sound….not very interesting
Adding to my Kindle library requests right now, thank you!
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese was beautifully written. Just luminous.
I recently chewed through both of the Rowling-writing-as-Robert-Galbraith mysteries, Cuckoo’s Calling, and The Silkworm, pretty happily; they’re good if you like mysteries and London and are in a mood to not work too hard to get through the prose, which it sounds like you might be, Nicole.
I read Cuckoo’s Calling, and was about halfway through The Silkworm when I misplaced it (traveling from one house to another, but the people swear it wasn’t left behind!) and am distressed. I don’t want to spend money on another copy, but I really would like to know what HAPPENS.
Nicole, how did you like QUEEN OF THE NIGHT? I’m pretty curious about it. I enjoyed Chee’s other novel but am wondering why there was such a tremendous delay between #1 and #2.
I enjoyed it very much! I am interviewing him for The Toast; hoping to post that next week, so STAY TUNED.
Not to jump ahead of the upcoming toast piece but he gave a great interview to the Millions talking in part about the economics of writing your novel while conducting mad research; I think it addresses your question at least in part.
http://www.themillions.com/2016/02/maybe-it-was-w…
thanks for posting this! I think my interview with Alexander should be up on Tuesday.
That is so exciting! I had been hoping for a Toast/Chee piece this winter. (And I really hope it wasn’t bad manners to post another interview here, I’d just been so interested in that discussion of the economy of producing work.)
not at all! I’m glad you shared it!
I enjoyed The Lunar Chronicles – dystopian ya retellings of fairy tales. It is not a perfect series but I found it fun and compelling and it might be a good series to take your mind off being sick (just skip book 3.5). Cyborg Cinderella! In spaaacccceee!
thanks for the rec!
Get well!
I’m currently enjoying Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor, but two of my favorite re-reads are The Eyre Affair and The Sweetness At The Bottom Of The Pie.
Cold Comfort Farm is my go-to comfort book in times of stress or illness. Flora Poste’s ability to organise things better is definitely my wish fulfilment fantasy of choice
I need to give that a reread! Also Nightingale Wood.
Th mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin was pretty great.
It’s a series. So join at your discretion. 🙂
Have you read THE NIGHT CIRCUS? I won’t try to describe it here, as it’s hard to compare to anything I’ve ever read, but it was just so beautiful, I’m not sure I would have even cared if there had been no plot. There was a pretty interesting plot, but it almost didn’t matter because the circus itself just sounds so freaking cool. I get that the magical aspect wouldn’t be feasible, but I wish the circus was a real thing. I’d go in a heartbeat.
Ugh, that book is just gorgeous. I just wanna roll around in the prose, it’s so vivid and evocative. And I agree about not even caring of there was a plot – I just wanted to experience the circus forever.
Right?! I’ve experienced wanting to live in books before, but this one was on a whole different level. We need a real-life Night Circus STAT.
I tried, and I couldn’t keep going, and I don’t know what’s wrong with me!! Maybe I should try again.
I definitely recommend giving it another go. Reading’s really personal, I think, though. If it isn’t your thing that doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you. 🙂 I’ve loved things most people seem to dislike and detested things that were well-loved. That just means the book’s doing its job. Art’s supposed to provoke.
Agreed. My sister didn’t like it at all, when I thought it would be right up her alley. Different strokes for different folks, as they say.
If memory serves, I think it gets much more involved the longer the book goes on, so you kind of have to wade your way into the deep end. (Full disclosure, I’m siding with the toasties who adore the book.)
I loved The Night Circus. It was gorgeous.
This is probably my favorite book of the last few years – I’m in a sci-fi/fantasy book club and we’re reading this right now and I’m loving revisiting it. The audio book is also fabulous, because it’s narrated by Jim Dale, but it’s not a great way to experience it for the first time because you end up getting a bit lost in the nonlinear timeline
Unpopular opinion: I haaaaaaated the Night Circus. I can totally see why people like it! Maybe it could’ve been great with a better editor, but as is the plot wasn’t nearly interesting enough to be worth slogging through 500+ pages of overwrought flowery prose. It felt like (bad) fanfic of Something Wicked This Way Comes to me, combined with a class exercise in imitating Mervyn Peake that she should’ve kept working on before heading to a publisher. And then I feel bad for unfavorably comparing a female author to two men so i blame the book for that bad feeling. Overall I think it’s one of those books that either grabs you immediately or never does, I read the whole thing hoping it would get better and honestly if you’ve tried it already it’s probably not worth picking back up.
The circus itself is wonderful and I really hope they adapt it into a movie.
My fun-reading-while-sick vote goes to Kat, Incorrigible by Stephanie Burgis. It’s a middle grade regency fantasy romp where 12 year old Kat decides to learn magic (most improper!) to save her sister from an arranged marriage and gets caught up in intrigue and adventure.
Ooh. That sounds like fun. One of my long standing comfort reads is Sorcery and Cecelia by Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevemeyer (sp?) – which is basically Georgette Heyer / Jane Austen + magic.
Late to the party but, The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton. It is a hefty book and you kind of need to read it fast to keep track of everything – I did it in a three day marathon by the fire when we had a week-long power out last January, and it was incredible. I’m seconding Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell too. Be well!
Darnit, I just had to give that back to the library before getting to read it! (We were in the middle of moving and I was worried it would lost in the shuffle and never back to the library) Maybe I’ll take it out again
Do it do it do it! It’s so good!
I feel like it’s a super Toastie book too? Historical fiction, imitating a C19th novel style, with weird mysteries and supernatural stuff thrown in (and I realise I could be describing either Catton or Clarke here, which is great)
The best things I’ve read recently:
Great Kitchens of the Midwest
Station Eleven
Lamb in Love
Especially the Makeover of Elfine. "M. Viol himself cut Elfine's hair and dressed it in a careless, simple, fiendishly expensive way that showed the tips of her ears." Ahhhhh.
not at all! I'm glad you shared it!
I often share that need; it's why I struggled so much with The Magicians. However, there were enough side characters that I liked to make it worthwhile for me? Also I didn't mind JS or MN too much; they were flawed but in a very human way that I found relatable enough to get by
Adding to my Kindle library requests right now, thank you!