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Doomsday Book
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DB: November 2017 Pick - Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
message 51:
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Jacqueline (Fall In Love With The Sound of Words)
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rated it 4 stars
Nov 10, 2017 10:53AM
So this is my first venture into The Sword and Laser book club! I am excited to read it. I wasn’t 100% I was going to participate this month but I was sold when I listened to the recent S&L podcast! Although I am totally into time travel this wouldn’t be a book I would normally pick up. I am excited to try something new and different! I just hope I can read it in time, with my late start and my other reading obligations.
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Going back and forth between audio book and written, the children seem much more annoying when vocalized. Willis seems to overstretch the drama and the foreshadowing is pretty obvious. Or that could be because it's my second time reading it. But it is still a good book.
Michele wrote: "The book isn't about action though. It's about people dealing with crises in a variety of ways."Except most of the book is spent on them not dealing with crises because they have the attention span of crack-addled Teletubby.
Sean wrote: "Michele wrote: "The book isn't about action though. It's about people dealing with crises in a variety of ways."Except most of the book is spent on them not dealing with crises because they have ..."
?? Everyone is so focused on their own personal response to the crisis, they pay no attention to anyone else's. From Montoya and her dig, to Gilchrist covering his ass, to the bellringers on their tour, to Mrs Gaddston with her son, Finch and his supplies, Mary on the actual outbreak, Dunworthy on Kivrin, Colin needing to feel important, Eliwys on Gawyn, Rosemund on her future, Agnes on her puppy, Kivrin on finding the drop again.
Everyone is focusing on something important to them, either oblivious to everyone else's problems, or purposely avoiding having to deal with the fear of the outbreak, or finding ways to channel that fear into something useful.
A enjoyable read, an author I wouldn't have read otherwise. It had problems, I figured out what the ending was by 20%, but the story wasn't hard science fiction just a fun beach read. The story was good enough, for the second time this year I'm going to read the next story.
I think what makes the monthly story reading more pleasant is reading the forum digest email each morning after the paper. The conversations are all civil, and the teasing is like being at Sunday dinner with family.
It's Casualty not Casualties! It's Casualty not Casualties!
It's Casualty not Casualties!
It's Casualty not Casualties!
It's Casualty not Casualties!
It's driving me crazy (and I'm aware how petty I'm being which makes it worse)
TRP wrote: "It's Casualty not Casualties! It's Casualty not Casualties!
It's Casualty not Casualties!
It's Casualty not Casualties!
It's Casualty not Casualties!
It's driving me crazy (and I'm aware how pett..."
You mean it can't be plural?
'Casualties of War" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097027/?...)
Or you mean, in that particular use of the word it was mistakenly plural instead of singular?
TRP wrote: "It's Casualty not Casualties! It's Casualty not Casualties!
It's Casualty not Casualties!
It's Casualty not Casualties!
It's Casualty not Casualties!
It's driving me crazy (and I'm aware how pett..."
What was the context? One is singular, the other is plural. Or you could "Go to Casualty to check on the number of casualties".
First time in a long time that I'm reading a book together with the S&L club. Doomsday Book has been on my shelves for four years (I write my name and the year I got the book in every one of my books, so that's how I know. It's a habit I got from my mum, though she even writes down the exact date. Anyone else do this?), having it as a club pick was my call to finally read it. I've read one of Connie Willis' books before (To Say Nothing of the Dog) which I very much enjoyed, maybe even a little more than Doomsday Book. I'm about halfway through DB and so far I like it, I like most of the characters, I'm fine with the book's slow pace and the detailed descriptions, but somehow I'm not super-excited about it. Probably going to be 3-4 stars for me.
Michele wrote: "TRP wrote: "It's Casualty not Casualties! It's Casualty not Casualties!
It's Casualty not Casualties!
It's Casualty not Casualties!
It's Casualty not Casualties!
It's driving me crazy (and I'm aw..."
She's writing about the Casualty department of a hospital. This is the UK equivalent of an ER in the US. It is more often called Accident and Emergency or A&E (not to be confused with the TV channel).
Nobody ever refers to it as Casualties.
Speaking of TV, one of the longest running TV dramas in Britain is called Casualty. It's been running since 1986 (over 1000 episodes) and is about an A&E department in a hospital in Holby (a thinly disguised version of Bristol)
While I'm on the subject of hospitals, she keeps leaving off the articles (an or the) whenever she mentions infirmary. I have heard people not use an article in front of hospital (e.g. "I had to go to hospital to get my leg cut off") but not using one in front of infirmary just seems weird.
@TRP - Ah, thanks for explaining.It is the future though - maybe they word things a little differently.
TRP wrote: "It's Casualty not Casualties! It's Casualty not Casualties!
It's Casualty not Casualties!
..."
That wasn't as grating as the mufflers though! People wearing mufflers, people reminding other people to wear mufflers, people giving mufflers as gifts, people expressing opinions about their mufflers, and on and on. IN BRITAIN WE DON'T WEAR MUFFLERS! Well, we do, but we call them scarves.
I know it's trivial, but my abiding memory about this book from the first time I read it was the anachronistic language as much as the actual plot.
Colin wrote: IN BRITAIN WE DON'T WEAR MUFFLERS! Well, we do, but we call them scarves."Oh, so that's what it meant!
Colin wrote: "TRP wrote: "It's Casualty not Casualties! It's Casualty not Casualties!
It's Casualty not Casualties!
..."
That wasn't as grating as the mufflers though! People wearing mufflers, people reminding..."
Mufflers definitely grated. I think someone on another thread mentioned that the 2050s stuff feels more like 1950s (or even 1850s) UK.
Also don't get me started on the Tube
TRP wrote: "I think someone on another thread mentioned that the 2050s stuff feels more like 1950s (or even 1850s) UK."
Yep, I did. Possibly even 1930s, for the Woodhouse-like comedic style. Would not liken it to anything from the 1800s, though.
Does anyone anywhere ever call scarves "mufflers"? That's a new one to me.
Just getting around to reading this now, about half way done. Time travel parts are neat but it feels like most of the present day stuff could have been cut without much lost.
Joseph wrote: "Does anyone anywhere ever call scarves "mufflers"? That's a new one to me."It's generally not a term used in the U.S.
A muffler is heavy wool and keeps you warm whereas a scarf could be that or something lighter like silk.
"Muffler" may be a bit old fashioned but I've certainly heard people use the term throughout my life.
So what’s the thing that Victorian woman (and now quarterbacks) used to have around their waists to keep their hands warm, didn’t that have a name like muffler?
It's a muff.As a Bostonian in my youth I occasionally heard "muffler" but only from older people and definitely meaning a heavy scarf for severe weather. Young'uns would say "scahf" oh I mean scarf regardless of weight.
John (Nevets) wrote: "So what’s the thing that Victorian woman (and now quarterbacks) used to have around their waists to keep their hands warm, didn’t that have a name like muffler?"The kind of fur tube they'd put their hands in from either end? I though that was a muff.
Mod
Don't forget about the something being wrong with the fix and finding out where the drop is...
Rob wrote: "Helen wrote: "The slippage. The slippage. Must find out the slippage. What's the slippage. Slippage. Slippage...give me strength. (still enjoying the book, though)"Don't forget about the somethin..."
I kept wanting them to ask, "What's the frequency, Kenneth?"
John (Taloni) wrote:I kept wanting them to ask, "What's the frequency, Kenneth?" "
I always thought that referred to Kenny Everett's days as a pirate DJ... Guess not :-(
Iain wrote: "John (Taloni) wrote:I kept wanting them to ask, "What's the frequency, Kenneth?" "
I always thought that referred to Kenny Everett's days as a pirate DJ... Guess not :-("
and all done in the best possible taste! ;-)
The only thing I could think of while reading this book was this:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDnS4...
AndrewP wrote: "The only thing I could think of while reading this book was this:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDnS4..."
Snort.
While I am enjoying the book, it does get tedious at times. I think it easily could have been edited to about half its length (my copy is about 560 pages).
Randy wrote: "While I am enjoying the book, it does get tedious at times. I think it easily could have been edited to about half its length (my copy is about 560 pages)."Yes, I agree with you. I tried to read through the fluff as fast as I could, skimming whole sections.
I did the Audible version of this. I kept thinking right till the end that this reminds me of a serious and not fun version of The Chronicles of St Mary's by Jodi Taylor.
I'm about halfway through, and I've come to the conclusion that that pandemic they keep mentioning left everybody in the future with a bad case of stupid. The future stuff is irritating as all get out, and Kivrin takes forever to figure things out - like when (view spoiler) And don't get me started on the whole "cutthroat" nonsense.Also, they definitely had cell phones in '92, and their absence from the book is just weird.
Dominik wrote: "Also, they definitely had cell phones in '92, and their absence from the book is just weird. "They weren't common, but they certainly existed. Still pretty bulky, though. Which doesn't excuse their absence in the book, but it means that Willis either purposefully ignored them as a way to create dramedy or was lagging behind current tech development.
Some people are just really bad at predicting tech stuff (heck, look at Asimov with his planet-sized computers, totally missing out on miniaturization).I haven't read too much in the way of modern mysteries, but I'm sure these authors are having to struggle with having to figure out how to have good crimes in their books without modern technology and techniques getting in the way (might be why I've seen a lot of historical mysteries lately).
Troy wrote: "I did the Audible version of this. I kept thinking right till the end that this reminds me of a serious and not fun version of The Chronicles of St Mary's by Jodi Taylor."I should've done Audible on this one too. That would have been the way to go.
Dominik wrote: "Also, they definitely had cell phones in '92, and their absence from the book is just weird. "I remember cell phones back in '92. They were more like car phones used by executives and higher-level salespeople.
Mod
With a high wanker factor ;-)
They only became cool when Joe Public started using them.
No offense S&L, but this is the worst pick I've seen so far. I got so tired of the overly contrived "problem" that the author kept NOT answering, I finally Lem'd it about halfway in.
Mod
Otherwise I'll have to delete it.
Thanks.
Mod
Some people don't get to read the book during the allotted month.
Tassie Dave wrote: "Yeah they are some major spoilers.Some people don't get to read the book during the allotted month."
Not to mention, there's still a few days left. I haven't finished yet, it's a thick book and I've been busy.
Bruce wrote: "Troy wrote: "I did the Audible version of this. I kept thinking right till the end that this reminds me of a serious and not fun version of The Chronicles of St Mary's by [author:Jodi Taylor|717678..."I did the Audible version and it was especially helpful with the pronunciations in the middle English language. Also, I thought the voices for the children were spot-on.
Sa wrote: "No offense S&L, but this is the worst pick I've seen so far. I got so tired of the overly contrived "problem" that the author kept NOT answering, I finally Lem'd it about halfway in."This one was picked by the members (well, the majority who voted, anyway). I picked it up but haven't started it yet. I'm rather unmotivated to do so, as the book I wanted was To Say Nothing of the Dog. Plus I've got a bunch of other stuff to read right now. Alas. This year has been a bad year for me reading S&L picks. I've skipped at least 2, which is rare.
terpkristin wrote: "Sa wrote: "No offense S&L, but this is the worst pick I've seen so far. I got so tired of the overly contrived "problem" that the author kept NOT answering, I finally Lem'd it about halfway in."T..."
To Say Nothing of the Dog would have been a better choice as it is much better. It takes place in the same universe as the Doomsday Book but you don't have to have read it.
Sa, no one will be offended if you didn't like it. Not everyone likes every book pick. I liked this one but I've also lemmed several S&L picks in the past. I think the point is getting introduced to and sampling different books.
Terk, I saw Doomsday Book on a list of "top ten SF books" along with Asimov, Clarke, Heinlein, Gibson, Niven, a few others. It is at least well loved by critics.
Tina wrote: "I did the Audible version and it was especially helpful with the pronunciations in the middle English language. "Thanks!
Tina wrote: "I did the Audible version and it was especially helpful with the pronunciations in the middle English language. Also, I thought the voices for the children were spot-on."My problem with the audio book was that one of the characters is called Sir Blouet but the narrator didn't even try to put an accent on it. She pronounced it as Sir Blowit:) Made me laugh at first then it just got annoying.
AndrewP wrote: "Tina wrote: "I did the Audible version and it was especially helpful with the pronunciations in the middle English language. Also, I thought the voices for the children were spot-on."My problem w..."
Huh. It's spelled Bloet in my copy, so I keep reading it as "blöd", which is German for stupid. Isn't language fun? :D
Mod
I wouldn't discount her pronunciation being correct.
The names Blewitt & Blewett. are derived from Blouet.
This is nearly 300 years after the Norman invasion, so come anglicising of names would have occurred to make them sound less French.
John (Taloni) wrote: "Terk, I saw Doomsday Book on a list of "top ten SF books" along with Asimov, Clarke, Heinlein, Gibson, Niven, a few others. It is at least well loved by critics."It won both the Hugo and Nebula in its year so it was well loved by both critics and fans. I loved it myself so I was a little bemused by some of the hate here. To each his own I guess.
The Sword and Laser
Books mentioned in this topic
To Say Nothing of the Dog (other topics)To Say Nothing of the Dog (other topics)
Oathbringer (other topics)
Doomsday Book (other topics)
Authors mentioned in this topic
Jodi Taylor (other topics)Jodi Taylor (other topics)
Connie Willis (other topics)
