Recent reading
Jan. 9th, 2023 08:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
luzulaJill, by E A Dillwyn (1884)
Reread for Yuletide writing, which for obvious reasons I didn't write up before. I've now read this book twice, once as proofreading for Gutenberg, and the second time for the purpose of writing Jill/Kitty fic. Those are two very different ways of reading, and both are different from simply reading for pleasure! I confess that I did skim some parts, especially where Jill is in the dog household...
Narrative of the Most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the Whale-Ship Essex, of Nantucket: Which Was Attacked and Finally Destroyed by a Large Spermaceti-Whale, in the Pacific Ocean; With an Account of the Unparalleled Sufferings of the Captain and Crew During a Space of Ninety-Three Days at Sea, in Open Boats, in the Years 1819 & 1820, by Owen Chase
Recced bysanguinity. I listened to this as a Librivox audiobook, which was a good choice! I liked the reader, and it was a riveting story of survival. At one point, the writer refers to the actions of the whale as taking revenge for the whaling they are doing, and I couldn't help interpreting it that way, too, especially as it is stated in the beginning that whales are becoming more rare and they have to go farther and farther for them. And then, there's the bit where he cheerfully talks about stacking the hold with Galapagos turtles as victuals, and how great it is that they can survive for a year with no water or food, and thus keep fresh...OMG, those poor tortured turtles! It does rather echo the tortures of the poor shipwrecked sailors, having to ration their water and food...
The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope (1894)
Listened to as audiobook, for which it was suited. The original Ruritanian romance; it was a fun swashbuckling romp, but not one that left a huge impression. I am not really convinced it was worth so much work to keep that king on his throne; he seemed a bit of an incompetent drunkard. There's some fun enemyslash—not really the type that I most prefer, with two people who respect each other caught on opposite sides—but more the type that leads to hatesex. But it is kind of hilarious how the narrator can't help remarking every time about Rupert of Hentzau what a handsome and dashing and debonair villain he is... I do, however, think that two Rudolfs and one Rupert is a bit much for one book.
Checking out AO3, I enjoyed this bit of slash, inserted into the interstices of canon! (Although really, I would not choose have sex with someone who tried to stab me to death mid-seduction the previous time...) But surprisingly enough, the longest fic for the canon is some novel-length original femslash. And of course, there's K J Charles' published fanfic The Henchmen of Zenda, which I will certainly read.
Reread for Yuletide writing, which for obvious reasons I didn't write up before. I've now read this book twice, once as proofreading for Gutenberg, and the second time for the purpose of writing Jill/Kitty fic. Those are two very different ways of reading, and both are different from simply reading for pleasure! I confess that I did skim some parts, especially where Jill is in the dog household...
Narrative of the Most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the Whale-Ship Essex, of Nantucket: Which Was Attacked and Finally Destroyed by a Large Spermaceti-Whale, in the Pacific Ocean; With an Account of the Unparalleled Sufferings of the Captain and Crew During a Space of Ninety-Three Days at Sea, in Open Boats, in the Years 1819 & 1820, by Owen Chase
Recced by
sanguinity. I listened to this as a Librivox audiobook, which was a good choice! I liked the reader, and it was a riveting story of survival. At one point, the writer refers to the actions of the whale as taking revenge for the whaling they are doing, and I couldn't help interpreting it that way, too, especially as it is stated in the beginning that whales are becoming more rare and they have to go farther and farther for them. And then, there's the bit where he cheerfully talks about stacking the hold with Galapagos turtles as victuals, and how great it is that they can survive for a year with no water or food, and thus keep fresh...OMG, those poor tortured turtles! It does rather echo the tortures of the poor shipwrecked sailors, having to ration their water and food...The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope (1894)
Listened to as audiobook, for which it was suited. The original Ruritanian romance; it was a fun swashbuckling romp, but not one that left a huge impression. I am not really convinced it was worth so much work to keep that king on his throne; he seemed a bit of an incompetent drunkard. There's some fun enemyslash—not really the type that I most prefer, with two people who respect each other caught on opposite sides—but more the type that leads to hatesex. But it is kind of hilarious how the narrator can't help remarking every time about Rupert of Hentzau what a handsome and dashing and debonair villain he is... I do, however, think that two Rudolfs and one Rupert is a bit much for one book.
Checking out AO3, I enjoyed this bit of slash, inserted into the interstices of canon! (Although really, I would not choose have sex with someone who tried to stab me to death mid-seduction the previous time...) But surprisingly enough, the longest fic for the canon is some novel-length original femslash. And of course, there's K J Charles' published fanfic The Henchmen of Zenda, which I will certainly read.
(no subject)
Date: 2023-01-09 11:57 pm (UTC)Prisoner of Zenda - much more cheerful, but poor Flavia has a very miserable time ahead of her, rather like Tar-Miriel in the published Akallabeth. I hadn't thought of all those "R"s but you're quite right about that! Both the films are worth watching, incidentally - they're great fun though weirdly similar (not inappropriately) and yes, you can see the UST!
(no subject)
Date: 2023-01-11 07:48 pm (UTC)IMDB tells me there are films from 1937 and 1952, a TV mini series from the 80s, and also a 1979 comedy… but I'm a bad movie watcher, and probably won't get around to watching any of them.
(no subject)
Date: 2023-01-13 12:16 am (UTC)The pre and postwar Zenda films are good inconsequential fun, though spookily similar; but I'm not surprised to hear that you're not a film person, considering your audio adventures!