insanely long book meme

[salinea]

I got tagged by hamsterwoman to do this insanely long book meme.

+++INTRODUCTIONS+++

1. What's your name?
Hello, my name is Anne-Elisa, and I'm addicted to reading.

2. Do you read a lot?
That would be a yes.

3. What's your favorite genre?
SFF, that is to say the wide definition of speculative fiction.


+++FANTASY AND SCI-FI+++

4. Do you prefer fantasy or science fiction?
Given how broad both these categories are and how many specific subgenres they have, and how many books are both SF and fantasy, I would rather not answer. FWIW I tend to read more books marketed as fantasy.

5. What's your favorite fantasy book/series?
A Song of Ice and Fire by George Martin, Mary Gentle's Book of Ash, Bakker's Prince of Nothing, Tanith Lee's Tale of the Flat Earth, Zelazny's Book of Amber...

6. Who's your favorite fantasy author?
Ellen Kushner, Patricia McKillip, Neil Gaiman, Tim Powers, Jacqueline Carey...

7. What's your favorite science fiction book/series?
Ursula Leguin's Eukumen cycle; Greg Egan's Distress, Ian Bank's Culture cycle, Bujold's Vorkosigan series...

8. Favorite sci-fi author?
Greg Egan, Ian Banks, Connie Willis, Bujold, Walter Jon Williams, Ursula Leguin, CJ Cherryh, CS Friedman....

+++MYSTERY, HORROR, AND THRILLERS+++
Horror goes with Mystery and Thrillers, really? I'd have had it with SFF.

9. Which do you prefer: a puzzling mystery, or a terrifying thriller?
I'm more into mysteries than thriller.

10. Do you have a favorite mystery novel?
Not really. I tend to see mystery novel as a one-read only kind of book, which sorts of make it difficult to pick one as favourite. I do have favourite mystery writers though : Barbara Hambly, Dorothy Sayers, Tony Hillerman...

11. A favorite horror novel?
Depending on what you call "horror", maybe Clive Barker's Imajika or Celia Friedman's Coldfire trilogy.

+++ROMANCE+++

12. Do you read romance novels?
Not unless you count shoujo manga and fanfics.

13. How about gay romance novels?
Same as above.

14. What's your favorite?
Gay romance novel? I believe I mentioned Setona Mizushiro's "Corner Mouse Dream of Cheese" a couple of time before, if you're happy with manga as an answer. Otherwise busaikko's fanfics.

+++CHILDREN'S AND YA+++

15. What's your favorite children's book?
... I don't think I have any.

16. Is it the same book that was your favorite when you were a kid?
When I was a kid it would have been the Flicka novels, Mio my Mio, Le Livre de la Licorne...

17. What's your favorite YA book?
YA as a category confuses me, because I think books should be lumped by the characteristics of their contents, not the groups of readers they're marketed at, but that would be Jonathan Stroud's Bartimaeus trilogy, Megan Whalen Turner's Thief series and Diana Wynne Jones' Howl's Moving Castle . Oh, and The Last Unicorn, I'm not sure where that gets classified.

18. Did you actually read it as a YA?
No.

19. In general, do you prefer children's books over grown-up books?
No.

+++CLASSICS AND GENERAL FICTION+++

20. What's your favorite classic novel?
Classic as in stuff that gets taught in classes? Been a while since I read any, maybe Alexandre Dumas' Three Musketeers and Count of Monte Cristo. Dostoiesky's The Player. Albert Camus's La Chute. Gireaudou's Electra if you allow Plays. Or, the most recent classic novel I read was Jane Austen's Emma and I liked it so you could count that.

21. What about general fiction?
Depends of what you call general fiction. Daniel Pennac's Au Bonheur des Ogres series if that's not too genre for you, Aamin Maalouf's Samarcande made a pretty big impression on me at the time if you wanna lump historical novels in general fiction. I used to be very fond of Ryu Murakami's books, too, at the time. Been a while since I read those stuff.

22. What classic novel do you just *not* *get*?
What is there to get?
I kind of really hated Maupassant's Une Vie as dull, depressing and contentless, but that's the whole point of the book, so I'm not sure that counts as not getting it.

23. Do you have a favorite play or drama?
Yes! Most of everything Gireaudoux made, especially Electra, Ondine, La Guerre de Troie N'aura Pas Lieu. I also like Racine, Edmond Rostan's Cyrano de Bergerac of course. Anouilh's Antigone.

24. What do you think of Shakespeare?
Yes? Liked some plays by him I saw played, felt meh about a couple of others. Not really something I read like this, though.

+++POETRY+++

25. Could you pick a favorite poem?
Sure!

Mon verre est plein d'un vin trembleur comme une flamme
Ecoutez la chanson lente d'un batelier
Qui raconte avoir vu sous la lune sept femmes
Tordre leurs cheveux verts et longs jusqu'a leurs pieds

Debout chantez plus haut en dansant une ronde
Que je n'entende plus le chant du batelier
Et mettez pres de moi toutes les filles blondes
Au regard immobile aux nattes repliees

Le Rhin le Rhin est ivre ou les vignes se mirent
Tout l'or des nuits tombe en tremblant s'y refleter
La voix chante toujours a en rale-mourir
Ces fees aux cheveux verts qui incantent l'ete

Mon verre s'est brise comme un eclat de rire

By Appolinaire.

26. What about a favorite poetry collection?
Verlaine's Fetes Galantes

27. Who's your favorite poet?
Verlaine!

+++COMICS AND GRAPHIC NOVELS+++

28. Do you read comics or graphic novels?
Yes.

29. Do you have a favorite series?
Sure. Sandman, Y the Last Man, Watchmen, Peter Pan, Soledango, Corto Maltese, Maus, Promethea, Candelabres, Le Chat du Rabin...
Not counting manga.

30. A favorite book?
Maybe "Brief Lives" by Neil Gaiman.

+++SHORT STORIES AND NOVELLAS+++

31. Do you prefer short stories (or short novels) over full-length novels?
Not usually.

32. What's your favorite short story?
Love Neil Gaiman's "Chilvary" and "Snow, Glass, Apples", Patricia McKillip and Greg Egan also wrote many gorgeous ones. Still love Orson Scott Card's "Unacompagned Sonata".

33. Favorite short story collection?
Neil Gaiman's Mirror and Smoke.

34. Do you have a favorite short story author?
Not as such, no. Maybe Frederic Brown?

+++NONFICTION+++

35. What kind of nonfiction do you usually read?
I don't, really.

36. Do you have a favorite nonfiction book?
Errr... Finkielkraut's La Sagesse de l'Amour? Levi-Strauss's Race et Histoire?

37. Read any interesting biographies?
Stuff by Aamin Maalouf, mostly, but I think you'd call them historical fictions, not biographies.

38. History books?
What do you call History Books? Currently reading something called Les Trois Exils Juifs d'Algerie. Does that count?

39. Politics?
Err, no.

40. Religious texts?
Not frequently.

41. How about books on mythology, fairy-tales, or other cultural stories?
Doesn't mythology count as religious text? And, err, none that I could reference right now but I did read some.

+++ELEMENTS OF FICTION+++

42. What's the most important element of a novel? Plot? Characterization? Style? Themes? Happy ending?
Plot, characterisation and style are the most important elements. If any of those really, really suck the novel's sunk. The one I personally care the most about is characterisation. But decent at either can do if it's carried away by the brilliance of one of the other element, or from something like themes, ideas, world building.

43. What kind of plot interests you the most?
I don't really think in terms of plots, usually, and I'm pretty tolerant of even relatively bland plots if I like other elements of the writing. Plots with a lot of intrigue and people at counter-interest scheming are always interesting, of course. I don't like the most manicheist plots, and I usually need more than only romance - I like romance as one element of the plot, I just like it better when it's not the main plot. And i love tragedies and dark stories, too.
One of my favourite kind of plot are stories that destroy a character little by little, really pull them under the grinder to show the core, and have them rebuild themselves and go on.

44. What kind of characters usually appeal to you?
Many!

I tend to like anti-heroes, in the broadest meaning, characters who de construct notions of morality, the full spectrum of anti heroes and anti villain, rogues and tragic heroes.

I tend to be pretty fond of some manipulative characters, especially if they're not Evil Overlord types, especially when they appear much more stupid, weaker or cheerful than they truly are. I do love Magnificent Bastards, and Anti-Villains. Highly socialite types are often liked for this reason.

I like badass characters, especially roguish badass, and female ones. Especially when they're realistically fucked up in being so.

I love smart characters, and nerd-ish characters, and any kind of character that makes you think 'oooh that is so clever!' even when they're villains (see Littlefinger).

I love righteous characters, when their sense of morality isn't something basic and thoughtless, when you get a sense of the real stakes that trying to be righteous is, and of wisdom about. I'm especially fond of empathetic and compassionate characters. This often makes me like the token chicks which is uber-compassionate, the one that most people bash (see Sansa, and a bunch of others). I also love bravery, again, when we get a sense that there's a real sense of price to pay for that courage. ( I love characters who spit up in the face of adversity telling it to bring it on.

I love characters with control issues. Who cannot bear to express themselves, or who are desperate to hide their emotion, regardless of how good they are at it. I love characters who are intense but in an understated way.

I love characters who have a sense of humour, especially if they're snarky or quirky. I do adore sarcasm.

I love characters who know how to enjoy life, who know how to take the most of the moment, the good with the bad, the joy with the pain. I often like hedonistic characters and kinda over the top flamboyant characters.

I like crazy characters. I will occasionally totally love a character who is both very cruel and crazy, like Bellatrix.

I tend to like characters who deflect expectations, subvert types.

Sometimes I like a character, and dislike him for something at the same time. That usually results in me mocking the character systematically. That's usually characters who are sexist jerks with some redeeming feature, but occasionally would be characters who do some other kind of idiotic thing.

In general I do have a thing for characters who are underestimated for whatever reason, but do show a great kind of inner strength, and subtle power.

I also love characters who are utterly broken and very angsty and still. go. on. by sheer stubbornness.

I love flawed characters.

45. What is your favorite book overall?
Oh, fuck you.

+++PASS IT ON+++

46. What's the last book you read?
I haven't finished reading a book in a while... I think it was Mary Gentle's Cartography. Oh, or books all medium confused, The Sword Sword comic book.

47. What are you reading now?
The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakruni. And a bunch of others I got stuck on like KJ Parker's The Escapement. Been having a hard time reading, lately.

48. What are you going to read next?
Dunno.

49. Is there a book you would recommend to everyone on your friends list?
To everyone everyone? Err, Leguin's Left Hand of Darkness if you haven't read it yet.

50. Tag five people to fill out this meme:
If they feel like it, schemingreader, xraytheenforcer, meganbmoore, c_mantix, haremstress and anyone else who wants to do it, of course!

Comments

[hamsterwoman]

that would be Jonathan Stroud's Bartimaeus trilogy,

Really? I read The Amulet of Samarkand and it left me rather cold, I have to confess. Partly maybe I was pissed at how Disraeli (one of my favorite historical figures) seemed to be presented as a bad guy, and partly it was that I kind of disliked every character in the book. I probably would've continued with the series if I came across book 2, but book 1 certainly didn't make me a fan, to my disappointment.

Love Neil Gaiman's "Chilvary" and "Snow, Glass, Apples"

Yes! Well, ♥ to the first one, and the second creeped me out like whoa, which was the intended result, and is certainly quite unforgetable and the most interesting retelling of that fairy tale, so. What is the Orson Scott Card story you mention about -- I don't remember reading this one...

One of my favourite kind of plot are stories that destroy a character little by little, really pull them under the grinder to show the core, and have them rebuild themselves and go on.

YES! I was struggling how to verbalize something like that in my own answer and finally gave up and left it off, but that's it exactly. I find these plots really hard on me and heartbreaking, especially if I love the character, and couldn't mainline books like this the way I can lighter things like quests or caper plots or whatever, but I do find these to be the most *effective* plots.

It really would've been easier (though possibly cheating slightly) if I'd just used TV Tropes terminology for the character types. Because, of course, I love Magnifiscent Bastards, I just called them something else. And, of course, characters with control issues, and nerds, and rogues, and snarky ones, and the flamboyant ones, too (as long as they have something more to them also).

So, I think I actually like most of the character types you list, except compassionate characters aren't a particular kink -- I tend to overlook them because it's a quieter sort of quality. And I don't like outright crazy characters -- they can be interesting for a bit, but I actually find them something of a squick in large doses (Bellatrix, Aerys, etc.)

Bartimaeus trilogy

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

haha, I kind of missed on the fact that this character was a real historical character *facepalm* anyway, reason I loved the Bartimaeus trilogy:
- dark, gritty world, magic is abused, magic only works because of the enslavement of djinns - those are interesting dynamics that are seldom explored in YA fiction.
- alternate history with magic goodness
- Victorian magician atmosphere
- Nathaniel ♥ I adore this kid. Yes, he's vicious brat, but he's a vicious brat who's ambitious and tough in the face of adversity, and shows glimmers of decentness. Totally something that pulls my trigger as mentioned above.
- Bartimaeus. Especially for the snarky commentary, footnotes and trickster-like behaviour.
- Bartimaeus/Nathaniel's antagonitic relationship not quite friendship not quite enmity, and the broken heart that underlays their respective relationship, Nathaniel's bred in incapacity to trust and Bartimaeus' former experiences with trust. Ouch.
- Teenagers in government LOL
- Good natured adventure plots

So, yeah, if you didn't like the characters at all, I understand you didn't get into it. But I happened to be fond of them XD they are pretty dark, true, but were good enough for my taste. I think they certainly compare well to novels like Harry Potter (they certainly have more guts).

Re: Bartimaeus trilogy

[hamsterwoman]

A lot of those elements actually appeal to me -- the worldbuilding (except for the Disraeli bashing, lol), the adventure plot, the fact that it's darker than the usual YA. I might have even liked Bartimaeus if he weren't a narrator -- his narrative voice really bugged me (never thought I would hate footnotes in a fantasy book, but there you go >:-\). And I just really didn't like Nathaniel. I can respect toughness in the face of adversity, but ambition on its own is actually a trait that doesn't ping positive with characters for me, so there were too many negatives and not enough positives for me.

I wanted to like it, too, for all the other elements, so it was sad that I didn't...

Re: Bartimaeus trilogy

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

Yeah, if you don't like the first one, I doubt you'll like the next two. Nathaniel gets, if anything, darker. The only real addition is a new protagonist, Kitty, which I happen not to like, but which is probably more traditionally heroic.

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

What is the Orson Scott Card story you mention about -- I don't remember reading this one...
It's in the short story collection Unaccompgnied Sonata and other stories. It's a very odd story in a way, about a sort of utopic/distopic world where kids are tested very early for what they can be good at and be happy doing, and then they're made to do that. So there's this kid chosen to be a Musician, and he does that and is happy doing it, until he's made to listen to music by another Musician (I think it was Beethoven) which was strictly forbidden so he could retain his originality. So now he's banned from doing music and sent to work somewhere else. But he can't stop making music...

[hamsterwoman]

That sounds really neat! And the titles of the other stories in the collection are very intriguing, too. I will have to check it out.

(OSC's later books/stories have left me somewhat underwhelmed, though he is still an impressive storyteller, but I really like a lot of his earlier stuff, so.)

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm too pissed off with him as a person to buy his books anymore, and the lattest books of him I read also underwhelmed me in any case, so I sort of gave up on him, but I really used to love his writing and storytelling and still think fondly of many of his old books.

Which ones have you read?

[hamsterwoman]

Let's see... All the Ender books (except the stories published online, I guess), of which I love Ender's Game, like Speaker for the Dead, felt Xenocide and Children of the Mind were drifting progressively farther afield from what I loved about the series to begin with, thought Ender's Shadow was pretty good but rather Stu-ey self-fanfic, and the other Shadow books a good deal weaker than I'd expected. Oh! Wikipedia says there's a new book (Ender in Exile in the series, and a novella, I guess (A War of Gifts) that I hadn't heard about. Huh. I'm sure I'll read them when the library acquires them.

I read the first four Alvin Maker books. I actually love the premise, the worldbuilding, and the narrative style, and find some of the characters very entertaining, although I can't say I like Alvin himself or Peggy that much.

Also, Magic Street, which I had mixed feelings about.

And a few random short stories in anthologies and stuff.

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

aah, well the ones I loved most when I was a teen were Songmasters, Hart's Hope, and A Planet Named Treason (as well as the Ender series as it stood at the time). I think I would still rec them although they all have the occasional, err, oddities, which didn't strike at the time because I was young, but might cause wallbanging to one's sensitivities ^^.(Planet named Treason had horses named for famous Nazis, for example, with a logical world building explanation, but I don't know if it's one that wouldn't make me frown if I read it nowadays)

I also read (but wasn't overly impressed) the Homecoming saga; and I think . I also read some stuff from the Worthing series but my memory of those are very fuzzy.

I'm like you on Alvin, in worse, love the idea/world building, terribly meh about characterisation.

[hamsterwoman]

Like you said for yourself above, I find it difficult to keep my feelings about OSC's philosophical/political opinions from bleeding over into my feelings about his later books, the ones I don't already love. So I haven't sought out any OSC books recently, though I'll still read them if I come across them and they don't seem too nuts/politicized/religionized.

At what point did you stop reading OSC books -- did you read any of the Shadow series?

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

yeah, well you seemed interested by the short stories, and reccing books is a reflex for me ^^

Huh, I'm not sure I can date it precisely... Sometimes in the early 2000s? I know it was before I started reading systematically in English. I read Children of the Mind in English, bought while a trip in the US and was a bit nonplussed by it, and I think that's one of the last of his books I bought. I did read Ender's Shadow (borrowed from the public library) relatively recently (maybe 2005?) and was even less impressed by it so it was my last attempt.

[hamsterwoman]

Oh, no, I'm glad for the recs! Because I do see some of the books around, and that would make me more likely to actually pick them up. :) It's just that he is no longer an author I will actively go and look for as soon as new books come out, sort of thing, like he used to be before I started getting disappointed by his books and horrified by his opinions. But I *always* love getting recs :D

The thing that bugged me about Ender's Shadow was how revisionist it was towards Ender's Game, with all the good ideas apparently coming from Bean, and Bean being so much greater than Ender -- it almost felt like it was diminishing the original book, you know? Like a Sue-fic where some random guy was created especially by the Valar to save Middle-Earth, is wiser than Gandalf, shoots better than Legolas, and can withstand the lure of the Ring better than any of the Hobbits -- only actually written by the author... XP

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

It really would've been easier (though possibly cheating slightly) if I'd just used TV Tropes terminology for the character types.
Yes! but there's so many terminology for each characters, sometimes it doesn't really make it easier! lol but when it's easy, intuitive expressions I don't hesitate to use them (also many people know of TV Tropes now so...)

I like characters with quiet qualities too ^^ for the craziness it depends a lot, I adore Bellatrix but am wholly indifferent to Aerys for example.

[hamsterwoman]

I often like characters with quiet qualities, too, but usually even those quiet qualities have to be sort of... intense, in their own way. I'm not sure there's any rhyme or reason to it, actually...

[xraytheenforcer.livejournal.com]

I'll see if I can get this filled out today. (lots of deadlines since this is a holiday week). :)

[deeplyunhip.livejournal.com]

So, basically, you like every single type of character there is?

Also, I'm reading Emma right now...and I like it, too. :)

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

Nah. I don't like straight heroes and straight villains. And I don't like paternalistic Mentors/Sages. And Stannis.

But I do love a lot of characters ^_^

yay for enjoying Emma. I'll have to find myself more Jane Austen to read as well :)

[luzisrighthand.livejournal.com]

That's indeed a long meme.
The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakruni. And a bunch of others I got stuck on like KJ Parker's The Escapement. Been having a hard time reading, lately.

I have Evil for Evil on ice, nearly finished though. I'm just not in the mood to read Fantasy right now.

Something completely different: Have you seen "Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis"?
A very funny movie, despite that the only French word I understand is merde...but that's what subtitles are for.

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

I got stuck on Evil for Evil too. It's kind of funny because I really really loved the first volume. And the whole Scavenger trilogy, I read it in like 3 days. Then I don't know what happened, I started to get scared for the characters - I never do that!! so I didn't dare to continue (until finally I did).

I haven't watched les Ch'tis. It was a big commercial success, though, so I heard about it a lot, but I seldom like French comedies so I avoided it. Might get it on DVDs.

[dizilla.livejournal.com]

41. How about books on mythology, fairy-tales, or other cultural stories?
Doesn't mythology count as religious text? And, err, none that I could reference right now but I did read some.

Uh no... Though most religions do take on from their local myth stories and some are still worshipped as such... It's not the same. Like the American mythology stories. I doubt anyone prayed to Johnny Appleseed. Generally, mythology was a story that used to explain the unexplainable, and for more modern ones focusing on humanity.

Although it would be an interesting discussion, I wouldn't necessarily group the Bible with the Labours of Hercules. XD

You really love a lot of characters, huh? Prolly best if asked what kinds do you NOT like. XD


Really interesting meme, will def have to do it hehe.

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

Like the American mythology stories. I doubt anyone prayed to Johnny Appleseed.
I think that folklore, not mythology.

Stuff like Greek mythology, Norse mythology, or Indian mythology. They were - or are - definitely parts of the religious corpus. Cosmogony and Theogony. Genesis is mythology, too, IMHO. I see no reason not to consider it as such.

mythology was a story that used to explain the unexplainable
And that's different from religion, how?

You really love a lot of characters, huh?
Lol, yes!

Cyrano

[michel-islor.livejournal.com]

They'll play Cyrano at the Comedie Francaise
the next three months or something like that,
for your info... <80)

Re: Cyrano

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

I watched it at the Comedie Française once before, for free (on the 14th of July they have free plays, isn't it cool?) it was pretty cool! ;D

[rebbe]

Woaaah, you read a whole lot of books tharr! And a whole variety of 'em, too~

I love how your list of favourite characters is so massive, haha

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but mostly SFF.

LOL I stole from an answer I gave to a previous meme because I was too lazy to retype it.

[flo-nelja.livejournal.com]

Ce mème est superbe. Sauf pour la partie non-fiction, où il y a des graves manques. Déjà, le fait de mettre "religion" et "mythologie" en non-fiction est discutable ^^ (à moins que ce soit les études dessus ?), le fait de les séparer l'est encore plus, comme tu le fais remarquer... mais les manques sont encore plus graves. Et l'art, la science, la philosophie, ils sont où ?