Leah > Recent Status Updates

I thought knowing the twist would decrease my enjoyment of this book somewhat, but I was wrong. Knowing what's going to happen has increased the suspense till it's unbearable. I know that Lucy is Helen Talboys and that George is going to die, but until they do, my brain keeps doing the Michael Scott "Oh my god it's happening" routine on repeat as I wait for them to meet.

I initially thought that I would like Lucy because she is a Victorian psychopath, but I was wrong. She's the most annoying female character since Dora in David Copperfield.

Finished Book 3: The Spirit Eater. If Nico doesn't get a happy ending, I will be furious. Though the series is about Eli, he's the least motivated or fleshed out, and also he's selfish. That being said, he's still a more interesting character than everyone Terry Brooks has ever invented, and the fact that I'm three books in and only more intrigued says much for Rachel Aaron. Can't wait to see what's next!

Finished Book 2: The Spirit Rebellion. Eli has become more interesting with more backstory, but Nico and Josef are still my favorites. Miranda originally ran the risk of being the annoying cop in this story, but she's actually quite a nice character by this point. I'm impressed.

Finished Book 1: The Spirit Thief. While I like Eli all right, I find him a little less interesting than Josef and Nico. There are still secrets about him to be revealed, and I look forward to seeing where all of the characters are going. So far, the series is just all right, but certainly interesting enough that I'll keep reading.

Picked this because it claimed to be a balanced look at Sanger. I'm one chapter in and I no longer believe the back cover; this is a fawning, read-too-much-into-everything, Sanger-is-our-goddess sort of biography. I'm reading very skeptically at this point.

Finished Book 3. Lancelot starts off pretty compelling, but after he 'loses his miracles', he becomes as boring and dimensionless as usual. White says he had adventures of his own, but I don't see them. When he's at court, it's for Guenevere, when he's away, it's to stay away from Guenevere. Either way, everything he does is motivated by sex. Bah. White keeps saying we should just go read Malory. Buddy, I wish I was.

Finished Queen of Air and Darkness. It was creepy and yet somehow charming. Gawaine and his brothers were the most interesting characters, though there was no one part of the story that I didn't enjoy. Arthur is finally beginning to realize what a dimwit he is, and Merlin seems to be taking things more seriously. And finally, a threat has been introduced. Looking forward to more.

Finished the first book. It was a cute story about Wart (Arthur) meeting some amusing characters and being turned into various animals by Merlin, and then pulling sword from stone at the end. Hopefully the next one will be less cutesy and more, well, Arthurian. Maybe?

Read Chapter 13, which highlights yet another reason to dislike Joyce: His obvious sexism. All women are presented in a negative light, from the adulterous Molly, the ditzy Martha, the flamboyant prostitutes, the silly, petty Edy and Cissy, and finally culminating in the vain and tempting Gerty. To Joyce, all women are predators, each with her own hunting style. I've read Victorian dramas more progressive than this.

Reed Chapter 13, which highlights yet another reason to dislike Joyce: His obvious sexism. All women are presented in a negative light, from the adulterous Molly, the ditzy Martha, the flamboyant prostitutes, the silly, petty Edy and Cissy, and finally culminating in the vain and tempting Gerty. To Joyce, all women are predators, each with her own hunting style. I've read Victorian dramas more progressive than this.

Finished Chapter 12. Have no idea what I just read. Why did this chapter suddenly switch to first person?

Finished Chapter 12. Have no idea what I just read. Why did this chapter suddenly switch to first person?

Finished chapter 11. Honestly, I'm trying really hard to be intellectual and have something smart to say about this book, but I just...can't. The fuck?

Finished chapter 10. Now this is by far the best chapter in the book. Joyce has an ability to deftly set the scene with just a few words. The series of vignettes that makes up chapter 10 is the most interesting chapter so far. I think excess of words (Stephen, anyone?) is what makes most of this work so unenjoyable.

Finished Chapter 7. "O! Mr Dedalus cried, giving vent to a hopeless groan. Shite and onions! That'll do, Ned. Life is too short."
I'm adding 'onions' to my list of acceptable swears. "Shit and Onions". Alphabetized, goes right before "Sucks royal hippogriff" in my curse dictionary.

Finished chapter 6. I will say that this was the most enjoyable chapter so far. I'm wondering who the target audience was for this masterwork. Did Joyce even have a target audience in mind?

Finished Chapter 4.
The notes on this chapter chiefly consist of bragging about how deep Ulysses is. Stephen had breakfast, and how Harold had breakfast. See how they're connected? So deep! So meaningful! Then they both thought about death. Just wow. And here's the clincher: Stephen took a wee, and Harold pooped. WHAT AN INCREDIBLY PROFOUND STATEMENT! DEPTH! ANALYSIS! MEANING! CONNECTION!

Headache.

Finished Part 1.
Oh, Stephen Dedalus, please shut up and move on. His POV is both entirely repetitive and completely nonsensical, a continual stream of gratuitous misery that chafes against the inside of my brain. He's the kind of kid who's always telling you "I'm going through some stuff. Like, I'm in a crisis, man," but never seems to get through it. He wallows in it. He enjoys being a wasted little dipshit. UGH.