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Also, ulmont is 100% on Feist. The back third of Shards of a Broken Crown reads like somebody was either desperately writing for a deadline or somebody who'd lost all interest in the work. I can't believe Feist put out even more Midkemia books after that. That said, there are some great moments and series highs in the Serpentwar Saga, and I'd probably argue that it's better than Riftwar (or at least more mature in the story and writing).
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Jan 10, 2022 06:23
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Ropes4u posted:Thank you, might have to skip past that section At least it's portrayed honestly. I'm rereading The Wheel of Time series and had forgotten just how long Mat is raped by Tylin. It goes on for multiple books, and it's played for laughs. Laughing about sexual assault seems to me a bigger sin than an honest portrayal of it being terrible.
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Jan 14, 2022 11:53
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You aren't supposed to be laughing at it.
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Jan 14, 2022 12:24
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Gnoman posted:You aren't supposed to be laughing at it. I can't honestly say that he sold it as something serious...it was written pretty slapstick and winking like: ohoho the pursuer becomes the pursued isn't this a lesson for Mat Famethrowa fucked around with this message at 14:53 on Jan 14, 2022 |
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Jan 14, 2022 14:48
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Gnoman posted:You aren't supposed to be laughing at it. It's absolutely written in a humorous manner. "Mat is worried Tylin's duel-happy son will find out that Mat is (involuntarily) sexing his mom! Ohoho, the son knows and approves of his mother's new 'pet', isn't that funny?"
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Jan 14, 2022 21:32
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If you read it as comedic, you are reading it wrong.
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Jan 15, 2022 06:58
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The situation is certainly not comedic. The way it is written absolutely is (much of the time), much to the discredit of Robert Jordan. To think otherwise is to whitewash and absolve Jordan of the way he downplays sexual assault against men. I don't think that's something he should be let off the hook for via a sympathetic, special pleading read of that storyline. E: other people who felt it read as comedy (even as they recognize that it is actually rape) https://www.reddit.com/r/WoT/comments/8sy2z4/book_7_mat_and_tylinwhat_the_actual_fuck_did_i/ https://dragonmount.com/forums/topic/28771-mat-and-tylin/ https://veliseraptor.tumblr.com/post/159465751515/some-thoughts-on-tylin/amp https://joannalannister.tumblr.com/post/157511137166/how-do-you-think-the-wheel-of-time-series-deals Etc etc. The situation clearly is presented in a humorous light. Mat's thoughts about it at other times are not always comedically tinged but in the actual moment it usually is. It's not even debatable really. That's how it's written. regulargonzalez fucked around with this message at 08:11 on Jan 15, 2022 |
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Jan 15, 2022 08:01
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regulargonzalez posted:The situation is certainly not comedic. The way it is written absolutely is (much of the time), much to the discredit of Robert Jordan. To think otherwise is to whitewash and absolve Jordan of the way he downplays sexual assault against men. I don't think that's something he should be let off the hook for via a sympathetic, special pleading read of that storyline. That is definitely one (EDIT: to be clear, one valid) reading of that chunk of the text. There are other alternate readings that also have textual support. See, e.g., Neuxue's readalong blog on the topic: https://neuxue.tumblr.com/post/128805873308/wheel-of-time-liveblogging-a-crown-of-swords-ch https://neuxue.tumblr.com/post/128116964433/i-usually-have-a-lot-of-respect-for-your-analysis There's one reading that it's just Jordan playing rape for laughs and that's despicable (which yeah, if that's what it is, yeah). There's another reading that Jordan is trying to show a role-reversal here; Mat gets treated by the women here like a lot of men in the 80's and 90's treated women who were victims of sexual assault, rape, etc., so one reading is that Jordan is trying to show why that kind of treatment is bad and wrong by flipping the roles. My personal take is that I think Jordan was *trying* to do a role reversal thing and show "hey, it's not funny after all, is it?" but he failed in the attempt and ended up writing a passage that's just extremely not good in a lot of ways. Basically, I tend to agree with Neuxue's reading here: quote:And I honestly find it odd, and more than a bit jarring. Not just because Mat’s situation really isn’t funny, but also because the way it’s written, and the tone with which it’s presented, feels inconsistent to me. Because at times during this chapter – and the previous one with Mat and Tylin – it’s written and handled in a way that feels both deliberate and…accurate. Mat’s thoughts for most of this chapter, for instance; the panicked need to leave, the near hysterical laughter when he thinks of what Tylin might do to him, the way he feels helpless. Or the…scene…with Tylin itself, with Mat desperately trying to think of a way to make her stop, and the narrative making a point of showing that he couldn’t. Hieronymous Alloy fucked around with this message at 18:16 on Jan 15, 2022 |
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Jan 15, 2022 16:35
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Can someone recommend me a book with great villains or Machiavellian allies? I just finished futuristic violence and fancy suits, and I really like the archetype Will attempts to play, although all of his plans do go straight to poo poo.
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Jan 18, 2022 18:44
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Can anyone reccomend a good book covering the entirety of the American civil war that focuses on the military side? Battles, tactics, logistics etc
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Jan 19, 2022 20:57
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RokosCockatrice posted:Can someone recommend me a book with great villains or Machiavellian allies? I just finished futuristic violence and fancy suits, and I really like the archetype Will attempts to play, although all of his plans do go straight to poo poo. This is 100% the obvious answer and you've probably already read it, but Dune is what you're looking for.
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Jan 19, 2022 21:48
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Kvlt! posted:Can anyone reccomend a good book covering the entirety of the American civil war that focuses on the military side? Battles, tactics, logistics etc Battle Cry of Freedom by James McPherson has been the seminal "one big book" on the Civil War for years and afaik still is.
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Jan 19, 2022 21:55
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buffalo all day posted:Battle Cry of Freedom by James McPherson has been the seminal "one big book" on the Civil War for years and afaik still is. I looked at that one but it seemed a bit too in depth on the political/social sides of the war. I'm looking for something that really just focuses on the actual military conflicts and battles and cuts out all the political/social parts of the war. I'm not really interested in why the two armies are fighting I'm interested in how they fought, what tactics they used, etc. (if that makes any kinda sense?) Maybe they're too interconnected and it doesn't exist. I do appreciate the suggestion though, thank you!
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Jan 19, 2022 21:59
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Kvlt! posted:I looked at that one but it seemed a bit too in depth on the political/social sides of the war. I'm looking for something that really just focuses on the actual military conflicts and battles and cuts out all the political/social parts of the war. I'm not really interested in why the two armies are fighting I'm interested in how they fought, what tactics they used, etc. (if that makes any kinda sense?) Maybe they're too interconnected and it doesn't exist. I do appreciate the suggestion though, thank you! Ah. I have never read this but McPherson gave it a good blurb and it seems well-reviewed? https://www.amazon.com/Longest-Night-Military-History-Civil/dp/0684849453
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Jan 19, 2022 22:25
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buffalo all day posted:Ah. I have never read this but McPherson gave it a good blurb and it seems well-reviewed? That looks exactly what I'm looking for, just ordered a copy. Thanks so much!
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Jan 19, 2022 23:40
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So the past couple years I've been reading through Saint Exupery's works about flying around North Africa and establishing postal routes, and have just finished an excellent fictionalized-ish biography of him that's heavy on this era (The Prince of the Skies). I'm finding myself fascinated with the colonial era in the Sahara, especially as told through the eyes of a respectful westerner. Are there any other good memoirs or historical fiction covering this place and time? I have TE Lawrence's Pillars of Wisdom in mind, but that's location adjacent and I believe more focused on the war than exploration and encountering local culture.
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Jan 20, 2022 23:45
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Can anyone recommend some good book about the Hays Code? Also can anyone recommend some good books about movies under nazi Germany? Those are for separate things. I realize now that putting both those questions together looks like I'm aiming for some kind of hack comparison. But I swear it's for two different things.
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Jan 20, 2022 23:56
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stealie72 posted:So the past couple years I've been reading through Saint Exupery's works about flying around North Africa and establishing postal routes, and have just finished an excellent fictionalized-ish biography of him that's heavy on this era (The Prince of the Skies). West with the Night by Beryl Markham. There were rumors at the time that Exupery was her lover / had helped her write it.
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Jan 21, 2022 00:15
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My grandma once loved to read and I'm looking for recommendations for mysteries (or thrillers too I guess), probably cozy mysteries would be better, and preferably recent-ish or widely well known that my local library system may have them in an ebook format. She got an ipad a few years ago and read some ebooks but she stuck to free ones on Amazon she'd have me randomly pick out and then later complained about the too-racy stuff (sorry Grandma I chose by the cover art!!). She hasn't been able to hold onto an ipad long enough to read (or use a holder, and her eyes get tired), but I now have a spare old Kindle that I can get free library ebooks on so I'm going to try again to see if she wants to read. I'm going to ask her later if she can remember any authors she liked but I have doubts I'll get an answer, she may have just grabbed whatever was in the grocery store kind of reader.
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Jan 24, 2022 20:40
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PlushCow posted:My grandma once loved to read and I'm looking for recommendations for mysteries (or thrillers too I guess), probably cozy mysteries would be better, and preferably recent-ish or widely well known that my local library system may have them in an ebook format. Don't know if your grandma minds violence in her thrillers/mysteries (mine definitely didn't mind). My memories from my grandmother's bookshelf are: Dick Francis (horse racing mysteries), Jack Higgins (spy/thriller/mysteries, often around ww2), Steven Saylor (ancient Roman mysteries), James Lee Burke (southern mysteries), Len Deighton (spy thrillers), Clive Cussler. Current best in class airport thriller/mystery imo is Jack Reacher series by Lee Child (Killing Floor is the first one), they can be pretty violent though.
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Jan 24, 2022 20:52
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PlushCow posted:I'm going to ask her later if she can remember any authors she liked but I have doubts I'll get an answer, she may have just grabbed whatever was in the grocery store kind of reader. The Rita Mae Brown cat mystery books
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Jan 24, 2022 20:52
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buffalo all day posted:Don't know if your grandma minds violence in her thrillers/mysteries (mine definitely didn't mind). My memories from my grandmother's bookshelf are: Dick Francis (horse racing mysteries), Jack Higgins (spy/thriller/mysteries, often around ww2), Steven Saylor (ancient Roman mysteries), James Lee Burke (southern mysteries), Len Deighton (spy thrillers), Clive Cussler. Also Elizabeth Peters's Amelia Peabody series (Victorian-era Egyptologist solving mysteries in Egypt), these were absolute faves. I'm assuming your grandma has read all of Agatha Christie's stuff.
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Jan 24, 2022 20:55
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PlushCow posted:My grandma once loved to read and I'm looking for recommendations for mysteries (or thrillers too I guess), probably cozy mysteries would be better, and preferably recent-ish or widely well known that my local library system may have them in an ebook format. If she wants free mysteries from the kindle store, look up The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins, and The Red Thumb Mark by Austin Freeman (first in a series).
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Jan 24, 2022 21:03
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There's got to be a lot of free Agatha Christie out there, too
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Jan 24, 2022 21:07
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buffalo all day posted:books lots of books Gripweed posted:cat books Hieronymous Alloy posted:more books Opopanax posted:and books books books Thank you all for the recommendations, I'll go through them and let my grandma see if she wants to try reading again 
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Jan 24, 2022 23:49
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buffalo all day posted:Dick Francis (horse racing mysteries) While this isn't actually a lie, it must be said that a lot of Francis novels have loads besides horses going on. Like planes!
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Jan 25, 2022 00:22
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3D Megadoodoo posted:While this isn't actually a lie, it must be said that a lot of Francis novels have loads besides horses going on. Dick Francis' basic novel model was "horse racing + X" ...where X could be photography, wine/alcohol, computer programming, skiing, gold speculation/legos...
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Jan 25, 2022 06:02
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Are there any fun books on the 100 BC - AD 100 period of Roman history that are more detailed than Tom Holland's?
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Jan 25, 2022 13:33
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FPyat posted:Are there any fun books on the 100 BC - AD 100 period of Roman history that are more detailed than Tom Holland's? Are you looking for nonfiction, or I Claudius?
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Jan 25, 2022 13:42
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PlushCow posted:My grandma once loved to read and I'm looking for recommendations for mysteries (or thrillers too I guess), probably cozy mysteries would be better, and preferably recent-ish or widely well known that my local library system may have them in an ebook format. Thursday Next series
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Jan 25, 2022 13:46
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PlushCow posted:My grandma once loved to read and I'm looking for recommendations for mysteries (or thrillers too I guess), probably cozy mysteries would be better, and preferably recent-ish or widely well known that my local library system may have them in an ebook format. She might like Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael books, not too much racy stuff, he's a monk.
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Jan 25, 2022 13:51
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buffalo all day posted:Are you looking for nonfiction, or I Claudius? I'm primarily curious about Caesar and Octavian.
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Jan 25, 2022 16:52
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Can I get some recommendations for long fantasy/sci-fi series which stick with the same main or small cast of characters throughout and follows their growth? I recently read the Wheel of Time series and that's what I found I liked about it. The payoff with Rands, Matts, and Egwenes evolution especially, I enjoy the shifting power dynamics from the beginning of the series. Then I moved on to the Cradle series and found that satisfying for similar reasons. Currently reading Forge of Destiny due to recommendations in relation to Cradle, but finding it too meandering and will be dropping it. I'd like to stay with the same characters for a long while so I'm hoping for something almost as long or longer than Cradle, which currently clocks in at around 1M words, but I may be hoping for too much.
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Jan 25, 2022 18:13
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Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight series L. Ron Hubbard - Mission Earth series (don't read this) regulargonzalez fucked around with this message at 18:25 on Jan 25, 2022 |
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Jan 25, 2022 18:18
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The Sf & f thread has a good discussion over the past few pages right now over exactly that question. The consensus, somewhat nonintuitively, seems to be the Aubrey / Maturin series.
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Jan 25, 2022 18:22
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FPyat posted:I'm primarily curious about Caesar and Octavian. I think the Ancient Roman sources are pretty fun and readable (and they're free) -- you could start here: Suetonius's Life of Caesar: https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Julius*.html Suetonius's Life of Augustus: https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Augustus*.html Plutarch's Life of Caesar http://www.bostonleadershipbuilders.com/plutarch/caesar.htm You could also read Caesar's own writing, which holds up but is less fun: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307455440 Mike Duncan's recent book The Storm Before the Storm is focused on Sulla and Marius and so is mostly pre-Caesar (146-78 BC is the timeline given) but is a nice introduction to the problems shaping the period and is very fun and readable. Good popular biographies of Caesar and Augustus: https://www.amazon.com/Julius-Caesar-Philip-Freeman/dp/0743289544 https://www.amazon.com/Augustus-Life-Romes-First-Emperor/dp/0812970586
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Jan 25, 2022 18:33
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I will add that SPQR by Mary Beard is excellent but is more broadly focused on the entire scope of Roman history.
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Jan 25, 2022 18:36
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sloppy portmanteau posted:Can I get some recommendations for long fantasy/sci-fi series which stick with the same main or small cast of characters throughout and follows their growth? I recently read the Wheel of Time series and that's what I found I liked about it. The payoff with Rands, Matts, and Egwenes evolution especially, I enjoy the shifting power dynamics from the beginning of the series. Then I moved on to the Cradle series and found that satisfying for similar reasons. Currently reading Forge of Destiny due to recommendations in relation to Cradle, but finding it too meandering and will be dropping it. The Horus Heresy follows 18 bickering brothers across the galaxy over like 70 books.
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Jan 25, 2022 18:40
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sloppy portmanteau posted:Can I get some recommendations for long fantasy/sci-fi series which stick with the same main or small cast of characters throughout and follows their growth? I recently read the Wheel of Time series and that's what I found I liked about it. The payoff with Rands, Matts, and Egwenes evolution especially, I enjoy the shifting power dynamics from the beginning of the series. Then I moved on to the Cradle series and found that satisfying for similar reasons. Currently reading Forge of Destiny due to recommendations in relation to Cradle, but finding it too meandering and will be dropping it. The Expanse series Earthsea series Dune series (until you hate it) Hyperion series (see: Dune) the Mars trilogy The Book of the New Sun series
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Jan 25, 2022 18:45
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Also for kinda dumb but fun one, Shadows of the Apt series by Tchaikovsky
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Jan 25, 2022 18:46
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