Books

[infinitemonkeys]

It is February, which is sort of a long, low fart of a month unless your birthday happens to fall in it. It's too cold and/or wet to do much, you're still skint from the holiday period and so is everyone else, and all that remains is to wait until spring is sprung and people cheer up

Comments

[whatifisaidno]

I love The Secret History :D

[infinitemonkeys]

I did love it way back when, so I think I'll spare myself the reread ;)

[cofax7]

I have heard great things about In Great Waters; I believe I have also heard that there's a sequel in the works, which may explain something about the ending.

And very little of what I have heard about the Lev Grossman makes me want to read it.

Me, I spent most of January reading a seven-volume Big Fat Fantasy series by Kate Elliott, which should have been rather more popular than it was.

And I still haven't seen Avatar, although even my parents have, now. Mom tells me I'm sure to LOVE it. Ahem. *g*

in reverse order...

[infinitemonkeys]

I honestly think Avatar is worth watching for the pretty alone, though I do understand why some people hate it.

The thing about the Lev Grossman is the tone. It's knowing and referential but in that smug way that makes one wish to slap smart teenagers who use it. That's annoying because there are two or three passages in it that are completely fantastic.

A sequel to In Great Waters sounds like an interesting idea given how little time the two main characters spend together, but the most interesting part of the first book to me was the description of our world from Henry's point of view and I don't see how you would pull off that trick again.

[se_parsons]

I hated everyone in the Secret History the first go-round, so I think its awesomeness would remain untarnished for me.

[infinitemonkeys]

The thing is, I think you were probably right the first go-round and they are all total arseholes. I can only say that I read it at an impressionable age.

[se_parsons]

As I am older than you, I was also older than you the first time I read it and quite long past the age of the folks in the book. But I did understand the allure of finding other people who valued intellectual pursuits.

[infinitemonkeys]

Perhaps those couple of extra years you had on me when the book came out helped, as it hit me in my late teens/early 20s, but I don't think it's that. I think it's more that you just have a better Pretentious Bullshit Detector than I do. I can be swept away by beautiful language while you're still saying "hang on..."