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Nora Roberts & Jane Austen & daffodils
Apr. 6th, 2007 08:09 amGo check out today's post at Dear Author -- it is the tale of best selling author (295 million books in print!) Nora Roberts' first sale.
Jane Austen: I'm rereading Emma, and the afterword by David Pinching has me thinking about why I admire this book but don't love it the same way I love Persuasion. It is a marvelous piece of fiction written by a master storyteller. The lack of plot doesn't bother me, but I just don't *care* about any of the characters, who all seem to be a bit like caricatures to me. Apparently Austen's intent was to write a heroine whom no one would love but her; Pinching says that we the readers really do like Emma. He also says that Emma is heroine who is "not always right but she is always sympathetic." Hmm, I disagree there -- I find her well-drawn, but unsympathetic through a great deal of the book. Which is why I seldom reread the book, I suppose.
Daffs are everywhere. There are huge banks of them in the median of the parkway on my way to and from work. Yesterday I was tempted to feign car trouble so I could pull over and snip a few. (They might die because of the frost tonight or this weekend, y'know; I'd be doing them a favor!) But that'd be bad karma (with my luck my car wouldn't start again) and probably a ticketable offense. It'd cheaper and safer just to pick some up at the flower stall in Cross Street Market.
Jane Austen: I'm rereading Emma, and the afterword by David Pinching has me thinking about why I admire this book but don't love it the same way I love Persuasion. It is a marvelous piece of fiction written by a master storyteller. The lack of plot doesn't bother me, but I just don't *care* about any of the characters, who all seem to be a bit like caricatures to me. Apparently Austen's intent was to write a heroine whom no one would love but her; Pinching says that we the readers really do like Emma. He also says that Emma is heroine who is "not always right but she is always sympathetic." Hmm, I disagree there -- I find her well-drawn, but unsympathetic through a great deal of the book. Which is why I seldom reread the book, I suppose.
Daffs are everywhere. There are huge banks of them in the median of the parkway on my way to and from work. Yesterday I was tempted to feign car trouble so I could pull over and snip a few. (They might die because of the frost tonight or this weekend, y'know; I'd be doing them a favor!) But that'd be bad karma (with my luck my car wouldn't start again) and probably a ticketable offense. It'd cheaper and safer just to pick some up at the flower stall in Cross Street Market.
