Forest Mage (Robin Hobb)

I love Robin Hobb's books, and after thoroughly enjoying Shaman's Crossing was looking forward to the second book in the series, Forest Mage. Unfortunately, although I liked the book, I was also disappointed in it.

Mostly my problem is with the main character, Nevare. He is filled with self-hatred and despair throughout this book - he hasn't lived up to his destiny as a soldier son, he feels he has betrayed his people and country, he feels damaged by the effects of magic on him. He is, at times, difficult to sympathise with - he is convinced that what would make him happy would be to go back to the Acadamy, study to be a soldier, fulfill all the expectations his family and society have for him. We see in this book, if we haven't done so before, that Nevare's family and society are filled with problems, and perhaps their expectations for him are not the best thing for him - but no matter how much this point is pushed throughout the book, Nevare refuses to accept it, which is very frustrating. There should be dichotomies and struggles within every character, of course, but I think Nevare should have come to terms with his struggle some time ago - it makes the plot drag miserably.

The world Hobb has created in this Soldier Son Trilogy is fascinating, as usual, and what kept me reading this book was my desire to learn more about it, and about Nevare's destiny. Nevare is just so frustrating though - I felt perhaps Spink and Epiny's story would have been a more interesting focal point for this book, simply because they both have very definite personalities and Nevare is much more blank. To be fair, I think he did improve as a main character towards the end of this book - he actually made a decision (glory be!) and did something. Then, of course, the story ends, and we have to wait until the release of the third volume to see it continue.

I'm probably being a little harsh on this book - if it weren't for the previous books of Hobb's that I've read and loved, I'd be much more positive - but I've seen what she can do with amazing main characters, and it's a pity that I don't see Nevare as one of those. Overall, an enthralling world, with some frustrating aspects in both the character and plot departments, and I look forward to seeing where Hobb takes it in the third volume.

Mystique: Unnatural (Sean McKeever)

Different artists for this Mystique volume, as there seem to be for all of them - why wouldn't you keep it consistent? Once again, the covers are all soft porn, which I'm beginning to hate.

Anyway, Mystique is once again boobier and thinner, and therefore less convincing as a kick-ass spy. But she's still suitably conflicted about her motives and so on, and there's a good intrigue going on as well, which is fun. Apparently the next volume reveals some things (finally), so I'm looking forward to reading that one.

New X-Men: Imperial and New Worlds (Grant Morrison)

These X-Men volumes were interesting - a vastly more complicated look at the X-Men than I've had before, what with aliens and heaps of characters I'd never heard of. I think for that reason I found these slower to get into than I have other series, but I enjoyed them enough to persevere. I can follow the stories, even if I'm a little confused half the time.

My Latest Grievance (Elinor Lipman)

I got My Latest Grievance from the library after reading about it on someone's blog, I think. Elinor Lipman is a wonderful storyteller, and I'm surprised that I haven't picked up anything of hers before. If I was to compare her to someone, it would be to Anne Tyler, I suppose - she tells deceptively simply stories, but ones that absorb you.

My Latest Grievance is the story of Frederica, who has lived all her life on a college campus with her parents, who are professors there. The unexpected apperance of her father's first wife gives Frederica a chance to exercise a bit of teenage rebellion, and ends up throwing the college into upheaval.

I really liked Frederica, who is a wonderful teenage character, and her overly concerned parents who psychoanalyse her at every turn. The college campus is a very well realised insular little world. My Latest Grievance is not a book I'll passionately re-read in the future, but, like Tyler's books, it is a very well-crafted story, and a pleasure to read.

The Year of Magical Thinking (Joan Didion)

I expected to love The Year of Magical Thinking, because I'd read so many glowing reports of it. I had never heard of Joan Didion prior to reading about this book, but she's obviously a very well known author - perhaps if I'd known more about her style, I would have had a better idea of how much I would have enjoyed Magical Thinking.

Magical Thinking is a memoir of a year after Didion's husband dies of a heart attack while they are sitting down to dinner together, after having visited their gravely ill daughter in hospital. It is an account of grief. Magical Thinking is quite spare, in both its style and length. We are drawn deeply into Didion's emotions during this time, and while this is certainly affecting, it is hard to relate to them. We don't get to know her husband, and I certainly found it hard to grieve for him.

I suppose that wasn't the point of the book - it is a very personal study of grief, rather than an effort to have us grieve along with the author. But the affect of this left me rather cold - despite Didion's skill as a writer, I didn't become involved in Magical Thinking, and don't think I'll be seeking out any more of her work. Her style isn't for me.

Book Meme

I was tagged by both Token Woman and Miss Eagle to complete this meme on books:-

1. One book that changed your life:
Despite being brought up as an environmentalist, I don't think I fully realised my own environmental principles until I read Barbara Kingsolver's Prodigal Summer.  I first read this wonderful book as a teenager, I think, and remain enormously fond of it.  I re-read it often, and recommend to people almost as soon as I meet them.  It will always remain on my list of absolute favourite books.  Deanna and Lusa (a biologist and entemologist) are two of my most beloved characters, and I love the idea of connection that Kingsolver weaves through her narrative.  "Everything alive is connected to every other by fine, invisible threads. Things you don't see can help you plenty, and things you try to control will often rear back and bite you, and that's the moral of the story."

2. One book you have read more than once:
I have no idea how I'm supposed to answer this question.  I re-read books all the time, probably cycling through my collection every three years or so.  In fact, probably every book that I'm fond of, I've re-read at least once.  Nope, there's no way I can come up with a succint answer to this one.

3. One book you would want on a desert island:
An omnibus edition of some sort, I would think!  Perhaps a collection of Sherlock Holmes stories?  Or an Agatha Christie or PD James collection?  Or my Learning Italian book, which I haven't looked at in far too long.  Or some classic that I've been avoiding reading because I think it'll take too much effort.  Perhaps Anna Karenina or War and Peace .  I tried to read War and Peace once, actually, but gave up when I couldn't keep track of the characters.

4. One book that made you laugh:
Michael Bond's Paddington books never fail to make me giggle hysterically.   Terry Pratchett generally makes me laugh out loud, as does Gerald Durrell, but especially My Family and Other Animals, probably my favourite of his books.   I remember reading it out loud to Mum when I was a teenager, and being speechless with laughter over some passages.

5. One book that made you cry:
Most recently, it was Naomi Novik's Temeraire (also published as His Majesty's Dragon).  I was sitting next to Prince Valiant at the time, who was peacefully watching cricket on TV, and was understandably a little alarmed when I burst into loud sobs and cried out, "He died!  I can't believe he died!"  (Hopefully that's not too much of a plot spoiler.)  I think the true mark of a sad book is one that makes you cry when re-reading it - for me, that's been April Fool's Day by Bryce Courtenay, The Lions of al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay - in fact, pretty much every book Gavriel Kay's ever written.  It's very unusual for me to finish one of his books and not have collapsed into floods of tears at least once.

6. One book you wish you had written:
Any book!  No, not really.  Um.  I find it difficult to imagine myself writing any book that I read, because they are so very definitely their own author's creation.  I'd love to have written one of Barbara Kingsolver's books, though.  Or Ursula Le Guin's. 

7. One book you wish had never been written:
Well, I don't think any book shouldn't have been written - but there's a few books that I probably shouldn't read.  Books that make me feel physically sick, for instance - while I enjoy a good cry, I don't enjoy feeling ill.  Stephen Baxter's Silverhair almost made me throw up at one rather gruesome point, which puts me off reading any Baxter in the near future.

8. One book you are currently reading:
I'm devouring Robin Hobb's latest, Forest Mage, which is enjoyable, but not her best, unfortunately.  I'm also reading PD James' Cover Her Face, because I decided I wanted to read all her Dalgliesh books, finishing off Castle Waiting by Linda Medley, and am about to start Naomi Novik's Throne of Jade, because it just appeared on hold for me at the library.

9. One book you have been meaning to read:
After visiting Port Arthur, and realising how much Australian history I've forgotten, I want to read some books about women convicts.  I've read Damned Whores and God's Police before, which is one of the classics, so I thought I'd try The Floating Brothel by Sian Rees and then perhaps Depraved and Disorderly by Joy Damousi.  I'd also like to read Robert Hughes' The Fatal Shore, because while not specifically about women it's one of the classic works about convict Australia and includes a bit about Port Arthur.

10. Now tag five people:
Only if you feel like doing it... but I'd like to hear your answers - Oanh, Be-Zen, Cat, Diana, Barbara, and anyone else who'd like to join in.

The Family Tree (Sheri S Tepper)

The Family Tree has some of the elements you expect from Tepper - a woman married to a cold, controlling man, strange things happening in the world around her, a mystery to unravel. Thankfully, this novel doesn't have some of the more graphic violence against women that pops up in Tepper's work The elements of this mystery become so enormously large and complicated - in fact, a little too enormously complicated, perhaps? I don't know - I don't become as involved in this novel as I do in some of Tepper's other work, for some reason, although I find some aspects of the story lovely, and very aesthetically pleasing.

Wolverine: The Brotherhood (Greg Rucka)

I picked up this Wolverine comic because it was written by Greg Rucka, whom I've discovered I like. It was interesting seeing Wolverine outside the X-Men circle.

In The Brotherhood, Wolverine goes on a mission seeking justice for a young murdered woman, and kills plenty of people along the way. Which is basically why you read a Wolverine comic, I guess - to see plenty of panels of Wolverine going psycho with his claws. Rucka writes Wolverine with a lot of humanity as well, I think, while retaining that very taciturn thing. I like it a lot, but will probably read other things before continuing with the series.

Asterix the Gladiator (Goscinny & Uderzo)

In the third volume of the series, the Romans capture Cacofonix, the unbearably awful Gaulish bard, as a present for Caeser. Cacofonix is to be put in the circus to be eaten by lions, and so Asterix and Obelix come to the rescue, infiltrating the circus as gladiators. This is a very jolly volume - I love the way our two heroes completely subvert the games, and Caeser's enraged red face looking down at them.

Birds of Prey: Of Like Minds (Gail Simone)

I really enjoyed reading a comic about women superheroes - it's also the first comic I've read written by a woman, so that was exciting. Of Like Minds was a great jumping in point to this series; the characters' histories are subtly revealed, and it seems like the beginning of an interesting story arc.

I really liked the fact that Huntress, Black Canary and Oracle seemed like real people. I really enjoy reading Greg Rucka's Wonder Woman, but she's very much the perfect woman; everything with her is on a grand scale, and sometimes there's little to relate to. The Birds of Prey - now, they're relatable, and it was enormously fun reading a comic with superheroes that seemed like normal women. I'll be reading my way through all the volumes of this that the library owns.

Wonder Woman: Bitter Rivals (Greg Rucka)

Bitter Rivals was excellent, and a great follow-up to Down to Earth. Wonder Woman is under fire from several fronts, notably Veronica Cale, who's working with Dr Psycho to discredit her. There's lots of deceit, double-crossing, and Wonder Woman is a very down-to-earth and realistic woman, fighting to maintain her integrity. The storyline is built up delicately, and tension rises slowly - a really excellent and thoroughly enjoyable comic.

Mystique: Tinker, Tailor, Mutant, Spy (Brian K Vaughan)

The more I read about comics, the more I realise I don't know. Reviews comment on the story, the art and the colouring - I'd assumed that the art and the colour were the one thing, but it seems not.

I enjoyed Tinker, Tailor, Mutant, Spy more than I did the first Mystique volume. There were a couple of really clunky lines that made me wince ("Argh, my face is melting off!"), but overall the story was good, the dialogue was snappy, Mystique is a nicely complex character, and I loved the final frame of this volume. I also really liked the way she was drawn in this one - yeah, she's still got big boobs, but she's also very muscular, big biceps, and so on. She looks strong, as she should. Tinker, Tailor has a different artist to Drop Dead Gorgeous, so perhaps that's why I liked it better.

I think it's kind of hard to do tense storylines with Mystique as the main character, because the shape-changing thing enables her to get out of almost any situation with ease, which tends to spoil the tension a little. The virus storyline in Tinker, Tailor is done well though, and Mystique does actually get hurt, although not for long.

I find it really weird in these collections how they insert the covers of each individual comic when they begin. The covers are inevitably pin-up style stuff, and it's strange to move from Mystique in the middle of a fight to her reclining on a bed in tight black leather. Her face looks very different in the cover drawings, which bothered me - if you're going to do pin-up covers, can't you at least make it look like the character? Also, what's with the little skull on her hairline?

Overall though, despite the odd irritating moment, this was very enjoyable story - I'm looking forward to reading Unnatural, the next in the series.