And... books.
Jul. 22nd, 2012 08:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
akashiverA quick reading report.
I continue to be enthralled by Hilary Mantell, who shows in Bring Up the Bodies that stream-of-consciousness can not only reveal character but also crank up suspense. If you like political intrigue and Tudor court politics then you should have already read Wolf Hall. BUTB is next in line, and it's just as good as WH. My favorite use of flashback / telling detail in this novel: Cromwell bracing his wrists when Henry turns on him. It's a chilling, tense scene that also provides a lovely illumination of Cromwell's childhood. I'm sure we'll see more of these recollections in Book #3.
Gilian Flynn's Gone Girl is a gripping psychological page-turner. I love the instability of the narration, and the twist in the plot caught me by surprise. But on finishing it, I can't say that I believed in these characters. The villain in particular was just too effective. Also, everyone in this novel is a variant on a serial-killer story character type, which I realize fits with the novel's look how enmeshed we are in pop culture theme, but ultimately meant that I didn't find these character unique or compelling.
Also, I read 50 Shades of Grey. It was better than Twilight, and that's... pretty much all I have to say about that.
I continue to be enthralled by Hilary Mantell, who shows in Bring Up the Bodies that stream-of-consciousness can not only reveal character but also crank up suspense. If you like political intrigue and Tudor court politics then you should have already read Wolf Hall. BUTB is next in line, and it's just as good as WH. My favorite use of flashback / telling detail in this novel: Cromwell bracing his wrists when Henry turns on him. It's a chilling, tense scene that also provides a lovely illumination of Cromwell's childhood. I'm sure we'll see more of these recollections in Book #3.
Gilian Flynn's Gone Girl is a gripping psychological page-turner. I love the instability of the narration, and the twist in the plot caught me by surprise. But on finishing it, I can't say that I believed in these characters. The villain in particular was just too effective. Also, everyone in this novel is a variant on a serial-killer story character type, which I realize fits with the novel's look how enmeshed we are in pop culture theme, but ultimately meant that I didn't find these character unique or compelling.
Also, I read 50 Shades of Grey. It was better than Twilight, and that's... pretty much all I have to say about that.
