Recent reading

[luzula]

After the Apocalypse by Maureen McHugh (audiobook)
Short story collection. I dunno, it's like I started with the book of hers that I most liked (China Mountain Zhang) and then it's been downhill from there, in terms of liking. There was one story here that didn't work for me at all, and several where I lost interest. But the titular story about a post-apocalyptic mom and her daughter was an interesting contrast to The Road (about a post-apocalyptic man and his son) which we are currently reading in my book club.

Pappan och havet by Tove Janson [Moominpappa at Sea]
MOAR Moominbooks. This one is all about Moominpappa and his head-of-the-family crisis. He wants to take care of his family! And build mighty works! His family are all slightly worried over this and very considerate, and try their best to let him take care of them. But there are other things going on as well, like the mysteries of the sea and the island and the prancing sea horses. Recommended!

Comments

[jesse_the_k]

Yeah, I don't adore McHugh's short stories, but I found Mission Child to be compulsively readable as it perfectly criticized the "let's help the savages" mentality AND challenged gender roles.

I just finished an anthology of comics published by Montreal-based Drawn+Quarterly, and learned they're systematically reprinting all the Moominbooks for the delight of English speakers. They were read to me while I cooed at the pictures when I was a wee sprat. (The D+Q anthology was a bit of a disappointment, although it did alert me to some comic artists whose work I enjoy. More on that in the reading post I never make.)

[luzula]

I did like Mission Child, but it wandered around a little too much for me--like, there were story threads that I wanted to see resolved which weren't. OTOH, you could argue that this makes the story more like RL.

Interesting Moomin fact: the word/name "mymla" (translated to "mymble" in English) was a slang word among Tove Jansson's friends, meaning a woman who slept around a lot with other women.

[jesse_the_k]

I'm hugging "mymala." Is the "y" a short I or short u?

[luzula]

It's "mymla", pronounced approximately MIHM-la. : )

[butterflyghost]

Oh my goodness! How I love the Moomin books!

Sorry, I had to have a moment of nostalgic recall.

Damn. Now I have to read them again.

I'm reading Ursula Le Guin again (I know, I default back to the same authors) Fisherman of the Inland Sea. I'm interested in reading the McHugh's that you enjoyed, but not sure about her short stories from what you say.

[luzula]

Moomin! ♥ I don't think I've actually read the books before now, but hey, better late than never.

Interesting Moomin fact: the word/name "mymla" (translated to "mymble" in English) was a slang word among Tove Jansson's friends, meaning a woman who slept around a lot with other women.

A Fisherman of the Inland Sea, it's been a long time since I read that. We are inspiring mutual rereads, perhaps.

[toft]

I LOVE Moominpappa at Sea. It's so weird!

[luzula]

It is! I was constantly quoting bits of it to people who happened to be around me while I read it. And still it all hangs together in my head. I have Late in November as the next one on my reading list.

[toft]

Moominvalley in November, you mean? That one's my favourite. Also, 'Toft' is a character in that book who made a big impression on me as a teenager!

[luzula]

I'm reading them in Swedish and just translated the title directly, I didn't realize it was different. But I guess the English translators wanted the word "Moomin" in every title? It's hard for me to imagine reading these books in English (they just seem so Scandinavian to me) but they certainly seem to have made an impression on lots of English-speaking people as well, so I guess the translations must be good.

I don't know if the characters have the same names, but I'll keep a lookout for Toft. : ) I had no idea your name was from there.