Cat’s Comments (group member since Jan 28, 2015)

Cat’s comments from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.

Yes, started during the challenge, finished after mini is the requirement :)

DQs Day 4 - "Love Has Come to Mean Death" - end

15. I personally haven't read Jane Eyre and therefore can't compare the two books which makes me feel a bit regretting, but then again so many of y'all don't seem to like this as a retelling. Do you think you'd feel differently about the book depending on whether you've read Jane Eyre or not, and do you want to pick up Jane Eyre now if you haven't yet? What if you hadn't been aware of this being a retelling and the characters had different names?

If this hadn't purported to be a retelling, but was just a Victorian gothic spooky it'd be perfectly serviceable. It's in comparison to the original that it suffers:
- Jane lacks agency
- it's all too short to believe the love story
- generally feels YA

16. I was secretly hoping that Agnes had romantic feelings for Antoinette and that she was more involved in the last part of the book, but alas it was Dr. Poole. No big surprise there. Has your opinion of him changed in any way after he "confessed" and tried to help Jane and Edward? And if you could bring someone back from the dead, would you do it? Theoretically you wouldnt be aware of any consequences, but logically I think we've learned that there's always consequences...

Why anyone would think there wouldn't be consequences to subverting the laws of nature I don't know. And I couldn't believe in the doctor's idealised love of poor Antoinette either. She's been done a disservice too, being made into a insipid dying plot device. Bertha in the original was properly terrifying

17. Jane came back for Edward and saved him of course, and now they're living happily ever after. How do you feel about them as a couple, and is there anything you would have changed about these last couple of chapters as the author or simply just a fan of the original work?

They were always going to be together. but it came at no cost to either of them, not even time. which makes it much less satisfying than the original.

18. Was this your first book written by Sharon Lynn Fisher, and do you think you'll be reading more by the author? Were your original expectations met? Anything else you want to add?

ehhhhh. dunno. not in a hurry, but if she'd had the courage to write her own story it'd've been better


Bonus for everyone but especially those who have read Jane Eyre before: I challenge you to say at least one good thing about Salt & Broom - other than "it ended!!" lol :b

Sybil the cat was charming. and the ambition of the wicked spirit was commendable, even if I didn't fully get the motivation - it felt a bit mean girl hair-pulling was the original issue, and the whole curse was massive overreaction....

282 pages

Current total: 799,063

I've been biting my tongue about that for aaaages!

Yeah, I had reduced my mental energy by that point.

Can't believe that in a paranormal retelling she ignores the ONLY paranormal event in the original book! Oh, no, wait. Yes, I can. Le sigh

DQs – Day 3 Protective Impulses-Pert Thing

11. What do you think about the revelation in the garden/the haunting? Did you see it coming, and do you think there are others involved with the “curse”?

Rochester went conveniently quickly from no curse here, daft yokels to of course I've always known there's a curse!
And his full honesty is lacking something. Dead wife being excessively cross because of an arranged marriage is not realistic, so he's hiding something, or is very stupid about Poole. I don't buy either the generic all Rochester women die young (defining Rochester women very oddly, if Jane's at risk) or the Antoinette is haunting because she didn't like dying so young line.

12. What do you think about Mr. Rochester sending away Jane and the staff? If you have read the original, how does this change Jane’s agency, and do you like the change? Either way, why do you think the author made it Mr. Rochester’s choice?

I've already mentioned that I found this change to do a massive disservice to the original Jane and also this one. It removes her agency and the moral strength she has to do what is right despite her emotions. I think the author actually doesn't care that much about the original characters, but used them as scaffolding to tell her story about ghosts and fairies, so there's less work for her to do.
As a story by itself I think it's ok, though with some stupidity around instalove. As a retelling it's a fail.

13. Have you ever visited an Apothecary’s Garden? Would you be interested in seeing one? Do you grow any herbs or are you interested in growing any?

I've not, but a wander around stately house gardens is always a pleasant time.
I am in no way green fingered, even aside from having no outside space or safe window box possibilities, do no.

14. What do you think about the scene with Miss Ingram? What does this tell you about Mr. Rochester’s character and did that seem consistent with his character so far? Did his explanation make sense to you?

This scene, with it's continued mentions of how short a time she'd been there, threw up for me how the changes from being governess to a paranormal trouble solver weakens the story. You don't go from Rochester is grumpy to oh, but his surface hides the truth I love him in two days, regardless of how much spying on his family history there is. So the whole grow to love each other despite stuff story has been destroyed, and only works by relying on our goodwill from the original.
So this exists only to allow a sudden volte face for Rochester that I don't believe.

I've just finished section 3 and am extraordinaryily cross at how Fisher made the leaving happen. Just feels like it's completely undermined Bronte's Jane let alone her own version...

That's orange!

And you've reminded me that I have the Tailor of Panama to read.

Others have researched that The Bridge of San Luis Rey works, and of course Gabriel Garcia Marquez is Columbian so his works work

Shout if you have any Peru / Panama / Columbia / Venezula books, we could maybe do a team read of one!

Mini!

The first mini has been revealed!
Full details here

The planning sheet will have a tab where we can grab tasks - if you can reserve no more than THREE at a time, and try to avoid the easier text in books for the immediate, that'd be great!

Tasks
(each can be repeated five times; we need 5 different food items from the list)

One point
- Read a book with a orange cover
- "harvest" (plural OK, no other variants) in text
- Author initials in HERACLES
- Word in title is hiding a different smaller word (of at least four letters) inside it (not the singular form or verb tense differences) - examples LimonCELLO; THINg; wereWOLF (or indeed WEREwolf); HUNGer but NOT GAMEs (as that's the singular/plural)
- One of the following food words in text (plural OK, no other variants): corn, grape, ham, bread, cheese, apple, fish, chicken, bread, rice, tomato, pepper, salt, honey, lobster

Three points
- Horn on cover (instrument or animal equally OK. but not antlers please)
- Book set in Crete
- Book set in Idaho
- Author's name has a diacritic (Cornucopia was a concert tour for Björk. yes, it's tenuous, but go with it anyway!)
- "abundant" or "abundance" in text
- Takes place on a farm (farm meaning somewhere raising plants or animals to be sold for food)

Five points
- Title (including subtitle) includes all the letters CORNUPIA (no need to duplicate C and O)
- The cover has at least 3 different food items
- Set in Peru, Panama, Colombia or Venezuela (or combination of them to reach the 50%)


General Notes
Locations must represent 50% or more of the setting
Colour cover must be 50% the colour (use of common sense, please)

DQs Day 2 - Baneful-"My Own Wee Thing”

6. Jane gives Rochester a black-coloured thumb-sized stone to keep with him as a protective talisman. Do you believe in talismans? Please tell us about an object that you keep with you as a talisman?

I certainly believe that many people get value from items like that, but my stuff doesn't come with protection, unless it's that of happy memories....

7. Between some of the chapters narrated from Jane’s point of view, we get chapters from Rochester’s point of view. What do you think of these “interludes”? Do they help or distract?

They are certainly helping towards making his being in love with her and standoffish.

8. We are introduced to Dr. Poole. What did you think of this character particularly with regards to Jane meeting him in the poison garden? Were there any changes in your opinion after reading Agnes’ conversation with Jane about the late Mrs. Rochester?

Deeply sus about Richard Poole, and I did like the foreshadowing about Mrs R

9. We have been told several times about a curse on Thornfield. Then Jane follows Rochester to the graveyard where his family members are buried. At this point Jane says “This was a story of heartache. Everyone in Mr. Rochester’s family had died before their time, especially the females. Then his wife had done the same.” Do you think there is a connection between the curse and the early deaths?

Entirely possible, and Rochester certainly thinks so!

10. We have been given information about Jane and her origin? What do you think of this twist in the tale?

ummmm.... not sure it was necessary? but maybe it will be a good turning point?

DQs - Day 1 - Prologue-Blackthorn

1. A paranormal retelling?? of Jane Eyre - this prompts the question about the original or let's call it the "source for inspiration". What is your relationship to Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë? Have you read it? Loved/liked/disliked it?

I've read it a couple of times and liked it better on the second retelling. Charlotte is less geared to angst ridden teens than Emily (and Anne even less so!) That said, none of the Bronte's had particularly attractive menfolk, in favour of willful women.

2. What about Retellings? Is it a genre you like/avoid?

Yeah, I've read a few (just come off from a retelling of the House of Usher which was good). I'm always interested in a retelling that shows the material in a different way - feminist takes on the old myths, or putting classics into a different culture. Not sure that this is one that is necessary though - I'm liking it so far, but the retelling seems more like a lazy way to tell a story without having to do the thinking about characters and location.

3. Jane Aire as a witch in a school for orphan witches? How do you like the setting of this alternative Victorian world where magic is at least tolerated?

I like the alternate setting.

4. What are your first impressions of Jane and Rochester?

Fine. Though I'm not sure I believe in them beyond the knowledge from the original.

5. What do you think about the occurrences in Thornfield? Are they really caused by supernatural elements or is it human action?

Human action

222 pages
400 pages
165 pages

Current total: 789,062

I've got a few to read before end of May for the SRC, but after I get through them I can try for an EB/BE

All That’s Left in the World and it's one that works for the TBR closet too :)

probably too late, but I tossed a coin for you and it came up (turtle) tails - so We the Sea Turtles!


I finished , which is good and creepy and not a good pick for any of the resources: I wouldn't want to shelter in the Usher mansion, nor eat the food!
Weapons - guns - were mentioned, and also alcohol was used as a defense against (fungal) infection.

Recommend it, though not during damp dark weather!

enjoyed this, with some weaponised accountancy / economics in there.

and: I'm (just!) over the line! will need to read another before the end of the month to seal it, but hurrah!

I had a quick peek at the BR chat for Hunger Games - really interesting convos going on. but not sure I'll be joining in

I've never got into the Psy/Changeling books. no idea why not when I first came across them, but now there are just tooo many it intimidates me!

there's always at least one moment during a challenge when GR decides to make life SUPER hard for us challengers, isn't there?!

How's everyone going? any book recs from the first week? what are you looking forward to reading the rest of the month?

for me, I enjoyed the short and meditative Small Things Like These. Rather than go large on the awfulness of the Magdalene laundries, it looks at it a bit more sideways, at how they got away with it via the silent complicity of the general population, with a large dollop of Christmas atmosphere to boot.

I'm wondering, maybe I should move Traitor Baru Cormorant into Heathcliff & Catherine for the page count and MC bent on revenge. It's against two +page count at the moment, but they are probably easier fills (wall in text / makes you uncomfortable).

thoughts? shall I shift?