I like your description. I also read The Scarlet Pimpernel at a young age (the Readers Digest version, literally). It was one that I could finish in a few hours, so some Saturdays I'd grab it off the shelf and go hide in some out of the way place and finish it in one sitting, again. Now, I see the flaws in the book, but then it was just a good story, and a good escape.
I hear so much about the Lymond books, but... I had such a hard time getting through the first book. The story and characters were indeed awesome...once I finally got through them. I felt like I just had to work way to hard too understand what was going on. I know there are companion books with translations and such, but I guess I just feel that those shouldn't be necessary... I don't think I'm a completely lazy reader, but I guess there is a certain kind of work that I like to do as a reader, and looking up translations and locations and historical things isn't the kind of work I'm interested in. I like to be given enough in order to understand, even if it isn't all spelled out and obvious. I finally got through the book on my 3rd or 4th try because I said, "I'm just not going to understand a lot of what is going on, but I'm just going to keep reading anyway."
Then again, it has been years since I read it. Maybe I'm due to try again. And I don't mean any offense by rambling about my experience reading the book, please don't take it that way :-).
Lymond should definitely be on the list! And Peaceable. I want to re-read Sherwood Ring again too...
Speaking of Sir Percy and Sherwood Smith's books, I once re-read the Scarlet Pimpernel and then Crown Duel right after. There are a whole lot of similarities between Sir Percy and Vidanric, and Meliara and Marguerite, even just physically. It was interesting :-)
I feel like these Gen-type characters tend to be so interesting/influential that they dominate their stories, even for several books (Gen, Lord Peter, Miles, Lymond, the Doctor). I think it's interesting that both Vidanric and Peaceable are more secondary characters, rather than the primary character. They're still interesting to read about, and they're a big part of the story. But the story is different because its not only about them. Maybe? I'm just rambling.
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Date: 12/13/14 02:22 pm (UTC)I like your description. I also read The Scarlet Pimpernel at a young age (the Readers Digest version, literally). It was one that I could finish in a few hours, so some Saturdays I'd grab it off the shelf and go hide in some out of the way place and finish it in one sitting, again. Now, I see the flaws in the book, but then it was just a good story, and a good escape.
I hear so much about the Lymond books, but... I had such a hard time getting through the first book. The story and characters were indeed awesome...once I finally got through them. I felt like I just had to work way to hard too understand what was going on. I know there are companion books with translations and such, but I guess I just feel that those shouldn't be necessary... I don't think I'm a completely lazy reader, but I guess there is a certain kind of work that I like to do as a reader, and looking up translations and locations and historical things isn't the kind of work I'm interested in. I like to be given enough in order to understand, even if it isn't all spelled out and obvious. I finally got through the book on my 3rd or 4th try because I said, "I'm just not going to understand a lot of what is going on, but I'm just going to keep reading anyway."
Then again, it has been years since I read it. Maybe I'm due to try again. And I don't mean any offense by rambling about my experience reading the book, please don't take it that way :-).
Lymond should definitely be on the list! And Peaceable. I want to re-read Sherwood Ring again too...
Speaking of Sir Percy and Sherwood Smith's books, I once re-read the Scarlet Pimpernel and then Crown Duel right after. There are a whole lot of similarities between Sir Percy and Vidanric, and Meliara and Marguerite, even just physically. It was interesting :-)
I feel like these Gen-type characters tend to be so interesting/influential that they dominate their stories, even for several books (Gen, Lord Peter, Miles, Lymond, the Doctor). I think it's interesting that both Vidanric and Peaceable are more secondary characters, rather than the primary character. They're still interesting to read about, and they're a big part of the story. But the story is different because its not only about them. Maybe? I'm just rambling.