Jessmonster's Book Report (now edited!)
I can't decide whether or not to feel bad about not writing much (here or my notebook) because I've been unable to put down my book long enough.
When my hold came in on The Historian, I thought "ooof, I will never finish this in two weeks." However, given that I've read 383 of its 642 pages in the past six days (and most of it in the past three days), I think I'm safe. I got it on BabelBabe's recommendation, but I must admit that I was a little put off by the comparison to Possession. I could barely manage to slog through Possession. Am I the only one? I loved the idea of it - but it was just so hard to read. I found it easier to read War and Peace than Possession. But The Historian - no problems there. I can never quite tell which direction it will go next. If you like Big Books and History, and if Research thrills you, then what are you waiting for?
On a more disappointed note...Eragon. I'm listening to it on tape. Will someone please reassure me that it's just the interpretation that I don't like? I've heard good things about it. I want to like it. I can hear the well-read homeschooler in the author's voice (not the voice on tape - read by someone else). I get the feeling that I would've loved it right around the time I fell in love with The Blue Sword. Or maybe not. I'm willing to try a few more tapes - but I want reassurance that it will be worth it.
Finally, I'm watching the miniseries (not reading the books - horrors! Shame!) of The Forsyte Saga per Bee's recommendation (and I assume Sophie's was implied, too). I'm watching the newish version and am totally captivated by the first disc. It satisfies that craving for proper drama, costumes, London, and sentences like, "Should you ask me to marry you again, Mr. Forsyte, I would find myself able to accept."
In other news...yesterday I described something as making my heart skip a beat, and now I can't think of what it was. If I said it to you, will you please remind me?
Edited to Add: Thank goodness it's not just me! Here's an excerpt of a review on amazon: "The story is cliched, formulaic and barely passable as are the characters and the language is simply what you would expect from a somewhat precocious teen fan of adult fantasy. If you have any experience in the field of fantasy at all, reading Eragon will feel like a visit to Las Vegas (though not so tacky)--sure you can see New York and Paris and Italy, but they are mere shadows of the real thing." I hearby give myself permission to put it down.
When my hold came in on The Historian, I thought "ooof, I will never finish this in two weeks." However, given that I've read 383 of its 642 pages in the past six days (and most of it in the past three days), I think I'm safe. I got it on BabelBabe's recommendation, but I must admit that I was a little put off by the comparison to Possession. I could barely manage to slog through Possession. Am I the only one? I loved the idea of it - but it was just so hard to read. I found it easier to read War and Peace than Possession. But The Historian - no problems there. I can never quite tell which direction it will go next. If you like Big Books and History, and if Research thrills you, then what are you waiting for?
On a more disappointed note...Eragon. I'm listening to it on tape. Will someone please reassure me that it's just the interpretation that I don't like? I've heard good things about it. I want to like it. I can hear the well-read homeschooler in the author's voice (not the voice on tape - read by someone else). I get the feeling that I would've loved it right around the time I fell in love with The Blue Sword. Or maybe not. I'm willing to try a few more tapes - but I want reassurance that it will be worth it.
Finally, I'm watching the miniseries (not reading the books - horrors! Shame!) of The Forsyte Saga per Bee's recommendation (and I assume Sophie's was implied, too). I'm watching the newish version and am totally captivated by the first disc. It satisfies that craving for proper drama, costumes, London, and sentences like, "Should you ask me to marry you again, Mr. Forsyte, I would find myself able to accept."
In other news...yesterday I described something as making my heart skip a beat, and now I can't think of what it was. If I said it to you, will you please remind me?
Edited to Add: Thank goodness it's not just me! Here's an excerpt of a review on amazon: "The story is cliched, formulaic and barely passable as are the characters and the language is simply what you would expect from a somewhat precocious teen fan of adult fantasy. If you have any experience in the field of fantasy at all, reading Eragon will feel like a visit to Las Vegas (though not so tacky)--sure you can see New York and Paris and Italy, but they are mere shadows of the real thing." I hearby give myself permission to put it down.
posted by Jess at 10:12 AM
11 Comments:
I tried to read The Forsyte Saga and could NOT get into it. Glad the series is better.
Well, I happen to love her. I just reread Brat Farrar and Daughter of Time, both of which improved on rereading (since high school). Babelbabe also mentioned her - I linked to one of her posts a while back. Which one did you pick up? Let me know what you think! There's always a little mystery, but pretty classy as far as mysteries go, and great writing.
Forsyte Saga! Woohoo!
With names like Soames, Jolyon and a really weird pronunciation of Irene, what's not to love? I actually found the guy who played Soames pretty damn amazing.
I just reread Tey's To Love and Be Wise. But they're all good. And I am madly in love with Alan Grant. He's the sexiest detective there is.
I've not heard anything good about Eragon, actually. I'm not into the books, but I'm always on the lookout for books Linnea might be into as she gets older and that one is getting smashed by the critics from what I've read.
Sorry.
I couldn't listen to Eragon either. Zzzzzz. Maybe listening to Jim Dale read the Harry Potters has spoiled me, though, because I couldn't listen to His Dark Materials, either, and I *love* those books.
See, I didn't like Jim Dale's reading, either. I guess the overanimated stuff just distracts me.
I loved Possession. I also liked The Historian a lot. I'm glad it's not taking you as long to read it as it took me -- even though I liked it, it took me forever to read and I'm normally a fast reader.
i've never heard anything good about eragon. and i refuse to read it because it's by a teenager who got published before me, dammit!
late to this party...
I'm reading Eldest now. Even though all through Eragon I kept making fun of Paolini's Star Wars storyline (boy's Uncle killed by evildoers, boy discovers strange gift, is taken under tutelage of mysterious wizened mentor, sees mentor killed by evildoers, dedicates self to saving world as retribution, enlists help of two humorous droids...), I found it an easy read and untimately enjoyable. Eldest is filled with clichéd anti-racism metaphor, and even has some horrible pop-culture reference puns... I don't know where they came from, or what their purpose is. Haven't read a review of either book, but I'm in for the trilogy. It's nothing new, but it doesn't leave me as conflicted as I Am Charlotte Simmons, so that's good.
Jolyon, etc: my favorite part was when Jolyon senior named BOTH of his Jolyon. And Irine? I can't see the name without hearing the funky pronunciation in my head.
Eric, I'm glad someone's enjoying it. I think we all have our books (or movies, music, whatever) that we get sucked into. And we can make fun of them all we want but we can't put them down. No judgement.
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