Intro., and a question
May. 3rd, 2007 09:09 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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queensthiefSince intro. posts seem to be fairly common around here, here goes. I'm a children's librarian living on a curious little island floating just off the bottom of England. My hobbies are all ones the media like to label "sad": traditional folk songs, role-playing games, sf and fantasy, Morris dancing, historical re-enactment, writing, board games and computer games etc. (While I am not ashamed of these hobbies, the fact that the media labels them all as sad is something I rant about quite a bit.)
I read mostly fantasy and historical novels, and mediaeval and early modern history. I read The Thief 7 or 8 ago, and loved it. QoA I was less fond of, but when I read KoA last year, I fell madly in love all over again (and now like QoA a whole lot more.) As for other books, childhood favourites, all of which I still reread, included Swallows and Amazons, Rosemary Sutcliff, Walter Scott, Alexandre Dumas, and Tolkien. Favourite authors nowadays include Diana Wynne Jones, George RR Martin and Dorothy Dunnett.
Anyway, as if that wasn't far more introduction than anyone could ever have wanted, I also have a question. When you recommend The Thief to others, how much do you reveal?
I don't seem to have had much success in getting friends to read The Thief. With most books, I find it fairly easy to tell people why I love them, and explain the basic plot set-up without giving things away, but I find this next to impossible to do with his series. I'm so scared of giving away spoilers, that I end up saying hardly anything, and completely failing to convey my enthusiasm.
The "twist" at the end of The Thief is, in my opinion, a vital part of the genius of the novel, but I feel I can't tell any new reader this, because it's a spoiler. Even saying something vague about it constitutes a spoiler. "Just wait until you get to the surprise twist at the ending!" is tantamount to telling people the twist, since it makes them alert for it, and actively seeking out clues.
There are some books and films that would be pretty mediocre were it not for the gimmick of a twist at the end. I do not think that The Thief is one of those. Even if Gen had proved to be no more than he appeared to be, it would have been a well-written book set in an interesting and well-realised world. However, without the twist, I think it would just be a pretty good story. With the twist, it is – in my opinion - a book to fall head over heels in love with for ever more.
I can't remember what it was that "sold" the series to me, so that's no help. I read something about it on a children's book newsgroup, but the book didn't seem to be available over here. I mentioned it to an American friend, in case she'd read it, but she hadn't. She must have noted the title down, though, since she bought it for me for my birthday months later. However, by then, I couldn't remember what I'd read about the book, so I came to the book with no preconceptions at all.
So how do I "sell" a book when I feel I can't mention the main thing I love about it? I can tell people, straight-faced, that it's about a common thief plucked from prison to go on a dangerous quest, but that feels a little like lying, and also makes it sound like a fairly cliched set-up. I can wimp out completely, and tell people about the setting, but that feels rather unemotional and cold. Or I can hint at the twist, convey my enthusiasm... but spoil the ending as I do so.
However, everyone else here seems to be able to inspire their friends to read the book, so I'm clearly doing something wrong. (Probably agonising too much about it.)
I read mostly fantasy and historical novels, and mediaeval and early modern history. I read The Thief 7 or 8 ago, and loved it. QoA I was less fond of, but when I read KoA last year, I fell madly in love all over again (and now like QoA a whole lot more.) As for other books, childhood favourites, all of which I still reread, included Swallows and Amazons, Rosemary Sutcliff, Walter Scott, Alexandre Dumas, and Tolkien. Favourite authors nowadays include Diana Wynne Jones, George RR Martin and Dorothy Dunnett.
Anyway, as if that wasn't far more introduction than anyone could ever have wanted, I also have a question. When you recommend The Thief to others, how much do you reveal?
I don't seem to have had much success in getting friends to read The Thief. With most books, I find it fairly easy to tell people why I love them, and explain the basic plot set-up without giving things away, but I find this next to impossible to do with his series. I'm so scared of giving away spoilers, that I end up saying hardly anything, and completely failing to convey my enthusiasm.
The "twist" at the end of The Thief is, in my opinion, a vital part of the genius of the novel, but I feel I can't tell any new reader this, because it's a spoiler. Even saying something vague about it constitutes a spoiler. "Just wait until you get to the surprise twist at the ending!" is tantamount to telling people the twist, since it makes them alert for it, and actively seeking out clues.
There are some books and films that would be pretty mediocre were it not for the gimmick of a twist at the end. I do not think that The Thief is one of those. Even if Gen had proved to be no more than he appeared to be, it would have been a well-written book set in an interesting and well-realised world. However, without the twist, I think it would just be a pretty good story. With the twist, it is – in my opinion - a book to fall head over heels in love with for ever more.
I can't remember what it was that "sold" the series to me, so that's no help. I read something about it on a children's book newsgroup, but the book didn't seem to be available over here. I mentioned it to an American friend, in case she'd read it, but she hadn't. She must have noted the title down, though, since she bought it for me for my birthday months later. However, by then, I couldn't remember what I'd read about the book, so I came to the book with no preconceptions at all.
So how do I "sell" a book when I feel I can't mention the main thing I love about it? I can tell people, straight-faced, that it's about a common thief plucked from prison to go on a dangerous quest, but that feels a little like lying, and also makes it sound like a fairly cliched set-up. I can wimp out completely, and tell people about the setting, but that feels rather unemotional and cold. Or I can hint at the twist, convey my enthusiasm... but spoil the ending as I do so.
However, everyone else here seems to be able to inspire their friends to read the book, so I'm clearly doing something wrong. (Probably agonising too much about it.)
no subject
Date: 5/3/07 03:12 pm (UTC)I did note that both boys loathed Queen, wouldn't finish it--in discussion, both seemed extremely put off by what I will call as shorthand the "hurt comfort" element of Queen; they both like plenty of violence in their reading, but that was comic book violence. This was two years apart, I should mention. I don't actually keep Queen at school, only Thief. (This is a very small private school, the only library we have is what we teachers bring ourselves.)
no subject
Date: 5/3/07 03:30 pm (UTC)Yup, I've lived with two brothers and four sons as young readers, and I cannot imagine a boy liking either QoA or KoA.
As to the four sons, the three older are avid readers (the youngest is still learning to read, he is painstakingly working through the "Magic Treehouse" books, great books for little boys!), and it never ceases to amaze me how different their reading tastes can be. They frequently leave me thinking "hey that book was for your brother".
Making suggestions as a librarian must mean going out on a limb all the time.
-ELM-
no subject
Date: 5/3/07 03:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 5/3/07 04:06 pm (UTC)However, I will freely admit that one of the main reasons I love this series is that I am headlong in love with Gen. I doubt my husband feels the same - which is why he merely likes the series, and I adore it.
no subject
Date: 5/3/07 07:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 5/3/07 08:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 5/4/07 01:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 5/4/07 01:51 am (UTC)Is it misleading to call this my "online book discussion group"? Doesn't that make us sound oh-so-official?
no subject
Date: 5/4/07 02:02 am (UTC)if it's misleading, i am as guilty as you are :D
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Date: 5/4/07 02:08 am (UTC)