shukriyya Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 Magical realism feels so ungrounded to me - some of it even unsafe. I find bewilderment rather than wonder; discomfort rather than illumination. My fondness for fantasy is relatively narrow - there are certain types of stories fantasy can tell that speak to my heart - stories about courage and hope and loyalty and risk and striving... ...the other button it can push is the feeling of being immersed in a history and culture - the same joy I find in history or really well done historical fiction. Magical realism doesn't have that solidity for me at all... they are too like fever dreams. I think I bounced off Murakami so hard in large part because the implied, intuitive connections that make his work rich and fascinating to many just weren't there for me... I could see they were supposed to be, but I could not see them. ...so it was like being in a nightmare. ...and that was one of my more positive experiences with anything approaching this genre. The failing is in me, not the genre, and maybe, as I keep growing and my capacity for appreciation keeps expanding, I will come to find the magic in magical realism. ...when I was in my early twenties, I could not tolerate or appreciate most of modern art, poetry, classical music, or literature (other than drama)... I was firmly rooted in Romantic poetry & Victorian novels... I have come a long way... but I have a lot more growing to do. Thank you, Eliana. It's fascinating to me that you find magical realism ungrounded and fantasy less so. For me it's the opposite, I need the tent pegs of the every day world in MR to ground me and then I can appreciate the overlay of magic, which is always there if we choose to look for it, into the day to day. I guess it's a world I can easily inhabit. because it makes a lot of sense to me. Fantasy leaves me somewhere out in space with no directional points. But that said, I'm about to embark on The Alphabet of Thorn by Patricia McKillip which despite being fantasy looks really intriguing to me. There is something archetypal about the characters and feeling of the story that is drawing me in. I read the sample and really enjoyed it, so much so it has stayed with me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 I finished The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. If not for BaW I might not have heard of the series. You all are at fault for adding another series to my list. :D I don't tend to read acknowledgements in books but I wanted to make my Kindle say I was 100% finished, so I flipped through them and something caught my eye. The author acknowledged Louise Penny and praised her Chief Inspector Gamache series. He said she's always willing to help new authors. I think that's generous of her. I still have four more of those on my to read list - five if I decided to read the novella. Still working through Les Miserables. I'm still a week behind the reading group, and we're supposed to finish June 2nd. I was two weeks behind but one of the things I did on Mother's Day was read for hours. (My MD request was to just do whatever I wanted to, and not cook or clean up the kitchen. In addition to reading, I puttered in my garden.). I should be able to get more caught up this weekend. Ds and I are going with his girlfriend and gf's mother to Raleigh (I'll wave to you Jane, and anyone else in NC). She has a severe peanut allergy and is doing oral immunotherapy. The doctor her parents chose (not many do peanut OIT) is in Raleigh (he was involved in early OIT studies at Duke), so they drive from Florida to NC every other week for her treatment. She brought a friend last time, and this time is bringing DS and me. HIs mother and I plan to read at night, while the kids are online gaming and chatting with their friends on Steam. Her mother and I are reading buddies at homeschool teen activities, so while we do chat we also respect each other's reading time. We're planning to stop in Charlotte on the way for a one night stay to visit a once local hs family who moved there. Ds was friends with the son and his girlfriend was friends with the daughter. Gf's mom and I were friends with the mother, so we're all looking forward to our brief visit. Almost done listening to David Copperfield. Uriah Heep was really making my skin crawl. I was hoping he'd get his due as Dickens' villains almost always do, and I wasn't disappointed. I've backed off on my other books because I'm sure the reason I haven't read as much this year is I'm trying to read too many books concurrently. I always read more than one at a time, but never as many as I've been trying to read the past few months. Now that I've finished the Flavia book, I'll dive into Tisha for book club. Two books and one audio book are a reasonable number for me. I need to remember that next time I want to add more to my currently reading pile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CT Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 A current fun read was The Rosie Project which was mentioned here. I have read the first two (only two, thus far?) books in the Finishing School series by Gail Carriger, who wrote the Parasol Protectorate series, which I loved! The Finishing School series starts with Etiquette & Espionage and is for teens. Good fun! Yeah, Jenn, you're probably dismissed from jury duty for the next three years by now (hang on to that piece of paper!! I'm on three separate call lists with slight variations in my name/address, so I have to document constantly that I've already served!) but if you haven't, Rosie Project is just the ticket! Under the heading "careful what you wish for, you just might get it" I was wishing for an excuse to just sit and read...and.... I have to report to jury duty tomorrow morning at 7:30am! Is the Golem and the Jinni a good mindless read? Song of Achilles? Rosie Project? These are unread but downloaded on my iPad. I seem to remember lots of hurry up and wait with the initial jury summons. *sigh* Re: Fear and Trembling: Pam, I am still in the middle of it and I've already decided that I'm going to have to read through it again right away when I finish! Not an easy read, that's for sure, but intriguing. I feel like every page gives me lots to think about, which is one reason I am wanting to discuss it with some friends. If you already have a philosophy challenge going, I would recommend putting it on your list. Elaine It's on my list... my list just doesn't seem to be going anywhere on its own. My list seems to expect some initiative on my part, LOL. You've inspired me, though. I want to read The Mapmaker's Wife and it isn't available through my library! Totally bummed and intrigued enough that I might buy it! Thank you for these suggestions! Mapmaker's Wife is pretty great. Did you by chance read Dava Sobel's Longitude? In some ways Mapmaker's Wife reminded me of it -- a surprisingly fascinating human story behind a technological problem that I'd never given one moment's thought about. MW really has two stories embedded -- one, the technical and logistical challenges with the effort to map the equator, and then the amazing (and evidently based on historically documented) story of Isabel Grameson's trek across the Amazon to be reunited with her husband. Definitely worthwhile. ...and I love Borges' Sonnets - my eldest son devoured his short stories, but I will need to keep trying on those... (Pam, have you read these? I think you would love them too) No, I haven't -- thank you. I'll take a look! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murmer Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 Wait -- so -- does this mean you read your Kindle books in the order in which you acquire them???!! Wow. You are one disciplined woman! Me, after something has aged in a stack for 6 months or so, the odds of my ever getting around to it are slim indeed. Yes....I tried other methods but just kept not reading them or forgetting I read a book or just felt like I was never getting to certain books...so I decided to started at the end of my list and read forwards...I have made it through 5 pages so far...but I seem to add more than I read lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted May 13, 2014 Author Share Posted May 13, 2014 ...and I need to solidity of character and world.. it doesn't matter which world, but the world itself needs to have a verisimilitude... and kal v'chomer (even more so) the characters. I get it, I think. Correct me if wrong. You need to relate to the story in some form or fashion. If the characters actions are so far beyond what you would normally be able to accept in real life, you have a hard time accepting on the page. Am I far out in left field? I don't like magical realism just because it seems so bizarre versus fantasy or science fiction. I use reading more for escapism more than anything else so I love to immerse myself in paranormal or fantasy worlds because it takes me out of world. However, I have found myself at the crossroads of late with my reading splitting my time between historical fiction and the paranormal. Just finished reading The Apothecary's daughter. Interesting because Murmur mentioned reading her kindle books in order of when she downloaded them. I sometimes sort my books by recent and then pull from the very oldest which this book was, having gotten it probably about the same time other folks did when it was the daily free offer. I liked it as it was a very clean, old fashioned historical romance (No language, no sex) with enough conflict to keep the story interesting. Sad in parts, funny in others, maddening at times because wanted the main character to be a bit more forthright, but she couldn't because she was female and some things just weren't acceptable during that time period. Probably why I don't read many historical romances these days. I think I just can't relate like Eliana can't relate to magical realism. Finally upgraded The Crystal Cave from bedtime read to current read and enjoying it more in larger doses than a bit here and a bit there. A bit behind with History of the Ancient World (gasp, I know) but will catch up this week. Monument Men - my guys keep stealing it from me so probably will dive in, once finished with Stewart's book and stuff it in my writing and faith book pile next to my reading chair so they can't find it. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted May 13, 2014 Author Share Posted May 13, 2014 Oh I love this - I'm book bosomed. :lol: 10 Words Every Book Lover Should know What a great idea: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 Interesting discussion re: magical realism & fantasy. Find it interesting that the 'world' (whether real or fantasy) is an important base for feeling comfortable w/in a story. I like magical realism, surrealism, & fantasy (but to a lesser extent than the other two) but don't think that the 'world' base really matters that much to me. I'm completely ok w/ a realistic world w/ magical/strange overtones (magical realism), a fantasy world, or a story that doesn't even necessarily have a certain/strong 'world' (more into the surreal category). In fact, I rather enjoy falling into a book w/ an unusual/not explained/unclear world because anything is in the realm of possibility at that point & I like seeing where the author will take you. (That doesn't mean the story is always well-done & it takes skill to lead readers through a story w/out a world too.) Makes me want to go round up some wild surreal books now.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 Book-bosomed doesn't mean what I thought it meant. :lol: Love the brick idea. Who can easily paint in Times New Roman font, especially on a rough surface like a brick??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 I think I bounced off Murakami so hard in large part because the implied, intuitive connections that make his work rich and fascinating to many just weren't there for me... I could see they were supposed to be, but I could not see them. ...so it was like being in a nightmare. ...and that was one of my more positive experiences with anything approaching this genre. From a bibliophile's POV (& because I love magical realism/surrealism), the bolded makes me so sad. I know you're a bibliophile too, but to feel like you're in a nightmare because of a book, well, that's just... just... upsetting. :crying: :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 5th hour at jury duty, maybe an hour in the courtroom? Lunch time now and then more sitting! I'm 60% thru Rosie Project! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 Perhaps s/he had a stencil? ...I was looking at those & completely failing to imagine how I could ever replicate them... even with a stencil, but I am an inept crafter. Well, I thought of that. But, then I thought of the font size you'd need to print on a stencil for a brick (which is still relatively small), then cutting out the stencil, & ... ahhhhrrrggghhhh. Can't imagine it would be easy & I'm someone who used to work with/in publishing/fonts. I'm not crafty either. The bricks look cool but I'd rather spend my time reading a book than cutting out detailed Times New Roman stencils. LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 :seeya: to Jenn sitting in the jury room! LOL. Jury duty waiting is a great time to catch up on reading, especially fluffy stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 I've been finding appropriate titles on Amazon for this project. The Brick Book Hand Me Another Brick Book of Bricks The Brick Bible: A New Spin on the Old Testament Beyond the Yellow Brick Road Brick by Brick Brick Lane: A Novel The possibilities seem endless! Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 Maybe my like of the surreal, unrooted type stories can be explained this way. The first time I heard about quantum physics (even though I still don't even really understand quantum physics) many years ago, it just seemed so mind-bending, bizarre, & yet so *right*. I immediately identified with the openess (???) of it & have considered myself a quantum physicist at heart ever since, even though I don't really understand it. (I wish I had the brain power to be a quantum physicist irl.) Does that sound completely crazy? To me, quantum physics (esp. when it was first introduced & becoming known to the general public) seemed so far out there (outside the realm of 'normal' possibility) that it equates very well with loving surrealism. Entertaining those possibilities makes total sense to me (so, for me, it's easy to entertain quantum physics & surrealism in my normal world). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 Today I finished the newest book by a favorite historical romance writer; this one is a Western romance. In Want of a Wife by Jo Goodman "SHE HAS NOWHERE LEFT TO TURN Jane Middlebourne needs a way out. In 1891, life in New York is unforgiving for a young woman with no prospects, especially when her family wants nothing to do with her. So when Jane discovers an ad for a mail-order bride needed in Bitter Springs, Wyoming, she responds with a hopeful heart. HE HAS EVERYTHING TO LOSE Rancher Morgan Longstreet is in want of a wife who will be his partner at Morning Star, someone who will work beside him and stand by him. His first impression of the fair and fragile Jane is that she is not that woman. But when she sets out to prove him wrong, the secrets he cannot share put into jeopardy every happiness they hope to find…." This author writes with such a distinct voice that I think I'd be able to pick her work out of a stack. In any event, I enjoyed the book. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 Hello everyone! :seeya: As usual, so much going on in this thread! I'll try to comment on some of the discussions in the days ahead. We are home from my son's college graduation. BaWers will be pleased to hear that we amused ourselves on the long drive home by listening to Terry Pratchett's Discworld novel The Truth. The festivities of the last few days as well as the drive to and from the Midwest have not allowed much time for reading. My son did give me Neil Shubin's The Universe Within for Mother's Day. To be honest, I don't know how much reading I will be doing in the days ahead. The Boy (as he will still be know, I suppose) is home for less than two weeks before he goes off to Britain. He is returning to the archaeological site where he has spent the last two summers. In 2012 he was a student; in 2013 he was lowest level staff. This year he moves up the pecking order on the staff roster. I did something right in raising this lad! He wore a kilt under his graduation robe!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 For those doing Bible reading (& even those who aren't), here's an interesting article & some gorgeous old prints.... 'The Book of Miracles' (And here is an actual copy of the book they are discussing for a mere $97 on amazon....) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 Closing in on 8 hours here and they still haven't seated a jury! Just finished Rosie Project, my iPad is slowly losing power. Do I start the next book? Play Angry Birds? Thank you for the Rosie Project recommendation! The perfect light and fluffy read for the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 ...and I need to solidity of character and world.. it doesn't matter which world, but the world itself needs to have a verisimilitude... and kal v'chomer (even more so) the characters. I get it, I think. Correct me if wrong. You need to relate to the story in some form or fashion. If the characters actions are so far beyond what you would normally be able to accept in real life, you have a hard time accepting on the page. Am I far out in left field? I don't like magical realism just because it seems so bizarre versus fantasy or science fiction. I use reading more for escapism more than anything else so I love to immerse myself in paranormal or fantasy worlds because it takes me out of world. However, I have found myself at the crossroads of late with my reading splitting my time between historical fiction and the paranormal. See, neither of you make any sense to me when you talk like that :lol: For me the roots are found in the here-and-now world and the wings are in the various bending of those laws through magic. Fantasy, I've got nothing to hold onto, it exists in another dimension entirely and with no breadcrumbs or rope or touchstones. I get bored. I find this all so fascinating, the way each of us interprets things, so differently in some ways and yet there is always a point of intersection. Interesting discussion re: magical realism & fantasy. Find it interesting that the 'world' (whether real or fantasy) is an important base for feeling comfortable w/in a story. I like magical realism, surrealism, & fantasy (but to a lesser extent than the other two) but don't think that the 'world' base really matters that much to me. I'm completely ok w/ a realistic world w/ magical/strange overtones (magical realism), a fantasy world, or a story that doesn't even necessarily have a certain/strong 'world' (more into the surreal category). In fact, I rather enjoy falling into a book w/ an unusual/not explained/unclear world because anything is in the realm of possibility at that point & I like seeing where the author will take you. (That doesn't mean the story is always well-done & it takes skill to lead readers through a story w/out a world too.) Makes me want to go round up some wild surreal books now.... And yet another perspective. The 'world' base...I wonder if that's what I mean by roots...will need to think on that some more. I don't have to accept it in real life, but I do need to see in anchored in its world - the opening of Robin McKinley's Spindle's End is something I use with my kids to show what verisimilitude looks like.. here is a little bit of it: I don't need it spelled out, but I like to have story, world, and character feel well rooted - not realistic in a real-world sense, but consistent within themselves... and, for me, the logic of dreams doesn't do that. ...yet. I might get there someday, and then a whole 'nother world will be opened to me... Historical fiction and SFF push similar buttons for me and, imho, need similar worldbuilding skills. ...it made sense that Hild was written by a SFF author - the worldbuilding was rock solid, and the encluing was fabulous [both things that mainstream historical fiction often gets 'wrong' (for my reading preferences)] I can (and have) enjoyed books that don't get that quite to my satisfaction, but I need for the characters to make sense - within their world & culture. Bujold's Vorkosigan series is space opera, there are different cultures, species, worlds, etc, but the human dimension grabs my heart and mind. [i recommend starting with the 1st omnibus Cordelia's Honor], Sherwood Smith's Inda series leaves me feeling I've been immersed in different world's War and Peace, and Pamela Dean's Tam Lin had more reality for me than any straight fiction book I read at that period of my life... all of those have unreal elements, couldn't happen here... but have, for me, such strong underlying truths about being human, truths that, imho, can only be told through SFF. ...I know those truths are there too in magical realism, but I can't access them... it is like looking at one of those 'magic pictures' and just getting a headache while everyone else can see the nifty picture. More things to ponder. Do dreams have logic? I've never really thought about it. They are clearly ordered in a particular way but it's extremely oblique. Do you dream a lot? Maybe my like of the surreal, unrooted type stories can be explained this way. The first time I heard about quantum physics (even though I still don't even really understand quantum physics) many years ago, it just seemed so mind-bending, bizarre, & yet so *right*. I immediately identified with the openess (???) of it & have considered myself a quantum physicist at heart ever since, even though I don't really understand it. (I wish I had the brain power to be a quantum physicist irl.) Does that sound completely crazy? To me, quantum physics (esp. when it was first introduced & becoming known to the general public) seemed so far out there (outside the realm of 'normal' possibility) that it equates very well with loving surrealism. Entertaining those possibilities makes total sense to me (so, for me, it's easy to entertain quantum physics & surrealism in my normal world). Right there with you but that's because QP, which I can only accommodate intuitively, is a facet of reality that I like to think of as an intersection of science, philosophy, magic and spirituality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 As someone who spent a portion of her day trying to get a firmer grasp on the legalities concerning my library it was a pleasure to read a book about a library with far bigger problems. The case of the Missing Books was very Irish and very funny. Not a great mystery but the poor bookless librarian...... :lol: A young man from London arrives in rural Ireland ready to start his first real librarian job only to discover the library permanently closed. Eventually he tracks down the council rep and is told that he is in charge of the mobile library which was decommissioned in a different budget cut. Currently a disgusting chicken filled mess. It just goes on......The reality is this was the right book at the right moment for me, and to think I was trying to return it unread. http://www.theguardian.com/books/2006/feb/25/featuresreviews.guardianreview16. This book had the bonus aspect of being set in Northern Ireland very close to where a new acquaintance of mine is from. She has told me a lot about home while trying to decide if her family wants to return there or stay in England. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiegirl Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 Triple Witch: A Home Repair Is Homicide Mystery. I have no motivation to read anything of substance. Just started The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag - Flavia de Luce Some day I will find my way back to the classics, but I just can't do it right now. I am right there with you. I have been reading lots of fluff lately and I am quite happy. I know I will read heavier lit later on but right now? I'm just not there yet. We are home from my son's college graduation. Congratulations to your son, Jane! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 *Rosie_0801 feels smart because Eliana agrees Henry Lawson is better than Banjo Patterson.* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 *Stacia feels not so smart because she knows neither Henry Lawson nor Banjo Patterson.* (Was Banjo his real name??? Makes me think of the Japanese writer w/ the first name of Banana.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 *Shukriyya feels blessed to rub shoulders with such eclectic and witty women!* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 *Stacia feels not so smart because she knows neither Henry Lawson nor Banjo Patterson.* (Was Banjo his real name??? Makes me think of the Japanese writer w/ the first name of Banana.) My favourite Henry Lawson poem: http://treasure-explorer.nla.gov.au/closerlook/text-analysis-and-comprehension-2-4 No, Banjo's name was Andrew. Andrew Barton Patterson. They're two of the most well known Australian poets and no, you needn't have heard of them. They're Australian. Why should you have? :lol: I think Banjo is a better name than Banana. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted May 14, 2014 Author Share Posted May 14, 2014 Just returned from occupational therapy with James and had the pleasure of reading to the cutest three year old little boy in the waiting room while James did his thing. He first picked out a kids version of treasure island because it had a pirate on the front. After checking with dad to make sure okay, we flipped through and looked at the few pictures, me making up stuff and the kid giving his take on the angry faces. Then on to baby animals, Elmo, more baby animals, then Winnie the Pooh. Made me long for the days when used to snuggle with James and read Goodnight Moon, the Runaway Bunny and more. *sigh* I don't have to accept it in real life, but I do need to see in anchored in its world - the opening of Robin McKinley's Spindle's End is something I use with my kids to show what verisimilitude looks like.. here is a little bit of it: I don't need it spelled out, but I like to have story, world, and character feel well rooted - not realistic in a real-world sense, but consistent within themselves... and, for me, the logic of dreams doesn't do that. ...yet. I might get there someday, and then a whole 'nother world will be opened to me... Historical fiction and SFF push similar buttons for me and, imho, need similar worldbuilding skills. ...it made sense that Hild was written by a SFF author - the worldbuilding was rock solid, and the encluing was fabulous [both things that mainstream historical fiction often gets 'wrong' (for my reading preferences)] I can (and have) enjoyed books that don't get that quite to my satisfaction, but I need for the characters to make sense - within their world & culture. Bujold's Vorkosigan series is space opera, there are different cultures, species, worlds, etc, but the human dimension grabs my heart and mind. [i recommend starting with the 1st omnibus Cordelia's Honor], Sherwood Smith's Inda series leaves me feeling I've been immersed in different world's War and Peace, and Pamela Dean's Tam Lin had more reality for me than any straight fiction book I read at that period of my life... all of those have unreal elements, couldn't happen here... but have, for me, such strong underlying truths about being human, truths that, imho, can only be told through SFF. ...I know those truths are there too in magical realism, but I can't access them... it is like looking at one of those 'magic pictures' and just getting a headache while everyone else can see the nifty picture. Thanks for the links and especially the quote. Makes me want to read the book now. I've been finding appropriate titles on Amazon for this project. The Brick Book Hand Me Another Brick Book of Bricks The Brick Bible: A New Spin on the Old Testament Beyond the Yellow Brick Road Brick by Brick Brick Lane: A Novel The possibilities seem endless! Regards, Kareni LOL! Great finds and added Brick Lane to my wishlist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 I think Banjo is a better name than Banana. ♬ B A N J O B A N J O B A N J O And Banjo was his name, Oh! ♬ (Okay, I know it's BINGO, but these are the paths my brain takes.) Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted May 14, 2014 Author Share Posted May 14, 2014 Book-bosomed doesn't mean what I thought it meant. :lol: Love the brick idea. Who can easily paint in Times New Roman font, especially on a rough surface like a brick??? Didn't even notice that. Must have used a stencil of some sort. Wonder what my husband would do if I experiment on the fireplace bricks in the living room. :laugh: Found the place that does it made to order and they are in Melbourne If I did it myself here's what mine would look like: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 ♬ B A N J O B A N J O B A N J O And Banjo was his name, Oh! ♬ (Okay, I know it's BINGO, but these are the paths my brain takes.) Regards, Kareni In this case, Banjo is definitely better than Banana. :lol: (Phew. Glad to find out they're Australian poets. It's not that I wouldn't necessarily know them because they're Australian. It's more likely I didn't know them because they're poets. :leaving: ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Juxtapositions: My son filled several Rubbermaid bins with books collected over his college years. These two titles next to each other amused me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Juxtapositions: My son filled several Rubbermaid bins with books collected over his college years. These two titles next to each other amused me. Well, the boy is clearly ready to join us here. He reads both fluffy books and those with some substance. Congratulations on his graduation! Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Juxtapositions: My son filled several Rubbermaid bins with books collected over his college years. These two titles next to each other amused me. A well balanced lad :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 I guess I have trouble understanding exactly what magical realism is too. I read the Wikipedia article and still don't really understand. I've looked at lists and the only book I can find that I've read is Life of Pi. I'm not even sure why it is called magical realism, but I did like the book very much. What is the difference between magical realism and just magical like Harry Potter? I like magical. I'm not too thrilled with most pure fantasy because I do like things to be grounded in reality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 I think magical realism is mainly a 'reality' based story w/ magical (i.e., unusual or very odd) elements that occur, but everyone in the story just takes the things in stride, as if they are normal (even though it wouldn't be normal in real life as we know it). So, there's a fairly 'normal' world in the book, but things like people talking to ghosts or rain showers of flowers instead of raindrops or a town where everything runs backward are all just 'normal' fit w/in the framework of a magical realism story because the characters in the story just treat those things as normal occurrences. No characters think those oddities are strange. I think of HP being different because it is based on magic (more than reality) & the reality (Muggles) doesn't necessarily consider the ones w/ magical powers to be normal. I guess I'd rank HP nearer to fantasy because you have to enter a special world (through the special platform, etc...) to get to Hogwarts, the way Hogwarts works is not normal (it's strange to the new students) in that the staircases rearrange themselves, the portraits talk, etc.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 ♬ B A N J O B A N J O B A N J O And Banjo was his name, Oh! ♬ (Okay, I know it's BINGO, but these are the paths my brain takes.) Regards, Kareni Our dog is named Dingo and we sing that song to him, changing the B to D of course. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Ok, so I guess I really do like fantasy, but I have not been thinking of those books as fantasy. There is a boundary to how fantastic things can get. I don't know how to describe what is on the other side of the boundary. Maybe it is surrealism? In a sense, Harry Potter seems very real to me. So do many other fantastic magical stories, because I can imagine myself in them. Maybe I do have a reality problem if magic in the everyday world doesn't seem that far fetched to me when I read about it. (Was my mother right?) The Never Ending Story approaches the boundary. Artemis Fowl teeters on the edge, it took me two tries to read that. I guess real elements must outweigh the fantasy elements, but even then I would think of moving staircases as real things because stair cases are real things. Fairy wars with leprechauns are not real things. Clearly I'm hopelessly muddled. I just know what I like. :lol: In real life I tend to be very realistic and skeptical. I can't explain it. ETA: I think I've figured out part of my boundary. I want most of my fantasy to be "cozy" just like my mysteries, little or no graphic violence or sex, engaging dialog, and an element of "edutainment." That is I am given something to think about, not fantasy just for fantasy's sake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 I think magical realism is mainly a 'reality' based story w/ magical (i.e., unusual or very odd) elements that occur, but everyone in the story just takes the things in stride, as if they are normal (even though it wouldn't be normal in real life as we know it). So, there's a fairly 'normal' world in the book, but things like people talking to ghosts or rain showers of flowers instead of raindrops or a town where everything runs backward are all just 'normal' fit w/in the framework of a magical realism story because the characters in the story just treat those things as normal occurrences. No characters think those oddities are strange. I think of HP being different because it is based on magic (more than reality) & the reality (Muggles) doesn't necessarily consider the ones w/ magical powers to be normal. I guess I'd rank HP nearer to fantasy because you have to enter a special world (through the special platform, etc...) to get to Hogwarts, the way Hogwarts works is not normal (it's strange to the new students) in that the staircases rearrange themselves, the portraits talk, etc.... Okay, that might explain why I have never been able to find my way into HP despite a couple of attempts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 There's very little fantasy or magical realism that I like. For the most part I don't care for science fiction at all. I love the Harry Potter series. I resisted it for years because I usually don't care for fantasy. I don't know what was different about those books that sucked me in. I can't name any other fantasy stories that I even kind of like. Magical realism: I tried a few last year. I managed to get through 1Q84 and while I didn't dislike it, it didn't leave me with a desire to try any other of his books. OTOH I really loved One Hundred Years of Solitude. It was just so bizarre that I couldn't stop reading. I think the difference between those two is in the writing. I found Garcia Marquez's writing beautiful and I do think that's what kept me wanting more. Still, I didn't choose to read anything else of his. Science fiction - meh. I can watch some sci-fi tv shows, but they're not my first choice. I usually just watch with dh as a kind of thank you for him watching my shows/movies with me. Books are a different story, and sci-fi books just don't interest me. Eliana, I loved how you were able to put into words what you don't like about magical realism. I can't pinpoint anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Sci-fi and fantasy authors spend quite a bit of time planning the world their characters will inhabit. There has to be a whole logic to the world, to what the magic can and cannot do, or what the technology is and what it can do. In bad fantasy or sci fi the authors spend far too much time explaining the world -- it should just unfold through the story. "World building" is the catch phrase. It can be another planet or a make believe place such as Middle Earth, or it can be an alternate earth or dystopian future. Harry Potter is our world but there JKRowling did some serious world building to create the logic of what the magic is and who can perform it and what the consequences of it are. Authors who write magical realism do not world-build. Their stories take place in our world except mystical things happen that have no logic and serve no purpose other than perhaps to set a mood or to set a character apart or just add an air of mystery to the story. The magic isn't supposed to be definable, or to have some working logic. I think that is the difference -- either a story is set in a created world or it isn't. I enjoy reading both kinds of works, and clearly need to finally get around to some Murakami! By the way, I never did get selected to sit on a jury today, but I'm on call the rest of the month. **sigh** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Sci-fi and fantasy authors spend quite a bit of time planning the world their characters will inhabit. There has to be a whole logic to the world, to what the magic can and cannot do, or what the technology is and what it can do. In bad fantasy or sci fi the authors spend far too much time explaining the world -- it should just unfold through the story. "World building" is the catch phrase. It can be another planet or a make believe place such as Middle Earth, or it can be an alternate earth or dystopian future. Harry Potter is our world but there JKRowling did some serious world building to create the logic of what the magic is and who can perform it and what the consequences of it are. Authors who write magical realism do not world-build. Their stories take place in our world except mystical things happen that have no logic and serve no purpose other than perhaps to set a mood or to set a character apart or just add an air of mystery to the story. The magic isn't supposed to be definable, or to have some working logic. I think that is the difference -- either a story is set in a created world or it isn't. I enjoy reading both kinds of works, and clearly need to finally get around to some Murakami! By the way, I never did get selected to sit on a jury today, but I'm on call the rest of the month. **sigh** Yes! What Jenn said! Well, at least if you get called back, you'll hopefully have another good chunk of reading time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Sci-fi and fantasy authors spend quite a bit of time planning the world their characters will inhabit. There has to be a whole logic to the world, to what the magic can and cannot do, or what the technology is and what it can do. In bad fantasy or sci fi the authors spend far too much time explaining the world -- it should just unfold through the story. "World building" is the catch phrase. It can be another planet or a make believe place such as Middle Earth, or it can be an alternate earth or dystopian future. Harry Potter is our world but there JKRowling did some serious world building to create the logic of what the magic is and who can perform it and what the consequences of it are. Authors who write magical realism do not world-build. Their stories take place in our world except mystical things happen that have no logic and serve no purpose other than perhaps to set a mood or to set a character apart or just add an air of mystery to the story. The magic isn't supposed to be definable, or to have some working logic. I think that is the difference -- either a story is set in a created world or it isn't. I enjoy reading both kinds of works, and clearly need to finally get around to some Murakami! By the way, I never did get selected to sit on a jury today, but I'm on call the rest of the month. **sigh** That I get. When I checked in last night things here were confusing. Compared to some I am obviously a huge Fantasy fiction fan. Love Harry Potter the books and enjoy most of the "kid type" fantasy. Love Artemis Fowl, Lord of the Rings, Diane Wynne Jones.....well developed world's. I don't mind magical realism but need to know that it is going to be part of the book beforehand or I have a hard time with it. Loved 1Q84 but was prepared and to some degree I was able to make the elements line up, plus proper ending, imo. I had problems doing that with Wind Up Bird and wasn't as fond of it. I find things that don't really add up hard to accept and that takes the fun out. I was an accountant. Congratulations to Jane and her son. Love that he had the kilt on under the robe. Made me chuckle. I suspect the next couple of weeks will be very busy for you. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Ok, the logic thing makes sense. Yes, I like things to be logical. I don't think I've had enough experience with magical realism to talk about it. Maybe the reason I liked Life of Pi so much is because I did not read it like it was magical realism, I read it like it was fantasy. I understood it to be make-believe from the beginning so I didn't find anything problematic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Funny. To me, Life of Pi was so realistic that it cut to the bone. Sure, it had a couple magical/mystical things, but they were not outside the realm of reality imo, making the whole story incredibly heartbreaking & tragic for me. I would have never in a million years thought to have categorized it as fantasy, lol. Maybe I would have liked it better that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Funny. To me, Life of Pi was so realistic that it cut to the bone. Sure, it had a couple magical/mystical things, but they were not outside the realm of reality imo, making the whole story incredibly heartbreaking & tragic for me. I would have never in a million years thouht to have categorized it as fantasy, lol. Maybe I would have liked it better that way. I think it must be in my nature to approach most fiction as fantasy, blurring the boundary lines. That may be why I had trouble distinguishing what is categorized fantasy as a genre. After all, it all has an element of the imagination. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 After tucking myself into bed and turning out the light last night, my mind's eye traveled across the stacks of books read. I fear that most are not grouped by genre but often by my life itself where its phases led to whims. What is clear though is that I do not often read fantasy, even less science fiction. Much of the former though has been read (or listened to) in the last two decades because The Boy loved fantasy. If that had not been the case, I doubt if I would be familiar with Pratchett, Stroud's Bartemaous books, or Pullman's His Dark Materials. (Let me state now that the last volume of the latter was disturbing!) Jenn, what you wrote above helps me understand why Life of Pi or The Old Gringo may be considered magic realism while the amazing parallel world that Pullman created is not. That said, though, I find that it remains challenging for me to place authors in boxes. Consider Michael Chabon who would rather be considered the author of cracking good stories than a genre author. This reader had no trouble adapting to his alternative reality in The Yiddish Policeman's Union. Science fiction, really? It won the Hugo and the Nebula--but maybe I liked it because it also won the Edgar award that year too and I do like my mysteries. And under what category do we place Bruno Schultz? Pesky Eastern European? Given Jenn's comments above, it seems that The Street of the Crocodiles and The Sanatorium under the Sign of the Hourglass fall into the category of magical realism. Heretofore I just called them brilliant. Ultimately I find the twists of magical realism easier in general to accept than the large fantastical worlds with talking dragons. Some Dystopian stuff appealed to me in my youth (i.e. Canticle for Leibowitz). Given my Pollyanna-ish love of life, I have little interest in Dystopian worlds in this phase of my adulthood--which is why I could not even begin to understand why adults were reading The Hunger Games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Jane, I agree. Generally, I find it quite hard to categorize books into certain genres. Yes, they may have elements of some things & even of various others, but I often can't/don't figure out what it's really supposed to be other than a good book or not. These days, even the broad categories of fiction vs. non-fiction are even blurred. (Half Broke Horses comes to mind here for me.) That said, I do enjoy books that don't necessarily follow a common logic throughout. I can appreciate the detailed world-building some authors do (per Jenn's remarks) & like some stories like that, but I often prefer something that defies logic, which keeps things interesting, imo. Lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 What a fascinating conversation! Thank you for waking my brain up today. :001_smile: I especially enjoyed JennW's definitions and Eliana's fantasy/magical realism confession. I love science fiction/speculative fiction. It has so many ideas! There are concepts that need to be mulled over. I am neutral toward magical realism, to be good it must tell us something about the characters or story. It's best when the magic is symbolic of something or illuminates a character or characters. Not every author can balance it. Some authors (Allende for one) can do it well in one novel and then be terrible in others. Magical Realism should never be a deus ex machina or a way to jump start the story. Until the last year or two I had a deep dislike of fantasy. I still wince a bit when I see fantasy covers or titles. That's not to say that I didn't have some fantasies I liked (LOTR, natch) but I tried so much bad fantasy in my youth that I still react to it. :001_rolleyes: Ah, world building. Such a divisive word in my mind. Most fantasy has too much world-building. That's right, you heard me say it first. Too many adjectives and adverbs. Too much describing the room. I'm saying that as a person who is very much into slow character development, so I don't think it's a speed thing. The problem is that most fantasy worlds are painfully obvious from the out-set. They are often very much like other fantasy worlds. They don't need so much exposition, and what differences the author creates can be revealed naturally in the story. Of course, my fantasy-lack is probably obvious in my life through my lack of decorator sense, and my impatience at any chess game that takes more than 30 minutes. Both my chess-loving brothers read fantasy (Robert Jordan, George RR Martin) exclusively. Sweet irony. I blame myself for the younger one because I read him Piers Anthony before I knew any better. Fun to see how different we all are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Ultimately I find the twists of magical realism easier in general to accept than the large fantastical worlds with talking dragons. Some Dystopian stuff appealed to me in my youth (i.e. Canticle for Leibowitz). Given my Pollyanna-ish love of life, I have little interest in Dystopian worlds in this phase of my adulthood--which is why I could not even begin to understand why adults were reading The Hunger Games. Yes! I'm right there with you, Jane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElaineJ Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 So would A Tale for the Time Being be magical realism? Elaine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Ah, world building. Such a divisive word in my mind. Most fantasy has too much world-building. That's right, you heard me say it first. Too many adjectives and adverbs. Too much describing the room. I'm saying that as a person who is very much into slow character development, so I don't think it's a speed thing. The problem is that most fantasy worlds are painfully obvious from the out-set. They are often very much like other fantasy worlds. They don't need so much exposition, and what differences the author creates can be revealed naturally in the story. Totally agree w/ this. I think that's why fantasy is not my favorite genre. Too many of the authors are so busy showing you their world that the story lags (imo). I include The Hobbit & LotR in that assessment too. (Ducking & running now....) To me, most of the fantasy worlds I've read in books are all really quite similar. It gets rather ho-hum. I think that's why I prefer magical realism or surrealism to fantasy. I still enjoy some fantasy (love Pratchett & the Iron Druid books), but the ones I enjoy don't seem to dwell on setting details. So would A Tale for the Time Being be magical realism? Elaine I have no idea. To me, it's just fiction. I've seen people label it as magical realism, but I'm not sure why? Is it because there is a ghost? To me, that's not something that necessarily indicates magical realism as there are plenty of people irl who believe in ghosts, so a ghost appearing to a character in a book seems realistic to me (just as real people sometimes claim to see ghosts). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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