InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Paris Hilton got nothin on me!"

Envinyatar (envinyatar15) wrote,
@ 2008-04-23 18:02:00

Current music:	Dashboard Confessional [Carry This Picture]
Entry tags:	books, rl, writing

the sun will still shine then at this time of year...
A list, just because.

- spring has finally arrived! o_O YAY! IT IS WARM. THE SUN IS SHINING. THERE IS NO CLOUD VISIBLE IN THE SKY.
- the cold is almost defeated. MORE YAY!
- with this victory, my muse has returned full-force. I was assaulted by three different plotbunnies for the Dark Side of Snupin challenge that's coming in May when before I had a very vague one. I've even finished the erotic_elves fic. EVEN MORE YAY.
- I was shopping after work today. Or rather, I was looking at clothes. And shoes. And stuff. I even found some things I liked (a dress! I haven't had an actual summer dress in years!), though I need to see how much money my mother needs from me before I decide whether I can actually buy anything. BOO FINANCIAL PROBLEMS, BOO.
- I need to clean the flat. I actually want to clean the flat. Er. *knocks at self's head* Jules, is that you in there? Have you been temporarily taken over by... someone else? Anyone else?
- have begun reading Neil Gaiman's American Gods. The end of chapter 1, which I read last night, made me go vey, very o_O er wtf huh? Heh. I was very amused by my own reaction. And of course by that scene, too.

In conclusion:

YAY SPRING!

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	japoniste 2008-04-23 05:21 pm UTC (link)
	Yay for returning muses! American Gods... one good thing is that there is gay sex in it. Otherwise, I am not sure I really liked it. Not Gaiman's best book, IMHO. Of course it's better than most one can find these days, and the man's language is always a pleasure to read. I'll look forward to hear what you think when you're done. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	envinyatar15 2008-04-24 05:25 pm UTC (link)
	I'm curious then - what's his best book, IYHO? XD American Gods is the first of his I'm reading - what should I buy next? g (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

japoniste
2008-04-24 07:44 pm UTC (link)

"Neverwhere". I am ~~obsessed~~ fascinated with abandoned and/or hidden places, and this one is set in London - in the abandoned tunnels in the tube, which made me squee wildly when I first read the book. I have wanted to into those tunnels for years! Apart from that, Neverwhere has a brilliant plot, very good use of RL location, it is so well written. It is also a piercing description of what happens when one doesn't belong in the society any longer, falls through the security net, and about choosing to be outside/r. Loved that book so much. Now I think I'll have to read it again. Hm.

Also "Smoke and Mirrors", a collection of short stories is particularly reading-worthy. I love NG's use of language in many of them, more lyrical at times, than in his novels. Also, some of the short stories are so clever and so perfectly twisted... Definitelt a good read.

I find myself often disappointed by the rest of his writing. These two were the first I read by him, and it annoys me I seemed to begin with the best of what he's done (IMHO, that is).

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envinyatar15
2008-05-17 09:49 pm UTC (link)

I had this reply saved, and even though it's been a week or so since I finished the book, it's still strong on my brain. So, without further ado, my thoughts:

I liked it. The mythical aspect was the perfect thing for me, and I adored the plot very much.

What I didn't like was, especially in the beginning, this sort of detachedness Shadow shows. Right, it's explained later, but I kind of felt, at times, like Shadow wasn't reacting at all - neither physically nor mentally; and it threw me. It wasn't just this "shutting down now" kind of detachedness, to me, it felt like something was missing. It's difficult to explain, but this was one reason I had a problem of really getting into the story.

Once Laura had that cleared up it got better, and the rest I read pretty quickly. There were a lot of small things about the nature of things that I loved, and Gaiman's writing at times took my breath away.

And then the end came around - and I felt as if it negated everything that had been established in the first 450 or so pages. That the war didn't happen after all was the only logical conclusion; if he'd let the new gods go into battle against the old ones, well, it would have felt like hypocrisy, in a way. But then at least there would have been a point to it all. This way, I just felt there was nothing left, you know? Not precisely that I wasted time or anything, but as if there just... well. Wasn't any point to it all.

I don't know, it's all kind of difficult to explain. I wasn't disappointed per sé, just thrown, I guess. I'm not sure what to make of this book. Does that make any kind of sense? :/

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japoniste
2008-05-18 07:56 pm UTC (link)

It did make sense. I think that is why I didn't like it either: Shadow is not really described in a way that makes him seem real, and all the running around feels detached. I don't think we ever get to know the characters.

I think it lacks something when it comes to the characters interacting with others; the only time characterisation and dialogue felt real to me was when Shadows stay for the winter.

To be honest, and I'm sorry if I offend any US citizens here, I think it is only so popular because of the setting: Older gods in US.

Fanfiction faux pas, anyone?

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	shiny_crystal 2008-04-24 06:28 am UTC (link)
	YAY for spring and writing! ♥ And see you later :D off to the dentist >.> (Reply to this) (Thread)

	envinyatar15 2008-04-24 05:26 pm UTC (link)
	OMG you'll be here soon...! vacs the flat like mad (Reply to this) (Parent)