books! bah! ...and then it turned into a Name of the Wind + pet peeve mini rant -_-;

I sort of started adding some books but it seems like such a pain in the ass to add all the books I've read and rate them.

Also, I wish there was the ability to write what I think about it without it being tied to the book itself. (As in, appearing on the book's main page or linked to the book's entry page)

Is this possible? (short of just doing a blog entry)

I know it's probably stupid of me but if I don't have something nice to say I don't want to say anything at all, usually. At least not 'officially' -- I feel more comfortable saying it to friends or people who go out of their way to find my opinion on it. Or even if I'm really ambivalent or unimpressed with something I hesitate to put those words down where the author or fans of the story might see.. because I feel like just because I don't like something doesn't mean it isn't necessarily good.

Name of the Wind is a good example. Everyone ever gushed like hell about that book and maybe I just had too high of expectations going into it but I was disappointed with it.

I didn't really like it that much to be entirely honest. I didn't hate it or anything, but I found all sorts of things to be extremely distracting (like the pov changes, the usage of the word 'you' in narration, etc) because I didn't find the characters or story line itself to be particularly engaging.

I felt like it lacked the necessary qualities to make me actually care about what was happening with the main character. In real time he seemed like he could maybe be kind of cool but then all this time was devoted to back story, which normally I would love, but perhaps because of the very fact the story was told from the perspective of someone older it lacked any real feelings to me.

It was like some dude relaying the fluctuations in the weather without any excitement or commitment to the story. "I did this. And then I did that. I'm not going to tell you how I felt along the way because I'm a dude and dudes don't have feelings. I probably thought stuff but I can't be bothered to really tell you what I was thinking either. It was so long ago, how would I remember? And I can't really describe the environment or setting too much because that would be weird in this context too, right? So anyway. After I did that, I did this..."

I read the hundreds and hundreds of pages waiting for the magical moment when I would suddenly feel connected to the main character... and it never happened.

Plus I was slightly annoyed by the fact that it seemed extremely likely it was going to turn into another of those "omg because there's a boy he's going to fall in love with this girls lolz everything is so awesome :D" thing at some point in the story.

Intellectually, I understood that there were some bits of departure from the usual fantasy series but it didn't seem like it was TURNING THE GENRE UPSIDE DOWN OMFG like everyone kept saying. It was still a story about some dude who became powerful and bad ass and everyone decided he was a legend but he'd started out with HUMBLE ROOTS even though he was still amazingly talented at shit. Plus it was clear he was probably going to get the girl in the end and that there would be some tragedy involved in the process.

That's like. Every fantasy series ever.

The only difference was, as a friend put it when I expressed my frustration, this one was written a bit like a boy adventure novel where the guy gets to insert himself into the story and pretend he's this guy trying to make his way in the world and who will someday become a hero. At least some attempt was made to keep the MC from being ridiculously powerful and adept from the start.

Anyway, I've had the sequel Wise Man's Fear borrowed on my shelf for like a year. I keep trying to pick it up because even after the disappointment of the first book I had figured that the story had the potential of being an amazing trilogy-- because the world building was very well done. And goddamnit, I WANT to like this damn series!

But every time I pick up the book I remember how much the first book annoyed me. And then I can't be bothered to start it.

Even so, I do want to read it at some point. Maybe after it I will be able to look back on the first book in a better light. Maybe I just grew frustrated with not loving that book the way everyone else did because I actually WANTED to love it and I didn't.

I don't know.

Whatever the case, I don't want to write all that on an official review attached to the book because then I'd feel like I'd have to back it up. To do that I'd feel like I have to reread the book all over again to be able to give exact places and excerpts for feeling the way I did, and not just vague memories of disappointment.

Also, since so many people seem to adore that book, I feel like a curmudgeon saying I didn't XD And I don't mind being a curmudgeon among friends but I feel bad going out of my way to be a curmudgeon officially.

I know that's so stupid but I can't help feeling that way....

I should also mention that I get unnecessarily frustrated by the idea of "boy meets girl, boy + girl will eventually end up together somehow and/or have feelings and/or lust for each other because that's what boy + girl do."

I have always felt a bit irrationally angry with that and it took me a long time to realize it was because I felt kind of insulted by the idea. As if a girl's entire life should be all about waiting for some prince charming to come along and sweep her off her feet. As if the plucky main male character can't be resisted by any female he sets his sights on because he's so *SWOON* DREAMY~!

The fact that I like the ladies and not the lords probably builds into this.

I would prefer "boy meets girl. They're like, 'oh hey cool, let's hang out and have no obnoxious feelings be involved at all.' So they do. The end."

But then, I don't like stories in any form (book, movie, tv, etc) that try to set up some couple without giving any thought as to why those two people in particular should be together.

Because he's male and she's female? Forget that! If that's the only reason it makes me angryface. Irrationally angryface, I tell you!

I suppose partially because it's this assumption that women are always available to men. That's not a feminist statement, it's just a feeling I've gotten over the years... it's always felt like, if a guy showed interest in me I was supposed to OF COURSE show interest in return. Because how could it be I wouldn't? I'm female and he's male and that's just human nature, right? No other reason is needed at all. That's the justification right there. It's shocking if I don't respond equally.

ffs.

This isn't about Name of the Wind since honestly I don't remember enough about that girl to even say if it applies. It just reminded me of that.

It's not like I'm against heterosexual couples, either-- I ship them too. But only ones that make sense. When I'm reading a story and there's no chemistry between a 'couple' or I think the 'reasons' given are stupid, I gravitate toward no relationships at all or, if it makes more sense/there's more chemistry with other characters, m/m or f/f. It's more accurate to my life that way anyway.

(Actually, the lack of chemistry turns me off to alleged m/m and f/f couples too, I just see that so much more rarely than m/f that it hasn't become a pet peeve.)

Anyway. This is apparently my rambling post that started all because of damn goodreads with the ability to add all the books I've read...

I WILL NOT. I WILL BE A CURMUDGEON UNTIL THE END! *shakes fist at passersby*

But anyway dudes. This whole thing reminded me of how much I want to write a story with the main character being a female who doesn't give a fuck about following expected social conventions.