Book Review: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (HP#6) by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (HP #6)
by J.K. Rowling

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Goodreads Link:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1.Harry_Potter_and_the_Half_Blood_Prince

Recommended to Stacy by: Everyone

Recommended for: Harry Potter fans, lovers of magical whimsy and detailed backstories

Read from January 28 to February 11, 2015 — I own a copy, read count: 1

Confession Time: I have never read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling before now. I know: it's shameful. But let me explain. I first read J.K Rowling's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in 2000 when I was taking a Children's Literature class at University. It was first released in 1997, right after I graduated high school (yes, I just dated myself - ugh!), but somehow I never found it. When I read it for the first time in 2000, I really liked the first installment, so I read part 2, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. But, then, University and life got in the way, and I never got around to reading any of the other installments (for shame! I know). Since then, all of the movies have been released, and I watched the first three because, by then I had read the third book. After that, I refused to watch the next movies until I had read the books because I knew the books would be so rich and detailed. So I read Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and watched the movie. But then more life and raising three children got in the way. Then my kids started watching the Harry Potter marathon one year on ABC Family, and we, as a family, watched all 8 movies over one Thanksgiving weekend. And I ruined all of the surprises for myself.

 

Professor McGonagall does NOT approve!

I am a huge fan of the series, but I feel like a complete fraud because I have never read the 6th or 7th installment, until now! It's embarrassing. I mean I am the girl who owns a remote control wand, for crying out loud, and yet, I haven't even read the last two books. It was pathetic, and I am determined to rectify the situation. Therefore, I FINALLY read book 6, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

And I absolutely LOVED it, as was to be expected. But I hated myself the whole time because I couldn't love it as it deserved to be loved because I already knew the big parts. The sixth movie is by far my favorite of the eight. I love the film score, and the Harry/Ginny relationship, and the pensieve, and the back story of Voldermort - back stories are always my favorite part of any book: they make the characters feel so much more realistic. And I knew the book would give even more information, but honestly, I never could have expected the details Rowling provides - things make SO MUCH MORE SENSE now!!! And while I know that movies must make changes to the story in order to make it manageable to film, I was DOWNRIGHT shocked at some of the monumental alterations that were made for this sixth installment: whole characters were left out of the movie, which I know has to happen due to casting costs, and all that, but some of the omitted characters were pretty important, like Tonks, for example, or the scene when Tom Riddle learns of the Hufflepuff cup and Slytherin locket. And the Cave & Astronomy Tower scenes were drastically different from the book to the movie. I mean, sure, the basic story line was there, but there were key elements that were left out that made the book so much more fascinating.

But my biggest regret of all was Dumbledore's death. 

NOOOOOO!!!!

I guess this is technically a spoiler, but seriously, who doesn't know that he died by now? The book was released in 2006 and the movie in 2009, so if you don't know that Dumbledore dies, I am impressed with your naivety! But anyway, I was so sad reading Dumbledore's death and funeral scenes, but not for the reason that most readers should be sad. I should have been bawling uncontrollably due to the downright SHOCK of losing such a monumentally important character. I loved Dumbledore (who doesn't?). I should have been sobbing over his loss, but honestly I couldn't cry because I ALREADY RUINED THE SURPRISE BY WATCHING THE BLOODY MOVIE FIRST!!! Damn me! Why did I do that? The true reason that I was sad reading this part was because I wasn't reading it for the first time. I felt sad that I wasn't sobbing uncontrollably because I SO WANTED TO BE, but I couldn't because I already knew it was going to happen. And even though there was so much more detail and pathos in the book version, I just wasn't that heartbroken because I already knew! Arrrrgggg! I hate when I do that to myself. I love the surprise of an initial experience, and I remember gasping, downright gasping aloud, when I watched the death scene in the movie for the first time. I could not believe that it happened that way. But I wish I had had that gasping disbelief while reading instead of watching, but I couldn't because I let myself watch the movie first! To quote Hermoine, "What an idiot!" And I am! Ugh!

And now I am going to start reading book 7, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and I'm already kicking myself and moping around in deep depression for the surprises that won't be :( I have already watched the 7th & 8th movies a dozen times or more. I know them forwards, backwards, inside, and out, like all of the movies. But now I'm going to read the 7th book, and the apathy that I feel since I already know the major plot twists is bumming me out. I know that it will be so much better than the movies: all of the other books were so much better than their movies. But, I am mad at myself for allowing this to happen.

I absolutely adore this series. I wish I had been reading it as it was released so that I could be a true Potterhead with all of the rest of the real fans - the ones who waited up for midnight releases and took the day off school/work to devour the books in one sitting, foregoing food and sleep in order to know what would happen next. I wish I could have been a part of that experience. But live and learn the hard way, I guess. And at least, in another few weeks, after I finish reading book 7, I won't have to hide in shame anymore.

If you haven't started reading this series yet, get on that, immediately. The books are so good: the world she creates, the mythological detail she includes, the characters she develops, all of them are amazing. And I love how she drops clues throughout the entire series that you won't even know until you get to the end. I have re-read the first 4 books a few times now, and every time I read them (and I'm sure it will be the same whenever I re-read books 5, 6, and 7), I always find new clues that she included that I didn't even recognize before. Rowling's ability to weave in clues is by far my most favorite part of the series. It's sheer genius! She is obviously a detailed plotter, who meticulously plans out her books beforehand, and I envy her ability to do this. It's is quite inspiring, to be honest.

I look forward to reading book 7, and then starting again at book 1 and reading them through again, over and over again. I will never tire of reading these wonderful books. I love them dearly! 

Book Review: Kat, Incorrigible (Kat, Incorrigible #1) by Stephanie Burgis

 

Kat, Incorrigible (Kat, Incorrigible #1)
by Stephanie Burgis

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐½☆☆ 

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11735957-kat-incorrigible

Read from 01/09/15 to 01/14/15

Recommended to Stacy by Gail Carriger

Recommended for fans of Gail Carriger, Victorian England, magic, precocious Middle Grade narrators

I read Kat, Incorrigible (Kat, Incorrigible #1) by Stephanie Burgis because it was the January book of choice for Gail Carriger's Book Group. I just adore Gail Carriger and her books, so when I saw this book, I decided "if it's good enough for Ms. Carriger, it's good enough for me" :) Now I must admit that she has been selecting books for her Book Group since June 2014, but I haven't read any of her suggestions in the past, mostly just because I was always in the middle of some other book or series. This time there was just something that struck me when she posted this cover, and I had just finished Changeless, and I decided that I would read along. And it was a fun read.

Kat (short for Katherine), the main character, is quite the precocious little know-it-all. And while I didn't always like, her the story was really fun to read. There were heaps upon heaps of action - it never got dull. Most Middle Grade books, and that is the age-level I'd assign it, have to be loaded with cover-to-cover action because it's challenging to maintain the attention of a tween. And even as an adult, almost 3 times older than the 12-year old narrator (yes, I just admitted my age), I can't complain about constant action - no one wants to be bored, tween, adult, or otherwise. But this book even had more than just action, which was nice.

The character development was fairly well done. Each character was clearly unique from the others - even the dialogue of each character was distinguishable, which is very difficult to do - I have read many YA & adult books in which every character sound exactly the same (example of a culprit: Allegiant by Veronica Roth! In that book, it switches narrators every chapter between Tris, a girl, and Four, a boy, and yet Roth failed to differentiate the two. It was so difficult for me to figure out/ remember who was talking when in Allegiant, and it made a huge difference). But in this book, luckily, I could easily distinguish Kat from her sisters, Angeline and Elissa, and Sir Neville from Mr. Collingwood, etc. Every character had a unique diction and tone, and that takes massive amounts of writing talent! Major kudos to Ms. Burgis for pulling that off. 

But as you saw from my rating, I only gave it 3.5 stars. And that was for Kat. I, unfortunately, was not a fan. She was so precocious and cocky and bossy that it was downright annoying! I mean even in the life-or-death scene in the forest (won't go into details for fear of spoiling it), she was overly confident. And in Victorian era, when children, especially female children, were expected to be seen and not heard, her bossy nature seemed anachronistic. Even now-a-days, I don't think I could think of scenes in which the character's life is in danger, and yet he/she is still brash enough to boss the assailant around. But Kat did! And I'm all for an empowered female character, great example for young girls to read, but Kat was just so smug all the time - "I've got this completely under control" was her main mantra. But real life, especially in Victorian England, would not have worked out so easily. And yes, I know this is fiction, and fantasy fiction to boot, but there has to be some level of believability, even in fantasy. She was way too cocky, and it was irksome.

But the plot line was great: always something new happening. And the magic system was interesting - there are Guardians and witches, and the Guardians are the ones who keep the bad witch magic under control. And of course, Harry Potter addict that I am, I had to love a portkey, in this case a magic golden mirror. I won't give away too much about that, but it allows for teleportation through a magical portkey (by the way, I know that "portkey" is J.K. Rowling's own term, but for me it has become like the word Kleenex: portkey now applies to all forms of teleportaion). 

I think Middle Grade and Young Adult readers will love this book. And for the most part, I did enjoy it as well. I would recommend it to a specific audience. And I do actually plan to read the other two books in the series: Renegade Magic and Stolen Magic. Both of them have higher ratings on Goodreads 4.06 & 4.25 stars, respectfully, which are higher than Kat, Incorrigible at 3.97 stars. But the ratings for sequels are always deceptively higher than the first because only people who liked the first book are going to be willing to continue to read the series, so sequel scores are from established fans. But I did like the setting, the magical system, and the sisters. I only hope that Kat gets taken down a few notches as she grows.

Book Review: Changeless (Parasol Protectorate 2) by Gail Carriger

Changeless (Parasol Protectorate 2)
by Gail Carriger

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/531668810?book_show_action=false

Recommended for: Fans of Victorian Literature, Steampunk, Gail Carriger, restorative tea :)

Read from December 24, 2014 to January 09, 2015 — I own a copy

Changeless by GailCarriger, second installment in the Parasol Protectorate Series, was another enjoyable romp through Carriger's Victorian Supernatural Steampunk world. And this time, we even escaped London to enjoy some of the Scottish Highlands! And as a huge Outlander fan, I canna complain about more time spent there!

I will say that I liked this book ever-so-slightly less than Soulless, but I think that is a fairly natural reaction to a series: books in the middle are tricky because there purpose for existence is merely to create new complications for following books, and nothing is ever as fresh as the first book in a new series. However, even with that said, this was still a solid 4-star book that I enjoyed thoroughly.

I definitely enjoyed the involvement of Madame Genevieve Lefoux. I enjoyed her precocious manipulations in the Finishing School Series, so I was very happy to have her back in these books. And I am curious to see whether or not Alexia might follow in her father's experimental footsteps - that would be quite salacious!

I do wonder why Carriger choose to bring Felicity, Alexia's half-sister, along for the adventures in Scotland - I cannot quite figure out her purpose, yet. But maybe that will reveal itself more thoroughly in the upcoming installments.

And I wonder what sort of ramifications will develop from the ultimate decision of Miss Ivy Hisslepenny and the claviger Tunstell. Will that decision cause future consequences, too? And what of the outcome with Sidheag? How will that complicate Alexia's future? Hmmmm...

And of course, the ending! I cannot say much for fear of spoiling it, but I was shocked and intrigued by how it all wrapped up in the end. That will have major ramifications, to be sure.

I will say, however, that I found it very out-of-character for Alexia to just give up and accept that fate - she is so strong-willed; I would have expected her to put up more of a fight. But shock can cause drastic numbing effects, so maybe the fight will come up in the third book.

I am looking forward to getting into Blameless right away. I have so many questions that I want to have answered, and there are so many loose ends, that I want to jump right in before I forget any of them. Plus the description on the back of the book says that Alexia will be traveling to Italy, and Io amo l'Italia

I am very much enjoying this series, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys an intriguing plot, complicated characters, and brilliant banter.

Book Review: Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander #2) by Diana Gabaldon

 

Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander #2)
by Diana Gabaldon

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1099362274?book_show_action=false
 

Read from November 06, 2014 to January 09, 2015 — I own a copy

Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon was an excellent book, made even more excellent by the reading of Davina Porter in the Audiobook version. I cannot recommend her readings enough to suffice her stellar performance, and to be honest, I don't think I would enjoy the books half as much if I read them myself. Her reading is absolute perfection, and in my honest opinion, it is the only way to read these books; it is THAT well done.

About the story, I found it perfectly intriguing. I will admit, as most have in their reviews, that it was a bit slower than the first in that there is a lot of political struggle and negotiation. However, for me, I found it all absolutely fascinating.

And while some people have complained about the amount of time that Claire and Jamie spent in France as being too long and drawn out, I loved it. But I am ever the Francophile (only second to my Anglophilic infliction), so, for me, the parts in Paris were amazing. I was mesmerized by the goings-on of Louis's court and L'Hopital d’Orange, and of the mysticism of Master Raymond - I loved it all. In fact, when they first scurried out of France I was a bit sad to be leaving, but then I found the parts in Scotland equally intriguing. I loved it all.

This book almost felt like three books in one: the story of Roger, Brianna, and Claire searching for history in the present time (1968), Claire and Jamie's time in Paris, and the revolution in Scotland. However, even though they were three individual story lines, they mixed so well together, that I don't think one would be able to stand alone without the others.

And that cliffhanger at the end!!! I cannot wait to start listening to Voyager this afternoon during my drive home. I don't know what I will do when I run out of Ms. Gabaldon's books to listen to. I actually look forward to my commute to and from work just so that I can listen to these stories. Luckily for me, she has written so many of them that I have quite a while before I have to worry about running out. Here's to more time spent daydreaming of Claire and Jamie's story!!! You should get into this series, stat; you will not regret it one bit! And I definitely recommend that you listen to the audiobook versions; I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Davina Porter's renditions are absolute perfection.

Movie Review: Into the Woods

Into the Woods

Rating: ⭐½☆☆☆☆ (& that's being generous, unfortunately)

Viewed on December 29, 2014

I know that this is supposed to be a BOOK blog, but really I am a lover of stories, and movies serve to tell a story, so I feel that I am not cheating too much ;)

And beyond my book deviation, I feel inclined to preface this review with the confession that I have only seen this story in movie format: I have not seen the stage performance, so my review is limited in its scope.

With that said, judging solely by the movie version, this story gets very low marks from me. Upon finishing it this morning, I desperately wanted to go onto Rotten Tomatoes and see its rating: was I the only one who found it awful, or is that a consensus opinion? But I wanted to write my review free from any outside opinions, so here it is.

I did not like "Into the Woods". At all! And it makes me sad to say this because I was very much looking forward to loving it. I love fairy tale retellings; I adore Broadway musicals; I am completely and absolutely enamored with Meryl Steep and will see ANY film in which she acts. And to top it all of, it was a journey story set in the woods, for crying out loud - if that doesn't scream "Stacy Movie," I don't know what else does. So I was completely heartbroken today when I walked away from the theatre: I actually mourned the 2 hours of vacation time that I sacrificed to watch this - it was that bad!

Now, the acting was strong: Ms. Steep was wonderful, as always. And I was very impressed my Emily Blunt and the young boy who played Jack. In fact, with the exception of Prince Charming who had a pretty pathetic showing, the rest of the cast was good. So the 1.5 stars is actually generous to honor the performances. 

But I could not bring myself to give it more stars because the plot was dreadful! In fact, it was one of the most abhorrent plot lines that I have followed in some time - I honestly cannot remember a more poorly written plot, ever! Sad to say. The actors were completely burdened under this enormous twisting, confusing plot that was tethered too tightly to its source  material. It tried to pay homage to too many fairy tales, and in its attempt to be Dickensian, it, instead, came across as muddled and unnecessarily complicated. 
Watching it was like seeing through an ADHD lens - there were so many story lines that I could not focus enough to care about any of them. I mean, who was the protagonist, anyway? Was it the nameless baker/wife? Was it Jack? Was it the witch? What the heck was the point? All of the characters' motivations seemed trivial and inconsequential in the end. 

What are we supposed to take away from it all? "Be careful what you tell the children"? And if that's the actual message, then I loathe it even more! I am a lover of good stories, and I adore fantasy tales above all others, so if the moral of the this story is "Be careful what you tell the children," then all of my childhood daydreams, born from fantasy and fairy tales, were a waste of fanciful whim! I've always believed we need to tell children more stories, stoke more imagination, ignite more whimsical fantasies! And maybe that was the message of the movie, and I just missed it, buried beneath the convoluted plot lines. The movie made me think that I should not waste my life wishing; I should not hope for happy endings; I should not believe fairy tales; and I just don't want to sever my ties to the whimsical worlds of my youth: they are the only light that keeps me afloat in the darkness of adult responsibility.  I want more fairy tales, more fantasy worlds, more fanciful characters. But this movie was not any of these things because it was trying so desperately to be all of them. At the same time. No bueno! 

The movie was only 2 hours and 4 minutes, but I actually found myself getting bored! I must have looked down at my watch 2-3 times to see how long it had been - that is not normal movie-watching behavior for me.

Part of me wants to believe that it was better on stage. I want to believe that, had I seen it on a Broadway stage, I would have adored it, and it was the Disneyfication that ruined it, as Disney can often do. Now don't get me wrong: I am a huge Disney fan, but even I can admit that the company has a reputation for rewriting stories for their own money-making, family-oriented convenience. So maybe that was the case here: maybe the Disney writers got ahold of the original play and manipulated it to the point of complete chaos. I so desperately want to hope that that was the case, but I fear otherwise. I think Disney had a complication-heavy, frustrated, confusing plot to begin with, and Disney just tried desperately to cover up the bad plot with supremely talented actors in the hopes that it would make up the difference. However, in the end, even the beloved Meryl Streep, actress supreme herself, was not enough to carry such an abismal story line. It breaks my poor Meryl-loving heart, it does!

Unfortunately, I do not recommend this movie to anyone. And I wish I could take back those two hours that I wasted watching this movie. It was not worth it.

Book Review: Soulless (The Parasol Protectorate #1) by Gail Carriger

Soulless (The Parasol Protectorate #1)
by Gail Carriger

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/531668794?book_show_action=false

Recommended to Stacy by: fans of Victorian-era costume dramas, action-packed fantasy, and tongue-in-cheek witty humor

Read from December 17 to 23, 2014 — I own a copy, read count: 1

Soulless by Gail Carriger is everything I love in a book: action, romance, wit, tongue-in-cheek humor, and Victorian sensibilities. Ms. Carriger is a creative genius!

1. I loved the action: I couldn't put the book down, and I constantly wanted to know what was going to happen next. Even at the end of the book, there were still questions rumbling around in my mind, which makes me want to dive into book two, stat! Like what the heck are with all of the Hypocras Club octopuses? (octopi? octopodes?) Even when responsibility forced me to put the book down, it called to me, and I couldn't wait to get back to it.

2. Her world-building is creative and, yet, historically accurate at the same time - that is quite a gift. It's one thing to create a fantasy world of one's own creation - you can make/break any rules you wish; you can organize society to meet your own convenience; you can allow your characters to do as you will. But historical fiction is creatively limiting for most authors - if forces you to stay true to the time, fear anachronistic inaccuracies, dampen fits of fancy in order to remain factual. But with Soulless, Ms. Carriger manages to merge both seamlessly. Her Victorian details, in regards to fashion, food, etiquette, etc., was accurate to the last jot. Even the language and expressions were accurate to the time. It remained very true to it's influential references, Austen and Wodehouse, but at the same time, she was able to weave in all the elements of her fantasy subworld: vampires, werewolves, preternaturals, oh my! Sometimes they were so well merged, that I had to scoff at the possibility: what if there were actually these supernatural creatures in Victorian England? What if? Maybe? Even if my logical brain knew better, her world was so well integrated, that it made me wonder.

3. Her witty banter and tongue-in-cheek humor was chuckle-out-loud funny! Literally! I couldn't help giggling, chortling, chuckling, even when I was sitting in a coffee-shop, during my students' silent-sustained reading, eating in a fancy restaurant. I challenge anyone out there to read this book with a straight face - you just can't! It's impossible! It's just too clever and witty and amusing.

4. Finally a slow-burning romance instead of the over-used, cliched love triangle. Sure, Mr. MacDougall, the American scientist (with the very unAmerican last name, ironically), was there complicating issues, but he never really had a chance, so I don't consider him a worthy angle in a love triangle. It was somewhat reminiscent of Pride and Prejudice, where they like each other, but don't; they think they know about each other's intentions, but don't; they feel admiration for each other and want to act on it, but don't. It was endearing. And the romance was definitely folding-fan-worthy! Lord Maccon was very sexy, indeed! Oh, my...very steamy ;) - but true to the time, it was always politely related (until the end, when it couldn't be contained any longer - whoa, mama!). I will say that at first it was a bit strange to think of Lord Maccon as a sex symbol: since I read the Finishing School Series first, I thought of him as Sidheag's Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandfather. And since the Finishing School Series takes place 20 years before Soulless, I had envisioned Lord Maccon more like Sean Connery: old, rough-around-the-edges, formerly handsome, and definitely Scottish. 

Sean Connery
Source: Star Magazine

But upon reading Soulless, this casting had to shift to someone younger and a heck of a lot sexier: maybe Chris Hemsworth or Sam Heughan, the guy who plays Jamie in Outlander - someone beefy and capable of a distant, longing stare, and who would look good naked (read the book, and you'll understand the reason for that).

Sam Heughan (A.K.A Jamie from Outlander)
Source: Pintrest

Chris Hemsworth
Source: Google Images

I did love the Finishing School Series, but I enjoyed this one even more, if that is possible! I highly recommend this to anyone who loves Victorian-era costume dramas, action-packed fantasy, and tongue-in-cheek witty humor. I cannot wait to get started on book two, and I very much look forward to finishing the series as soon as I can. And to think that there is still one more Finishing School book, and the addition of the Custard Protocol series coming out in the future to keep me in this wonderfully-created world. I can't wait :)

12/18	page 28		7.0%	""How ghastly for her...People actually thinking, with their brains, and right next door. Oh, the travesty of it all" (Carriger, Soulless 28). Hahaha! I love Carriger's snarky sarcasm!"
12/18	page 28		7.0%	""But there was something else about Alexia, something...revoltingly independent...Alexia had been born that way, full of logic and reason and sharp words. Not for the first time, Mrs. Loo twill lamented the fact that her eldest had not been a male child; it would have made life very much easier for them all" (Carriger 31). I love Alexia already!"
12/18	page 38		10.0%	""[Lord Maccon] had been Alpha for what, twenty years or so?" (Carriger 38). That means Soulless is happening 20 years after Waistcoats& Weaponry. And since Alexia is 26 in Soulless, she would have been 6 during W&W which is precisely when the "grey-haired man" told her she was soulless, so maybe Carriger will include that in Manners & Mutiny!!!"
12/21	page 140		37.0%	""Strange place, that overseas land [a.k.a. America], where religion and wealth did the talking and history and age held so little sway" (Carriger, Soulless 140)."
12/22	page 159		42.0%	""Cats were not, in her experience, an animal with much soul. Prosaic, practical little creatures, as a general rule. It would suit [Alexia] very well to be thought catlike" (Carriger 159). Ah! Is that why cats are often associated with devilry and witchcraft? Because they have very little soul? Interesting!"
12/22	page 166		44.0%	""He tore his eyes away from the tops of those remarkable breasts of hers and tried to think unpleasant thoughts of particularly horrible things, like overcooked vegetables and cut-rate wine" (Carriger 166). Oh, how I absolutely adore Ms. Carriger's tongue-in-cheek sense of humor! I laughed out loud in the middle of the coffee shop when I read this line! She has the most amazing way with quirky juxtapositions :)"
12/22	page 187		50.0%	"New word: a bluestocking 1. a woman with considerable scholarly, literary, or intellectual ability or interest. 2. a member of a mid-18th-century London literary circle: Lady Montagu was a celebrated bluestocking. Origin: 1675–85; so called from the informal attire, especially blue woolen instead of black silk stockings, worn by some women of the group (def 2)"
12/22	page 197		52.0%	"Awesome new word: fibberty-jibbitus "Your family, they are a bit, well...fibberty-jobbitus, are they not?" (Carriger 196-197)."
12/22	page 220		58.0%	"Lord Akeldama's view on life: "Information: reason for living. Well, that and fashion" (Carriger 220). He is an hilarious character."

Book Review: The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss

The Slow Regard of Silent Things
by Patrick Rothfuss

Rating: ⭐☆☆☆☆

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/920489478

Read from October 30 to December 22, 2014

It physically pains me to review The Slow Regard of SilentThings by Patrick Rothfuss. I love Patrick Rothfuss! I adored reading The Name of the Wind and the The Wise Man's Fear (I gave both of them 5-star ratings and raving reviews)! I cannot wait to get my hands on Doors of Stone! Nonetheless, I did not enjoy this novella 😢

It makes me sad to admit it, but I struggled to even finish it, and it is only 159 pages long! I could easily read that many pages in one sitting, but this book took me FOREVER to get through. If it were written by any other author, I might have DNF'd it, but out of respect and love for Mr. Rothfuss, I had to see it through. But sadly, there was no action, no intrigue, and I found it tedious and tiresome.

It read like a book about nothing - and that pains me because Auri is one of the most fascinatingly strange and intriguing characters I've ever read. And that what's most sad: this was the perfect opportunity for him to give some backstory and context to Auri - to explain why she dropped out of University, why she lives underground, why she is so socially awkward. And while he did provide some insight to her OCD tendencies, it really didn't reveal much about the why.

And even though Rothfuss alludes to "his" coming, "he" never actually arrives. I am assuming that the "he" in question is Kvothe, but it could be Elodin, or Mandraug, or any other "he" in the Kingkiller Chronicles, for that matter. But I knew the intrigue of the "he" would never be answered in this novella, and if it ever does get answered, it would not be answered until book 3 comes out, and who knows when that will be.

And while I very much appreciated Marc Aplin's review which brilliantly interprets this novella as an analogy for Rothfuss's own struggles with finding perfection, I couldn't quite appreciate it enough for that reason. I did wonder the entire time if the novella was meant as a giant string of clues that would tie directly into book 3: there is a few mentions of a few doors, even one made of stone!; it does provide a quasi-layout for the underground tunnels, which might come in handy later; it does leave one to wonder of Auri's significance in Kvothe's journey; but I was even more frustrated because I can't answer any of these questions without book 3! And the whole time the other voice in my head kept saying, "but what if none of this matters, and Auri's story is just completely superfluous?" If that is the case, then I'd probably drop my rating down to one star, but again I won't know until book 3! Arrgggg!

And then there was the Coda: it was downright insulting, to be honest. Essentially, in the coda, Rothfuss relates the story of the time that he met with Ms. Vi Hart. He tells about how she loved the novella, even if it is eccentric and convoluted. When Rothfuss worried that people won't get this story, Ms. Hart retorted with "F*** those people...Those people have stories written for them all the time. What about me? Where's the story for people like me?" (Rothfuss 153). Then Rothfuss continues by talking about how his beta readers liked it; his agent liked it; his publisher liked it. All people with credibility and ethos. Then he brings home the insult with his last few lines:

"If you're one of the people who found this story disconcerting, off-putting, or confusing, I apologize. The truth is, it probably just wasn't for you. The good news is that there are many other stories out there that are written for you. Stories you will enjoy much more. This story is for all the slightly broken people out there. I am one of you. You are not alone. You are all beautiful to me" (Rothfuss 159).

Ouch, right!?!? Basically the coda shoots down any fan who doesn't like this novella, and it made me sad to think that I am one of those fans! Double ouch, right? Basically, if Vi Hart, the beta readers, the agent, and the publisher all like it, and broken people like it, and he's a broken person like all the other broken people who like it, then that makes me the enemy, the outsider, the loser who isn't cool enough, smart enough, broken enough to like it like all of those credible readers listed above. I'm not "one of them." But I am one of them, damn it! I am broken; I love intriguing stories; I like eccentric plot lines. The idea that "there are many other stories out there that are written for you" is like saying that I am beneath this novella. But the other stories out there that are for me are HIS BOOKS! I adore his other two books. And I am bidding my time waiting for the third books by reading any other series I can find, but I am DYING to read the culmination to the series. But with this coda, it makes me feel that I'm not in the cool club with all of his "real" fans. It bumed me out.

I'm sure that this was not his intention when writing the coda: he probably didn't intend it to be insulting, so I don't plan to hold it against him. However, even with that said, the pathos in his coda are not strong enough to make me like this novella. Maybe when book 3 comes out and all of the loose ends are tied up, I will come to appreciate this novella more. But right now it felt repetitive, tedious, and downright boring. And it makes me sad to admit that. But it's the plain and simple truth!

Here's hoping that you are one of the cool kids who likes this novella like Vi Hart, the beta readers, the agent, and the publisher. But as for this lowly, loser reader, I did not enjoy it.