Christine > Recent Status Updates

Re-using this joke from when I was reading the previous book: I'm 37% done with the novel but 1000% done with Henry VIII

I'm taking my time reading this, just a few chapters every evening, but it's very hard not to scarf it all down. I love how the style feels so breezy and casual while never triggering any need or desire to skim. I'm highlighting so many good passages. One of the best books I've read in ages, and never stodgy while painting this early tudor era with Henry VII.

Omg I'm FREEEE

oh thank goodness, the interminable flashbacks and interludes are over and the main plot is back. I've been clawing at this cliffside since the last cliffhanger ended 30 minutes ago.

I think I'm going to die wondering why this book made little to no use of its pseudo-historical 18th century Venetian setting. Like... why. Why not make the most of it. Canals and bridges aren't enough!!

Villain: makes a half-assed attempt on a main character's life that would totally have succeeded if they hadn't decided to go with such an over-the-top finale

me channeling Veep: THE INCOMPETENCE IS STAGGERING

I really don't like seeing a story's bones sticking out like this. "Oh that chapter is here so we know XYZ was an important person we should be mourning even though they were underdeveloped," "hey this whole discussion is probably happening bc someone asked why the characters go along with the world's worst plan and fall into the obvious trap," etc.

Ok so a death just happened for shock value. And I guess it did shock me because I did not expect such an interesting character to be wasted as a throwaway plot point to raise the stakes. We didn't know the character enough to be heartbroken, just disappointed, and none of the characters seems particularly broken up about the death either. They tell us, but no one shows it.

Genuine not sure how to feel about this constant back and forth style of showing heists in progress and then in preparation, etc. I can see how it can be useful for tension or reveals, but... that little home invasion flashback was positively useless. Maybe it was just for worldbuilding? Or the brief action scene? (The bag of glass scene made me feel positively sick. Which was the idea, I suppose.)

This may be long but it reads like a dream. Easy to see why it was a bestseller. I think I'm getting the hang of these picaresque tropes!

The narrator is doing his best Capt. Jack Sparrow impression for at least two of the underworld thief mentor characters (with the tacit support of the author who cannot stop using the word "savvy?"). It's giving "yes this book WAS published in 2006, 3 years after Pirates of the Carribbean, why do you ask?" Everyone speaks in zingers. Suspension of disbelief is nonexistent. Will have to read instead of audio.

What do you mean, Elinor is 19???

I picked this up for research and escapism and instead I found (checks notes) a tale about how a dastardly con artist pretending to be virtuous and self-sacrificing can hold people COMPLETELY under his sway, to the point of alienating anyone, kith or kin, who points out that HE IS A CON ARTIST.

Wait, so... you're telling me that El colloquio de los perros, THE famous short story by Cervantes, is actually about... two dogs talking? Is that what you're trying to tell me?? (Checks notes) yes and also it's a story within a story because we love nested narratives like the thousand and one nights.

Ok so the Illustrious Scullery Maid had a terrible twist ending.

So far the story about the Illustrious Scullery Maid is one of my favorites. It's like Rinconete y Cortadillo crossed with a romcom.

Just finished "La fuerza de la sangre".... uh... definitely not the highlight of the collection. And yet somehow Cervantes does seem to acknowledge that this guy is a total CREEP.

The Glass Lawyer. Feels like i'm going to need some footnotes to understand this one better.

Paraphrasing: and so Rinconete and Cortadillo went on to have lots of adventures in the thieves' guild, and they should definitely be written down, but now this story is over ok bye bye the end, next story. (what???? Where's the rest??? MIGUEL YOU FORGOT TO WRITE THE REST??)

2nd tale and the main character has absolutely no chill of which to speak. Also Cervantes has reminded me that marriages required banns to be published beforehand, even in the 1590s. (Luckily the council of Trent says a Bishop can dispense with the banns.) (I only care about this for a research thing.)

I wasn't supposed to read this until I had finished ALL the discworld books but desperate times call for desperate measures. I really need to get my mind off (waves at general universe).

Genuinely forgot how terrifying Moggett was in this book. Voiced by Tim Curry, too.

The introduction said that any page of this book would make for an incredibly difficult dictation text and gosh darnit IT'S TRUE. Théo, what are these words??

Idk what was going on in Dumas' head when he decided to write this novel about friendzoned guys and homicidal dads (plus: Freemasonry and (checks notes) hypnotism/magnetism!) (Oh well, at least Andrée got shared custody of her kid)

I'll say this, the characters are an ethical MESS (and so many of them are trapped in some "boohoo this beautiful lady has friendzoned me" nonsense), but the drama never misses. Dumas writes a great death scene.

Hmmm. I have thoughts. Caz, my guy, I really wish you weren't the only focus of the story. But the adventure is so good!

Oh. Oh I think I finally get why this book is so slow and confined despite the oodles of historical political scandals taking place in the background. This book isn't about any of that.

How is this STILL SO GOOD on the millionth read.

Maybe I shouldn't have read the Philip II biography before this. The book is a little slow for my taste, or not so much as slow as repetitive. But then, the main character does feel like she's stuck in a rut. I'm also starting to get a little claustrophobic, the princess is hardly ever outdoors and almost always in a 1-on-1 conversation. Her son interrupting her latest chat was a welcome (if scandalous!) change.

So I still find most of the characters a tad under-developed compared to Cazaril, but that's not uncommon with first-person POV stories, and more importantly it doesn't take away from how fun the story is.