Rabbit Trail Reviews

[meltintall3]

Michael Strogoff: a Courier of the Czar by Jules Verne

I don't know enough Russian history to determin how fictional this story is, though I'm guessing there might be an actual event or two in it... I mostly picked it up because it was illustrated by N. C. Wyeth. I loved the scene where Michael looses his eyesight. I thought that was a very bold and unexpected stroke on Verne's part and I was really looking forward to seeing Michael and his girl after the mission was over and she stuck with him through thick and thin and he learns to cope with the change and d'awwwwwww...

However, though I suspected something fishy when we met the wolves, I was let down by the ending. Maybe a lot let down since I started the book not expecting much and I allowed the drastic setback to change my expectations. I like the happily ever after and everyone is fine except the bad guys who got their just desserts and all that, but... first of all, what was up with the girl's dad? Verne sets himself up for a tragic "missed him by thatmuch" scene that never goes anywhere or is diffused. Second, the telegraph operator. *bawls* One of the nicest characters that I *wanted* to have a happy ending and he dies an awful death instead. Third... Michael doesn't just get his eyesight back, he had it all along. I have no idea how medically sound the scenario is, but it sounds implausible despite his inhuman stoicism.

Overall, it was fun in a wordy Russian travelloge sort of fashion


The Girl Who Loved Caterpillars adapted by Jean Merril from a Japanese fragment

If you don't like incomplete stories, this is not for you. But it has lovely illustrations and it's short.

Corbenic by Catherine Fisher

A retelling of the story of Percival; the characters and setting are quite well-done...and then we get to the climax where everything is supposed to get resolved.

Well! I come into a story like this prepared to accept that things like the Castle Perilous are real. I'm willing to be convinced that it was all in Cal's head, though I don't think I'd like such an answer.

To my mind, the ending sent mixed signals. Does the reader go with Lady Shadow's assumption that it was real because Cal believed it was real, ie self-delusion and you won because you believed in yourself? Does that give Cal a satisfactory resolution? Would he be able to cope? Was there a plausible explanation for the sword? (hint: not unless I was a far less clued in reader than I like to believe) Does the reader go with the explanation that it was real—which was what was shown for most of the book? Did Cal = Percival in the same way Kai = Kai? Are the mythos characters reborn? (Cal, yes; everyone else seems to slide more towards didn't seem like it/no) Why? What about Lancelot? (not really relevant, sorry, but I did ask that of myself considering Merlin's obsession with the dog... ) I'm totally cool with not knowing exactly what Cal saw when he drank from the Grail, but I think the other ending was too abrupt despite the fact that his quest was achieved. We needed to see some sort of change in Cal, a proof that he's moved on. Even just a new goal might have filled the ending out just enough to make it satisfying.

On the plus side, the appearance and characterization of Kai and Gawain made me very happy. Overall, I think I'd rank this near the top of a list of Percival retellings

Scarlet by A. C. Gaughen

It's a Robin Hood retelling, and since the characters are all more or less upfront about the biggest 'twist' I'm okay with that. There's a fair amount of violence. The end, while it doesn't fall flat, begs for a sequel and... I don't know. On the whole I think there are a lot of things that ought to bother me, and they manage to make sense in context of this particular story. I can't really guess where a sequel would go (other than that it'll be gory and characters will die but I don't have a feel for who is likely headed to the block) and I guess I'm not super curious.

The Hunger Games & Catching Fire by Susanne Collins

Reading the series with spoiler-knowledge aquired by osmosis is interesting. One doesn't want to get too attached to certain characters in case they really are going to bite the dust... and I sort of already had opinions on the love triangle (except I think I'm leaning towards a non-canon option there just to be difficult... o_O ) and... yeah.

Anyone else read something you have opinions on lately?

Comments

[ladyadeone.livejournal.com]

These all sound interesting.
"Wordy Russian travelloge" hmm? I haven't read anything by Jules Verne yet, sadly (other than children's abridgments long ago). Must remedy that.

Have you read Outlaws of Sherwood, by Robin Mckinley? If so (and if you can recall it sufficiently!) how does it compare to Scarlet?

Re - The Hunger Games, I'm curious what your non-canon option is? : )

[valiantarcher.livejournal.com]

Welll, for once, I don't really have much to say. ;)) I enjoy hearing about your reads and they sound interesting, but I've only read the books in the last entry, and I can't think of anything particular to comment on except what Adeona already asked about. :)

I have a whole backlog of books to talk about in the Books thread (...including responding to the Code Name Verity comments :">), but one of the most recent ones I read was a 1950s book about 14 famous women when they were girls. It was interesting, but I was surprised (and kind of put off) by how harsh it was on the parents, parenting methods, and most guys. Interestingly enough, though, all the ladies who were married seemed to have happy marriages. ;))
I'm currently reading The Collected Poems of G. K. Chesterton, which is interesting. I'm pretty sure you're supposed to savour his poems, not go galloping through them, but oh well... Some of his poems are fun, some make me reflect, and some just make me a bit annoyed. Which, actually, about sums up Chesterton for me. ;))

[meltintall3.livejournal.com]

So far, my favourite Jules Verne is Around the World in 80 Days with The Mysterious Island a trailing second, possibly partly because our copy is a bit awkward to handle whereas 80 Days is a cute little paperback. :)

Outlaws of Sherwood (<3) and Scarlet are close cousins on the Robin Hood derivative tree. If you imagine that Marian does double duty as herself and Cecily you'll probably have a decent idea of how everything goes down. :) Like I said, it is also rather dark and blood is freely spilled and the treatment and visiting of wenches gives one pause. Of the two, I far prefer Outlaws.

I'm about to begin Mockingjay so I'm about to find out if this survives book two... My non-canon option is Katniss/Cinna. That cuts the love-triangle knot neatly and there's enough textual evidence to make a relationship plausible. :)

[meltintall3.livejournal.com]

Well, I answered Adeona's questions, so there you go. :)

Yes, you need to respond to the Code Name Verity stuff. ;)) The '50s book does sound interesting. Did any of the ladies marry any of the guys who were portrayed harshly?

I really think Chesterton is best savoured in bite-size chunks. Any favourite poems so far? :D

[valiantarcher.livejournal.com]

Thanks! :) Interesting... I actually never thought of that pairing. Then again, I tend to stick to canon mostly, and I veer from it, it's usually because another option is too big/interesting to miss. ;))

*sigh* It's on my to-do list! Consistently, but not very high-priority, I'm afraid. ;)) I think a lot of it comes down to tastes, and the fact a lot of it rubbed me wrong; however, I do have some moral/philosophical/something-more-concrete-than-I-just-didn't-like-it ground to discuss, so there is that. ;))
No, I don't think so. In further thought, maybe the best way to describe the book's tone was anti-establishment/pro-feminist. ;)) It kind of surprised me as I was reading it, but in light of it being written right before the 60's and all that went on there, it makes more sense. Basically, the author was saying that all the women were rule-breakers and saying you had to be to get anything done, and that lots of parents wanted well-behaved children and that they wanted fear, not love from their children, and that guys in general in the past were selfish jerks who wanted their own ways. (Interesting, partially since it was a male author. ;)) )

Yes, I do think he's best in small pieces. :) Well, I liked "The Myth of Arthur", "Answers to the Poets", "The Battle of the Stories", "The World State", and "Elegy in a Country Churchyard". The rest haven't really stood out to me all that much. ;))

[ladyadeone.livejournal.com]

Have you read Journey to the Center of the Earth?

Good to know, thanks!

Mh. Understandable. : )

[meltintall3.livejournal.com]

Yes, I read Journey to the Center of the Earth. It's been awhile, and I found it difficult to read the first time I tried it (something about the formatting of my copy and the way the narrator tended to make very simple statements obscure) but my most recent read-through was enjoyable. I think my vocabulary and expectations had caught up to the writing. :)

...Understandable, but not sustainable. Oh well. ;))