"Down into the valley deep 'neath the eaves we will sleep, sky of dreams up above my pony boy."

[nausicaa83]

I needed something short and sweet after Never Let Me Go, so yesterday afternoon I had the choice of baking muffins or going on with the Reading Bingo. Today, by the way, shall be baking time!



For the "A Book With a Blue Cover" square I chose Diana Wynne Jones' Charmed Life. She wrote it in 1977, and it's the first book in her Chrestomanci series. I first met this author when I watched Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle back in 2005, and after reading that book I read the two sequels too. I saw this book among the recs for me on the Amazon website, and I really liked the cover (hence the square), so I bought it last year and it has been sitting in a corner ever since.

First things first, I liked it. I read it all in one sitting, just like Neil Gaiman said he did the first time he read it. It's gripping and intriguing and fun. But it confirms something about her writing that I didn't like in her Howl books too. Whenever I read one of her books, it always feels like I'm reading a long, long intro of people bickering, up to the last chapter when stuff actually happens. And all her characters are various degrees of selfish, annoying, vain people. Even the good guys are the kind of persons that I would never befriend in real life. I'm not saying these are faults in her writing, I can perfectly see why people would enjoy these stories. But they're just not meant for me. Not all characters have to be sympathetic examples of virtue, I like my heroes with a side of mistakes and selfishness, but not when it's the main aspect of their characterization. It was literally 240 pages of people complaining about the unfairness of their life, and then stuff happened.

So yep, I'm probably not going to check another one of her books. They're lovely, imaginative stories, and the way magic is depicted is great, but they're not for me.

And now I have to shower and prepare myself for a long, long walk across town to an office that it's so far away it's basically in another Realm. Wish me luck.

Comments

[oonaseckar.livejournal.com]

And all her characters are various degrees of selfish, annoying, vain people.
Ah... they're real, then?

It was literally 240 pages of people complaining about the unfairness of their life, and then stuff happened.
You may have a point, although it had never occurred to me. I prefer the full-immersion approach to reading - dive in and come up gasping at the end - to any form of analysis.

Well, it takes all sorts and diff'rent strokes I suppose. My heart sings for DWJ, although 'Charmed Life' doesn't quite reach the heights of 'Homeward Bounders.'

[nausicaa83.livejournal.com]

Wait, who are you?

[oonaseckar.livejournal.com]

Drive-by commenter LOL.

[nausicaa83.livejournal.com]

Well, if you're looking for a book blog you're in the wrong place. This is a personal blog, where I sometimes post my opinions on things I read/watch. So dropping by only to tell me that my analysis of these characters is wrong is both weird and kinda rude.

[oonaseckar.livejournal.com]

Ah, sorry then. Didn't mean to give offence: and wasn't exactly saying you were wrong for having a different opinion, hence the 'diff'rent strokes' comment. Sorry again: won't be a repeat offender!

[nausicaa83.livejournal.com]

No worries then. I just thought it was a "troll in the dungeon" situation, and since it would definitely not be the first time, I'm a very suspicious person now.

By all means, enjoy your stay. ^^

[entangled-now.livejournal.com]

It was literally 240 pages of people complaining about the unfairness of their life, and then stuff happened.

I feel like I read a lot of books like this. But that's not always bad, because sometimes it's very exciting stuff and the people complaining about it are interesting enough. But usually they're...really not.

My only exposure to DWJ are her Derkholm books, which were quite silly but I enjoyed them. I've been wondering whether to try something else of hers.

[nausicaa83.livejournal.com]

I think it makes sense for people who live in a world with magic to not notice that magic is awesome. It's common, it's normal. But up to a degree. I live in a world with science, and I still jump up and down everytime they find something new at the CERN, or everytime a comet is mentioned. That same feeling should be normal in a world where magic is common too. Instead in this book it's all about how magic is annoying, and used mostly for pranks or for really horrible stuff.

It's not that fictional characters should be like friends. I love characters like Loki in the Thor movies, or most of the characters in A Song of Ice and Fire, that I would never befriend in real life. But it comes to a point where her characters are mostly just whiny brats. They don't walk that fine line between charming and annoying, they just skip right to annoying.

Of course, this is a very personal opinion. I can see why people love her characters, I just don't feel it at all.

[entangled-now.livejournal.com]

Yes, I admit, I have occasionally thought why are these people all '*shakes fist* that damn magic, solving everyone's problems again!' I even understand that if it's one of those universes where only certain people can do it then there might be a frustration and mistrust. But just dismissing all of it as 'meh, magic again' makes me look at them funny too. But in the Discworld novels that kind of works for me.

No, I know exactly what you mean, I love reading about antagonistic friendships and partnerships. But some people in books just aren't interesting enough to put the work in, or maybe it's not that they're not interesting so much as they don't feel believable in themselves and the way they relate to others?

[nausicaa83.livejournal.com]

I think it's a problem with a lot of romance movies too. Most romcoms, actually. Okay, they fall in love, but why? Because they're both hot? Most of the time there isn't actually a real reason, except that that's where the writers want the story to go, and so it does.

This becomes a huge problem when they go for the "at first they hated each other, but then they fell in love" trope. Just because it worked in Pride And Prejudice doesn't mean it works every single time.

I'm a reader/viewer, not a writer, but from what I can see I'd say the hardest part is avoiding to force the characters, and being able to listen to the story and where it wants to go, even if it defies the original plan.

(oh boy, I do love rambling about this stuff :D )

[entangled-now.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's that old problem of 'these people must fall in love' 'these warriors must go to the castle' 'these friends must become enemies.' The rules that people feel like they have to follow for plot but forget to make it feel like it's something that would happen. They leave the reader/viewer asking 'but why did they?' When it should be obvious. When they should have put in the work so it felt natural.

being able to listen to the story and where it wants to go, even if it defies the original plan.

I love this, I love when I think I know where the story's going, just because it always goes that way, only to find it going somewhere else that feels perfectly natural but surprising!

Stories are amazing :D