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Book meme
This is cropping up all over my f-list right now. And as I love to talk books, so… Reading through the questions I find a lot of them quite tricky, so I don’t plan to do it in chronological order, and blithely skip those I can't figure out. :)
12. A book that came to you at the wrong time
Cut for mention of rape.
A couple of years ago I started to read Kuhiel’s Dart by Jaqueline Carrey, and disliked it so intensely I didn’t even finish it. However, I also think I would have liked it a lot if I had read it in my early twenties. (And I know a lot of people love this series.)
Borrowing the plot description from Wikipedia:
The book follows Phèdre nó Delaunay's life from birth. She's born with a mote in her eye, which makes her appear inappropriate for service as a religious courtesan, but it is revealed that this is actually a sign that she is an 'anguissette' or sexual masochist, deriving sexual pleasure from pain. Her bond is purchased by a nobleman who does train her as a courtesan, and discovers a plot against her homeland which she has a chance to interrupt.
At a time when I was still figuring out my own sexual desires and kinks, I would have enjoyed it a lot. As it is now it really annoys me that Phèdre can’t control her sexuality. For example, she gets excited and orgasms even when she gets raped, and I hate, hate, hate that trope. And on the whole, I found the plot rambling and pretty tedious, and the heroine pretty annoying.
The worldbuilding is, actually, one I really like; a fantasy world that is built on our world. For example; Terre D’Ange of this book is based on France. But I had already read Lois McMaster Bjuold’s Five Gods-books, which does it so much better.
So I struggled along for two-thirds of the book and then gave up.
All the questions:
1. A book that haunts you
2. A book that was an interesting failure
3. A book where you really wanted to be reading the "shadow" version of the book (as in, there are traces of a different book in the work and you would have much preferred to read that one)
4. A book with a worldbuilding detail that has stuck with you
5. A book where you loved the premise but the execution left you cold
6. A book where you were dubious about the premise but loved the work
7. The most imaginative book you've seen lately
8. A book that feels like it was written just for you
9. A book that reminds you of someone
10. A book that belongs to a specific time in your mind, caught in amber
11. A book that came to you at exactly the right time
12. A book that came to you at the wrong time
13. A book with a premise you'd never seen before quite like that
14. A book balanced on a knife edge
15. A snuffed candle of a book
16. The one you'd take with you while you were being ferried on dark underground rivers
17. The one that taught you something about yourself
18. A book that went after its premise like an explosion
19. A book that started a pilgrimage
20. A frigid ice bath of a book
21. A book written into your psyche
22. A warm blanket of a book
23. A book that made you bleed
24. A book that asked a question you've never had an answer to
25. A book that answered a question you never asked
26. A book you recommend but cannot love
27. A book you love but cannot recommend
28. A book you adore that people are surprised by
29. A book that led you home
30. A book you detest that people are surprised by
12. A book that came to you at the wrong time
Cut for mention of rape.
A couple of years ago I started to read Kuhiel’s Dart by Jaqueline Carrey, and disliked it so intensely I didn’t even finish it. However, I also think I would have liked it a lot if I had read it in my early twenties. (And I know a lot of people love this series.)
Borrowing the plot description from Wikipedia:
The book follows Phèdre nó Delaunay's life from birth. She's born with a mote in her eye, which makes her appear inappropriate for service as a religious courtesan, but it is revealed that this is actually a sign that she is an 'anguissette' or sexual masochist, deriving sexual pleasure from pain. Her bond is purchased by a nobleman who does train her as a courtesan, and discovers a plot against her homeland which she has a chance to interrupt.
At a time when I was still figuring out my own sexual desires and kinks, I would have enjoyed it a lot. As it is now it really annoys me that Phèdre can’t control her sexuality. For example, she gets excited and orgasms even when she gets raped, and I hate, hate, hate that trope. And on the whole, I found the plot rambling and pretty tedious, and the heroine pretty annoying.
The worldbuilding is, actually, one I really like; a fantasy world that is built on our world. For example; Terre D’Ange of this book is based on France. But I had already read Lois McMaster Bjuold’s Five Gods-books, which does it so much better.
So I struggled along for two-thirds of the book and then gave up.
All the questions:
1. A book that haunts you
2. A book that was an interesting failure
3. A book where you really wanted to be reading the "shadow" version of the book (as in, there are traces of a different book in the work and you would have much preferred to read that one)
4. A book with a worldbuilding detail that has stuck with you
5. A book where you loved the premise but the execution left you cold
6. A book where you were dubious about the premise but loved the work
7. The most imaginative book you've seen lately
8. A book that feels like it was written just for you
9. A book that reminds you of someone
10. A book that belongs to a specific time in your mind, caught in amber
11. A book that came to you at exactly the right time
12. A book that came to you at the wrong time
13. A book with a premise you'd never seen before quite like that
14. A book balanced on a knife edge
15. A snuffed candle of a book
16. The one you'd take with you while you were being ferried on dark underground rivers
17. The one that taught you something about yourself
18. A book that went after its premise like an explosion
19. A book that started a pilgrimage
20. A frigid ice bath of a book
21. A book written into your psyche
22. A warm blanket of a book
23. A book that made you bleed
24. A book that asked a question you've never had an answer to
25. A book that answered a question you never asked
26. A book you recommend but cannot love
27. A book you love but cannot recommend
28. A book you adore that people are surprised by
29. A book that led you home
30. A book you detest that people are surprised by
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I disliked that book, but the main thing I remember about it is that in the last 50 pages the courtesan somehow outgeneraled the generals. Which seemed very Mary Sue.
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I didn't get that far... Sounds like I didn't miss much. But now I remember how much it annoyed me that everyone was so super-duper beautiful and special and gorgeous and...
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Thank you. I will be sure to skip this one.
*HUGS*