So… tell me, those of you with opinions, should I read the Outlander series? This comes up again because two of my friends mentioned it in emails in response to my book announcement. I read the first one lo many years ago, and frankly hated it; I mean, it was a gripping read and I tore through it, but then I felt kind of sick, between the beating and the homophobia and not really liking any of the characters (except the one I think I was supposed to despise). But people seem to love them, and perhaps there are redeeming qualities in the sequels?
I'm not sure I have the time, actually, and when I do I'd rather (thank you![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
yunitsa) have a nice angsty Lymond reread, but I thought I'd ask.
Speaking of books, I filled in the most recent of the holes I'd left in Louise Penny's series, The Beautiful Mystery, and ah, if I thought the others were good this one was transcendent. Okay, it takes place in a monastery full of Gregorian chants, but that does not a lovely book make on its own. What does is being able to describe what music does to people, in ways both sublime and ridiculous (Gamache gets into a conversation about chickens, thinks of Foghorn Leghorn, and gets "Camptown Races" stuck in his head, amongst men with gorgeous voices singing the most beautiful music in the world). Also, having read the books before and after, it was good to finally witness the horrible yawning abyss that had swallowed a major character in between. In a way, I mean.
Also have watched the latest OUAT (see my tumblr post about epiphytes) and aha, the secret: it really truly IS commedia dell'arte, at least in having one of those plots where everyone's related to each other. (This is a comment many OUAT viewers have made after many different episodes, thinking each time that finally the family tree has acquired so many twisted branches it can't possibly survive any longer. And somehow it keeps on getting worse.)
(A family tree with epiphytes. I am tempted to expand on the metaphor, but I have better things to do.)
I'm not sure I have the time, actually, and when I do I'd rather (thank you
yunitsa) have a nice angsty Lymond reread, but I thought I'd ask.Speaking of books, I filled in the most recent of the holes I'd left in Louise Penny's series, The Beautiful Mystery, and ah, if I thought the others were good this one was transcendent. Okay, it takes place in a monastery full of Gregorian chants, but that does not a lovely book make on its own. What does is being able to describe what music does to people, in ways both sublime and ridiculous (Gamache gets into a conversation about chickens, thinks of Foghorn Leghorn, and gets "Camptown Races" stuck in his head, amongst men with gorgeous voices singing the most beautiful music in the world). Also, having read the books before and after, it was good to finally witness the horrible yawning abyss that had swallowed a major character in between. In a way, I mean.
Also have watched the latest OUAT (see my tumblr post about epiphytes) and aha, the secret: it really truly IS commedia dell'arte, at least in having one of those plots where everyone's related to each other. (This is a comment many OUAT viewers have made after many different episodes, thinking each time that finally the family tree has acquired so many twisted branches it can't possibly survive any longer. And somehow it keeps on getting worse.)
(A family tree with epiphytes. I am tempted to expand on the metaphor, but I have better things to do.)
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Date: 2013-11-19 07:42 am (UTC)From:Diana Gabaldon can bite me, though. Your work is not sacred, lady. Deal with it.
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Date: 2013-11-19 12:05 pm (UTC)From:It does seem like it would translate well to TV. Do we know who's in it?
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Date: 2013-11-19 08:23 pm (UTC)From:I will say in the first book's defence that the violent rape and torture aspects are clearly foreshadowed and also perpetrated by a man who is very, very mentally disturbed. And the resulting homophobia in the aftermath of that is totally understandable, IMO. Also not permanent.
Claire Randall is a Mary Sue, but I don't mind a Mary Sue if she's well written. If you want to give the books a go, I'd say try getting through the first four, but don't bother with The Fiery Cross or An Echo In The Bone.
Oh, and just to be contrary, I'll confess I didn't really like the spin-off Lord John series. Hes a good character but not interesting enough to drive a story, for me anyway.