Due to a bout of boredom, I ended up reading both The Nanny Diaries and Dealing with Dragons last night. Of course, when I awoke this morning, it was pouring outside--perfect reading weather. I have one library book left (The Boleyn Inheritance) which I hope will get me through the weekend and until the books I placed on hold arrive. I must admit I was surprised by how fast I ended up reading. I wonder if the pace will continue or if it varies according to the genre.
The Nanny Diaries is just over 300 pages but I found it to be an easy read. After all, it satirizes the self-absorbed, neurotic mega-wealthy Manhattanites who don't work but still require nannies to essentially raise their children on their behalf (to make jetting off to hair appointments and spas easier). While I saw the point of the book--tongue-in-cheek satire--I had difficulties really rooting for the protagonist (conveniently named Nan/Nanny) who seemed to have a masochistic need to work for people who treated her badly. The kid she cared for, Grayer, was only four, but he was also a whiny, violent, moody, irritating brat. His mother (called Mrs. X) was a great antagonist because she was so selfish, arrogant, and capricious--indeed, quite a horrible boss. However, midway through the book, it seemed to get rather repetitive and my interest began to wane. Nan kept visiting her family who only said the same thing to her every time ("Quit your job!") and this detracted from colorful appearances of Mrs. X and her friends. Maybe it was because I haven't read much in the chick lit genre, but I could take or leave this book, and am content with the fact that I borrowed it from the library rather than buying it from a bookstore. I'll have to see how I feel about subsequent reads in this genre.
Dealing with Dragons was also an easy read but for other reasons. First of all, it's a young adult book that just passes the 200-page mark. Second, it's a satire (turning traditional fairy tale tropes on their heads) and lightweight by the generous helping of humor lacing every page. That's not to say it lacks substance. Quite the contrary, I found the book to be just as enjoyable to read as an adult as I did when I read it when I was younger. Wrede's creativity shines with the character Cimorene, a stubborn, intelligent, "improper", and proto-feminist princess who is thoroughly likable because rather than being a vapid ditz who embroiders all day and can scream on cue when carried off by a giant, she's interested in fencing, Latin, magic, cooking, and absolutely not marrying an idiot prince she does not love, like, or even respect all that much. And Wrede conveys this strong, feminist slant with a light touch and doesn't end up bashing the male gender and becoming preachy (as say, The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley does frequently); the stone prince character is quite important to the story and quite amusing with his own array of quirks. Additionally, Cimorene's relationships with other females, ranging from the dragon Kazul to the princess Alianora, do not remain static nor does the protagonist champion her friendships with women over men. But she does have a tendency to avoid male company if they're overly persistent knights trying to rescue and marry her because they're "supposed" to do so. Using wit and holding her ground when she knows she's right, Cimorene doesn't take crap from anyone and it doesn't matter if that person is a prince/princess, wizard, or dragon. Really, she's an admirable character while she entertains. What's not to like about that?
I must admit that Wrede's book influenced me as a lover of fantasy and as a writer. The idea of my current novel certainly shows some lasting effects of her work on my imagination--both in terms of creating dragons and a strong-willed but likable protagonist. Of course, the original influence by Wrede became adulterated by simultaneous exposures to historical fiction and Greek mythology...At least I'm eclectic.
I'm going to stop that tangent where it lies before I go considerable off-topic. So, as I stated earlier, it's perfect reading weather (thunderstorms now) and I have one thick historical novel left. The Boleyn Inheritance is just over 500 pages (and thankfully not in a minuscule font). I hope it's a good read. I was mildly disappointed by Gregory's obvious bias against Anne Boleyn (as portrayed in The Other Boleyn Girl); even if sisters are competing for the same man (King Henry VIII notwithstanding), they should be equally three-dimensional characters. I found Mary Boleyn to be a bit simpering and sentimental while Anne was just bitchy because she could be. I hope that Gregory fleshes out her characters (Anne of Cleves, Katheryn Howard, and Jane Rochford) a bit better, although I probably guess the direction she's going to take with the infamous Jane (Anne Boleyn's sister-in-law). I'll see what Gregory does and promptly report my findings here!
Until later...
The Nanny Diaries is just over 300 pages but I found it to be an easy read. After all, it satirizes the self-absorbed, neurotic mega-wealthy Manhattanites who don't work but still require nannies to essentially raise their children on their behalf (to make jetting off to hair appointments and spas easier). While I saw the point of the book--tongue-in-cheek satire--I had difficulties really rooting for the protagonist (conveniently named Nan/Nanny) who seemed to have a masochistic need to work for people who treated her badly. The kid she cared for, Grayer, was only four, but he was also a whiny, violent, moody, irritating brat. His mother (called Mrs. X) was a great antagonist because she was so selfish, arrogant, and capricious--indeed, quite a horrible boss. However, midway through the book, it seemed to get rather repetitive and my interest began to wane. Nan kept visiting her family who only said the same thing to her every time ("Quit your job!") and this detracted from colorful appearances of Mrs. X and her friends. Maybe it was because I haven't read much in the chick lit genre, but I could take or leave this book, and am content with the fact that I borrowed it from the library rather than buying it from a bookstore. I'll have to see how I feel about subsequent reads in this genre.
Dealing with Dragons was also an easy read but for other reasons. First of all, it's a young adult book that just passes the 200-page mark. Second, it's a satire (turning traditional fairy tale tropes on their heads) and lightweight by the generous helping of humor lacing every page. That's not to say it lacks substance. Quite the contrary, I found the book to be just as enjoyable to read as an adult as I did when I read it when I was younger. Wrede's creativity shines with the character Cimorene, a stubborn, intelligent, "improper", and proto-feminist princess who is thoroughly likable because rather than being a vapid ditz who embroiders all day and can scream on cue when carried off by a giant, she's interested in fencing, Latin, magic, cooking, and absolutely not marrying an idiot prince she does not love, like, or even respect all that much. And Wrede conveys this strong, feminist slant with a light touch and doesn't end up bashing the male gender and becoming preachy (as say, The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley does frequently); the stone prince character is quite important to the story and quite amusing with his own array of quirks. Additionally, Cimorene's relationships with other females, ranging from the dragon Kazul to the princess Alianora, do not remain static nor does the protagonist champion her friendships with women over men. But she does have a tendency to avoid male company if they're overly persistent knights trying to rescue and marry her because they're "supposed" to do so. Using wit and holding her ground when she knows she's right, Cimorene doesn't take crap from anyone and it doesn't matter if that person is a prince/princess, wizard, or dragon. Really, she's an admirable character while she entertains. What's not to like about that?
I must admit that Wrede's book influenced me as a lover of fantasy and as a writer. The idea of my current novel certainly shows some lasting effects of her work on my imagination--both in terms of creating dragons and a strong-willed but likable protagonist. Of course, the original influence by Wrede became adulterated by simultaneous exposures to historical fiction and Greek mythology...At least I'm eclectic.
I'm going to stop that tangent where it lies before I go considerable off-topic. So, as I stated earlier, it's perfect reading weather (thunderstorms now) and I have one thick historical novel left. The Boleyn Inheritance is just over 500 pages (and thankfully not in a minuscule font). I hope it's a good read. I was mildly disappointed by Gregory's obvious bias against Anne Boleyn (as portrayed in The Other Boleyn Girl); even if sisters are competing for the same man (King Henry VIII notwithstanding), they should be equally three-dimensional characters. I found Mary Boleyn to be a bit simpering and sentimental while Anne was just bitchy because she could be. I hope that Gregory fleshes out her characters (Anne of Cleves, Katheryn Howard, and Jane Rochford) a bit better, although I probably guess the direction she's going to take with the infamous Jane (Anne Boleyn's sister-in-law). I'll see what Gregory does and promptly report my findings here!
Until later...
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