I really appreciate the recommendation. It was a very enjoyable read, and I really did like her unique take on the post-Arthurian world (it seems like if it's not written about the Arthurian glory days, it focuses on the British Isles after Arthur, giving the rest of the world a bit of a pass). It was such an interesting mashup of exploring the potential long-term effects of traumatic experiences on individuals and relationships in a fantasy/historical fiction setting that psychs you out and isn't actually about Arthur.
You make a fair point about DD's gut punches, especially PiF. I have to be honest, while I understand it's a critical part of Lymond's character arc, I skim through that particular book and read limited selections of the end. Readers in DD groups call that one of the 'throw the book at the wall' moments where you decide you'll never read the rest of the series. I just about gave up on the series my first time through at that point, and didn't especially enjoy Ringed Castle either. If it helps, it just occurred to me that Ringed Castle might be a tiny bit like reading Medraut's journal while he was being trained by his mother - his mind probably wasn't a particularly pleasant place at that point. I didn't really see it the first time, and thought at first that maybe DD got bored talking about Scotland and wanted to explore another interesting historical figure, but the whole setting of RC mirrors Lymond's emotional state after PiF. Readers in FB groups have talked about a lot of symbolism of some of the more confusing events in RC (like birds) that I still haven't picked up on myself as it's not my favorite of the series and I don't spend a lot of time sifting through it. I did love that one reader called this Lymond's goth phase - a war general in a frozen landscape with Slata Baba. What's not to love?
I concur - MWT's "gentler hand" is why her books are still my favorite. There is so much rich detail, hidden meaning, fascinating characterizations and exploration of human psychology in Dunnett's works, and I like them inordinately better 10 years down the road when I was ready to give them another try, but I'm not always looking for that kind of emotional trauma when reading. I can get what I love out of MWT's books (humor, zany plans, interesting 'hero' figures, hidden meaning, clever allusions, Greek 'mythology', ad infinitum) without feeling like my emotions have been pepper sprayed.
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Re: Book 1 discussion
Date: 9/20/17 05:15 am (UTC)You make a fair point about DD's gut punches, especially PiF. I have to be honest, while I understand it's a critical part of Lymond's character arc, I skim through that particular book and read limited selections of the end. Readers in DD groups call that one of the 'throw the book at the wall' moments where you decide you'll never read the rest of the series. I just about gave up on the series my first time through at that point, and didn't especially enjoy Ringed Castle either. If it helps, it just occurred to me that Ringed Castle might be a tiny bit like reading Medraut's journal while he was being trained by his mother - his mind probably wasn't a particularly pleasant place at that point. I didn't really see it the first time, and thought at first that maybe DD got bored talking about Scotland and wanted to explore another interesting historical figure, but the whole setting of RC mirrors Lymond's emotional state after PiF. Readers in FB groups have talked about a lot of symbolism of some of the more confusing events in RC (like birds) that I still haven't picked up on myself as it's not my favorite of the series and I don't spend a lot of time sifting through it. I did love that one reader called this Lymond's goth phase - a war general in a frozen landscape with Slata Baba. What's not to love?
I concur - MWT's "gentler hand" is why her books are still my favorite. There is so much rich detail, hidden meaning, fascinating characterizations and exploration of human psychology in Dunnett's works, and I like them inordinately better 10 years down the road when I was ready to give them another try, but I'm not always looking for that kind of emotional trauma when reading. I can get what I love out of MWT's books (humor, zany plans, interesting 'hero' figures, hidden meaning, clever allusions, Greek 'mythology', ad infinitum) without feeling like my emotions have been pepper sprayed.