Thursday Tea

Thursday Tea is a weekly meme hosted by Anastasia at the Birdbrain(ed) Book Blog. To play along, all you need is some tea, a book, and the will to answer some very simple questions: what tea are you drinking (and do you like it)? What book are you reading (and do you like it)? Tell us a little about your tea and your book, and whether or not the two go together.

I was going to drink Yogi Tea's ginger tea, but then my brother came in and said he wanted Celestial Seasonings' Sleepy Time tea; so I thought, hmmm, I kind of want Sleepy Time tea, too.  Instead just picking one or the other, I combined them.  So far it's a really odd combination.  When I first sip it, all I taste in the ginger, and then the Sleepy Time comes through only as I'm swallowing it.  But it's not too bad.


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After Drood, I decided I needed a really romantic novel to revive my worldview of true love, happy endings, and rainbow-pooping unicorns.  So I decided to re-read Twilight.  Plus, my mom got me a library bound, signed, "collector's edition" of the book for Christmas, and I haven't really bonded with it yet (I get attached to certain copies of books--I have to admit, I'm missing the paperback I bought), so this gives me the perfect opportunity to do so.

Does my tea and my book choice go together?  Hmm, well Sleepy Time is a comforting and soothing mixture of camomile and mint, and some other stuff, meant to carry you off into a world of pleasant dreams; while ginger is spicy and has apparently supernatural healing powers.  Will these two seeminly uncompatible tea flavors be able to combine hormoniously in my tummy?  Will Sleepy Time be able to put up with Ginger's brooding, secretive ways and accept the fact that something as hot as Ginger really does want to be with something as ordinary as Sleepy Time?  I just don't know!!!

What are you drinking/reading this Thursday?

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Drood

Proposed subtitle:  A Bromance.


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On the 9th of June, 1865, Charles Dickens meets Death.

He doesn't know it's Death at the time, of course.  On that day in 1865, Dickens is one of the survivors of the Staplehurst train accident.  As he goes down to the wreckage to try to help the injured, he glances to his side and sees a tall, skinny, bald man dressed all in black with pale skin, no eyelids, and two slits where his nose should be (kind of like Lord Voldemort).  Dickens asks the name of this strange figure, but can't quite make it out--it might have been "Dread," but Dickens settles on Drood.  As he travels through the wreckage, it seems like every person Drood touches, dies.  Subsequently and illogically, Dickens becomes obsessed with finding Drood in the subterranean slums of London--almost as if doing so will give him the secret to avoiding the spectre of death he saw that day.

Charles Dickens, c. 1858

However, the book Drood isn't about Charles Dickens or Drood himself, but about another writer entirely.  Wilkie Collins is the narrator of the tale, and he gets dragged along on this adventure of Dickens's, much to his consternation.  Then, after Dickens contrarily begins denying the existence of Drood, Collins is pulled deeper into the world of Undertown because of his opium addiction.

Opium (in all its various forms, especially laudanum) is to Wilkie Collins what vicodin is to Dr. House.  He literally orders it by the jug.  When he follows Dickens into Undertown, he encounters the opium den of King Lazaree, who has some very high-grade product.  Afterwards, Wilkie returns to King Lazaree's to test this product himself; and that is ultimately what seals his fate and cements his relationship (if one could call it that) with Drood--in more ways than one.

Wm. Wilkie Collins, c. 1874

However, what this book is really about, even more than Wilkie Collins, is the craft of writing.  The line between fiction and fact is very thin in this novel, almost... unintelligible.  The story is filled with characters and places literally out of Dickens's novels, such as St. Ghastly Grimm's.  Of course, most writers live mainly in their own minds, and I loved how the book reflected how both Dickens and Wilkie feel free to manipulate people and situations to not only reflect the world they see in their mind--just as if everyone were characters in their novels--but for the pure sake of "research."  The problem with non-imaginary characters, of course, is that they don't always do what you want them to.

Also, at some point in the book, Charles Dickens describes writing as--when it's done right--a mesmeric trance:  "You know the incomparable and--I would say--unique feeling one has when reading.  The focus of attention to the exlusion of all sensory input, other than the eyes taking in the words, one has when entering into a good book?  ...This happens to be precisely the state a person must be in for a mesmeric therapist to be able to do his work." (p. 233)  If you're looking for an extended metaphor, that's it.  Dickens draws Wilkie (and us, the "dear Reader"s) into the world of Drood with his story of the Staplehurst accident, and uses that as a platform to make us believe all sorts of fabulous nonsense.

The cover of The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Dickens's final and unfinished work

So, did I like this book?  Well, I had a few problems with it.  First, there were times when the narrator's voice sounded so unrealistically modern (when Wilkie was ranting about Dickens's treatment of his wife, for example) that I was pulled out of the narrative.  I also thought the conclusion was a little difficult to buy into.  But the main problem I had with the book was its length.  I understand completely why Simmons made this book as long as he did, filling it with endless biographical details about the lives of Wilkie and Dickens, as well as some literary criticism to spice things up (actually I didn't even mind those parts so much).  I certainly don't know exactly what was biographical fact and what wasn't in this book, and I doubt even an expert in Collins or Dickens could know; this makes all the fictive happenings of the novel that much more fact-y.  Also, a book this long (771 pages), with such (let's face it) little plot to support it, seems self-indulgent--but I honestly don't know if the self-indulgency is Simmons's or Wilkie's, if you know what I mean.  If it's the latter, it makes perfect sense.

So I understand the length, but I don't agree with it.  It gives me as the reader way too much time to think.  I was completely at the mercy of the storyteller when Dickens abandoned Wilkie in Undertown to go see Drood... but then the story stopped.  Then it started up again... and then it stopped.  By the time Wilkie was kidnapped by Drood and Detective Hibbert was murdered (by Drooooood????  Hm, we'll never know), I was like "Oh, please, Wilkie.  That's a little too sensationalistic, even for you."  My suspension of disbelief had faltered.  And in a book where the whole mesmerism-thing (see quote above) is supposed to be the central point, that is a fail.  BUT, I did keep reading the book until the end, so I definitely wanted to know the conclusion to the tale, no matter how long or how frustrating the path to that conclusion was. 

And I did cry at the end.  But that's because I'm a sap.

Would I recommend Drood?  I honestly don't know.  It was not what I was expecting on any level whatsoever (really cannot emphasize that enough--it will definitely defy your expectations).  There was some mystery in it, but it wasn't really a mystery; there were some fantasy elements, but it certainly wasn't a science fiction novel; there were scenes in the book that were creepy as all hell, but it wasn't a horror novel.  It was well-written--like damn, was it well-written--and researched out the wazoo, which is always something I appreciate.  If you're a fan of Charles Dickens, or Victoriana in general, then you're going to love this novel.  You're going to want to marry it and have tiny little book babies with it.  If you're more of a fan of Wilkie Collins, well... then good luck.

Want to read more about Drood?  I recommend Bookish Ruth's excellent review of it here.

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Traumatic Reading

Au Booking Through Thursday:

Which is worse?

Finding a book you love and then hating everything else you try by that author, or

Reading a completely disappointing book by an author that you love?

The latter has happened to me too many times to count.  As I've mentioned before, I can hate just about anything if I'm in the right mood.  It also seems like some authors have split personalities, so sometimes they write books just up my alley, and other times they write books that to me seem laaaaaaame.



Sherrilyn Kenyon is one of those writers to me.  Actually, I can pretty much predict whether or not I'll like her latest book based on whether or not I liked the previous one:  it seems to alternate fairly regularly.  Since I'm used to it by now, I'm not really that upset when I don't like one of her books.



Then there are other authors that I usually just adore.  When they publish something I dislike, I get really upset.  For example, Sandy Hingston (who of course isn't writing anymore because she actually wrote books I liked) was one of my favorite writers.  But she wrote this one book, The Lover's Charm, that I absolutely hated.  So I wrote a scathing review of it on Amazon.  Then, one time I met her and I was like, "I've loved every single book you've ever written, you're my favorite writer eva!" etc. etc.; and she said, "Wasn't there one book of mine you didn't like?"  <----GASP!  How did she know???

So that's another example of why one should think about censoring one's remarks when writing book reviews.



Anyway, I think being disappointed by an author you love is worse than finding a book I love by someone and hating all of their other stuff.  You have more invested in an author you love--you get excited about their new release, you bump all the books in your TBR pile so you can read their new release next, etc.  You go out of your way to read their books, so if the book is disappointing, it's more of a let-down. 

I haven't had all that many authors write just one book that I liked, except perhaps Neil Gaiman.  I loved Neverwhere, but when I went to read Stardust, I hated it.  That was a bit of a let-down, I have to admit, especially since Stardust seemed like it would be right up my alley.  I have to admit I haven't picked up a Neil Gaiman novel since; whereas I did continue to buy books by Sandy Hingston--and Sherrilyn Kenyon--after their books disappointed me.  So maybe I'm actually wrong and finding a book I love, then hating everything else by that author, is more traumatic for me.  I just block those instances out of my mind and try to move on.

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Thursday Tea

Thursday Tea is a weekly meme hosted by Anastasia at the Birdbrain(ed) Book Blog. To play along, all
you need is some tea, a book, and the will to answer some very simple
questions: what tea are you drinking (and do you like it)? What book are you reading (and do you like it)? Tell us a little about your tea and your book, and whether or not the two go together.

Well, it's not technically Thursday anymore, but close enough.  Right now I'm drinking The Republic of Tea's Earl Greyer (decaf, since it's 2 AM) with lots of milk and some vanilla extract and honey.  Basically it's my homemade version of a Starbuck's London Fog Latte.  Not as good, but it's decent.  I also suspect it's healthier.

My tea definitely goes along with my book, Drood (yes I'm still reading it), which takes place mainly in London.  Plus Earl Grey is a very traditional English tea. 



I am liking Drood.  I'm really enjoying the dark play between fantasy and reality that both Dickens and Wilkie are going through, and the glimpses into the "hidden" parts of British society that are being revealed in the house of Dickens and Wilkie's search.

What are you drinking and reading this not-anymore-Thursday?

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Book Zombie Quiz

Another reading meme from The Book Zombie:

1. What author do you own the most books by?
Well, I'm not going to count them.  But off the top of my head I'd say Christina Dodd and Lisa Kleypas, since I tend to read them obsessively and they've both written a lot of books.

2. What book do you own the most copies of?
I own three copies of Treasure Island.  Why, you ask?  I really have no idea.  I like the book, but I don't like it that much.  I also own 3 versions of the story on DVD.

3. Did it bother you that both those questions ended with prepositions?
The first one didn't bother me, but the second one really did.  That might be because I've just spent the last 5 hours grading essays, though.

4. What fictional character are you secretly in love with?
Haha, I have to pick one?  Hmm, Mr. Darcy is probably number one in my heart.  But there are really so many choices....

5. What book have you read the most times in your life?
Wellllll, I don't know.  It comes down to The Ivy Tree by Mary Stewart, Here Comes the Sun by Emilie Loring, and The Vampire Diaries by LJ Smith.  The one that I've read the most of all of those is probably Here Comes the Sun, since I've read it at least once a year since I was 7.  That book is crazy, y'all (not really).

6. What was your favorite book when you were ten years old?
I loved this book called The Ghost Wore Grey by Bruce Coville when I was younger (I've always had a thing for stories involving the supernatural).  It was about a ghost from the Civil War who recruits two pre-teen girls to help him do... something.  It had this great line in it:  "What a hunk!  Too bad he's dead."

7. What is the worst book you've read in the past year?
There are so many to choose from.  Probably Dark Thirst by Sara Reinke.  That was book was terrible.

8. What is the best book you've read in the past year?
Year as in since January?  Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles has probably been my personal favorite so far.

9. If you could force everyone you tagged to read one book, what would it be?
Lord, I don't know.  In all honesty, I'd probably make them read Giorgio de Chirico's Hebdomeros, because I'm evil like that, and because I could use it to create my de Chirico zombie army.  Alternative reading assignment would Nadja by André Breton.

10. Who deserves to win the next Nobel Prize for literature?
When I start reading "literature," I'll let you know.

11. What book would you most like to see made into a movie?
Well, I'm reading Drood right now, and I think it would make a great movie!  But you never know with that.  I used to really wish The Vampire Diaries would be made into a TV show (head writer would be Joss Whedon, natch), and now they ARE making it into a TV series, and I'm completely convinced they're going to fuck it up.  I heard the other day that they're changing Stephen and Damon's last names from Salvatore to Witcombe, or something really dumb like that.  WTH?  Stephen and Damon are from Italy, why would you mess with that (very important, trust me) part of the plot unless you're a total d-bag?!?!  Anywayyyy, /rant.  People are trampling on my childhood memories yet again. *grumble grumble*

12. What book would you least like to see made into a movie?
Ha, just about any romance novel.  I really don't want to see most of that stuff on-screen.

13. Describe your weirdest dream involving a writer, book, or literary character.
No idea.  I can't remember stuff like that (at least, nothing's springing to mind at the moment), although I have dreamed about Giorgio de Chirico, who is technically a writer.

14. What is the most lowbrow book you've read as an adult?
Um, just about every book I pick up is considered "lowbrow" by some person.

15. What is the most difficult book you've ever read?
Difficult how?  I'd have to say trying to read Les Fleurs du Mal by Charles Baudelaire in the original French was pretty damn difficult.  I'm amazed I survived that semester, in all honesty.

16. Do you prefer the French or the Russians?
I've never read anything by a Russian author, so I guess the French win by default.  Yay for them.

17. Roth or Updike?
I'd rather gouge my eyes out than read Updike again.  As for Roth, I honestly have no idea who that is, unless you're talking about the lead singer for Van Halen.

18. David Sedaris or Dave Eggers?
I've heard of David Sedaris.  I think I might have read one of his books.  So I'm going to vote... Sedaris.

19. Shakespeare, Milton, or Chaucer?
Shakespeare FTW.

20. Austen or Eliot?
Austen, duh.

21. What is the biggest or most embarrassing gap in your reading?
I still have not read Tolkien.  And I have to admit I haven't read the entire Austen catalog, either.  I know; I feel bad about it.

22. What is your favorite novel?
Jane Eyre is my favorite novel of all time.

23. Play?
A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen--that play is amazingly good, full of drama and yet very insightful about gender roles and the way the sexes interact.  And the female lead has a great last scene.

24. Short story?
Don't have one.

25. Epic Poem?
Oh, yes, what is my favorite epic poem???  Well, I would say Childe Harold's Pilgrimage by Byron, but I never actually finished it.  Or The Odyssey, except I never actually read it, just watched the miniseries.  Or The Epic of Gilgamesh, except I have also not read that.  So I suppose one can conclude from this that I don't read epic poems.

26. Short(er) poem?

Strephon kissed me in the spring,

     Robin in the fall,

But Colin only looked at me

     And never kissed at all.

Strephon's kiss was lost in jest,

     Robin's lost in play,

But the kiss in Colin's eyes

     Haunts me night and day.

--Sara Teasdale, "The Look"

27. Work of non-fiction?
Hmm, I only read non-fiction for work.  I don't really have a favorite, since I don't read it for enjoyment.

28. Who is your favorite writer?
I really couldn't say.  I hate just about anyone's writing if I'm not in the mood for it.  LOL  Probably LJ Smith if I had to pick one writer.

29. Who is the most overrated writer alive today?
This question is funny to me, because I don't think there are many contemporary writers who are "rated" (by whom?) at the same level as Charles Dickens was in his lifetime--just to use an example.  I think Nora Roberts is really overrated, if you want to know the truth.  I have never seen the appeal of her books.

30. What is your desert island book?
Taking just one book to a desert island would be a torturous decision.  No matter what it was, I would get really tired of it.  I guess I'd pick Robinson Crusoe, because if you're ever going to connect with a guy who's stranded on a deserted island, it'd be then, amirite?

31. And ... what are you reading right now?
Drood by Dan Simmons

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