Oops, I forgot to mention that there'll be no shop update this week or next . The little bit and I are hoppin in the car and driving to Missouri. I spent the week catching up on my custom orders and those will go out tommorrow before we drive off into the sunrise.
Oh hey, I wanted to thank everyone for the book recommendations, keep 'em coming. I'm going to put a booklist on the sidebar soon. I just finished The Time Traveler's Wife and while I enjoyed the read, immensely, I found, with the ending, dissapointment. Not even dissapointment with the ending but dissapointment when I got to the end and the glow of a well-written read had left me and I realize that there was not one woman in this book positivly depicted.
Women are the waiters. Waiting. Clare, supposed Catherine to Henry's Heathcliff, spends her whole life waiting, even after he's dead she's set up to wait each day of her oldage, sitting by a window, hoping for one more brief encounter. She's tragic, a life spent waiting instead of living. The other female characters don't fare much better, the best friend, in a troubled marriage but just hoping and waiting for Gomez to get over Clare. Waiting for him to leave her. The ex-girlfriend, destroyes her life, sucked down a big drug and violence funnel, again, waiting for Henry. The only female character not waiting is Kimmy, the kindly, overlooked Korean neighbor who takes care of everyone.
And Henry didn't wasn't Mr. Good-catch either, he just had a cool trick.
Bah. Women as waiters and caretakers, enough already.
I think at one time I would have found the whole thing romantic and lovely, but now I find it wasteful and infuriating. The sacrafice of a life lived for a love that was really created and intensified because of the sacrafice of a life lived. Circular logic that once appealed to me but apparantly my heart has hardened and become callous and frankly, wants more than the knowledge that it (the love) was an ideal.
All that said and aside, it doesn't mean I didn't like the book. In fact, really enjoyed reading the book. Interesting and compelling idea. Well-written and fun. Honestly, a page turner. I'd recommend it.
See ya in a few weeks with lots of knitting progress!
Posted by jacey at April 10, 2006 08:11 AMHave fun on your trip! Hmm you've got me interested in the book now ...I might have to splurge at Barnes and Noble!
Posted by: Marie at April 10, 2006 03:29 PMI hate to spam, but if you're looking for books with good strong women who do more than sit at the window waiting for their true loves than I suggest the Terry Pratchett Discworld books. He writes women of all ages better than most female authors can! Any of the witch books (Wyrd Sisters, Witches Abroad, Lords and Ladies, Wee Free Men, Hat Full of Sky) are a great starting point.
Or if you want to get even more pissed off, check out any of the Xanth books by Piers Anthony. The moral of all of his books seem to be "women exist to be hot and to have babies. If they can't do either than their life is meaningless". I offically quit that series when an ugly girl only became happy when she was turned pretty. The End. Blargh.
SO! How about that yarn? It sure is spinable!
Posted by: Knitter at April 10, 2006 05:00 PMHave a good vacation! I'll miss you.
Posted by: Rabbitch at April 10, 2006 08:32 PMI am such a sucker for silly books where the romance is all skewed. I wept a fair bit with the time travellers wife and I felt a little cheated by it but it's a risk you take I suppose.
Ditto the terry pratchett comment. Sergeant Angua is a great character (in the books featuring the Watch) and Susan (death's grandaughter) is great too. If you decide against the witches books you could start reading the death ones (not as morbid as it sounds). They take a little getting used to but are great fun.
Also, I love the orangina yarn
Posted by: Abi at April 11, 2006 08:07 AMHave fun on the road! After reading your review I don't know that I want to read that book anymore...hmmm.
Posted by: ladylinoleum at April 13, 2006 07:31 PM