![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Sep. 10th, 2012 02:42 pmAm reading The Secret Country by Pamela Dean. I know this book is beloved in fandom: someone explain to me why. I am up to chapter 8, and I'm kind of hoping that Laura is killed by her own clumsiness and soon.
Seriously, I thought that child must have some kind of condition/handicap to be so clumsy that she literally cannot go two sentences without falling and/or injuring herself, but the other children (and adults) are snide to her about it, so I figure that can't be it.
Patrick is also very annoying. I like Ted mostly, and could like Ruth more if we got to know her better. Ellen is just very dull. So dull that even the author forgot she had written her out of a scene, had her speak up, then had her return a few paragraphs later.
I think the premise is great, and so far the plot has been very slow, but I have hopes for it. I just really hope that the characters get better as they go on. Like, I can't figure out why these kids would spend any time playing together since all they do is bicker and tell each other to shut up. Sample dialogue:
"I was right!"
"No, you weren't, fool!"
"Don't call names!"
"Shut up!"
"You shut up!"
"Goddamn!"
"Stop swearing!"
"You pig." <- said "mildly" but still.
Also, so far, most of this has been from either Ted's or Laura's POV. Ted's is much better than Laura's - we get a lot more information and insight from him, but Laura just tends to think about how she falls down all the time and how everyone is mean to her.
I have read reviews that say the first book is not so good but it gets better in the other two. I guess I am just disappointed because I've seen so many people rave about these books, that I expected much better from them. So tell me what makes them good?
Seriously, I thought that child must have some kind of condition/handicap to be so clumsy that she literally cannot go two sentences without falling and/or injuring herself, but the other children (and adults) are snide to her about it, so I figure that can't be it.
Patrick is also very annoying. I like Ted mostly, and could like Ruth more if we got to know her better. Ellen is just very dull. So dull that even the author forgot she had written her out of a scene, had her speak up, then had her return a few paragraphs later.
I think the premise is great, and so far the plot has been very slow, but I have hopes for it. I just really hope that the characters get better as they go on. Like, I can't figure out why these kids would spend any time playing together since all they do is bicker and tell each other to shut up. Sample dialogue:
"I was right!"
"No, you weren't, fool!"
"Don't call names!"
"Shut up!"
"You shut up!"
"Goddamn!"
"Stop swearing!"
"You pig." <- said "mildly" but still.
Also, so far, most of this has been from either Ted's or Laura's POV. Ted's is much better than Laura's - we get a lot more information and insight from him, but Laura just tends to think about how she falls down all the time and how everyone is mean to her.
I have read reviews that say the first book is not so good but it gets better in the other two. I guess I am just disappointed because I've seen so many people rave about these books, that I expected much better from them. So tell me what makes them good?
