Hunter Thompson > Recent Status Updates

Through Chapter 3: "Friends and Enemies"

Rand has a lot of reasons to be scared right now, but thinking about how he's never seen Nynaeve scared before I think is an underrated one. Nynaeve is always the one he's historically looked to for what to do if there's danger, so her looking scared of him (and what he'll ultimately become) is a really harsh reminder that he's on his own now. Fun to read so far :)

No spoilers obviously but the ending of the last chapter genuinely made me sob in a way I haven't while reading a book for the first time since I read Bridge to Terabithia in like third grade.

Fucking hell.

Through Chapter 41: "Old Friend, and New Threats"

Rand is so awkward around women it's funny as hell lol

Through Chapter 35: "Caemlyn"

No spoilers but the most recent reveal at the end of this last chapter was both absolutely shocking and incredibly obvious. Congrats on that achievement Mr Jordan.

But seriously I'm loving this book so far. Want to see more of what Nynaeve is up to though :(

Surprised by how viscerally Robert Jordan is able to make me feel the complete exhaustion Rand and Mat are facing over and over again on their way to Caemlyn. Seriously he's writing it brilliantly. The reactions from Mat to the dagger in Shadar Logoth poisoning him and Rand from channeling tainted saidin to make lightning. Really felt like I was right there with 'em.

Through Book II, Chapter V: "The Bridge of Khazad-dûm"

Mar is so surprised that all the swords have names. I guess I never thought about it, but yeah. Narsil/Andúril, Glamdring, and Sting all get name-dropped in this chapter not to mention Aiglos, Guthwine, and Herugrim from other chapters, not to mention all the ones in The Silmarillion. It's so fun getting to experience these books through her eyes.

Through Book II, Chapter IV: "A Journey In The Dark"

Mar grieved the Fellowship letting go of Bill the Pony harder than Erika Kirk grieved for her dead husband lmao

Through Chapter XVI: "A Journey In The Dark"

Mar is saying "this wasn't in the movie" to like half the stuff in this chapter, not realising that it was, in fact, in the movie, she just wasn't paying attention.

Through Chapter XV: "The Ring Goes South"

I think Mar is finally starting to invest in the story, which is appreciated. Right now she's just annoyed that the book calls them the Company instead of the Fellowship.

Through Chapter XIV: "The Council of Elrond"

This is such an important chapter to the novel. Shame it's such a trudge to get through at times... there's like 80 characters, I kept mixing up people's voices, and I think Mar fell asleep during Gandalf recounting his story for like ten pages more than once.

Through Chapter XIII: "Many Meetings"

Every time Bilbo Baggins is mentioned Mar really loves screaming his name like Gandalf does in the Fellowship movie. Also, reading his song in this chapter led me down such a long tangent of trying to explain The Silmarillion to her... Not sure if she remembers literally anything I said. I wouldn't, tbf.

Through Chapter XII: "Flight to the Ford"

This is funny because when I told Mar there was a character in these books whose name was Glorfindel she genuinely didn't believe me, said that was a stupid name and started calling him "golf guy"

Through Chapter XI: "A Knife in the Dark"

Sometimes I forget how much time Tolkien spends describing things that don't matter at all... I love it, but reading this aloud to someone who isn't as big of a fan of these books as I am, I forget how tedious it can be to get through some of the wilderness scenes, lol.

Mar's top 5 characters so far:
1. Tom Bombadil
2. Sam
3. Goldberry
4. Pippin
5. Merry

Through Chapter X: "Strider"

It was really fun having to explain to Mar that when Tolkien uses the f-slur in this chapter he's referring to British meatballs and not gay people.

Through Chapter IX: "At the Sign of the Prancing Pony"

Mar's very excited that she finally met Aragorn, lol. Hard to imagine how she'll react once Legolas shows up. Although so far she definitely prefers the sort-of one-off characters like Tom Bombadil, Farmer Maggot, and Barliman Butterbur. Maybe because I do funny accents for those guys and she laughs every time. God, I love her laugh.

Through Chapter VIII: "Fog on the Barrow-downs"

I try to do different voices for all the characters as I'm reading this to Mar, like for Frodo I do an upper-class sort of voice that's elegant as I can make it. For Sam I try to do a sort of half-Bristol, half-Devonshire accent that's rustic and simple like Sam should be.

For Pippin I've been doing a Glasgow accent that I have fun doing but I can tell she hates it.

Books make me feel a lot of different ways, but reading about the fight between Amy and Stanley and how in the aftermath Amy felt so uncomfortable with her own femininity and that being the reason she detransitioned only made me feel one thing.

Sadness. Even in the present Ames is still uncomfortable as a man and even admits it to Katrina, but won't do anything to alleviate that discomfort because of Reese.

Fuck.

Not sure I like the way that race is portrayed in this book to be honest. It's mentioned and brushed past or when it is talked about in detail it's only in the context of an "oppression olympics" (book's words, not mine) fight between a half-Asian woman and a trans woman to see who has it worse in motherhood.

But the story is progressing and it's nice to see the why behind the characters' actions. Ames especially.

I'm warming to this book a lot more now. This book is messy and queer, breathtakingly so, and it seems like most of the cringe was in the setup.

This last chapter especially hit me like a ton of bricks. The story of Ames/Amy is one I can relate to a lot, even if the specifics aren't similar at all. I wish I had the words to explain how it made me feel... I felt like I was reading my autobiography. It's scary.

Ames explaining that the only reason he's not a trans woman anymore is because of how society treats trans women is absolutely heartbreaking... and it uhm hit a little too close to home 😃

so far this one's pretty difficult to get through tbh. none of the characters are all that likeable and some of the lines are pretty bad. like "every woman adores a fascist." really?

i got that dawg in me (autism)

so far i feel a lot of different things and most of them are uncomfy 🤠

Everyone else is but not me though, I'm built different 😎

Through Chapter VII: "In The House of Tom Bombadil"

I've started reading this to Mar before bed. She likes having the noise to go to sleep to and I really like reading this book. So this'll be kind of her review because I'm not experiencing it for the first time and I love this series too much to review it fairly.

That said, so far her favourite characters are Farmer Maggot, Goldberry, and Gandalf.

hey a Welsh god finally showed up!! oh nevermind he's only in this one paragraph.... :(

MALL OF AMERICA MENTIONED!!!!!

(this is probably the most chronically online thing i've ever said) wednesday reminds me so much of alastor from hazbin hotel

CULVER'S MENTIONED!!!!!