Books in January

[starfishstar]

Oh dear, I'm such a dork for 1) doing this, 2) being this excited about this and 3) being so excited about this that I'm actually bragging about it in public, but I've been reading a bunch this month, and when I realized the goal of 10 books in one month was in sight, I set myself about accomplishing it...and I just did it, just turned the last page of the 10th book right now.

Not quite 40 books in all of last year, and then 10 just this month! Heh. It's not a pace I could keep up under normal circumstances, but right now (moving, starting over in a new/old place, everything in flux) it's been a nice sort of through-line, while all else is chaos.

Don't hold me to the same for February, though!

Comments

[shimotsuki.livejournal.com]

I knew I was forgetting something...

I'd like to know about what you think about that... I was actually fairly impressed (you know, relative to the time period) with the way that was handled in the first book, where the victim is Jewish – a point is certainly made of the fact, but he's presented sympathetically, as is wife and her grief. Were you thinking of that book, or others in the series?

Ah, I was thinking of other books -- I agree that the Levys were very sympathetic, and Rachel persists as a relatively important off-stage character. I haven't made systematic notes, but I just feel like there are many instances where a minor character who is Jewish is portrayed unflatteringly either by the narrator, or by another character in the story. I'm thinking about some remarks made to creditors come to collect in Busman's Honeymoon (which I really enjoy aside from a few dated social things like that), and I think also in one of the short stories where a fellow is having recurring nightmares about a tower, there's a very dodgy Jewish character where it's made clear that he's not just dodgy, he's dodgy and Jewish. Things like that.

if your work ever takes you to Cornell (seems like an outside possibility, I suppose) or elsewhere in upstate NY, let me know!

*snort* More of a possibility than you know. I'm an alum, and still have some friends in Ithaca -- admittedly, I don't get there very often these days being based much further south now, but it could happen. (And I was invited back to give a lecture there once about eight years ago. That was kind of cool, to go back actually to my old department.)

[starfishstar]

!!! Oh! Well, then all the more reason that you're more than welcome to drop me a line if you're ever coming this way!

About the Wimsey stories: Ah, that makes sense – I haven't read "Busman's Honeymoon" yet. (I'm still on "Nine Tailors.") Shoot, I was really looking forward to that one. Now I'm looking forward to it, and also feeling a bit of trepidation about it...

I looked at and enjoyed some of your older Japan posts! It's funny, because I even *lived* in Thailand (which is at least the same continent as Japan) and yet Japan seems so foreign and far away to me – much more so than a lot of other countries. So it's fascinating to hear about other people's experiences there!