New reads

[annathepiper]

In the interests of reading something with a bit more substance to it after some of the outright crap I've been reading lately, I finally dived into the sixth Aubrey-Maturin novel, The Fortune of War. I think I got a little bit too eager about this one--not that it was bad, not in the slightest, but more that I was slightly disappointed that it wasn't quite as fantabulous as I was hoping.

There was some great Stephen mileage, to be sure, but not nearly enough Jack. Part of this of course has to be attributed to the fact that Jack spends most of the book wounded and ill, and O'Brian seems to shunt a lot of that kind of thing off-camera. Even when we get some good Jack mileage, it's only passingly touched upon. for example, the bits where he starts playing along with the delusions of the patients where he's recovering, mistakes actual visiting American agents for more insane patients, and very nearly gets himself in very deep trouble as a result would have been very entertaining in more detail--or some elaboration on how Jack was perceived with quite a bit of hostility among the Americans for his connection to the Leopard.

Also, I have to admit to a bit of reader whiplash when the Java catches on fire. I mean, one minute Stephen's retiring for the night, and the next HOLY SHIT THE SHIP'S ON FIRE WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE. It certainly led into some harrowing descriptions of what the men on the raft had to go through, but it was an awfully abrupt transition nonetheless.

And no musical scenes between Jack and Stephen at all. Sniff. I mean, not like they really had access to any instruments, but it would have been nice if they could have at least borrowed instruments while they were in Boston. Given how freely Stephen was wandering around Boston, it certainly could have been possible for him to have picked up some instruments somewhere. (And, I might add, Stephen was the freest-wandering prisoner of war I've ever read about EVER.)

However, I did finally get to see the Weevil Joke in print, and lo, it was Good.



Queen City Jazz was actually a re-read for me--because I recently picked up a copy of her sequel to this, Mississippi Blues, and I wanted to refresh my memory about the events in the first one before I started working my way through the rest of the series.

My original impression of this book still stands: a damn fine novel, and I am still very impressed with Ms. Goonan's way with a word. The bit of this book that always resonated as a free-floating phrase in my head, "as if the very air was imbued with courage", leaped off the page at me when I got to it at last, on page 271. And a bit of memory pinged into my head about deciding perhaps to name Ynderra's son Blaze after the character in this book. Hee. However, I must also admit that one thought of the heroine's unfortunately now reminded me of Invader Zim: I will beat you, City! Zim wasn't quite what one needs to have in mind when reading this book. Heh.

But aside from that, this is nevertheless an excellent read. Goonan is both lyrical and concise in her language in a way I deeply admire, in a way that's particularly appropriate for a plot into which music is so thoroughly woven. She does a fine job of presenting the reader with a post-apocalyptic world right out of the gate, a world in which people don't really seem to know what the heck happened--or only know tantalizing bits and pieces, put together out of science and tech and religion and leftover bits of pre-apocalyptic culture.

The one quibble I think I have with it on a re-read is that I was almost disappointed that our heroine Verity was pulled out of having to sacrifice herself so that her love interest and their companion and everyone in Cincinnati could escape from the bees. It felt almost too easy a solution, as if thrown together at the last minute to make sure Verity would be around for the next book. Not that I'm really disappointed that she will be around--because I do want to see her continue to figure out what happened to the world at large, and it'll be nice to see how her relationship with Blaze progresses.

Onward to Mississippi Blues!

Comments

[mizkit.livejournal.com]

I think you read a different KAG than I do. I remember very specifically waiting and waiting and waiting for the story to get started with that book and finally feeling like it did about halfway through the novel. My blog comment on it says "I finished reading Kathleen Anne Googan's The Bones of Time, which was *much* more readable than her first book, Queen City Jazz, which I felt failed entirely to live up to its wonderful title. No, not entirely. It was just badly paced. Interesting ideas, dull implementation. But BONES OF TIME was much more readable, and I believe I'll look for some more of her books now."

Just interesting, the different responses. :)

[annathepiper]

That is interesting indeed. I totally agree that The Bones of Time was a better novel, but I am intrigued as to why Queen City Jazz worked for me and didn't for you!

Purely from a reader standpoint I didn't feel like I had a problem with any of the pacing... though as I put on my writer hat, I can see why one could quibble with some of the pacing choices she made, particularly in the middle parts just after Verity gets into the City and flails around a lot before she starts figuring out what's going on.

I absolutely stand by my comments about the woman's way with a word, though. ;)

[mizkit.livejournal.com]

I was honestly just bored out of my mind through the entirety of QCJ. I thought it had some interesting ideas, and that possibly if the book had been pared down to about half its length, that it might've been readable. It was one of those books that I kept reading because I thought there was potential, but it never proved itself to me. So I guess her way with words isn't appealing enough to me as a reader to get beyond the flaws I saw in that particular book. In fact, I remember thinking long and hard about reading BONES OF TIME, and finally decided to because I knew QCJ was a first novel and I thought she might've grown past the problems I had with QCJ. And I did like BoT much more, but I don't think I'd go back and read any more of the QCJ story.

Pity, though. The title is so splendid. :)

[annathepiper]

And now, ironically, as I'm reading Mississippi Blues it is totally falling flat with me so far. I don't know if it's because I'm so much in edit mode right nor or what--but when I started MB, I got an overwhelming feeling of "early draft" off the initial chapters. I'm continuing on through it, and I'm about a hundred pages in so far, but it's a very strange experience hard on the tail end of QCJ.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

If an officer had given parole, he was given liberty of his area.

If he was in an active theatre (say the penninsula) he might be somewhat restricted, and there were camps (Verdun was infamous, since it was only by dint of money one got anything approaching decent [i.e. more than mere survival] food, clothes, etc.).

Given the nature of the conflict between the U.S. and Britain (and that one was a known officer) relative freedom would have been the norm. One can't even accuse a paroled prisoner of spying, as they are known to be officers of a foriegn power.

TK

[annathepiper]

Ah, okay, that makes sense then. Thanks for explaining that. :) So Jack being shut up was more of a function of how badly ill and wounded he was, rather than the fact that he and Stephen were prisoners?

It really does rather illuminate one of the many differences between our time and the time of the novels. I would not have thought of a nicety like this at all for a novel set in modern times, for example. (Though I will also grant that I'm not in a position to know, either!)

(Hi, I'm getting caught up on my backlogged LJ comments!)

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

Well, no, Jack was constrained because the french thought him a spy, and so were looking to get some revenge.

Parole is still available (it's codified in several treaties, including the Geneva Conventions) but no one is required to offer it, and the United States prohibits its troops from accepting it.

TK

[annathepiper]

.... I stand corrected! I was never entirely clear, I think, on where the perception of Jack was coming from--the French or the Americans or what. I think I'd gotten it more into my head that the Americans were cranky at him due to his association with the Leopard. Of course, with the French being American allies at the time...

*nodnods about parole* Why is it forbidden to U.S. troops?

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

The Code of Conduct reads (among other things) If I am captured I will continue to resist by all means available. I will make every effort to escape and aid others to escape. I will accept neither parole nor special favors from the enemy.

The problem is, from the Army's point of view, if one gives parole (which, technically, anyone can do) one is not allowed to take arms against that enemy again until the parole is released, or an exchange is arranged.

That restraint applies no matter how the troops end up at home again.

TK

[annathepiper]

Ah okay, that makes sense. Thanks for explaining that!