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The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman - VBC Sept 2019
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Dayna
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Sep 07, 2019 06:19PM
PS—There isn’t anything wrong with a light read; sometimes that is exactly what I need. I want to escape reality and don’t want to think too much.
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I enjoyed it but did find the writing a bit heavy-handed - definitely overdone on the "but little did she know that . .(cue dramatic music)"The characters I found to be rather Dickensian, especially the more villainous ones.
Mod
I think it goes back to what Elisabeth commented on earlier. That it sounded 'young'. There were so many paths the narrative could have taken, so many hardships and dangers, but it stayed on a sort of bright and sunny one.
I did like how the mystery unfolded. I don't think there are many YA today that are told in the third-person omniscient, especially from the POV of the villain. I felt like Sally and Mrs Holland were working to solve the same mystery, and liked how their contrasting POVs kept adding to the mystery.
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The only bit that I had a hard time with was Mrs. Whatserface's having been in India back in the day, having relations with maharajahs. She would have been far more believable if she was just a crafty woman who came across tidbits of information and capitalized on them, as she seemed throughout most of the book. I had no trouble believing that an enterprising criminally minded lady might hear about a ruby from an opium addict and try to get her hands on it. There wasn't really a need to give her a history with the ruby.
Erin wrote: "...The only bit that I had a hard time with was Mrs. Whatserface's having been in India back in the day, having relations with maharajahs...."That might have been believable if she had been a socially prominent daughter of a high-ranking officer, or something like that, but having been a relatively lower class woman who ended up married to an ordinary soldier, it really was not.
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I've heard of the Opium Wars, but I never really looked into them before this book. The bit about Britain forcing it on China confused me because I always assumed it had been about Britain wanting it as an export or something. But it was actually Britain forcing China to accept opium imports. I guess because China had exports that Britain wanted, but Britain didn't have anything China wanted accept silver, so Britain basically forced it on China causing mass addiction.
Am I understanding that correctly? Reminds me of the current day opioid crisis and big pharmaceuticals.
Sabrina wrote: "Yeah, I thought it kind of fell apart at the end with the reveals that didn't really seem necessary. I was really confused by the sudden appearance of Van Eeden and his interest in Sally.I've hea..."
Yes, all in the guise of promoting capitalism and free trade. If you are interested, I highly recommend Amitav Ghosh's Ibis trilogy, Sea of Poppies, etc., which is historical fiction set during that time and has British, Indian, and Chinese characters so you get a lot of perspectives.
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I liked it so much that I've already read the sequel, "The Shadow in the North," which interestingly is quite a bit more adult, and darker.
Merrily wrote: "Sorry I've been missing from discussion, for some reason I wasn't getting the usual email updates that there had been comments. I really enjoyed the book, light read though it was. I was particular..."I've been getting multiple reminders, which I click on anyway because of the warning "You will not get another email about this discussion until you visit it on Goodreads.."
I finally got a download of the book, so now comparing it with the PBS video. I have been impressed by the many faithful allies she finds with such apparent ease. It reminds me of Mrs. Pollifax.
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She does tend to bump into the right people.
I went back in and edited my preferences to get emails each time someone commented regardless of whether I check in or not. Frankly I don't want to keep having to sign in to Goodreads randomly, as it were.
I read this years ago and was disappointed; I felt it could have been great but fell short. It was too light and fluffy for my taste, and stretched credulity a bit too far. I gave the 2nd one a chance, but Sally's circumstances at the very beginning were so improbable that I lost interest.The movie is also pretty terrible, except for Doctor Who fans who always wanted to see Rose cross paths with Eleven, but the costumes are great.
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I agree that a woman being a financial advisor in the 19th century is highly improbable if not impossible, but decided to apply the "willing suspension of disbelief" and enjoyed it anyway...
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Thanks for the recommendation, Emily. That looks like a really interesting series!
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I agree that a woman being a financial advisor in the 19th century is highly improbable if not impossible, but decided to apply the "willing suspen..."
I didn't find her skill set unbelievable. Some people have a knack for business, no matter the era. And it wasn't complicated stuff. Just balancing accounts and marketing.
The thing that always gets me when there is a teenage protagonist is that all the adults seem pretty clueless in comparison, but I guess that's the nature of YA?
I did think it unlikely that the minister would send a 16 year-old girl to buy opium. And the whole memory recall thing with opium scene. Though, I don't know, maybe it is a side effect of the drug. Does anyone have first hand… Uhm, better yet, has anyone HEARD of that side effect?
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I agree that a woman being a financial advisor in the 19th century is highly improbable if not impossible, but decided to apply the..."
Oh, I didn't question that she had the skills, Sabrina, just that anyone would seek her advice or that she could run a business as a financial advisor. The roles of women were so constrained in that period !
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That's right… it was suggested she become a financial advisor as a profession. I had forgotten about that. Definitely not a possibility in that era, though I guess she could have done it behind the scenes and used a man as a front like so many other women in history.
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Well, it was just Frederick who suggested it, right? And he seemed quite oblivious to social norms. Sally clearly didn't think it was worth pursuing on her own. Even with just Frederick's business, she coached him on what to say to the printing guy rather than stepping up herself because she knew the guy wouldn't take the negotiation seriously if it were her.
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Yeah, I definitely raised an eyebrow at that. And the part later where Frederick and Jim run off to save Adelaide and Sally decides the best thing to do at that exact moment is to smoke her opium to try to find out more about the ruby. And no one seems concerned that Fred and Jim are off missing for literally hours (they leave at dinner and Sally wakes up after midnight and is more concerned with confronting Mrs. Landlady?). Oh! And Adelaide just vanishes??
The denouement definitely left something to be desired.
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Yeah, I definitely raised an eyebrow at that. And the part later where Frederick and Jim run..."
Yes! The whole 'Hey my friends are getting beaten to a pulp. Let me try opium!' thing really bugged me. And that's right. Adelaide just vanished. I thought that was a let down, because she was the character with the most depth to me. Maybe she shows up in the sequel?
Mod
She was so mousy; they had to literally drag her around town because she was so afraid of Mrs. Landlady (I don't know why I have such a hard time remembering her name, LOL). I can't really see her having run away. But I can't think where she would have vanished to that the crew wouldn't have found her (didn't they say in the epilogue that they searched everywhere for her?)
I'm kind of afraid that Mrs. Landlady did something terrible to her and we'll just never know. Which on the one hand is maybe more realistic, but on the other extremely unsatisfying for fiction.
To those who have read more of the series: do we every find out more about Adelaide?
Mod
She was so mousy; they had to literally drag her around town because she was so afraid of Mrs. Landlady (I don't know why I have such a hard time..."
Well, she wasn't in the second book, I can say that much...do we really not find out what happened to her? How did I miss that? (That's what I get for doing such a fast read.)
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She was so mousy; they had to literally drag her around town because she was so afraid of Mrs. Landlady (I don't know why I have suc..."
I went back and checked, and it just said that 'a week went by and Adelaide did not reappear, in spite of Trembler's endless tramping the streets and inquiring at schools and workhouses…'
You'd think they'd check with the pirate guy's ship. Or the hole in the landlady's back yard.
Merrily wrote: "Erin wrote: "Sabrina wrote: "Maybe she shows up in the sequel?"She was so mousy; they had to literally drag her around town because she was so afraid of Mrs. Landlady (I don't know why I have suc..."
I haven't read any other books in the series, but I did read a plot summary of the subsequent books, and Adelaide does show up again, in a most improbable way!
Which brings up another thing I found improbable about this book. Why on earth would Sally get into a cab with a total stranger in the middle of the night? She's supposed to be so sensible and practical, but that struck me as frankly idiotic and out of character. Although deciding to smoke opium when her friends were missing and in danger was decidedly odd, at least she had a reason -- she was led to believe that she would remember more of the circumstances if she smoked it again. (By the way, although I don't know enough about opium to be sure, that seems at odds with everything I have read about it.) But getting into a cab with a mysterious stranger on a dark night. Really?
Mod
She was so mousy; they had to literally drag her around town because she was so afraid of Mrs. Landlady (I don't know why I have such a hard time..."
But Adelaide was only like 6 wasn't she? I just thought that she showed some courage. Being young and abused and beaten down, and yet she was brave enough to defy the Landlady and try to help Sally and crew. She had a lot of depth to me.
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I got the impression she was more like 10? Younger than Jim, but not that much younger.
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I got the impression she was more like 10? Younger than Jim, but not that much younger."
Yes, I think she was somewhere in the 8 - 10 range, when she would have been old enough to undertake some of the heavier household duties for the Evil Landlady, and also to feel some maternal tenderness toward the guy who was being held captive. As to why Ruby got in the cab with the strange guy (other than "That's what females in these stories do," she might have seen it as one way to solve the mystery of what was going on - female detectives don't always make the most rational decisions.
I have only just started the book, but am already a little confused by it. I am hoping the mists will clear, but maybe not if your comments are anything to go by, lol.
Sara wrote: "I have only just started the book, but am already a little confused by it. I am hoping the mists will clear, but maybe not if your comments are anything to go by, lol."You won't be disappointed. It's mysterious, but so well written.
I watched the video while waiting for the book, and am enjoying the book more.
Mod
You won't be d..."
Yes, speaking of "so well written," I liked this book so much that I am finally listening to "The Golden Compass" as an audio book. People have been recommending it to me for years and somehow I never got to it. Am really enjoying it.
Merrily wrote: "Mary wrote: "Sara wrote: "I have only just started the book, but am already a little confused by it. I am hoping the mists will clear, but maybe not if your comments are anything to go by, lol."Y..."
I love that series, and I'll be reading more of this series as well. <3
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The VBC has been a great place to discover new reads or be reminded of things one should have read in the first place!
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Oh no! Don't read the spoiler comments. :) Let us know what you think of the ending!
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I got the impression she was more like 10? Younger than Jim, but not that much younger."
Yes, I think she was somewhere in ..."
It's so true! Is it generally just women detectives who are made to do really dumb and dangerous stuff like get into a vehicle with a stranger?
I always think it's partly to do with the author needing to have a 'villain explains everything' moment. Come to think of it… I guess James Bond always did that, didn't he?
Mod
Did you like the character of Sally, Mary? I'm on the fence if I'll read the next or not. It did pull me along from chapter to chapter.
I did like her -- she has spunk, cares about others, and is willing to try new ideas. That photography shop is going to be so much better with he input. I also liked the PBS dramatizations. I've requested that my library order The Shadow in the North, and they usually do if they can.
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I loved it when she just waltzed out of her aunt's house and never returned.
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I really found the book quite engaging - liked it so much I went on to "The Shadow in the North," and the third book is awaiting me on my Kindle.
I want to see what happened with Adelaide.
Sabrina wrote: "Mary wrote: "I did like her -- she has spunk, cares about others, and is willing to try new ideas. That photography shop is going to be so much better with he input. I also liked the PBS dramatizat..."Yes, that woman deserved to be walked out on.
Merrily wrote: " I am finally listening to "The Golden Compass" as an audio book...""The Golden Compass" series is, so far, my favorite of Pullman's writing. I'm waiting for my library to get the newest (2nd) in the related Book of Dust series.
With this one- about Sally- I tend to agree with the more critical comments - had a hard time with suspending disbelief. I can do fantasy but the unlikely behavior of characters and coincidental happenings- that's harder for me.
Merrily wrote: " female detectives don't always make the most rational decisions."That is true & often has me yelling at them. But I've re-read some Philip Marlowe (or some other private detective of that era- and it sure is true of men, also.
Mod
That is true & often has me yelling at them. But I've re-read some Philip Marlowe (or some other private detectiv..."
Perhaps it's inherent in the genre that the brave detective must rush in where others would say "Wait - perhaps I should call for backup."
Mod
I thought back to the random acts of kindness by complete strangers in my lifetime, and was blown away. Just this past year my husband lost his job of 12 years AND we were told the house we were renting was being sold (we had to be out in a month). All this in the same week.
I had one woman, who I only knew through my Masters swim class, offer to put my family up for a month so my children could finish school. And I had another complete stranger (a cousin of one of my readers) offer to put my family up in the state we were moving to until we could find a house.
What improbable acts of kindness have you experienced?
Mod
Good point, Sabrina, I think it isn't really that unusual to find unexpected help in life and perhaps we experience it often enough that we take it for granted, forget to notice, and then find it unlikely in fiction. Sometimes people ARE just in the right place in the right time.
Sabrina, that's a beautiful and heart-warming story. Sometimes we just need to acknowledge what we need and people amaze us.I consistently find help when I am lost . . . no sense of direction, and GPS is inconsistent, but people always come through.
Mr. Rogers said that in difficult times, we should "look for the helpers." I'd add also, look for opportunities to help. A study showed that acts of kindness raise the mood of the one helped, the one helping, and all others who witness the event. <3
Acts of kindness are out there, we just don’t often hear about them. One big one I received many years ago was a room in a friend’s house for a few months in exchange for help with chores and cutting grass. Little acts everyday—someone gifting their cart at the grocery store where depositing a quarter is normally required. I left it for someone else. As for Sally, a young, single female in London of that era, I guess there were kind people. I would more expect to see her kidnapped and sold into prostitution.
Sabrina- your question "What improbable acts of kindness have you experienced?" fit right in with an article in this morning's (9/22/19) Washington Post:www.washingtonpost.com/local/he-had-b...
about two sisters who started a GoFundMe campaign, first for the hawker of the free Post paper, The Express, and expanded it to all 75 hawkers who lost their jobs overnight when the Post decided to stop the Express. They've raised over $13,000 so far. They didn't know this man- but all around the D.C. metro area people have expressed their appreciation of the few seconds these hawkers interacted with them each morning as they entered the Metro stations. "You don't know what you've got til it's gone."
Mod
So true about kindness helping the helper and the receiver! And speaking of Mr. Rogers, I just read an interview with Tom Hanks on his role as Mr. Rogers. And he said that 'the increasing level of cynicism in society is partly what led him to take a role as a loveable children's entertainer.'
The whole interview is really interesting as it deals with cynicism, and what Mr. Rogers brought to TV. https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainmen...
Mod
That is a wonderful story, Dayna. Thanks for sharing. And yes. The story could have easily went that way. Though, statically, it's usually family and friends who are most likely to harm women and children.
I thought it was realistic that family and so called friends were more hurtful to Sally. Her aunt was terrible. Her fake father's so called friend betrayed him, and even her own father abandoned and 'sold' her.
Mod
www.washingtonpost.com/local/he-had-b...-..."
That's such a heart-warming story, Dena. Thank you for sharing it!
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Laurie R. King Virtual Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
The Psychology of Time Travel (other topics)The Calculating Stars (other topics)
His Dark Materials (other topics)
The Ruby in the Smoke (other topics)
