I decided, after spending the entire summer reading fantasy novels, it was time to branch out a little. Plus, I was still waiting for the Brandon Sanderson books I'd requested from the library to show up at the hold desk. So I perused the stacks and came across "The Other Boleyn Girl" by Philippa Gregory. I'd seen previews for the movie, and thought, Isn't this about Henry VIII? I don't know much about him! So I checked it out. I started reading it fully aware that there was a chance that it would get too racy for my taste, and I wouldn't finish it. Oh, Philippa, how clever you are.
First, though, a quick summary: Everyone knows Anne Boleyn got beheaded after being married to King Henry VIII. The book is about how her greedy, grasping family got her married to the king in the first place, and what sacrifices were made by her sister, Mary, in order for their family to rise to power. This book may as well be called, "The sexual exploits of the Boleyn girls and their questionable brother." Mary catches the eye of the king while he's married to Katherine of Aragon, Mary becomes his mistress, bears two of his children, a boy and a girl, and is cast aside while pregnant with the boy. Anne catches the king's eye while her sister is busy with childbirth (by the way, hooray for the ridding of a month of confinement before the baby's born). Meanwhile, the queen is trying hard to act like she is the apple of the king's eye, but the king is frustrated by the lack of a legitimate male heir. For 6 years he works with spiritual advisors to weasel his way out of his marriage to a very nice lady. All this time Anne is clinging onto his attention so she can marry him. And she does, as we all know. Mary spends this time as his sometimes lover and wishing she were in the country with her children. And she falls in love with William Stafford, who buys her a farm in the country and they secretly marry. Then Anne has one daughter, Elizabeth, but fails to produce another child, is disliked by the English populus, throws the court into corruption and debauchery, and is beheaded for witchcraft and adultery. So, that's the story.
Ms. Gregory is very very sly in her writing. It's as though she could read my mind and knew that she could start out with fancy, old-fashioned terms to describe the affairs of the king (Mary is dressing alluringly, fade out, fade in and her hair is rumpled and she's exhausted). Then she sneaks in a little more detail, still using antiquated vocabulary that makes everything seem more innocent. And then, at about page 500, she knows you're going to finish the last 100 pages, and starts using the modern-day terms in great detail. Yuck. And it worked. I had already read 500 pages. What's another hundred? Ugh. Boo on her. And boo on me for getting sucked in. So, that's my biggest complaint. I was talking to a friend yesterday who had seen the movie, and I asked what she thought. She said the movie left her feeling icky. Yep, that's how the book made me feel, too. Yucky King Henry VIII. No wonder all those people came to America to live in disease and squalor for years. They had to deal with horrible tyrannical psychopaths that changed laws and religion so they could fulfill their selfish desires. And I felt icky knowing way too much about the Boleyn family as well. I used to feel sorry for Anne Boleyn. Of course, this is categorized as "historical fiction," so I don't know what to feel.
Which leads me to the reason for the title of this particular post. I haven't read a lot of historical fiction. In fact, I think this book was only the second "historical fiction" novel I've read. I read "The Kingdom and the Crown" series by Gerald Lund a few months ago. And I had the same complaint after those books that I do now (nothing to do with the racy content, obviously--Gerald Lund's books are squeaky clean). My beef is that I don't know what is real history, and what is the author's imagination. Was Henry VIII really that disgusting? Probably. Was Anne Boleyn really that conniving? I don't know! I imagine the thoughts of each character and the small details are all fictional, but based on customs of the time. But I don't know! And that drives me crazy. It was the same when I read "The Kingdom and the Crown." Lund was very very very thorough about citing his references, though, and stating at the end of each chapter what was a real event and what was not. He also had a glossary and end notes and footnotes and a long introduction. But after I finished I was scratching my head and wondering, If you are going to spend that much time and research, why not make it pure history instead of adding in romantic characters and side plots? The answer I came up with was: romance sells, and history doesn't. I couldn't help but compare those novels to the books that are strictly historical, like "Seabiscuit" and "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down" (that one is actually more like a documentary--it chronicles a girl in the Hmong culture that has epilepsy, and how the cultural barrier makes it difficult for her family and the doctors to cope--read it!). Both of the real history books are written in the style of a novel, making them entertaining and fascinating, and after I finished I felt like I knew more, and had gotten smarter by reading them. Not so with the novels. I felt confused and annoyed. On the positive side, the fiction inspired me to research topics I hadn't felt motivated to learn about previously. I just felt like I'd wasted hours of reading filth (in the case of the Boleyn book) and wading through pointless narration to get to the meat. I never would have pegged myself as a history girl, but I guess I care what really happened and what didn't. Go figure. I think it's time I try to read "1776," by John McCullough. I believe his books are good reads that are also historically accurate. Any other recommendations?
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Scattered Brain
The review I did of Breaking Dawn is glaring at me every time I look at my blog. I'm not saying I'm sorry I did it, I'm saying, it's been a while since I posted and I'm guessing the 3 people who read my blog would probably appreciate something new to look at. The problem is, I just don't have that much to say right now. I think my problem is that I'm 7 months pregnant and my brain retains about 20 seconds of information before it turns to mush and I can't think anymore. So I'm going to list a few random things that are on my mind that wouldn't really warrant a full post.
1. Am I an old fogey, because I just don't get what the big deal is with texting! I realize I am way behind the times here, but I'd like to know why it's so great. If I were in high school, or even college, and had something really urgent to say to a friend in the middle of class, like, "Oh my heck, that new guy is HOT!" or "Your fly is down. LOL," I'd get it. But it seems like most grown-ups are doing it, too. In the middle of movies and conversations and fun nights out. It seems like, since it doesn't make noise, it's perfectly acceptable to carry on a text conversation in the middle of dinner while people are trying to carry on a conversation with you VERBALLY. You know, when you talk to people in person? I don't want to make this post turn into "How to Lose Friends and Alienate People," so if you love texting, I love you, but I just don't get it. It seems like we're losing our ability to interact with other people face to face. (And here I am, on my computer writing a blog. I know it's a little hypocritical.) I'm a proud owner of a pre-paid, emergency-only Tracfone, and I ask you to please explain.
2. I love the TV show "So You Think You Can Dance." I really enjoyed this past season, and, being a Utahn, I was happy to cheer on our 4 representatives. Of course, I never vote on shows. Too lazy. I just yell at the TV when someone gets the boot that didn't deserve it. So I was very sad to see Chelsea from Pleasant Grove get sent home instead of what's-her-name from Jersey. I really missed Shane Sparks as a judge and choreographer this season, and wondered where he'd gone until I tuned into "America's Best Dance Crew" and saw that he'd become a judge there. I guess that's more his scene than trying to analyze a Fox Trot, but I wish he'd come back to SYTYCD. Any other fans out there? Remember last season's Transformer dance with Pasha and Lauren? So much fun. Now there's a new hip hop choreography team, Tabatha and Napoleon, and I'm sure they are great, but every dance they do is all touchy-feely and has some complex back story. How about just for fun? Besides the disappearance of Shane Sparks, though, I think the show is improving each season. I think Cat Deeley is a fantastic host (have you ever seen Ryan Seacrest outside in the blowing snow interviewing hopefuls and doing a happy dance with them? I know I haven't). I thought the dancers this year were fantastic. And I was very happy that Josh the street dancer won. He was amazing. I just wonder if he'll disappear like Sabra, the winner from last season, did. I hope not.
3. On the continued subject of TV, has anyone else started writing the dates of the new seasons on their September calendars? After a really boring summer of TV reruns and (mostly) lame reality shows, I am thrilled to have my shows back: "The Office," "Chuck," "House, MD," "Ugly Betty," "America's Next Top Model," "Dancing With the Stars," and others that I can't think of right now. I saw the teaser for "The Office" while watching the Olympics last night with my husband and we both shouted with joy. I miss Dwight. I just wish the last week of September were sooner. Of course, at that point my feet will be twice their normal size and I'll be happy to make it from bed down the stairs to the couch in time for my shows.
4. Does it bother anyone else that Walmart won't even put your bags in your cart anymore? It's not just that they won't do it, they start putting other people's stuff in bags before you've had a chance to lift the 50 lb. box of detergent from the top of the bag carousel into your cart. And they give you this look like you're IN THE WAY. I love that they stack 3 gallons of milk and a carton of eggs on top, then double up the bags, all while you're answering their 50 questions about whether the store was clean (no) and did the checker greet you (no) and is this amount okay (3 times). Boo on Walmart. I swore when I moved away from the South that I would never shop there again, but when there's non-food stuff to buy as well as groceries, the 5 minute drive seems so convenient compared to the 25 minutes to Target. So not worth it. I made a goal this week that the 25 minutes would NOT matter and I will boycott Walmart until they start doing their job (which is never).
Yep, that's what's been on my mind this week. Not a whole lot. It's clear I've been to Walmart recently and that there's nothing to watch on TV. Now I'm off to figure out dinner.
1. Am I an old fogey, because I just don't get what the big deal is with texting! I realize I am way behind the times here, but I'd like to know why it's so great. If I were in high school, or even college, and had something really urgent to say to a friend in the middle of class, like, "Oh my heck, that new guy is HOT!" or "Your fly is down. LOL," I'd get it. But it seems like most grown-ups are doing it, too. In the middle of movies and conversations and fun nights out. It seems like, since it doesn't make noise, it's perfectly acceptable to carry on a text conversation in the middle of dinner while people are trying to carry on a conversation with you VERBALLY. You know, when you talk to people in person? I don't want to make this post turn into "How to Lose Friends and Alienate People," so if you love texting, I love you, but I just don't get it. It seems like we're losing our ability to interact with other people face to face. (And here I am, on my computer writing a blog. I know it's a little hypocritical.) I'm a proud owner of a pre-paid, emergency-only Tracfone, and I ask you to please explain.
2. I love the TV show "So You Think You Can Dance." I really enjoyed this past season, and, being a Utahn, I was happy to cheer on our 4 representatives. Of course, I never vote on shows. Too lazy. I just yell at the TV when someone gets the boot that didn't deserve it. So I was very sad to see Chelsea from Pleasant Grove get sent home instead of what's-her-name from Jersey. I really missed Shane Sparks as a judge and choreographer this season, and wondered where he'd gone until I tuned into "America's Best Dance Crew" and saw that he'd become a judge there. I guess that's more his scene than trying to analyze a Fox Trot, but I wish he'd come back to SYTYCD. Any other fans out there? Remember last season's Transformer dance with Pasha and Lauren? So much fun. Now there's a new hip hop choreography team, Tabatha and Napoleon, and I'm sure they are great, but every dance they do is all touchy-feely and has some complex back story. How about just for fun? Besides the disappearance of Shane Sparks, though, I think the show is improving each season. I think Cat Deeley is a fantastic host (have you ever seen Ryan Seacrest outside in the blowing snow interviewing hopefuls and doing a happy dance with them? I know I haven't). I thought the dancers this year were fantastic. And I was very happy that Josh the street dancer won. He was amazing. I just wonder if he'll disappear like Sabra, the winner from last season, did. I hope not.
3. On the continued subject of TV, has anyone else started writing the dates of the new seasons on their September calendars? After a really boring summer of TV reruns and (mostly) lame reality shows, I am thrilled to have my shows back: "The Office," "Chuck," "House, MD," "Ugly Betty," "America's Next Top Model," "Dancing With the Stars," and others that I can't think of right now. I saw the teaser for "The Office" while watching the Olympics last night with my husband and we both shouted with joy. I miss Dwight. I just wish the last week of September were sooner. Of course, at that point my feet will be twice their normal size and I'll be happy to make it from bed down the stairs to the couch in time for my shows.
4. Does it bother anyone else that Walmart won't even put your bags in your cart anymore? It's not just that they won't do it, they start putting other people's stuff in bags before you've had a chance to lift the 50 lb. box of detergent from the top of the bag carousel into your cart. And they give you this look like you're IN THE WAY. I love that they stack 3 gallons of milk and a carton of eggs on top, then double up the bags, all while you're answering their 50 questions about whether the store was clean (no) and did the checker greet you (no) and is this amount okay (3 times). Boo on Walmart. I swore when I moved away from the South that I would never shop there again, but when there's non-food stuff to buy as well as groceries, the 5 minute drive seems so convenient compared to the 25 minutes to Target. So not worth it. I made a goal this week that the 25 minutes would NOT matter and I will boycott Walmart until they start doing their job (which is never).
Yep, that's what's been on my mind this week. Not a whole lot. It's clear I've been to Walmart recently and that there's nothing to watch on TV. Now I'm off to figure out dinner.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Superstrength and Sweeping Romance
I was planning on waiting to write a review for "Breaking Dawn" until next week, but my mind is like a sieve right now, I'm afraid I won't remember anything about the book by the end of this week. So, if you haven't read the book yet and are still planning on reading it, STOP READING NOW, until you've finished. I don't want to give anything away to those who have yet to read it, but I need to in order to properly express my feelings.
It finally occurred to me on about page 150 that I have been categorizing these books completely wrong. For some strange reason, I had them grouped in with Fantasy and Action. Yes, there is an element of fantasy (vampires and werewolves and mind-reading), and yes, there is action. But these books are romance novels, pure and simple. Once I realized that, I actually felt a little less critical about the content. A little. You notice I said that this occurred to me after 150 pages. Those first 150 pages could have been summed up into about 5. Bella and Edward had a beautiful wedding, which every girl fantasizes about. Beautiful flowers, beautiful bride, weeping mother, dashing groom, the works. And then they go on their honeymoon. Ah, the perfect honeymoon fantasy. A remote isle, beautiful surroundings, kayaking, palm trees, a really pretty big bed--all things that you'd expect from a honeymoon. But was it really necessary to have that honeymoon last 75 pages? And this is where my realization kicked in. These 150 pages were what Meyer's 4 books were all about. The fantasy romance. Once I understood which genre I was reading, I was a little more forgiving about the amount of time that was spent gushing over how perfect Edward was, and how much Bella adored him, blah blah blah. I still feel that Stephenie Meyer should find a better editor, however, because regardless of how romantic something is, it only needs to be said once. (I got that they figured out the whole physical intimacy thing very quickly and didn't need three separate illustrations.) I was also dismayed yet again at how much sensual content there was, considering the intended audience is teenage girls. Yikes. I find it interesting that she goes into more detail in the teenage romance books than her other book, "The Host," whose primary audience is adults. I don't know that I would recommend these to a 14-year-old girl.
I find that I am a bit scattered, so I'm going to list the things I liked to make it a little easier:
1. Bella's vampire baby was completely unexpected to me. One reason I was pulling for Jacob was because if Bella ended up with Edward, she'd never experience the joy of pregnancy (if she, in fact, did enjoy being beaten up repeatedly from the inside) or motherhood. And Meyer managed to work in yet another vampire myth to solve that problem. I was glad that she found a way for Bella to experience motherhood, and even more glad that it was a surprise. I like to be surprised, and I didn't think I would be.
2. Jacob's point of view was kind of fun. Just like everything else in her books, I felt it could have been a little less wordy and drawn out, but I enjoyed having a moment in my favorite character's head. Since my vote has been for Jacob all along, I was grateful that Jacob got a little more time and attention in this book. He seems to be the most fleshed-out character in the series. I find it interesting that although Bella is the heroine, and Edward is her true love forever, Jacob is the only one that is shown in great detail, flaws and all. I wondered if Meyer would use the imprinting instinct as a tool to get Jacob out of the love triangle, and was glad that, since she chose to use it, it was told from his point of view. I was a little less disappointed. It did bother me, though, that her writing got a LOT sloppier and grammatically incorrect while she was writing from his point of view. She changed voices by changing writing styles, and I have no problem with that. What bothered me was that when Bella was the narrator, things were so eloquently described, and Bella was not an eloquent person in her thoughts or speech. Then when Jacob was the narrator everything was in the style of his speech. Suddenly the descriptions of the surroundings were as though Jacob were speaking them aloud, in a very conversational, casual way, full of slang and grammatical errors. I'm sure this was intentional, but I found it irritatingly inconsistent. If she had written Bella's point of view in words that Bella would have spoken aloud, I would have felt it was appropriate for Jacob's point of view to be the way it was. Okay, so I went on a little bit of a rant there. Sorry, this is the section about what I liked. I enjoyed that for a little while, we got to see things from a werewolf's point of view.
3. I was glad there was a happy ending. Since this is a romance series, and completely unrealistic, it might as well have worked out very neatly so that Jacob gets his girl, Edward and Bella live happily ever after as beautiful vampires, and none of their family dies. Oh, and Charlie gets to see his beloved daughter and granddaughter without being eaten. It all seemed a little too tidy for me, but, like my sister told me earlier, there are plenty of depressing books out there to chew on and brood over, and these books are not for deep thinking. They are a vampire fairy tale. So why not make it as happy as possible, right?
4. All in all, despite my complaints about Stephenie Meyer's writing skills (like I'm one to talk anyway), she is extremely creative and has created an exciting world that she has obviously thought through very thoroughly. The vampires' and werewolves' histories and mythologies are very detailed and it's clear she has a talent for creativity. ("The Host" is another book that she wrote that I found original and interesting, and clearly well thought out.)
Now for my complaints:
1. As mentioned before, let's cut out 300 pages. I'm sure there are some who relished every word on every one of the 754 pages in this book, but I like to relish something once and not reread the same drivel for hundreds of pages. I got that Bella was a great vampire, and she was meant to be a vampire, and so on. I just wanted to get to the action once she was changed, and it felt like it took FOREVER!
2. For a book aimed at teenagers, could we keep it a little more G? I know it's possible. I've read lots of books by Mary Stewart, and she's a master at hinting without telling.
3. The big showdown that was hinted at FOREVER once Bella met the Volturi was kind of a letdown. I am glad none of the Cullens got ripped to shreds. That's great. But it seems like after all that build-up, there could have been a little more action or something. I think that entire confrontation took 10 or 15 pages (I've loaned out my copy now, so I can't flip to the end to see), and if you're going to make a book that long and wordy, at least make what should be the most exciting part of the series a little more exciting! Hooray for Bella figuring out her superpower. Hooray for her keeping everyone safe. But really? That's all we get? I guess when I reached that part, my mentality had flipped back into Action mode and not Romance. It just seems like if you're going to have an entire chapter about Bella going on her first hunt as a vampire, you can take a little time to let Emmett rip Jane and Alec apart. Or have Alice sneak up behind the Volturi and take out Caiaus. Or have a physical showdown between the Romanians and the Volturi. Maybe all the football I watch has made me a little violent, and I expect crunching of bones and enemies to be taken down. I just felt like the ends of the other 3 books were much more exciting.
4. See #2 in my "like" category. I went off for a few minutes about Jacob's narrative.
What did you think of the book? I know Jenny will have something to say. I can't wait to find out. I tried to write my review before talking too much with anyone else about it. I tend to get persuaded easily by others. But now I'd like to know. Did you like it?
Overall, I think I'm leaning toward Like over Dislike. I may read it again in a few weeks. I read it as fast as I could so no one could have a chance to give away the ending. And I was on little sleep, since I bought it at a release party. My opinion could be completely different next time. It's been known to happen.
It finally occurred to me on about page 150 that I have been categorizing these books completely wrong. For some strange reason, I had them grouped in with Fantasy and Action. Yes, there is an element of fantasy (vampires and werewolves and mind-reading), and yes, there is action. But these books are romance novels, pure and simple. Once I realized that, I actually felt a little less critical about the content. A little. You notice I said that this occurred to me after 150 pages. Those first 150 pages could have been summed up into about 5. Bella and Edward had a beautiful wedding, which every girl fantasizes about. Beautiful flowers, beautiful bride, weeping mother, dashing groom, the works. And then they go on their honeymoon. Ah, the perfect honeymoon fantasy. A remote isle, beautiful surroundings, kayaking, palm trees, a really pretty big bed--all things that you'd expect from a honeymoon. But was it really necessary to have that honeymoon last 75 pages? And this is where my realization kicked in. These 150 pages were what Meyer's 4 books were all about. The fantasy romance. Once I understood which genre I was reading, I was a little more forgiving about the amount of time that was spent gushing over how perfect Edward was, and how much Bella adored him, blah blah blah. I still feel that Stephenie Meyer should find a better editor, however, because regardless of how romantic something is, it only needs to be said once. (I got that they figured out the whole physical intimacy thing very quickly and didn't need three separate illustrations.) I was also dismayed yet again at how much sensual content there was, considering the intended audience is teenage girls. Yikes. I find it interesting that she goes into more detail in the teenage romance books than her other book, "The Host," whose primary audience is adults. I don't know that I would recommend these to a 14-year-old girl.
I find that I am a bit scattered, so I'm going to list the things I liked to make it a little easier:
1. Bella's vampire baby was completely unexpected to me. One reason I was pulling for Jacob was because if Bella ended up with Edward, she'd never experience the joy of pregnancy (if she, in fact, did enjoy being beaten up repeatedly from the inside) or motherhood. And Meyer managed to work in yet another vampire myth to solve that problem. I was glad that she found a way for Bella to experience motherhood, and even more glad that it was a surprise. I like to be surprised, and I didn't think I would be.
2. Jacob's point of view was kind of fun. Just like everything else in her books, I felt it could have been a little less wordy and drawn out, but I enjoyed having a moment in my favorite character's head. Since my vote has been for Jacob all along, I was grateful that Jacob got a little more time and attention in this book. He seems to be the most fleshed-out character in the series. I find it interesting that although Bella is the heroine, and Edward is her true love forever, Jacob is the only one that is shown in great detail, flaws and all. I wondered if Meyer would use the imprinting instinct as a tool to get Jacob out of the love triangle, and was glad that, since she chose to use it, it was told from his point of view. I was a little less disappointed. It did bother me, though, that her writing got a LOT sloppier and grammatically incorrect while she was writing from his point of view. She changed voices by changing writing styles, and I have no problem with that. What bothered me was that when Bella was the narrator, things were so eloquently described, and Bella was not an eloquent person in her thoughts or speech. Then when Jacob was the narrator everything was in the style of his speech. Suddenly the descriptions of the surroundings were as though Jacob were speaking them aloud, in a very conversational, casual way, full of slang and grammatical errors. I'm sure this was intentional, but I found it irritatingly inconsistent. If she had written Bella's point of view in words that Bella would have spoken aloud, I would have felt it was appropriate for Jacob's point of view to be the way it was. Okay, so I went on a little bit of a rant there. Sorry, this is the section about what I liked. I enjoyed that for a little while, we got to see things from a werewolf's point of view.
3. I was glad there was a happy ending. Since this is a romance series, and completely unrealistic, it might as well have worked out very neatly so that Jacob gets his girl, Edward and Bella live happily ever after as beautiful vampires, and none of their family dies. Oh, and Charlie gets to see his beloved daughter and granddaughter without being eaten. It all seemed a little too tidy for me, but, like my sister told me earlier, there are plenty of depressing books out there to chew on and brood over, and these books are not for deep thinking. They are a vampire fairy tale. So why not make it as happy as possible, right?
4. All in all, despite my complaints about Stephenie Meyer's writing skills (like I'm one to talk anyway), she is extremely creative and has created an exciting world that she has obviously thought through very thoroughly. The vampires' and werewolves' histories and mythologies are very detailed and it's clear she has a talent for creativity. ("The Host" is another book that she wrote that I found original and interesting, and clearly well thought out.)
Now for my complaints:
1. As mentioned before, let's cut out 300 pages. I'm sure there are some who relished every word on every one of the 754 pages in this book, but I like to relish something once and not reread the same drivel for hundreds of pages. I got that Bella was a great vampire, and she was meant to be a vampire, and so on. I just wanted to get to the action once she was changed, and it felt like it took FOREVER!
2. For a book aimed at teenagers, could we keep it a little more G? I know it's possible. I've read lots of books by Mary Stewart, and she's a master at hinting without telling.
3. The big showdown that was hinted at FOREVER once Bella met the Volturi was kind of a letdown. I am glad none of the Cullens got ripped to shreds. That's great. But it seems like after all that build-up, there could have been a little more action or something. I think that entire confrontation took 10 or 15 pages (I've loaned out my copy now, so I can't flip to the end to see), and if you're going to make a book that long and wordy, at least make what should be the most exciting part of the series a little more exciting! Hooray for Bella figuring out her superpower. Hooray for her keeping everyone safe. But really? That's all we get? I guess when I reached that part, my mentality had flipped back into Action mode and not Romance. It just seems like if you're going to have an entire chapter about Bella going on her first hunt as a vampire, you can take a little time to let Emmett rip Jane and Alec apart. Or have Alice sneak up behind the Volturi and take out Caiaus. Or have a physical showdown between the Romanians and the Volturi. Maybe all the football I watch has made me a little violent, and I expect crunching of bones and enemies to be taken down. I just felt like the ends of the other 3 books were much more exciting.
4. See #2 in my "like" category. I went off for a few minutes about Jacob's narrative.
What did you think of the book? I know Jenny will have something to say. I can't wait to find out. I tried to write my review before talking too much with anyone else about it. I tend to get persuaded easily by others. But now I'd like to know. Did you like it?
Overall, I think I'm leaning toward Like over Dislike. I may read it again in a few weeks. I read it as fast as I could so no one could have a chance to give away the ending. And I was on little sleep, since I bought it at a release party. My opinion could be completely different next time. It's been known to happen.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Late Nights and T-shirts
Okay, I'm not going to give away anything about Breaking Dawn yet. I will do a nice long rant about it next week when people have had a chance to read it. Then I will tell you in detail what I thought about it. If you've already read the book, no fair voting on the poll. If you have just been waiting for your friend to finish her copy so you can borrow it, and haven't voted yet, and care to, please do.
I did something on Friday night that I've never done before. I went to a book release party. I was invited by some good friends, and it sounded like fun. We each made T-shirts expressing our love for either Jacob or Edward. That was a lot of fun, and gave us housewives an opportunity to delve into our creative sides a little bit without involving crayons and paste. Plus, it provided us with an outward expression of our inward desires for the outcome of the book that we could display at the bookstore! Here are pictures of the front and back of my T-shirt. It's fairly obvious which way I vote.
After discussing and reviewing the first three books in detail, and speculating about the final book, we headed to Hastings to buy our copies. When we arrived and found we had to park very far away at the Walmart parking lot, I knew we were in for a treat. Hastings was packed from the front to the back of the store, full of people wearing prom dresses (I don't know why, but the store was having an ugly prom dress contest along with the book release), wolf ears and tails, vampire teeth, and, like us, T-shirts. Apparently, if you wanted to assure your possession of the book that night, you could pay some money down on the book ahead of time and reserve a copy. I did not do this. I figured if they ran out I'd pop into Costco the next day and grab one of their gazillion copies. But really, would a store risk running out like that when they have the potential to have record sales for the year? Of course not. So, they had the lines divided up according to last name alphabetically. We were almost the last ones in the H-N line (I think 3 other people were behind us), and it gave us a lovely opportunity to look at all the merchandise that was hanging on the back wall of the store. I almost bought a T-shirt that had a picture of Chris Farley that said, "Living in a van down by the RIVER!!!" Maybe next time. After being smashed against the back wall of the store for about half an hour, the line began to move, and TA DA! At about 1:00am I had my copy in my hot little hands. The rest of my group had a slumber party and read all night. I went home and got in bed. All that excitement was much too exhausting for a tired old lady like myself.
Would I do it again? Maybe. For me, the point wasn't getting the book the second it was available (I could have walked over to Walmart and gotten it at 12:01 without waiting in line and gotten home by 12:30). The point was being with friends and having a girls' night and being silly, which are all very fun things. For a few hours, I pretended I was 18 again and (aside from the inevitable topic of our kids that always pops up no matter how hard you try to avoid it) talked about frivolous vampire romance and how nice it would be to get a pedicure and which one of us made the funniest T-shirt (that was never decided, because we were all far too polite to assert that ours was the best).
I have finished the book, and will let you all finish it as well, and give myself time to stew over it before I tell you what I thought. Whatever my opinion of it was, it sure was fun to buy it this time!
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