Novels 2008

[bagheera_san]

So... I accidentally read three more books of the Dresden Files. Oops? This stuff is bloody addictive. It's clichéd, predictable, over-the-top pulp, but it's also fantastic.


1. The Time-Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
2. Gregorius by Hartman v. Aue
3. The Princess Bride by William Goldman
4. The History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters by Julian Barnes
5. The Golem's Eye by Jonathan Stroud
6. Flaubert's Parrot by Julian Barnes
7. Der Verdacht by F. Dürrenmatt
8. Doktor Faustus by Thomas Mann
9. Arthur & George by Julian Barnes
10. Storm Front by Jim Butcher
11. England, England by Julian Barnes
12. Fool Moon by Jim Butcher
13. Kim by Rudyard Kipling
14. Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky
15. The Idiot by Dostoevsky
16. On the Road by Jack Kerouac
17. Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer
18. Grave Peril by Jim Butcher
19. Victory of Eagles by Naomi Novik
20. Summer Knight by Jim Butcher
21. Death Masks by Jim Butcher
22. Blood Rites by Jim Butcher
LOL. I've been tricked into shipping an incest pairing. At least Butcher didn't follow the depressing trend of introducing a tall, dark, roguish secondary character, making my panties spontaneously evaporate (it's vaguely depressing if a novel tells you "women love this character" and all you can do is agree) and then killing him off two books later. I'm looking at you, Mrs Rowling. But no deaths happened and I was very glad. (But is it just me, or does Harry Dresden now have so many incredibly powerful allies that he's near-invincible?)

I went through another batch of Doctor Who Audios:
The Highlanders
Classic Who companions tend to have introduction stories that are not actually doing a good job of introducing them. This one would have left me thinking that Jamie was a young Scot and also perhaps Bonnie Prince Charlie. But it doesn't make me feel excited about him. (Whereas later serials reveal that Jamie is AWESOMECAKES.) It was a fun serial, though, and it made me love Polly. As Two says: "You saucy girl!" Also, Two crossdresses, and Polly thinks it suits him :D

The Evil of the Daleks
Victoria's introduction story, and again, I'm not impressed (but Victoria is kinda lame in general.) The Daleks, however, were cool in this story. Nice, happy Daleks are both creepy and funny as hell. Di-zzy Da-leks! Also, Time Lord injokes: the Doctor calls his Dalek friends Alpha, Beta and Omega. I guess Greek Letters are really cool among Time Lords or something. The Doctor actually does come very close to redeeming/reforming the whole Dalek race in this serial, but he does it by trying to lead the good, child-like, pacifist Daleks into a civil war against their evil cousins. He really does take being an ambiguous hero to whole new levels.

The Wheel in Space
Zoe's introduction story, and finally there's a companion who gets introduced very well (this trend continues through Three's era). The pacing is shoddy (first episode is super-slow, then it gets okay and then it is suddenly just over.), the plot is so-so, the cast is far too large, but Zoe rocks. She's Spock, if Spock were cute and female and *wanted* to have emotions. I think she's also the ONLY companion ever whom the Doctor sits down and warns of the bad things that will happen to her, and he begins his lecture with the Daleks.

The second Doctor has a very interesting dynamic with his companions: on the one hand he treats them (especially Jamie and Zoe) like partners and equals rather than assistants or proteges or amusing pets. But otoh Two can be selfish and manipulative and almost cowardly, but not because he's arrogant and ruthless (like Seven) but because he's so very scared. He's flawed, but in a sweet, sad, occasionally hilarious way.

Comments

[elliptic-eye.livejournal.com]

6. Flaubert's Parrot by Julian Barnes

Ooh, how was this?

8. Doktor Faustus by Thomas Mann

If you feel like sharing some of your reactions to Faustus, I'd be most interested to hear them. Many times I've tried to get somebody to read that book so we could talk about it...

finally there's a companion who gets introduced very well... Zoe rocks. She's Spock, if Spock were cute and female and *wanted* to have emotions.

Yes! Zoe is the loveliest, and WiS wins just by virtue of gratuitous spacewalking. There are two intact episodes of this floating around somewhere; they're beyond awesome.

[snowgrouse.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank god, someone else who thinks Victoria is a bit lame. *cling* But I suppose in comparison to Zoe, a hell of a lot of other companions are lame...