Well, you made it further than I did with Mists of Avalon and I tried to read it at the age of 19, 25, and 47.
Still can't make it past the first 50 pages. It's not the sex. Actually, sex never bothered me in books - I prefer it to violence, I'm funny that way. Although I don't really remember what I preferred at 9 - that was well ...a long long long time ago. Over 30 years.
At any rate, there's no sex in those first 50 pages that I can remember, or if it's there - it is rather non-memorable. No, her writing style just doesn't work for me - it's very preachy. And I didn't like anyone in the first 50 pages. I honestly don't think this novel was written for entertainment nor was it perceived as entertainment when it was first published in 1983. It was perceived as a feminist text, a retelling of the Arthurian Legends from a feminist perspective. People made a big deal about it in Women's Studies programs. I was pressured to read it in the 1980s by various people, because I was writing a thesis on Welsh Mythology, specifically the Mabiniogi and the Mother Goddess. Actually the emphasis was the Mother Goddess. And of course "Mists of Avalon" fit perfectly with my thesis and studies from their perspective. But I preferred the Arthurian tales in the Mabiniogi, which were more feminist, and I also preferred Mary Stewart's take on the legends. That was in the 1980s.
Now about 25 years later, a friend has asked me to try read it again. When I told her that I lost mine (turns out I didn't, it was hiding beneath my bed), she loaned me hers. Which sat on my night stand for the past 12 months - pretty much undisturbed. Once again I made it to page 50 and no further.
I'm having the same problems with Mists of Avalon that I am with Lord of Light. A friend loaned me a book that they loved to pieces and it's proceeded to sit on my night stand forever without me really reading it - I stare at it, it stares back. At least I made it to page 150 of Lord of Light. That's something, I suppose.
Both books are high in mythology and allegory, both reinvent a mythological story in a new way - both I should eat up like candy. But honestly? I find them incredibly dull, not all that innovative, sort of silly, far too much ritual and description of environment. Neither writer can write dialogue to save their lives. And my mind just wanders. I remain bewildered that my friends, who loaned me these books , adore them to pieces. And somewhat at a loss as to what to do about it. Do I continue to try and read the book? Or just push it to one side? Mists is easier - I've returned it, but I'm not sure I should throw out my version - because what if she asks about it? Shouldn't I give it another chance? Maybe I just haven't tried hard enough? Maybe I'm not in the right mood? And now of course there's all this crap about MZB's actions on the internet...most of which I'm not entirely sure of - and seems to be reported by fans and media outlets. (I'm too much of a lawyer to take what non-lawyers, journalists, and laymen say about this at face value. I know how easy it is to manipulate facts and testimony. And how easy "victims" can bend the truth years and years after something happened to suit their own purpose. Truth is in some cases we may never know what happened. )
So, you see - I'm coming at the MZB thing from a completely different perspective than you are.
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2014-07-03 10:14 pm (UTC)Still can't make it past the first 50 pages. It's not the sex. Actually, sex never bothered me in books - I prefer it to violence, I'm funny that way. Although I don't really remember what I preferred at 9 - that was well ...a long long long time ago. Over 30 years.
At any rate, there's no sex in those first 50 pages that I can remember, or if it's there - it is rather non-memorable. No, her writing style just doesn't work for me - it's very preachy. And I didn't like anyone in the first 50 pages. I honestly don't think this novel was written for entertainment nor was it perceived as entertainment when it was first published in 1983. It was perceived as a feminist text, a retelling of the Arthurian Legends from a feminist perspective. People made a big deal about it in Women's Studies programs. I was pressured to read it in the 1980s by various people, because I was writing a thesis on Welsh Mythology, specifically the Mabiniogi and the Mother Goddess. Actually the emphasis was the Mother Goddess. And of course "Mists of Avalon" fit perfectly with my thesis and studies from their perspective. But I preferred the Arthurian tales in the Mabiniogi, which were more feminist, and I also preferred Mary Stewart's take on the legends. That was in the 1980s.
Now about 25 years later, a friend has asked me to try read it again. When I told her that I lost mine (turns out I didn't, it was hiding beneath my bed), she loaned me hers. Which sat on my night stand for the past 12 months - pretty much undisturbed. Once again I made it to page 50 and no further.
I'm having the same problems with Mists of Avalon that I am with Lord of Light. A friend loaned me a book that they loved to pieces and it's proceeded to sit on my night stand forever without me really reading it - I stare at it, it stares back. At least I made it to page 150 of Lord of Light. That's something, I suppose.
Both books are high in mythology and allegory, both reinvent a mythological story in a new way - both I should eat up like candy. But honestly? I find them incredibly dull, not all that innovative, sort of silly, far too much ritual and description of environment. Neither writer can write dialogue to save their lives. And my mind just wanders. I remain bewildered that my friends, who loaned me these books , adore them to pieces. And somewhat at a loss as to what to do about it. Do I continue to try and read the book? Or just push it to one side? Mists is easier - I've returned it, but I'm not sure I should throw out my version - because what if she asks about it? Shouldn't I give it another chance? Maybe I just haven't tried hard enough? Maybe I'm not in the right mood? And now of course there's all this crap about MZB's actions on the internet...most of which I'm not entirely sure of - and seems to be reported by fans and media outlets. (I'm too much of a lawyer to take what non-lawyers, journalists, and laymen say about this at face value. I know how easy it is to manipulate facts and testimony. And how easy "victims" can bend the truth years and years after something happened to suit their own purpose. Truth is in some cases we may never know what happened. )
So, you see - I'm coming at the MZB thing from a completely different perspective than you are.