Defeating my expectations
Sep. 24th, 2007 10:58 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jmc_bksI've never been all that impressed by inspirational fiction -- too proselytizing, too sweet, too sexless. My major complaint about the inspies I've read is how asexual the romances are, which I find to be strange; even if one is celibate or abstaining, one's sexuality isn't erased. And, frankly, one of the earthiest, sexiest couples I know is also the couple that is very in touch with their faith, so the disconnect between the reality I see and the fiction just makes me wonder what the target audience is.
Anyhow, a while back someone (I can't find a link now, not even when I google, otherwise I'd post and give proper credit) reviewed Siri L. Mitchell's The Cubicle Next Door, which sounded interesting. I haven't been able to find a copy, but I saw another book by Mitchell, Moon Over Tokyo, at the library last week, so I picked it up.
I liked this book a lot, more than I expected even, mostly because I liked Allie. She wants to write, she's always wanted to write, and she more or less exiled herself in order to give herself the opportunity to do so. Except really, she keeps finding excuses not to write. She's just sort of going through the motions. When her best friend goes home to Australia, she feels sort of abandoned and then stuck with Eric, her nemesis from high school.
Eric is a nice guy, so nice, in fact that I found the characterization of their high school antipathy to be a little ridiculous...and Allie's continued harping on it (he's a Republican and must be evil, while she's a tree hugging -literally- Democrat) to be a little out of place.
Enjoyed the exploration of the area around Tokyo and farther afield, even as a metaphor for Eric pushing Allie to grow and push past her own self-imposed boundaries.
The religion plays a teeny, tiny part of the plot, which made me happy. In fact, the lead in to backblurb implies much more mental-metaphysical wrangling than there actually was. (Which was fine by me, obviously.)
My favorite scenes -- the passages in which Allie has been struck by inspiration, and literally cannot stop writing. Picture her writing on the back of the tray liners at McDonald's, please :)
I wouldn't say that Ms. Mitchell has become an auto-read or auto-buy for me, but I'm certainly interested in checking out her backlist.
Anyhow, a while back someone (I can't find a link now, not even when I google, otherwise I'd post and give proper credit) reviewed Siri L. Mitchell's The Cubicle Next Door, which sounded interesting. I haven't been able to find a copy, but I saw another book by Mitchell, Moon Over Tokyo, at the library last week, so I picked it up.
Though Stars and Stripes reporter Allie O’Connor has lived in Japan for two years, she still feels like a foreigner. As her best friend prepares to move away, she prays for a new friend. Just a friend.
Soon after this prayer she runs into Eric Larsen at church, an old classmate from high school. Eric has recently been assigned to the U.S. embassy and lives in Allie’s district in Tokyo. In school they had been polar opposites. He had been captain of the debate team; she had edited the literary magazine. He drank espresso, while she preferred green tea. He is definitely not the friend she was looking for. And yet...here he is. Here she is.
Will Allie accept this unexpected answer to her prayer? And will she be brave enough to really see the person she once chose to overlook?
I liked this book a lot, more than I expected even, mostly because I liked Allie. She wants to write, she's always wanted to write, and she more or less exiled herself in order to give herself the opportunity to do so. Except really, she keeps finding excuses not to write. She's just sort of going through the motions. When her best friend goes home to Australia, she feels sort of abandoned and then stuck with Eric, her nemesis from high school.
Eric is a nice guy, so nice, in fact that I found the characterization of their high school antipathy to be a little ridiculous...and Allie's continued harping on it (he's a Republican and must be evil, while she's a tree hugging -literally- Democrat) to be a little out of place.
Enjoyed the exploration of the area around Tokyo and farther afield, even as a metaphor for Eric pushing Allie to grow and push past her own self-imposed boundaries.
The religion plays a teeny, tiny part of the plot, which made me happy. In fact, the lead in to backblurb implies much more mental-metaphysical wrangling than there actually was. (Which was fine by me, obviously.)
My favorite scenes -- the passages in which Allie has been struck by inspiration, and literally cannot stop writing. Picture her writing on the back of the tray liners at McDonald's, please :)
I wouldn't say that Ms. Mitchell has become an auto-read or auto-buy for me, but I'm certainly interested in checking out her backlist.
no subject
Date: 2007-09-27 09:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-06 12:21 am (UTC)I've made a note of Siri L. Mitchell and will check out her books at the library. I've noticed that you and I sometimes enjoy the same books (which is why I made a note of your LibraryThing library too).
Thanks for the rec.
AAR Rachel
http://grerp.blog-city.com
Hi, AAR Rachel.
Date: 2007-10-06 02:31 pm (UTC)I ended up reading one of my favorite keepers after seeing your review at AAR: Sloppy Firsts. I must thank you -- otherwise I probably would never have read the books :)
I haven't had a chance to browse through LibraryThing lately. Everytime I log in, a message appears on the screen telling me that the site will be down for 1-10 minutes and to try back later.
Re: Hi, AAR Rachel.
Date: 2007-10-07 12:36 am (UTC)I wonder why LibraryThing is doing that to you. I never seem to have problems getting on.
Oh, and I picked up The Cubicle Next Door today at the library. It looks good.
AAR Rachel
Re: Hi, AAR Rachel.
Date: 2007-10-09 05:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-07 01:52 am (UTC)I can't wait to read The Cubicle Next Door. Oh, and I second the recommendation of American Fuji, it truly is wonderful.
Jen
no subject
Date: 2007-10-09 05:12 pm (UTC)I borrowed The Cubicle Next Door from the library...and I'm resisting returning it. Must find a copy of my own to keep. It's in my Top 10 for the year, I think.
And a copy of American Fuji is being held for me; I'm really looking forward to reading it.
Moon Over Cubicle
Date: 2007-10-12 05:16 am (UTC)As to where you saw Cubicle mentioned... I think the word has been spreading. I recommended it on a Smart Bitches post a few months ago. Close to that time, I saw it recommended on someone else's blog. I'm glad Mitchell's getting some recognition--inspirationals can be such dreck, so I'm glad to see a good one do well.
RfP (http://www.readforpleasure.com)