Recently abandoned books + fic rec

[luzula]

The Happy Return by C S Forester
A Hornblower book which a friend lent me and told me to read. The reason I didn't like this book is that is not written by Patrick O'Brian, which is probably unfair, but I can't deny it. I mean, it's a perfectly competent Age of Sail adventure book, but...no. Patrick O'Brian, you have apparently ruined me for all other AoS books.

Dreams of the Sea by Elizabeth Vonarburg
I dropped this book after reading a third of it. The narrative is disjointed and hard to follow: it's the story of humans coming to settle a planet, told through the fragmentary dreams of the alien species who used to live there and who can somehow share the human memories. I really enjoyed In the Mother's Land by the same author, and I can see how this book deals with the (un)reliability of historical narrative, just as that one did. Just...much less compellingly.

Galileo's Dreams by Kim Stanley Robinson (audiobook)
Dropped this one after a third, too. It's the story of Galileo, with the addition of time-traveling Europans (as in Jupiter's moon) for some reason bringing him forward in time to witness/intervene in the controversy of whether to disturb Europa's native life. This should be up my alley, but somehow it just didn't engage me enough, although I usually enjoy the author's work.

Oh, and also, have a fic rec: Three Adventures Belladonna Took Never Went On, by Firerose. It's the Hobbit story you never knew you wanted. : )

Comments

[espresso_addict]

Glad you enjoyed it! I was a bit worried it would come over as anti-feminist.

[luzula]

Oh, in what way?

[espresso_addict]

She chooses the responsibilities of marriage & childrearing over 'adventures'. I realised after I'd finished it that quite a few Belladonna has Adventures stories have sprung up on AO3, but I couldn't get my head around how she would settle down with someone as staid as Bungo if she'd already seen more of the world. It ended up being about the perils & pleasures of friendship with an immortal being. (The prompt was actually for Gandalf.)

[luzula]

Ah, okay. I read it as her settling for marriage and childrearing when Gandalf didn't come for her. Which is a bit sad, but it didn't make me upset at the author or anything--it felt more like showing the conditions for women in Tolkien's world.

Do you have any Belladonna Took recs? I see there are actually quite a few stories about her--I hadn't realized.

[espresso_addict]

I don't have any Belladonna recs, sorry. I didn't enjoy the film (I'd say films, but I hated the first so much I haven't watched the others) so reading The Hobbit fanfiction is weird & often painful.

[luzula]

I watched the films, but frequently rolled my eyes--I can see how you'd find it painful.

[isis]

I couldn't read the Hornblower books until I got a set of abridged audiobooks read by Ioan Gruffud (who plays Hornblower in the miniseries). I agree, CS Forester is no Patrick O'Brian!

[luzula]

I just realized that I do enjoy the Temeraire books, which are AoS, so that bit about O'Brian ruining me for all other AoS books is not entirely true. It's just that the Hornblower book was so like an Aubrey/Maturin book in some ways that the differences really stood out.

[feroxargentea]

The reason I didn't like this book is that is not written by Patrick O'Brian, which is probably unfair

No, no, that sounds entirely reasonable *g*

[luzula]

Ha, I'm glad it's not just me!

[nonesane.livejournal.com]

Oooh, interesting fic-rec! Thanks for posting it :)

[luzula]

I hope you enjoy it! : )