Graceling (Cashore)
Dec. 24th, 2011 12:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cahn3+/5. I liked it! I was expecting not to (I suppose mostly because of having read so much praise for it -- I am a contrary beast), but I got drawn in. It's pretty clearly a first book. The opening scene is full of action, but following it is a lot of somewhat-boring exposition where we are told a lot of things about How and Why the Characters Are Who They Are, though a stronger book would have mucked around with the structure a little and shown instead of told. (To be fair, this isn't nearly as bad as in the book I'm going to be reviewing next, and the reason I'm a little hypersensitive to this right now has to do with doing yuletide -- which yes, I ended up doing, and had a really great time, but more on that later -- and realizing that I have precisely this problem of wanting to tell instead of show; it's a common problem, I imagine. But this is also why I critique!) I found it quite slow in the beginning, partially because of the exposition problem and partially because Katsa has a lot of angst in that section, but by the midpoint couldn't put it down.
I like Katsa a lot for being sort of non-introspective, brawn-over-brain, and somewhat dense, but in a way that's sympathetic and believable. It's a nice change from the bookish super-smart heroines you get a lot (not that I'm complaining -- I love the bookish super-smart heroine -- but it's nice to see something different).
Mild spoilers: Katsa enters into a consensual sexual relationship outside of marriage. That was interesting to me because I paused a bit to see how I felt about that, having been thoroughly socialized into marriage myself, and having had a history in the last couple of years of "OMG CAN'T GIVE THAT BOOK TO MY DAUGHTER WITHOUT OUR HAVING A TALK" (I mean, E. is not 2 yet, but since she's been born I've had a couple of these experiences when reading something, and it always kind of bothers me when my head does this, because I read all kinds of things while growing up without any parental control (mostly, probably, because they had no idea), and it was good for me). (sarahtales also pointed out gently that people tend not to think this about boys, and I am guilty as heck, and of course it's a bit asymmetric because I don't have a son, but I am trying to be a little more even-handed in thinking things are good or bad for boys as well, especially since D does have nephews.)
And... my response was something along the lines of, sure, well, we could talk about this: how awesome it is. No pressure on either side, a power-balanced relationship, a lot of friendship and support, a lot of careful communication about their relationship. Sooooo much better than no-premarital-sex with icky 100-year-old stalker guy, I can't even tell you.
I like Katsa a lot for being sort of non-introspective, brawn-over-brain, and somewhat dense, but in a way that's sympathetic and believable. It's a nice change from the bookish super-smart heroines you get a lot (not that I'm complaining -- I love the bookish super-smart heroine -- but it's nice to see something different).
Mild spoilers: Katsa enters into a consensual sexual relationship outside of marriage. That was interesting to me because I paused a bit to see how I felt about that, having been thoroughly socialized into marriage myself, and having had a history in the last couple of years of "OMG CAN'T GIVE THAT BOOK TO MY DAUGHTER WITHOUT OUR HAVING A TALK" (I mean, E. is not 2 yet, but since she's been born I've had a couple of these experiences when reading something, and it always kind of bothers me when my head does this, because I read all kinds of things while growing up without any parental control (mostly, probably, because they had no idea), and it was good for me). (
sarahtales also pointed out gently that people tend not to think this about boys, and I am guilty as heck, and of course it's a bit asymmetric because I don't have a son, but I am trying to be a little more even-handed in thinking things are good or bad for boys as well, especially since D does have nephews.)And... my response was something along the lines of, sure, well, we could talk about this: how awesome it is. No pressure on either side, a power-balanced relationship, a lot of friendship and support, a lot of careful communication about their relationship. Sooooo much better than no-premarital-sex with icky 100-year-old stalker guy, I can't even tell you.
