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anniegee76Every time I come to DW I re-read that Wilfred Owen poem and it pulls my mood down, so I'm posting brief reviews of the books I read most recently to move things slightly down the page.
Snuff, Terry Pratchett: Glad to see we're still getting new Pratchetts, and it was about Vimes, snarky lawabiding bastard of my heart! But I felt like it fell short. The subtext about the Goblins was a little too textual, especially the literal epiphany that the young copper had in the carriage with Vimes about how they were people (and Vimes telling him that that was "redemption"). I prefer those moments of truth when they sidle in around the corners, rather than announce themselves from center stage. And Vimes is too hyper successful now; it's like he's a superhero who has leveled up so much he doesn't really have anybody who can threaten him anymore: last book it was the Middle East Crisis; here he solves human trafficking problems through sheer Vimesishness. I feel like Pratchett had similar problems with Granny W., and ended up moving on to Tiffany in part because of it, but I'm not sure where he can go with Vimes and the Watch now.
Slammerkin, by Emma Donoghue: This one was for book club, and while I didn't pick it I enthusiastically seconded it when it was selected. For some reason I thought it was about lesbian prostitutes in Victorian London, which...I guess 1 out of 3 ain't bad? I think I might have been confusing it with Fingersmith or another book; the prostitutes were definitely there, but it was set it Regency England, and no notable lesbians. Also unrelentingly grim, and sort of a depressing read; I had to force myself to finish. Which is a good thing, because book club is tonight.
Snuff, Terry Pratchett: Glad to see we're still getting new Pratchetts, and it was about Vimes, snarky lawabiding bastard of my heart! But I felt like it fell short. The subtext about the Goblins was a little too textual, especially the literal epiphany that the young copper had in the carriage with Vimes about how they were people (and Vimes telling him that that was "redemption"). I prefer those moments of truth when they sidle in around the corners, rather than announce themselves from center stage. And Vimes is too hyper successful now; it's like he's a superhero who has leveled up so much he doesn't really have anybody who can threaten him anymore: last book it was the Middle East Crisis; here he solves human trafficking problems through sheer Vimesishness. I feel like Pratchett had similar problems with Granny W., and ended up moving on to Tiffany in part because of it, but I'm not sure where he can go with Vimes and the Watch now.
Slammerkin, by Emma Donoghue: This one was for book club, and while I didn't pick it I enthusiastically seconded it when it was selected. For some reason I thought it was about lesbian prostitutes in Victorian London, which...I guess 1 out of 3 ain't bad? I think I might have been confusing it with Fingersmith or another book; the prostitutes were definitely there, but it was set it Regency England, and no notable lesbians. Also unrelentingly grim, and sort of a depressing read; I had to force myself to finish. Which is a good thing, because book club is tonight.
