I read The Sandman: The Dolls house yesterday and I really didn't like it, I'm really disappointed about this to be honest because people have been telling me for ages that I would love it. Maybe I just didn't get it because I find visual narrative much harder to interpret than just writing but I think there were things about it that genuinely disturbed me, and not in a good way.

From the off I was really uncomfortable with the initial story. It seemed really culturally appropriative, based as it was on indigenous peoples tribal rituals, as if its okay to take stories that don't belong to us and fuck around with them for our own entertainment. I don't know if the story told here is one that is passed down in any tribal culture or if Gamian made it up, but I do know that there are stories that are private and tribe specific in indigenous cultures and people who do not belong to those cultures do not have a right to tell them or even know them. (And it just seemed to be "look these noble preliterate people! they tell stories, while still being ignorant primitives!) Added to which the context that this particular story is told in doesn't make sense, the narrative tells us it is a story that is told by the men of the tribe to the boys about to go through the ritual that turns them into men (circumcision in this case) and it is stressed that it is a story that is only told once a lifetime (by the older man) and heard once a life time (by the younger man) and this is how it is transmitted, and this version of the story is only told to men by men.

So who is telling the story? Why are they breaking a generations old tradition and telling it outside of their tribe? How do I as a woman have access to it?

I'm well aware that Gamian probably made this story up but that isn't the point he is still taking part in cultural appropriation by his depiction of indigenous peoples and the idea that all stories are the property of everyone, even those who don't belong to the culture they come out of and are very likely part of a culture that has or does oppress the culture the tale comes from.

The whole serial killer convention squicked me out completely and nor did I really get what it bought to the narrative, and the guy who was all about the eyes was too disturbing for me. I get that I actually have a really low squick threshold when it comes to dismemberment and similar issues but the whole "I kill transsexuals because they fascinate me" thing was so not okay, there was no critique of this, there was no acknowledgement of the danger trans people live under, of the fact they are more likely to be killed than cis people, of the fact that they were being killed because they were trans when all the other victims seems to just be in the wrong place at the wrong time.


Also there seems to be too much rape for no good reason that doesn't really go anywhere. It's not explained who raped Unity, there seems to be no affect on her daughter when she finds out shes the product of that rape. And the almost rape of the main character seems pointless and leads to nothing, the connections made to red riding hood here are also really unsubtle and clunky

There were somethings I liked about it. I like stories about stories, I like stories about dreamscapes, I love the fact that Gilbert told one of the oldest forms of little red riding hood (the one that I unconsciously think of as the "real story") I like that Gilbert was a place and a person. I liked the story about the guy who lived forever. I do have the next book and I will read it to see if I'm being too harsh but I'm not going to get my hopes up.

Any society which would give up a little to gain a little security deserves neither and loses both.

Hey there!

I had to travel on Christmas day and I had an urge to read something seasonal. I want to be prepared for next year, so I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions for books that have to do with the Christmas season?

I want a book that's funny/happy/entertaining...nothing dark or emo-esque. And no- I'm not too interested in reading A Christmas Carol.

I was thinking about maybe buying Jean Shepherd's In God We Trust: All Other's Pay Cash (I love A Christmas Story if you couldn't tell by my icon), so if anyone has read it, I'd love to hear what you thought.

Thanks in advance for any recommendations!  :D

I just happened to see the new special on Ninjavideo - kind of a look back/clip show of this last season

http://www.ninjavideo.net/video/53993 (There should be a flash version up soon enough, I`d assume)

"There are the wheels, Watson. Quick, man, if you love me! And don't budge, whatever happens--whatever happens, do you hear? Don't speak! Don't move! Just listen with all your ears."

-Sherlock Holmes, The Adventure of the Dying Detective.

Do you own an Amazon Kindle? What do you think about it? I am thinking about getting one with my Christmas money and I want to know if it is worth it.

I had called upon my friend Sherlock Holmes upon the second morning after Christmas, with the intention of wishing him the compliments of the season. He was lounging upon the sofa in a purple dressing-gown, a pipe-rack within his reach upon the right, and a pile of crumpled morning papers, evidently newly studied, near at hand.

The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle
by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

"Depend upon it there comes a time when for every addition of knowledge you forget something that you knew before. It is of the highest importance, therefore, not to have useless facts elbowing out the useful ones."

One knew nothing. One lived and walked about on the earth or rode through the forests, and so many things looked at one with such challenge and promise, rousing such longing: an evening star, a bluebell, a lake green with reeds, the eye of a human being or of a cow, and at times it seemed as if the very next moment something never seen but long yearned for must happen, as if a veil must drop from everything. But then it passed, and nothing happened, and the riddle was not solved, nor was the secret spell lifted, and finally one became old... and perhaps one still knew nothing, would still be waiting and listening.

Hermann Hesse, Narcissus and Goldmund.

If only the world were in the hands of women, Zari thought. Women give birth. They are creators, and they know the value of their creation, the value of endurance, patience, monotony, and being unable to do anything for oneself. Perhaps because men have never been creators, they'll take any risk to create something. If the world were in the hands of women, how could there be wars? If they take the blessings that you have away from you, what then?

Hi,
I've been looking for a copy of Alice in Wonderland recently and was wondering if anyone here could suggest a nice version for me to get. Theres just so many and as im probably going to be buying online i want to make sure i get an especially pretty one.

Any ideas would be very gratefully recieved. ♥

Thanks!

Darker Angels: Book Two of the Black Sun's Daughter (2009)
Written by: M.L.N. Hanover
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 360 (Mass Market Paperback)

The premise: ganked from BN.com, because I'm lazy like that (and have a LOT of reviews to catch up on!): When Jayné Heller's uncle Eric died, she inherited a fortune beyond all her expectations — and a dangerous mission in a world she never knew existed. Reining in demons and supernatural foes is a formidable task, but thankfully Jayné has vast resources and loyal allies to rely on. She'll need both to tackle a bodyswitching serial killer who's taken up residence in New Orleans, a city rich in voodoo lore and dark magic.

Working alongside Karen Black, a highly confident and enigmatic ex-FBI agent, Jayné races to track down the demon's next intended host. But the closer she gets, the more convinced she becomes that nothing in this beautiful, wounded city is exactly as it seems. When shocking secrets come to light, and jealousy and betrayal turn trusted friends into adversaries, Jayné will soon come face-to-face with an enemy that knows her all too well, and won't rest until it has destroyed everything she loves most....

My Rating

Worth the Cash: it's not quite as strong as Hanover's debut, but once it kicks into gear and certain twists are revealed, the book definitely lives up to the precedent set by Unclean Spirits. Other readers may figure out the twists long before I did, but I'll admit I was reading at warp-speed and simply let certain details bother me (and trust me, if you don't figure it out, there's going to be quite a lot of things at first that BOTHER you) in hopes that everything would come together in the end. And they do (which means they don't bother me any more). There's lots of fun to be had, revelations to really enjoy, and an excellent use of setting in post-Katrina New Orleans (says she who's never, ever visited the city, so she may be wrong, but she liked it). Overall, I was very pleased. I still enjoy the cast very much, especially with all of their human flaws, and I look forward to seeing what kind of trouble they get into next. Especially given the last line of the book, which I wanted to hit the author for. No, seriously. It's a great ending, but you're going to want to hit Hanover too. :)

Review style: I'll be nice and won't get into any spoilers, save for a few minor things that aren't spoilers to begin with. Fair? If you're interested, the full review is at my LJ, which is linked below. As always, comments and discussion are most welcome. :)

REVIEW: M.L.N. Hanover's DARKER ANGELS

Happy Reading!

# 92: Slow Dance in Autumn by Philip Lee Williams:

The Blaze Motel was usually below industry-standard occupancy because the rooms were never held more than two hours at a time. It consisted of two cinder-block wings painted an appalling yellow, with a gravel courtyard in the middle. The office was in front of the building on the right. I parked and went in and took Ginny with me. Huel Toomey was the proprietor, and when I got inside, he was standing on the cluttered desk, holding a copy of Stockman's Journal and trying to squash a spider that was scuttling frantically across the ceiling.

Synopsis: World's worst PI (who has read every book in creation) skulks around Atlanta screwing up a case, banging one of the players and drinking his own liver in a blender. It's like if Sam Spade sucked at being a detective and went on a bender.

( Oh yes. You read that correctly. Like a patient etherized upon a table. Mm-hm. )

Poll #1504045 The Turn of the Screw
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 12

Have you read this book?

If Yes, how do you rate this book?

If No, do you intend to read this book?

The Turn of the Screw on Wikipedia (Beware, probable plot spoilers)

*2 years ago…Ham on Rye*

We start out in identical perfection: bright, reflective, full of sun. The accident of our lives bruises us into dirty individuality. We meet with grief. Our character dulls and tarnishes. We meet with guilt. We know, we know: the price of living is corruption. There isn't as much light as there once was. In the grave we lapse back into undifferentiated sameness.

Oh oh oh. I am so excited. I got seven books for Christmas, not counting my new journals. SEVEN! So which would you most like to see reviewed? Comment and tell me, and I'll do my best to get through that one in a timely manner. :)

Star Trek: Ishmael - Barbara Hambly (I'll probably finish this today--amnesiac!Spock is just too endearing!)

City of Saints and Madmen: The Book of Ambergris - Jeff VanderMeer

Usurper of the Sun - Hosuke Nojiri

Dragonhaven - Robin McKinley

A Decent Cup of Tea - Malachi McCormick (you can vote for this one along with one of the longer books here, as it's so short)

Cyrano de Bergerac - Edmond Rostand (Translated by Brian Hooker)

Graceling - Kristin Cashore

+009 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
+017 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
+130 Glee
+008 Glee cast

TEASERS


On my own, I'm nothing, just bleeding, I'm not kissing you goodbye. @ tomorrowbleeds

"And that's the thing, she concludes. Just because things happen slow doesn't mean you'll be ready for them. If they happened fast, you'd be alert for all kinds of suddenness, aware that speed was trump. "Slow" works on an altogether different principle, on the deceptive impression that there's plenty of time to prepare, which conceals the central fact, that no matter how slow things go, you'll always be slower."

"In a way, John Voss is like Jesus - blameless, perhaps, but nevertheless the center of all the trouble... Dead? Is that what she means? She hopes not. No one could want this boy, this child who had dangled from a laundry bag inside a dark closet, not to exist. Merely for him not to exist here, because here has proven to be the wrong place. She feels like Jesus' disciples must've felt. They never wanted him crucified, of course, but what a relief it must have been when the stone was rolled across the entrance to the tomb, sealing everything shut so they could go back to being fishermen, which they knew how to do, rather than fishers of men, which they didn't. No wonder they didn't recognize him later on the road to Emmaus. They didn't want to, any more than Tick wants to welcome this poor boy back into their midst."

-Empire Falls - Richard Russo