Kate's comments (member since Jul 17, 2007)

Kate's comments from the Books I Loathed group.

Or A Wrinkle In Time! I'm with you, Kerry. I was breathless reading SWTWC in 4th grade.

Tyler wrote: "There are parts in Everything is Illuminated and Extermely Loud and Incredibly close that are annoying but I hope that wouldn't stop anyone from reading Eating Animals."

Glad to hear the perspective of someone who feels as I do about his fiction! I want to read Eating Animals, but only if I don't have to suffer Foer's typical style. It does sound from various reviews that in EA he is actually making supportable social commentary rather than posturing as per usual.

Wow, I just can't imagine why people wouldn't enjoy The Westing Game!! That was absolutely one of my favorite juvenile novels - I found it exciting, smart, playful, funny, and totally engaging! I am very curious what each of you disliked about it. I would agree it is too young for high school, but I read it in 4th or 5th grade and it was PERFECT.

It also surprises me how many people LOATHE Wicked. I really liked it. I guess maybe it is melodramatic, but I thought adding the political twist to completely change the perception of good and evil in a classic story was brilliant, and the writing beautiful.

Emily wrote: "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society"

I have heard this before from people whose opinions of books I trust, and now 3 more recommendations! I will really have to read it. I hope the author realizes the importance of a good title next time! Though I bet she got a bigger audience by appealing to the Oprah Club fans with it, rather than to the more specifically literary types? (Not meaning to be a jerk about the OC; I usually like every other book they read... so maybe only a half-jerk.)

Totally with you on that, Emily!

Henric wrote: "King who had the gang-bang of the 12-year old girl in "It"?

I don't consider rape sex...perhaps you do, but I don't."

Of course I don't, but in It all participants were under age and consenting -- regardless of legal technicalities, it was sexual and meant to titillate and unnecessary to the plot. But my point was more with expectations about female novelists, not so much particular male novelists.

Yeah, I was gonna say, wasn't it King who had the gang-bang of the 12-year old girl in "It"? A lot of his short fiction has random sex in it. And Christopher Moore is obsessed with it. I'm sad, and bemused, that you would always "expect" a female writer to include sex.

Umberto Eco's The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana. It's like he decided he was tired of writing the book so he just stopped.

Julie, was it The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana? I was so into that book about 90% of the way through, even though it was just sort of a catalog of media from his childhood -- the stories were good and the images are gorgeous -- but then it ended so abruptly and without any sense of completion and I was just baffled. I'm afraid to read another Eco bc it was so disappointing (though I may eventually try The Name of the Rose).

I will give an author a second change if my sister or mother insists that another book by them is really worth reading, especially if they also read and disliked the same book I did. But I have never read the second in a series if I didn't enjoy the first.

I think you really shouldn't read Meyer unless you don't mind being purely entertained. This is not literature; there is no story there that is about more than exactly, literally the story given to you (unlike, say, the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which metaphorically addresses scads of universal human issues). But there is a time and place for entertainment like this for many people, young and not so young. I really don't think it should be considered one of the "best" books for young adults, or turn up on any required high school reading lists, but it's not inherently worthless. (Look how much discussion it's generated here!) And Meyer seems like a great person with a very clear and modest understanding of its place. She knows her fan base and she is loyal to them, and she doesn't pretend to have written something it's not.

Re: what constitutes y/a - it seems to be almost entirely up to the publisher! -- but sometimes also the author. M.T. Anderson chose to market Octavian Nothing to young adults, even though he could have made much more selling it as an adult novel, because young adults deserve exposure to good stories with good writing and much food for thought.

HAHAHA "I hate that little butt." I admit I never read the Rings trilogy, but in the movies I wanted to smack Frodo. He's so whiny and self-centered and tormented. How come he gets to go on the boat at the end? Sam was with him the WHOLE time, and Pip put the ring on and had to look into the eye of Sauron! Of course, better that they stay with the hobbits so Sam can make babies with Rosie but still. Where's the props?

Wendy,

My understanding is that Meyer is very Mormon??

I finally read the first book! I thought it was surprisingly well written and a lovely fantasy about being taken care of. I found the romance completely believable, but I was kind of moony in high school so maybe it was easy for me to tap into that kind of drama. I was a little disappointed that Bella ALWAYS has to be saved, never saves herself, and that [spoiler:] at the end she is practically begging Edward to turn her, willy-nilly (conveniently forgetting that even the smell of blood makes her faint). But it was such an easy and diverting read I am looking forward to the next one, and to comparing the movie with my vision of Forks and its folk.

I have always wondered about Remains of the Day - from what I have heard of it, it seems more accessible. I'll put it on my (unrealistically long) list!

Darcie, I had the same experience with Ishiguro. I felt like it was all way over my head but I think maybe the way he writes about the world was so unlike my experience of it I was confused about where I was.

Jessica - Thanks! I'll let you know when I've read SoaW. Good luck with your term papers!

Jessica,

I'm so glad to hear of someone else liking Wicked! I was surprised by what a big target it is in this group.I thought it was deliciously written and suspenseful and imaginative. I liked Ugly Stepsister as well. I had been avoiding reading SoaW and LoM (though I bought both of them as soon as they came out) bc of the bad press on Mirror, Mirror and Lost, but since you liked SoaW I am putting it back on my short to-read list! Thanks for posting!

Starlight, I tried Great Expectations once or twice and hated it -- but I had to read it when I was younger than I was when I read ToTC. And I have seen stage productions of GE that were FABULOUS, so I can't say for sure I wouldn't like it now.

So was I, but my love of Vonnegut is his message even more than his writing. I have undying respect for such pure humanism.