minor victory in the real world

[pysch-colours.livejournal.com]

 nothing huge, no big literary revelation regarding the series/individual books, but just something i wanted to share with you guys. a minor victory, if you will.

i got my book club reading queen of attolia (okay, maybe i should have chosen the thief, but qoa was my first, and my favourite). we'll see how much they like it after spring break (two weeks).

is it irrational that i'm nervous they won't like it? :(

Comments

[elle-winters.livejournal.com]

mwt says herself that each book can be read on it's own (though it may spoil the others) so it's not a huge deal that you started with QoA =)


I'm always nervous when I have my friends read the series cause I love it so much and I want them to, too. I am especially nervous about QoA because the ((HAND)) thing really gets to some people and they *don't* get it and end up *not* loving it because they let ((HOOK)) overshadow the brillance of the book.


But nice work! Let us know what they think =) And don't forget to introduce them to Sounis =D

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

I think a lot people misunderstand the presentation of the chop-chop scene and the romance of Gen and Irene. Some people aren't familiar with the idea of a person's royal duties being separate from their personal desires. If someone tortures a man for information, they must be a sadist, right? Well... Not always. I'm afraid what can shock people is the belief that Megan is romanticizing violence or is approving of abusive relationships as romantic. I honestly believe just the opposite to be true.

Megan more addresses the mental impact of violence and not the gory bloody side. She doesn't preach against war, but nor does she say war is a-okay and should be indulged in at a whim. She lets the reader draw their own conclusions. Smart, right?

And when it comes to abuse. Gen and Irene were not in a relationship before or at the time of the chop-chop scene. She imprisoned and punished him for spying as a leader of her country. She didn't order the torture session for information. Relius did that on his own. As for violence during the relationship, she did smack him once, but I hardly call that abuse. Not to mention... It's hard not to smack Gen.

Another problem is people thinking that the age difference is larger than it is. It can't be more then ten years. Gen being about 20, and Irene about 30. This is not a story about a 15 year-old boy marrying a 45 year-old women.

And honestly. If you want to talk about unequal and abusive relationships... Sparkly Vampires, anyone?

In closing, Gen/Irene is not a fluffy, romantic, Nicolas Sparks pairing. It's about damaged people coming together to dig their way out of a hole and learning to love each another at the same time. Due to their history, there will always be a dark, morbid side to Gen's and Irene's relationship, but there will always be a dark, morbid side to their characters, either way. Only makes sense that they would end up together.

[chubbyleng.livejournal.com]

I had a hard time with it at first, maybe because of my limited history knowledge. But the more you guys explain it, the more I get comfortable with it. ^^ I understand that he was probably already in love with her at that point, but I do have to wonder how realistic it is that "love survives amputation", like Gen said. Or torture. But I try to make myself feel better by thinking that the alternative to cutting off Gen's hand would be much much worse. I mean, QoA would have gone like this. "Then Attolia ordered Gen's hanging by the next morning. And then Gen was hung. The end."

I don't have a problem with that smacking scene... anymore. ^^ I did before, because I didn't understand it. But after someone explained that scene in more detail, I think it was Philia, it was like light bulbs going off in all directions.

The age discrepancy, depending on how you view them, and depending on what you're comfortable with, may or may not be large. For some people, ten years really is large (like for me ^^... although it would bother me even more if it was the man who was older). Anyway, I've finally convinced my sister to read The Thief, and even though she liked it, she refused to read the rest. She knows about the hand thing, and I said if she didn't like that, she could always skip to KoA instead. And she told me, "What? That book with the pedophilic cover? No way!"

Ah, but surprise, surprise, my sister's favorite books are Nicolas Sparks' novels. So... I guess that says something.

But I think for the most part... since I'm pretty much a peachy person, I tend to view characters, no matter how dark, a little bit more mellow than most people do. So to me, their relationship (and the characters themselves) are not so... dreary, I guess? Emo? I can't find the right word. I don't know if that will make them OOC, because to me, they're just that way.

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

My mother is nine years older than my father, so for me it's no big deal. Once you go beyond ten years, there are some serious questions that need answering: is the couple truly equal or is one trying to take advantage of the other? Age difference is really a case by case thing, and I don't want to judge till I know the full story. In Gen's and Irene's situation, due to what he has been through and because of the way he is, I think it takes an older woman to handle him. :)

A far as love goes... It's a funny thing. If you need a reason to love someone, it's not love. Maybe, it's not the most realistic thing in the world, but I find it highly believable within the story.

Some of the content just bothers people, which is okay. You shouldn't read something if it upsets you. :)

And don't get me wrong about NS. I like his books too.

[chubbyleng.livejournal.com]

Well when I think about Gen and Irene, their ages aren't really the first thing that come to my mind, so it's not a very huge matter to me. ^^ Ooh, but I like your interpretation that he needs an older woman. I don't remember from which thread I read it from, but someone also mentioned that it was only right for him to be somewhat afraid of her, because otherwise he'd just keep doing what he'd always done.

Really? But... but... wait. How can you not have a reason why you love someone? If you don't, how would you know what attracts you to that person?

I haven't read books by Nicholas Sparks. I just saw some of the movie adaptations, and they all had sad endings. Sad endings are never my cup of tea.

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

I'm more talking more about conditional love, rather than I like them because they are (insert fluff) and they do (insert fluff). :D

All and all, a person should do the caring thing by someone else simply because it's the right thing do to. When you get into romantic relationships, the "WHY" factor gets more complicated.

Sad but heartfelt. NS appeals to my love of sweet realistic fiction. I blame my mother having the Lifetime Movie Network on each Sunday afternoon.

[elle-winters.livejournal.com]

Yup and age doesn't always correspond to maturity. You can be more mature than your age, or you can old and completely immature.

So maturity wise, they are very much perfect for each other =]

[freenarnian.livejournal.com]

Great post. I might have to use it as a reference for future defending-of-the-story conversations. =D

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

Tehee... Glad to help the cause!

*raises war-banner*

[agh-4.livejournal.com]

That's great! I'm always caught between constantly pestering my friends about what they think (and spilling out all the thing I love about the books) and hanging back, saying "it's ok if you don't like it..."

One or two of them are bound to like it. And at least you'll get to have discussions with people who have fresh perspective. Great job!

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

As Elle said, you can read them in whatever order you prefer. Another beauty of this series - people can have different perceptions of this series based on the order they read them in.

*crosses fingers and hopes they like the book*

[pysch-colours.livejournal.com]

haha, i understand that, but my friend doesn't seem to. she (who's just finished the thief and she's in my book club so she's got my copy since i've read it already) said to me today, "you were lying, you can't read them out of order" and then something along the lines of "i'm surprised you liked this book because of what they did to the greek gods.
and then i had to explain to her that mwt made up her own gods, that no, these aren't based on the greek gods, and i even told her to read the author's note.
no avail D:

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

What's wrong with Megan's pantheon? It's called artistic license!

*sulks in corner*

You can kinda, sorta, mostly read them out of order. No matter what, one book spoils the other. Another unique element of QT.

[pysch-colours.livejournal.com]

aaaand i keep telling her that.
but uuuugh she won't listeeen

[bluestalking.livejournal.com]

It is a book you love! It is totally not irrational to be worried they won't like it. Just remember that if they don't, you can come on here and we still all will. ;)

[pysch-colours.livejournal.com]

haha, i'm reminded of that every time i come on here! :)

[foxglove-chant.livejournal.com]

Nope, not irrational, but I'm sure they'll like it! QoA is my favourite too - so far - mostly for the scene where Irene reveals what she's been doing to Nahuseresh. SO GOOD. Then again, I like me some incredibly strong and intelligent female characters. If your book club does too then I'm sure there's nothing to worry about!

[chubbyleng.livejournal.com]

Man, I think I need some new prescription, because when I read your second sentence, I thought you said, "mostly for the scene where Irene reveals that she's been doing Nahuseresh. SO GOOD."

And I was just here thinking, "eh... where was that part?"

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

Yes... I think you do, because I don't think that would happen in a million years! DAHAAHHAA!

[chubbyleng.livejournal.com]

LOL, that she'd reveal it, or that she does it? XD

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

Well, judging from the letter (http://community.livejournal.com/sounis/326038.html?thread=8071062) she wrote to him on V-Day, I'd say the later. But... You never know, do you?

*shuts up before Gen steals her brand new earrings*

[foxglove-chant.livejournal.com]

Ahahahahahahahaha. Nope, don't think Irene would ever do that. Sorry to give you a turn =p

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

I read QoA first and because I didn't love Gen yet, the chop-chop part wasn't so bad for me. It's always been my favorite, too, partly because the entire book surprised me at every turn.

[tiegirl.livejournal.com]

Totally rational. And since I am totally sane, you have nothing to worry about.


(please do not comment on this comment. we do not want to crash the system, do we?)

[magicsandwiches.livejournal.com]

Throwing out bait like that and then telling us not to comment. You tease, you!

[tiegirl.livejournal.com]

XD

[magicsandwiches.livejournal.com]

I had my bookgroup read QoA first as well. Because my group is so wonderfully anal, I knew they'd read The Thief first. I really wanted them to read the whole series, but didn't know how to make them do that except by making reading through QoA mandatory.

But I've recommended starting with QoA first to a few other people who might not make it past the first chapter of Thief just because I know if they simply read the first page of Queen, they will get sucked in like quicksand. And then they'll go back and read The Thief. Then go on to read KoA and CofK. And then read them all again. And then buy their own copies. And then join Sounis. And then stalk Megan.

Of course starting with The Thief is preferable, but anyway you can get people sucked in is okay, says I.

[tiegirl.livejournal.com]

Clever.

*nods approvingly*