![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Feb. 1st, 2019 09:48 pm1. The bad news? I can't take Aleve or Ibuprofin near my blood pressure meds. Also can't take the omeprazole at all -- that's dangerous. But I can take Tyenol...so. Also got my new blood pressure gauge today -- took first reading. It's 144 over 93, which I'm told isn't too bad.
2. What I just finished reading...
The Essex Serpent by Sara Perry
First off -- the description and cover are misleading. This is not a gothic fantasy romance or horror novel about serpents and repressed Victorian sexuality. It's a character study, with not a lot of plot and a heavy focus on social issues during Victorian times. While there are romantic moments and an oddly written sex scene -- that turned me off, it's not a romance.( This writer is not good at sex scenes or action scenes.)
The writer does a lot summarizing. Reminds me a little of what annoyed me about Pamela Dean's Tam Lin, actually, although Dean had more of a plot and was far less literary in style. We're told in various spots what the characters are up to, and how they are living their lives -- then we jump back to the action. I found it a wee bit jarring and unnecessary, as if the writer was getting tired and thought, okay, I'll truncate 100 pages to 20 by summarizing what happened, which I totally understand. But I'd rather you just get rid of it altogether.
I also went from loving all the characters in the book to despising 85% of them. Which is interesting, often it is the opposite. Usually characters grow on me, but here? It went in the opposite direction.
( spoilers )
There is a heavy feminist theme at the center of the novel -- and it does show how men view women as an extension of themselves or a means to provide them with pleasure and comfort. Not as separate human beings worthy of praise or kindness. Which I found disquieting.
It's not really written in Victorian Style, which I found to be a relief -- for the most part. I'm not a fan of Victorian writing -- it grates. But at the same time...it did make it hard at times to remember when I was -- I kept forgetting it was during Victorian times. It could have been anytime between 1885 to 1935.
Overall an okay read, but I was rather disappointed in it and it took me forever to finish. So, reading slump continues.
What I'm reading next?
Eh, I'm currently reading Vol #2 of X-Men Blue which is surprisingly good for a comic book. A lot more interesting than Essex Serpent, believe it or not. Magneto is overseeing the original five time-displaced X-men. Basically the teen versions of Cyclops, Jean, Iceman, Beast, and Angel. There's a rather interesting character bit with Cyclops/Jean and Emma Frost that surprised me. Also we have Polaris and Magneto working together and bonding as father and daughter.
The art, however, is a bit wonky.
And I think I'm going to read another Laura Kinsale novel -- the Shadow and the Heart. My mind feels too scattered for more literary novels that spend most of their time meandering about, and depressing me.
2. What I just finished reading...
The Essex Serpent by Sara Perry
First off -- the description and cover are misleading. This is not a gothic fantasy romance or horror novel about serpents and repressed Victorian sexuality. It's a character study, with not a lot of plot and a heavy focus on social issues during Victorian times. While there are romantic moments and an oddly written sex scene -- that turned me off, it's not a romance.( This writer is not good at sex scenes or action scenes.)
The writer does a lot summarizing. Reminds me a little of what annoyed me about Pamela Dean's Tam Lin, actually, although Dean had more of a plot and was far less literary in style. We're told in various spots what the characters are up to, and how they are living their lives -- then we jump back to the action. I found it a wee bit jarring and unnecessary, as if the writer was getting tired and thought, okay, I'll truncate 100 pages to 20 by summarizing what happened, which I totally understand. But I'd rather you just get rid of it altogether.
I also went from loving all the characters in the book to despising 85% of them. Which is interesting, often it is the opposite. Usually characters grow on me, but here? It went in the opposite direction.
( spoilers )
There is a heavy feminist theme at the center of the novel -- and it does show how men view women as an extension of themselves or a means to provide them with pleasure and comfort. Not as separate human beings worthy of praise or kindness. Which I found disquieting.
It's not really written in Victorian Style, which I found to be a relief -- for the most part. I'm not a fan of Victorian writing -- it grates. But at the same time...it did make it hard at times to remember when I was -- I kept forgetting it was during Victorian times. It could have been anytime between 1885 to 1935.
Overall an okay read, but I was rather disappointed in it and it took me forever to finish. So, reading slump continues.
What I'm reading next?
Eh, I'm currently reading Vol #2 of X-Men Blue which is surprisingly good for a comic book. A lot more interesting than Essex Serpent, believe it or not. Magneto is overseeing the original five time-displaced X-men. Basically the teen versions of Cyclops, Jean, Iceman, Beast, and Angel. There's a rather interesting character bit with Cyclops/Jean and Emma Frost that surprised me. Also we have Polaris and Magneto working together and bonding as father and daughter.
The art, however, is a bit wonky.
And I think I'm going to read another Laura Kinsale novel -- the Shadow and the Heart. My mind feels too scattered for more literary novels that spend most of their time meandering about, and depressing me.