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Graceling (Graceling Realm, #1)
by Kristin Cashore
by Kristin Cashore
I read Graceling over a year ago and i feel it necessary to say: I don't like this book. The romance is incredibly unromantic and the rest of the story is some (crazy man-hating version of) feminist propaganda.
I happen to like books which feature feminist heroines and are light on the romance. So I should like this book, right? Yeah, but I didn't. First of all, Katsa acts like a petulant child throughout the entire book, not some feminist poster child. Also, I felt like the author spent too much time trying to sell us her agenda: dresses are the worst, femininity is wrong, men don't respect women, commitment ruins relationships, marriage is a tool of the devil, and so on.
Look, I understand that some women feel that way, and I'm completely cool with it. I'd be lying if I said I've never thought some of the same things once or twice. That said, I hate how the author shoves her views down my throat instead of telling me a story that causes me to think. To me it's clear Cashore strongly believes women need to act like men in order to be legitimate. Not just men but men who have intimacy issues.
Every other woman in this book is portrayed as weak and dumb. So basically, in the Seven Kingdom universe, unless you're an angry, dress-hating, man-hating woman with an aversion to commitment there is something wrong with you.
News Flash: femininity isn't anti-feminist. I'm sorry but it is possible for independent, intelligent and stable women to embrace their femininity without losing credibility. And anyway, isn't that the point of the feminist movement? Gaining equality without having to act like 'one of the guys'?
I could have handled Katsa's aversion to relationships if she hadn't had any feelings for Poe, or if she knew she wasn't emotionally ready to make that sort of commitment. But no, the whole thing was built up do be some great personal strength of hers. In the end it just felt like she ('she' being Katsa. Or Cashore. Kat-Shore?) was trying to prove a point or something, like "look at how independent I am. I'm not a barnacle. I don't need a man...except for when I needs teh sex. So Poe, my lover, sorry you lost your sight and all. I'll prolly be drunk-dialing you in the future, though, cause I am comfortable with my sexuality. kthanxbai. *sob* Walking away is way hard, which is why I am so strong. *sob* Grrrrrrrrrrrrrl Powerrrrrr!"
Yeah, because being a loving, trusting, equal committed relationship isn't a sign of strength. Strength can only be had byloners who don't like to commit because doing so will supposedly lower their self-worth ...ummm....I mean..."independent" people.
Also, it has to be said: The love scene grosses me out as much or more than the sex scene in Titanic and/or Avatar. Some people just don't know how to write a love scene. James Cameron and Kristin Cashore are among that group.
Two stars because the concept was cool. Too bad it was poorly executed.
I happen to like books which feature feminist heroines and are light on the romance. So I should like this book, right? Yeah, but I didn't. First of all, Katsa acts like a petulant child throughout the entire book, not some feminist poster child. Also, I felt like the author spent too much time trying to sell us her agenda: dresses are the worst, femininity is wrong, men don't respect women, commitment ruins relationships, marriage is a tool of the devil, and so on.
Look, I understand that some women feel that way, and I'm completely cool with it. I'd be lying if I said I've never thought some of the same things once or twice. That said, I hate how the author shoves her views down my throat instead of telling me a story that causes me to think. To me it's clear Cashore strongly believes women need to act like men in order to be legitimate. Not just men but men who have intimacy issues.
Every other woman in this book is portrayed as weak and dumb. So basically, in the Seven Kingdom universe, unless you're an angry, dress-hating, man-hating woman with an aversion to commitment there is something wrong with you.
News Flash: femininity isn't anti-feminist. I'm sorry but it is possible for independent, intelligent and stable women to embrace their femininity without losing credibility. And anyway, isn't that the point of the feminist movement? Gaining equality without having to act like 'one of the guys'?
I could have handled Katsa's aversion to relationships if she hadn't had any feelings for Poe, or if she knew she wasn't emotionally ready to make that sort of commitment. But no, the whole thing was built up do be some great personal strength of hers. In the end it just felt like she ('she' being Katsa. Or Cashore. Kat-Shore?) was trying to prove a point or something, like "look at how independent I am. I'm not a barnacle. I don't need a man...except for when I needs teh sex. So Poe, my lover, sorry you lost your sight and all. I'll prolly be drunk-dialing you in the future, though, cause I am comfortable with my sexuality. kthanxbai. *sob* Walking away is way hard, which is why I am so strong. *sob* Grrrrrrrrrrrrrl Powerrrrrr!"
Yeah, because being a loving, trusting, equal committed relationship isn't a sign of strength. Strength can only be had by
Also, it has to be said: The love scene grosses me out as much or more than the sex scene in Titanic and/or Avatar. Some people just don't know how to write a love scene. James Cameron and Kristin Cashore are among that group.
Two stars because the concept was cool. Too bad it was poorly executed.
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It's interesting that you see the book as feminist propaganda, because that never once occurred to me. You ascribe all of Katsa's less typically feminine qualities to Cashore's feminist agenda, but I found myself thinking more about Katsa's particular personality and situation and wondering what made her act a certain way, instead of feeling that I was being told to accept her values and fears as Right and act similarly. For example, I don't think Katsa's reluctance to enter into a relationship was Cashore's attempt to glorify masculinity and preach manly commitment phobia to the world. I see it as characterization: being defined by her connection to another person, as she had been by the king for most of her life, made Katsa afraid of letting her identity be subsumed by another's. I also didn't mind Katsa's lack of feminity--I relate more to her than many of the strong feminine characters out there. I'm with you on the love scene, though. I generally like Katsa and Po together but some of the phrasing in that scene made it odd and a little creepy. The line about bleeding was weird.
Alot of people have commented on Cashore's books and how she portrays a 'strong, independant woman'. I see that in the books, but i chose to ignore it a loved it for the story; i did pick up on her anti-marriage/anti-commitment (and sometimes, anti children) veiws after I read Fire, and that started to annoy me. Im hoping Bitterblue will have less of that.
Every other woman in this book is portrayed as weak and dumb.Um, what are you talking about? The other women in this book are Helda, Bitterblue, Ashen, and Po's mother. Bitterblue and Zinnober are both intelligent and strong, with Ashen's strength standing out especially. The girls in the inn were young and probably uneducated, and they hadn't been put through any trying situations that made them strong like the other women had been, so naturally they would be more defenseless than Katsa. So no, the other women in this book are not weak and dumb.
I could argue this review to death, but I've already done that with Kat Kennedy's review, so I'm not wasting my time here.
i dont like strong heroine who acts like a guy and an anti feminine. I like a strong heroine who acts like a woman,independent smart,and got respect from men
The women are "weak" because Katsa learns/discovers that most aren't taught to defend themselves, which she is accustomed to as she has the graceling of survival. So, I don't think it is femme women = dumb. I think she found the world she lived in that didn't help its women fight for themselves = dumb.
You are so right! That scene was really gross. In fact, I asked a middle-school librarian if she had read this book, and she said 'no' of course, and then I opened it up to that page, and she was like "oh my gosh!" and she took a sharpie and like sharpied out that whole paragraph or whatever. It was just squirmy-gross. I'm glad you mentioned it in your review.
The antithesis of this book (or really, how this book could have been, minus the propaganda) in my opinion in SABRIEL. Awesome, strong female who's not afraid to love. And marry (later in the series). Have you read that yet? I think we've talked about this book before, but I don't remember...
And to comment on your comment on my GRACELING review, you are SO RIGHT about the by-contrast scene in JELLICOE ROAD. Beautiful, but not over-the-top. You sure know how to pick 'em!