Ha, I... was actually rather older than the target demographic (I think mid-20's? possibly late 20's?) before I read the Tillerman books (although I'd read several of her other books by that point). Which I think actually worked in my favor. I'm not actually sure how much I would have liked them when I was a kid. (I remember reading, e.g., Tree by Leaf and being sort of bemused by it -- I think I knew there was more there than I could understand, but I didn't understand why I couldn't understand it, if that makes any sense... hmm, I think I should possibly go back and read everything else she's ever written :P :) ) (but yes, where have you been all those years!! :) )
Oh, yeah, I thought about saying something about how I think it's more of a self-perception thing, an identity, than anything else. Also, obviously, being good with your hands does not equate to interpersonal ties! Bullet even says Johnny's a carbon copy of the old man. It's complex; there's no builder/breaker binary, in my mind. But it's a theme that I think is worth paying attention to, along with the letting go/holding on/reaching out.
YES! I think every book has its own themes, or at least some major questions it's exploring, and I can see how one of Runner's is what it means to build and break. (Which like all the other themes is something that shows up in the other books, but not to that degree.)
(Also, stepping for a moment out of thematic concerns and into real-world healthy behaviors, HELL YES leave that abusive family behind, Johnny! Don't look back!)
AHAHAHA YES. But on the other hand… I want all the fic about John too (I think someone wrote one, I'll have to go back and reread) (okay, I just really want fic about ALL THE PEOPLE, because fascinating) because I really, really want him to have figured out how not to turn into his father, how not to be broken, because there's no indication that he knows enough (emotionally speaking) to figure it out… except, maybe, that Bullet eventually figured it out. But Liza never was able to, Liza made the mistakes she made at least partially because of her family situation (and trying to get out of it).
I have a whole theory about why there's no boat in Stranger! My theory involves the boats being a locus for cutting ties with others.
Also interesting how the motor boat is a parting gift from Bullet: reaching out and cutting ties at the same time. It also gives her a way to be less dependent on her abusive husband.
So there's another boat in Solitary Blue, Dicey's sailboat, that doesn't indicate the cutting of ties at all (in fact sailing in that boat is how Dicey and Jeff renew their ties with each other after Jeff gets worried about Dicey lying). So that's not all boats mean… but I think boats might still mean a separation, a solitude, like it's the fact that Dicey and Jeff have a separate space for themselves that allows them to have that conversation, and like you point out the motor boat is Bullet reaching out, but also lets Ab have a separate space from her husband.
And note Gram getting the car because of the children, just like the phone! Oh, and I just remembered, she gets the boat from Bullet because her husband won't let her get a driver's license. The later books seem to put right a lot of things that are wrong in earlier books.
Holy cow, I never realized that! That is amazing. I think that's part of (the seven millino reasons) why I love these books so much, that there's so much generosity and healing and putting right, as you say. I am a sucker for that.
I'm still planning a wall of text to our other thread, but my 450,000-word series calls. ;)
Oh gosh, take your time! (I realize this is too late for the wall of text in the other thread ;) but, you know, just in general.) I also have way too much that I need to be doing right now :) Darn this only having 24 hours a day! At some point I will post something on Solitary Blue, which I've now reread and which is just freaking fascinating in terms of everything we've been talking about, but it will probably take me a little while because of real life (and because I read it while kid-wrangling so wasn't exactly taking notes, so now I have to remember the notes :) )
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Date: 2017-07-08 05:24 am (UTC)Oh, yeah, I thought about saying something about how I think it's more of a self-perception thing, an identity, than anything else. Also, obviously, being good with your hands does not equate to interpersonal ties! Bullet even says Johnny's a carbon copy of the old man. It's complex; there's no builder/breaker binary, in my mind. But it's a theme that I think is worth paying attention to, along with the letting go/holding on/reaching out.
YES! I think every book has its own themes, or at least some major questions it's exploring, and I can see how one of Runner's is what it means to build and break. (Which like all the other themes is something that shows up in the other books, but not to that degree.)
(Also, stepping for a moment out of thematic concerns and into real-world healthy behaviors, HELL YES leave that abusive family behind, Johnny! Don't look back!)
AHAHAHA YES. But on the other hand… I want all the fic about John too (I think someone wrote one, I'll have to go back and reread) (okay, I just really want fic about ALL THE PEOPLE, because fascinating) because I really, really want him to have figured out how not to turn into his father, how not to be broken, because there's no indication that he knows enough (emotionally speaking) to figure it out… except, maybe, that Bullet eventually figured it out. But Liza never was able to, Liza made the mistakes she made at least partially because of her family situation (and trying to get out of it).
I have a whole theory about why there's no boat in Stranger! My theory involves the boats being a locus for cutting ties with others.
Also interesting how the motor boat is a parting gift from Bullet: reaching out and cutting ties at the same time. It also gives her a way to be less dependent on her abusive husband.
So there's another boat in Solitary Blue, Dicey's sailboat, that doesn't indicate the cutting of ties at all (in fact sailing in that boat is how Dicey and Jeff renew their ties with each other after Jeff gets worried about Dicey lying). So that's not all boats mean… but I think boats might still mean a separation, a solitude, like it's the fact that Dicey and Jeff have a separate space for themselves that allows them to have that conversation, and like you point out the motor boat is Bullet reaching out, but also lets Ab have a separate space from her husband.
And note Gram getting the car because of the children, just like the phone! Oh, and I just remembered, she gets the boat from Bullet because her husband won't let her get a driver's license. The later books seem to put right a lot of things that are wrong in earlier books.
Holy cow, I never realized that! That is amazing. I think that's part of (the seven millino reasons) why I love these books so much, that there's so much generosity and healing and putting right, as you say. I am a sucker for that.
I'm still planning a wall of text to our other thread, but my 450,000-word series calls. ;)
Oh gosh, take your time! (I realize this is too late for the wall of text in the other thread ;) but, you know, just in general.) I also have way too much that I need to be doing right now :) Darn this only having 24 hours a day! At some point I will post something on Solitary Blue, which I've now reread and which is just freaking fascinating in terms of everything we've been talking about, but it will probably take me a little while because of real life (and because I read it while kid-wrangling so wasn't exactly taking notes, so now I have to remember the notes :) )