What Are You Reading Wednesday

[highlyeccentric]

Currently Reading:
Fiction: At Swim (still in hiatus); The Dressmaker of Draper's Lane, as an ARC, which hasn't grabbed my attention yet.
Academic: Troilus and Criseyde and associated texts

Recently Finished:

Elmet by Fiona Mozley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Well, that was... a Literatur. Yup. It is described as 'atmospheric', and it sure is. Its sense of place is outstanding, and I do like that. As a depiction of... not working class, but under-working-class and outsider life is definitely remarkable, and the decision to tell the story through the eyes of the most naive person in the whole situation pays off well. It has a lot going on about the relationship between man and land, and what it means to 'own' land.

I admire it greatly. I'm pretty sure I will remember it for a very long time.

I am not, however, certain that I /enjoyed/ it.

Second Kiss by Chelsea M. Cameron

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Meh. Engaging enough prose and simple story-through, a bit shallow, but it doesn't try to be more than the novella it is. Probably someone's perfect comfort reading, but not really mine.



Rite of Summer by Tess Bowery

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This was definitely a lot better than 'She Whom I Love', in terms of basic prose style and the effectiveness of the sex scenes. It felt a bit too long/slow in many places, and needed another sub-plot to give it more spark. It's... it's a realistic and sensible narrative. I'll give it points for the slow conclusion because it didn't leap straight to HEA, and made a point of the crux character getting his shit together before pursing a proper relationship.

However, it was recommended to me as a triad book, and it definitely aint that. It has threesomes in it, sure. It's fairly /realistic/, in the sense that sometimes open relationships do end like that - the developments in the dynamic make much more sense than those in She Whom I Love. What I didn't realise was that it is essentially the story of a man ending an emotionally abusive relationship which included threesomes, and pursuing something else. Again: realistic. But I guess what I was looking for was a story about functional open relationships and change therein, rather than toxic ones replaced with eventual monogamy.

At one point this week (after Second Kiss, I think), I was wailing about how all the same-sex erotica ends in either Actual Weddings or Marriage Analogies, but at least Rite of Summer didn't. It discusses marriage, law, sacrament, promises a lot, but it ends with a simple portrayal of something feasible, without feeling the need to add a big clanging It's Just Like Marriage metaphor.

Up Next: More Troilus-related things. Hannah Kent's 'The Good People', from the library. Ana Mardoll's 'No Man of Woman Born', galley copy. Viki Blud's 'The Unspeakable', academic review copy. Latest Meanjin, eventually.

---

Music notes: Did you all see the new string version of Jolene? I'm love!

Completely different, Tumblr introduced me to the new single from Mongolian folk-rock group The HU, Yuve Yuve Yu, which is pretty great. Do recommend.

Comments

[oracne]

Thanks for the music link!