I might not be able to finish; there are just too many cliches. The “living will� as a plot construction bothers me. If I finish, it’s because I am inI might not be able to finish; there are just too many cliches. The “living will� as a plot construction bothers me. If I finish, it’s because I am interested in the Amish, which is why Susan Cooper recommended it to me. p.s. quit at pg.116...more
No. Just not worth my time, although I liked the (too sparse) details of Bodega Bay, a place of good memories for me. There were quite a number of uglNo. Just not worth my time, although I liked the (too sparse) details of Bodega Bay, a place of good memories for me. There were quite a number of ugly characters in this novel, and the good ones had no flaws. The plot was sufficiently complex to hold my attention but upon finishing it, I just felt depressed. ...more
A romance novel which is noteworthy only for its local color and it’s ribald humor. There’s a certain mean edge toward “Christians�. There are severalA romance novel which is noteworthy only for its local color and it’s ribald humor. There’s a certain mean edge toward “Christians�. There are several threads meant to show (a) how love is not about money (b) how rich people can be nice and (c) how shallow a focus on money is. The overall winner is style. It is the clear predictor of moral virtue. Something wrong here. ...more
I still do not understand the pull of Romance novels, but I keep trying! Eloisa James is a professor of English at Fordham University and the woman caI still do not understand the pull of Romance novels, but I keep trying! Eloisa James is a professor of English at Fordham University and the woman cannot write a boring paragraph. There are actually a couple of interesting plot lines - for example, how does emotional forgiveness work? If you want someone to forgive you, what are some practical things you can do? I just keep thinking, though, that Ms.James could write a really good novel about those plot lines. Why write this?...more
Against my better judgement: 4 stars, because (a) she did her homework and (b) was wildly imaginative. The tone is romance-novel with tongue-in-cheek Against my better judgement: 4 stars, because (a) she did her homework and (b) was wildly imaginative. The tone is romance-novel with tongue-in-cheek (or not) and her sentences are often clichés. I just finished Mary Karr’s Lit, which is so beautifully written that I kept reading sentences aloud to anyone who would listen. In the first 200 pages of The Passion of Mary Magdalen, I read aloud sentences because they were so bad. And yet. Her imagined Mary Magdalene is at her best taking on well known Biblical episodes from a different perspective. Not one rang false, except perhaps the very last one. I had hoped for more, more of what this means to say that Jesus is Risen and alive in our lives. ...more
I'd heard that Harelquin writers are given a formula, but this author may be one of the originals. Nonetheless, there's only the thinnest of plots andI'd heard that Harelquin writers are given a formula, but this author may be one of the originals. Nonetheless, there's only the thinnest of plots and 90% of this short read is filled with simple descriptions of clothes, menus, and travel plans. I've noticed when trying to buy books for my grandchildren how frequently plot is replaced by catalog. Curious. Are we witnessing the shrinking of narrative? It could be that the image is replacing the story. I'm bored....more
Broke my ankle and forced to stay put - somehow, this was comfort food. The heroine's habit of making up stories did spark some personal speculation iBroke my ankle and forced to stay put - somehow, this was comfort food. The heroine's habit of making up stories did spark some personal speculation if I shouldn't write my own romance novel. Ms. James has obviously worked more than a little to create an engaging story with a realistic background, so perhaps I'll take the easy way out and read hers instead. ...more
I was reading the 5 star Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson and was emotionally overwhelmed by this nonfiction masterpiece. To take a break, I decided to pI was reading the 5 star Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson and was emotionally overwhelmed by this nonfiction masterpiece. To take a break, I decided to pick up a romance novel. It took me about twenty minutes to get a recommendation that sounded solid. Alas! Same topic - corruption in our criminal justice system Just Mercy does it much, much better but no romance and no sex. ...more
Not half bad! My son picked it up for me from the library, where I have systematically been ordering the first book of the most popular romance writerNot half bad! My son picked it up for me from the library, where I have systematically been ordering the first book of the most popular romance writers, and this one was fun, despite (sigh) the over the top porn scenes. Ok, so it was all over the top.
Anyway, he brought the book back to me and said, "Oh, yeah, the author was my Shakespeare professor at Fordham." It shows in the elegance of the prose.
I liked in particular the archetypal settings: a dark, crumbling castle and the fresh, renewing garden, the twin brothers and the clever set up for believable marital misunderstandings. There was also a considerable concern with class, alerting me to some anxiety being addressed. Do we feel we don't fit, we're not good enough, and we like our romance novels to prove otherwise?...more
In my memory, it was 5 stars, but as I reread it, recognizing every phrase, I realized there were some underlying assumptions that made me uneasy, in In my memory, it was 5 stars, but as I reread it, recognizing every phrase, I realized there were some underlying assumptions that made me uneasy, in particular the dismissal of faith, or religion, as a frame for life. It is a little schmalzy on the American Dream: orphan girl makes good through hard work and independence and is carried away by Prince Charming. It was my first romance novel - although I didn't recognize that until just now, and I am divided about whether to give it to the granddaughters or not. ...more
This must have preceded the Outlander Series; it’s all about the Scots being big, etc. Reading it was like watching an old silent film with jerky editThis must have preceded the Outlander Series; it’s all about the Scots being big, etc. Reading it was like watching an old silent film with jerky editing. He and she are on their horses. Then he takes her in his arms. Nope, they’re still on their horses. She looks out her window. What? I thought they were on their horses. She rides bareback, then stands up on the bareback horse and then shoots an arrow right into the middle of the target. These are the simplest of scenes. There were the totally murky ones, as well. So what is the appeal? Certainly not the sex. It couldn’t be the sex. But the sex scenes do read in a certain stylized way that I found odd the first time I read it (in 50 Shades, which was the first erotic romance story I read) and now I realize follows a genre pattern. The appeal cannot be wholly in the romantic plot. The story is only really propelled by a mystery over who is trying to kill her and some suspense over who will say “I love you� first. Nor can it be in the character development. The heroine is beautiful (and unaware of this fact, as is Ana in 50) talented (see horseback above) and a healer. She is the Proverbs 31 woman, ordering her household as well. Everyone else is about the same � weepy, angry or amused by her. Oh, yes, it IS all about her. There were some visual scenes I found evocative: (1) when her husband first comes back into Scotland with her and he suddenly tells her to not speak and to keep her eyes on him. They stop and out of the forest emerge as if from the mist 20 or 30 clansmen on horseback. They eye her, but she keeps her eyes on him. The depiction of attention, laced with danger � that was good. (2) In the climactic confrontation when the lords toss their jewels to the English baron as bride price. The jewels, pried from swords and saddles, tossed into the dirt in front of the unworthy baron as a price for the bride. There’s something about the tossed jewels, of giving all they had, carelessly and yet not.
So, this is a romance novel. And it really is. The heroine says � In my dictionary romance is not maudlin, treacly sentiment,� she said, “it is a currSo, this is a romance novel. And it really is. The heroine says � In my dictionary romance is not maudlin, treacly sentiment,� she said, “it is a curry, spiced with excitement and humor and a healthy dollop of cynicism.� One habit we might pick up on is the heroine’s plain speaking. She knows what she feels and thinks and she says it. Her verbal clarifying is essential to emotional growth. Upon finishing Lord of Scoundrels, I immediately read another. Mistake. Same formula, not quite as funny or unexpected (“Don’t Tempt Me�) and a bit contrived. I suppose they’re all contrived, but I enjoy at least one run. I won’t read another but now I see what makes it a best seller. ...more
Porn. This really doesn’t fall in the romance category; romance requires relationship and there are no romantic relationships here until page 377. I wPorn. This really doesn’t fall in the romance category; romance requires relationship and there are no romantic relationships here until page 377. I was about to totally dismiss this book when I noticed an odd little something: the inner voice the heroine hears. In 50 Shades of Gray (a comparable book) the inner goddess seems to be a symbol for listening to your gut. This inner voice (Ethne) is instead the inner God, saying “You are loved, you do not need to be afraid, no matter how bad it is, I am with you, I have a plan for your life, you are chosen, you are blessed, you are on a journey.�
The story line takes for granted a curious lack of bonding. Not romance, no. And it was so boring, I confess to skimming for ideas. That was not as inane as it sounds. There were some generalized ideas stated baldly: women find power in sex, men are soothed by sex. ...more
It was nice to see an older woman with a leading role, but the book was just too damn boring. I'm skimming through several romance authors to see whatIt was nice to see an older woman with a leading role, but the book was just too damn boring. I'm skimming through several romance authors to see what draws so many readers. Beatrice Small's obituary in the New York Times brought her to my attention and this was just a random pick of her 70 odd books. ...more
**spoiler alert** My first impression: stilted language, idealized setting,impossible plot, but now I'm beginning to think that this is the convention**spoiler alert** My first impression: stilted language, idealized setting,impossible plot, but now I'm beginning to think that this is the convention. I have limited experience reading romance. I've generally disdained it, to be frank, but recently I've been wondering what romance (and its wide readership) is really about. Here's my thoughts on this one: the hero goes through 6 stages: (1) deceived and thus addicted (2) personal realization of his addiction - the kiss in NYC and subsequent soul searching night (3) realization that the object of his addiction is nasty, in a word (when he reads the letters) (4) realization that he has wronged, seriously wrong the heroine (this thread has been growing slowly (5) an effort to look at life from the heroine's point of view - the examination of the bonnet being a metaphor - and (6) the intention to make amends. This kind of mythic journey makes for an engaging story. It's a shame that the characters seem to be cardboard symbols. ...more
It was ok. It gave me a perspective on fan fiction, publishing and BSDM. What it did not do, and what I was hoping for, was to help me understand the It was ok. It gave me a perspective on fan fiction, publishing and BSDM. What it did not do, and what I was hoping for, was to help me understand the magnetic appeal of this particular book. Some writers had some clues - Marci Hirsch, p.53, Kagharie Sands, p.67, Susan Colon, p. 101, Rachel Kamer Bussel,p.145, a history of BSDM by Sarah Frantz on p. 159 and Joy Daniels on p.259. The best one of all, from my perspective, was Lois Gresh, p.115, titled "The MacDonalds of Lust." I also liked reading so many women's voices about sex. Ok, so maybe I liked this text more than I thought I did!...more
It was flat. It reminded me of some mannered work for children, but it seemed to deal with adult themes of divorce. I just can't figure who the audienIt was flat. It reminded me of some mannered work for children, but it seemed to deal with adult themes of divorce. I just can't figure who the audience was, but we all deserved better. ...more
There’s a clue. His name is Christian. That’s the first clue. And if we take the first chapter of the first bFifty Shades of Gray: an allegory of Love
There’s a clue. His name is Christian. That’s the first clue. And if we take the first chapter of the first book and the last chapter of the last book, then the second clue becomes obvious. Her name is Anastasia, which means Resurrection. This is a story about Love, and more particularly, about how Christ loves us and how we encounter Christ and the change that happens in that encounter. What? What? It’s about kinky sex, isn’t it? SMBD, right? Not really. There are formulaic sex scenes, allegories in themselves, but the SMBD is a metaphor for � well, pain. Who is God here? Innocence (Ana) meets wealth, power and status who is neither black nor white, an excellent metaphor for God, who is Light, but that light to our eyes, to our experience, is mixed. (What’s with pain and suffering, for example? How can a good God allow this to happen?) Wealth, Power and Status are also the banners of Satan, in Ignatian spirituality. So: which is it? Is Christian Christ or Satan? In the first Chapter of the first book: he is Christ. Miss Steele (she’s no push over) does a favor for a friend, unprepared, feeling as if “I’m just visiting, I don’t fit in here at all� and stumbles, “on her hands and knees�, into his Presence. He touches her, lifts her, and she feels the electricity. She discovers in his space that “the ordinary is raised to the extraordinary,� a common experience in encountering Christ or falling in love. (Pedro Arupe: same thing.) She fumbles trying to record the conversation, distracted by His Beauty. She asks questions. Some are hers and some are not. Christian declares: (a) “I am very good at judging people� (b) “my belief is to achieve success in any scheme one has to make oneself master of that scheme� (why Christ is incarnate, one might say) and (c) “the bottom line is it’s always down to good people.� Anastasia’s response to Christ(ian) is skepticism; let’s chalk this up to luck. Besides, it sounds like control. Christian claims the control; he was born to it. His power is his Own; he does not answer to a board. What about his personal attributes? “There are people who’d say I don’t have a heart.� Check. Not easy to get to know. Check. And he admires tenacity. Check. The Gospels corroborate this. He doesn’t have a philosophy so to speak but a guiding principle. The fully actualized human being (to use Maslow’s terminology rather than Carnegie’s), the fully aware person is in possession of all things. The pearl of great price? Sell all and it is yours. The one who gives up all for Christ inherits all. “You sound like the ultimate consumer�. “I am.� Here is a puzzle. “Are you gay, Mr. Grey?� “No, Anastasia, I am not.� In two sequences, back to back, declarations on consumption and sexuality: these are topics to be explored in this trilogy and the definitions set here are for the sake of parameters. This is a story about wealth and sex and for the sake of the story we will suspend our judgment. Note here: he calls her Anastasia for the first time here, another way of saying: this is personal between you and me, Anastasia, and I declare my interest in your sex, in being intimate. Her response? I don’t belong here. I’m not your type (I’m scruffy). What’s going on? I don’t understand. I have to get out of here. He says “Until we meet again.� She can’t figure out if it’s a challenge or a threat. He touches her. The electricity is there. He follows her out. He touches her again, on the back of the neck � and stills her. The second time he calls her Anastasia is as she’s leaving � and she calls him Christian. Just those words. Anastasia. Christian. Jump to the last chapter of the trilogy which is the first chapter retold from Christian’s perspective, but now, with the story behind us, we see that in fact it is Anastasia who is Christ (the Resurrection) and Christian is us. We are the ones in need of changing. We follow these banners of Power, Wealth and Prestige, and yet: we are restless. “The sobering truth is the only thing to capture my interest recently is has been my decision to send two freighters of cargo to Sudan.� Feeding the hungry, compassion for the poor: this is the antidote to our feelings of malaise. “Oh, Christ!� Call and Christ comes. (Christ is called xx times in this chapter alone.) “For one awful moment I think she can see right through me. I feel...exposed.� And there she is ...”innocent�. Christ the Innocent. “I want to dispel that unguarded, admiring look from those big, blue eyes.� So he mocks her, and calls her by the wrong name. We do that. We mock innocence in our pain. “She is charmingly flustered, meek, mild...submissive.� Is this Christ? I contend: this is how we encounter HIM. Or Her. Originally as an infant, and later � charmingly flustered, especially in encounters with women � his mother telling him about the wine shortage at the wedding, the Syro-Phoenician woman disarming him to cure her daughter, the women with the hemorrhage. “Is that something you feel passionately about? Feeding the world’s poor?� He fantasizes sex here, a deliberate distraction from hunger. We distract ourselves from passion. It’s a scary thing. It demands our whole self. “There is no way I want those big blue eyes seeing into my dark soul. This is not an area open to discussion. Ever.� And yet. The sequential discussions are: yes to consuming, no to family, and intolerance for ambiguity. (“How dare she?�) A relationship with Christ is real � real stresses � and reciprocal. “I like the effect I have on her....she isn’t completely oblivious to my charms (God likes us) and ’yes, sir.� Her response floors me.� “Christian� “and the elevator door closes, leaving my name hanging in the air, sounding odd, unfamiliar, but sexy as hell.� ...more
Mary Helene
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