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cahn-A Solitary Blue (Voigt) The just amazingly lovely Tillerman fic I got recently inspired me to reread this <3
I continue to identify with Jeff to a degree that's almost painful, even though he's just so diametrically opposed to me (this time around, I thought this especially at the part where he's really good at picking up on people's emotions and what they're thinking, because HAHAHAHAHA um no). I think on this read I identify with him actually partially because he's so different (James is probably the Tillerman character who's most like me, and although I like him and feel for him, I also find him mildly annoying because I dislike the mirror) -- but at the same time, many of his coping mechanisms are really similar to mine, though thankfully I was never nearly as badly off as he was. And also because the way he learns to analyze himself sounds very familiar, too.
Because of the above fic, I was reading it this time looking for Brother Thomas (and, lol, I was amused to find while reading that that fic is now totally my headcanon <3 ) , and now -- I really want a story about his crisis of faith later in the book. He's so unhappy, and I -- just am really moved by his unhappiness, that Voigt thought to include that as something important in his life, even if Jeff himself doesn't really get it in a lot of ways. I was really moved by the bit where he wears his habit around everywhere, even places where he ordinarily wouldn't, even when it's too hot to really, and when called on it he says that he keeps it on because if he took it off he might not put it back on again. Oh, Thomas <3
(Also, I need to reread the other books now to see if Brother Thomas shows up at all -- I was flipping through Come a Stranger and he's name-dropped -- as Brother Thomas and a monk -- at the end of that one, so I think he probably got through the crisis and stayed a monk. But I should go back and look to see if he's mentioned in Seventeen.)
-Miss Pym Disposes (Tey) - DNF. I was rereading the Marlow books (about which more in a bit) because I was wondering whether they would be suitable for E (she would find the school books boring *sigh* but I might be able to get her to read the adventure-focused ones) which led me to the excellent crossover fic Lois Sanger Disposes which led me to reread this book, which I'd read before but forgotten everything about, except a vague feeling that I liked the beginning a lot and disliked the ending.
Ahahaha yeah that seems to sum it up, really. The first 77% of this book is great -- Tey is a great writer -- and ratchets the tension and interpersonal drama up. But once the investigation started going I suddenly remembered why I didn't like it, and I flipped to the end to confirm, and agggggh. It is a great book but it is also a merciless book. Miss Pym gets everything all wrong and wrecks Innes' life along the way -- and then when she does figure out what happened, she's all, welp, that sucked, I'm just going to... do nothing and just retreat into my shell! (And visit Nash! WHAT.) It's a masterful psychological portrait of Pym, and how much she sucks, but... yeah..
-Autumn Term, End of Term, Cricket Term, Attic Term, Run Away Home (Forest) - Books about the large Marlow family, ranging from boarding-school books (all of which I reread) to adventure books (most of which I didn't reread, with the exception of Run Away Home because it was the last) to one RP book (which I also didn't reread). These are so good!
Autumn Term is the best -- there's something about the structure and the compelling centerpiece of the play, and the Lois Sanger / Marie Dobson subplot that is woven into it, that really works for me, and which I feel like wasn't replicated in the other books to the same extent (which I suppose is a known failure mode of sequels). Also, in End of Term I must say that I've been in charge of a few Christmas musical events since I last read it, with the predictable consequence that my sympathies switched totally to be with the teachers who had to deal with all their casting going awry at the last minute, not the kids whose POV we are in. (I'd be horrified if this happened in something I was running!) But I love all these books very very much.
I continue to identify with Jeff to a degree that's almost painful, even though he's just so diametrically opposed to me (this time around, I thought this especially at the part where he's really good at picking up on people's emotions and what they're thinking, because HAHAHAHAHA um no). I think on this read I identify with him actually partially because he's so different (James is probably the Tillerman character who's most like me, and although I like him and feel for him, I also find him mildly annoying because I dislike the mirror) -- but at the same time, many of his coping mechanisms are really similar to mine, though thankfully I was never nearly as badly off as he was. And also because the way he learns to analyze himself sounds very familiar, too.
Because of the above fic, I was reading it this time looking for Brother Thomas (and, lol, I was amused to find while reading that that fic is now totally my headcanon <3 ) , and now -- I really want a story about his crisis of faith later in the book. He's so unhappy, and I -- just am really moved by his unhappiness, that Voigt thought to include that as something important in his life, even if Jeff himself doesn't really get it in a lot of ways. I was really moved by the bit where he wears his habit around everywhere, even places where he ordinarily wouldn't, even when it's too hot to really, and when called on it he says that he keeps it on because if he took it off he might not put it back on again. Oh, Thomas <3
(Also, I need to reread the other books now to see if Brother Thomas shows up at all -- I was flipping through Come a Stranger and he's name-dropped -- as Brother Thomas and a monk -- at the end of that one, so I think he probably got through the crisis and stayed a monk. But I should go back and look to see if he's mentioned in Seventeen.)
-Miss Pym Disposes (Tey) - DNF. I was rereading the Marlow books (about which more in a bit) because I was wondering whether they would be suitable for E (she would find the school books boring *sigh* but I might be able to get her to read the adventure-focused ones) which led me to the excellent crossover fic Lois Sanger Disposes which led me to reread this book, which I'd read before but forgotten everything about, except a vague feeling that I liked the beginning a lot and disliked the ending.
Ahahaha yeah that seems to sum it up, really. The first 77% of this book is great -- Tey is a great writer -- and ratchets the tension and interpersonal drama up. But once the investigation started going I suddenly remembered why I didn't like it, and I flipped to the end to confirm, and agggggh. It is a great book but it is also a merciless book. Miss Pym gets everything all wrong and wrecks Innes' life along the way -- and then when she does figure out what happened, she's all, welp, that sucked, I'm just going to... do nothing and just retreat into my shell! (And visit Nash! WHAT.) It's a masterful psychological portrait of Pym, and how much she sucks, but... yeah..
-Autumn Term, End of Term, Cricket Term, Attic Term, Run Away Home (Forest) - Books about the large Marlow family, ranging from boarding-school books (all of which I reread) to adventure books (most of which I didn't reread, with the exception of Run Away Home because it was the last) to one RP book (which I also didn't reread). These are so good!
Autumn Term is the best -- there's something about the structure and the compelling centerpiece of the play, and the Lois Sanger / Marie Dobson subplot that is woven into it, that really works for me, and which I feel like wasn't replicated in the other books to the same extent (which I suppose is a known failure mode of sequels). Also, in End of Term I must say that I've been in charge of a few Christmas musical events since I last read it, with the predictable consequence that my sympathies switched totally to be with the teachers who had to deal with all their casting going awry at the last minute, not the kids whose POV we are in. (I'd be horrified if this happened in something I was running!) But I love all these books very very much.
no subject
Date: 2021-09-07 08:39 am (UTC)Autumn Term is probably my least favourite but I think it's because I find the Lois and Marie Guides part so uncomfortable to read that I have to skip it. It's good to have you point out that that is the well-done bit! My favourite is either End of Term or Cricket Term but they are the ones with the least interpersonal drama and the most putting-on-a-play drama.
Re. putting-on-a-play children's books, have you read Peter Dickinson's The Seventh Raven where there's a community play in London based on Elijah that gets hijacked and held hostage by South American guerillas?
no subject
Date: 2021-09-08 04:46 am (UTC)...oh, argh, that's true, isn't it :(
I really just want to go back and have Henrietta just give the stupid post to her already and not to Rouse. Uggggh. I mean, not that it really changes that Nash is someone capable of murder, and one could imagine that it would come up later in any case, but... it would make me feel better in the scope of this book, anyway :P
TBH I did skip the one scene where they're doing their Guide thing and about to get in trouble for it, because I did find that super uncomfortable. I did like though how it came back at the end with Lois doing the reading for them. I did really also like the End of Term music drama although like I said I did rather cringe for the teachers. I do love Cricket Term parts about the Tempest (and I adore Jan Scott and Miranda), though I didn't like the drama about Nicola possibly no longer going to Kingscote and the Lois drama in that one :)
I have not read The Seventh Raven! I will have to look that up, I clearly need more putting-on-a-play children's books in my life :)
no subject
Date: 2021-09-07 11:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-09-08 05:04 am (UTC)I do love the Tempest parts in Cricket Term, and especially Jan Scott and Miranda, whom I just adore <3
no subject
Date: 2021-09-08 05:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-09-10 11:40 pm (UTC)