book rambling

[derien]

Eor is sick of hearing me bitch, so I think I'll just unload this here.

I've been reading this huge long mystery story; two thick volumes. And it's bringing alive so much about the bleakness of life in 1880s New York City. It's all about the depths of human evil, although she's trying to saccarine coat it so it won't go down to awfully. There are cute kids and newlyweds being all lovey-dovey, you know. It's very domestic.

But then here's me with issues with my memory and this story just feels like it's gaslighting me sometimes. The genealogy of the family is posted in the front of the books, but like most people I didn't pay much attention until in the second book when it's mentioned that this one elderly lady is the aunt of one of the main characters and the niece of the other. And I was like "No, I did glance at that chart. She's the half second cousin once removed of the previous generation, which in my family is always honorarily referred to as 'aunt.'" I went back and checked, and sure enough, there it was. And then someone starts blathering about somone named 'Ballard' and how he married three times, and I go back to the chart again and 'Ballard' is a minor married-in name in that particular given genealogy. So then I'm like 'whatever.'

Then more recently, that aunt, who is a midwife gave information that indicated they should talk to another certain doctor. And everyone seemed to then forget about him, but finally the bright young medical student remembered and started to talk to the cook. Now, why she thought to talk to the cook I don't know, maybe cooks know everything? Maybe she was just rambling her thoughts to someone who would listen. But she uncovers that the cook sometimes helped the midwife, about which everyone seems surprised. Like, you have this cousin who's a midwife and you don't realize your cook helps her out sometimes? And the cook had the address of this doctor. And then they go to see this doctor and he says the midwife already wrote to him to say they might visit. Well why didn't she just give them his effing address in the first place?? Was this just to give that bright young medical student the chance to show off how bright she was?


I know, I make is sound awful. But there is something about this book that makes me want to continue on... even though at this point it's mainly in order to be done, because I'm so close to the end. I mean, it's not horrible. The author was doing her best to be inclusive and balance that with trying to not give people too much modern sensibility, but that's a hella hard line to walk. So maybe that was taking up her brain space.

Please, if I ever start writing again, if I leave gaping holes, or things don't match up after revision, will somebody tell me?

Oh, and a windstorm took out our power Monday evening to Tuesday evening, which reminded me that I needed to get my overnight bag ready in case I need to shower at work. So, I did that this morning, put the shovel and sand in my car, and will get my winter tires down from the barn attic... tomorrow, I guess, since I have now used up all my time writing this post.

Comments

[cuddyclothes]

I hate books where you have to keep flipping back to things like family trees, or a cast so big you have to find where in the book they are introduced.

Did you get everything done?

[amedia]

Oh, that book sounds like it needed a good continuity editor. It sounds like you're noticing a bunch of seams showing where multiple drafts were combined, or the book wasn't all written at the same time, or whatevs. Seems to me that if an author is demanding your time and attention, she should at least serve up a reasonably consistent story!

[(Anonymous)]

Not sure I would have the patience, but something
that holds your attention in these times isn't wholly
without value.
LTA

[derien]

I like a story I can get my teeth into for a while, and I've never been bothered by having to remember who's who - usually it dawns on me soon enough. But I notice when the AUTHOR forgets who's who. I mean, it wasn't as bad as at the end of "The Three Musketeers" when I was certain two women had been completely conflated, so the resolution didn't really make sense. Alexander Dumas actually had a team that wrote books, so I'd have thought they would have caught that, but maybe the team approach actually made it more likely these mistakes would creep in. I do hope someone would tell me if I screwed up.

No, I didn't by a long shot get everything done. I didn't get the tires down and today it looks like snow. Although I don't think the tires would get changed until tomorrow anyway, regardless of when I brought them down.

[derien]

You know, yeah. I feel like if the author didn't notice that you'd have thought one of her betas would have spoken up. I get that different drafts being combined can often have rough seams, but getting those worked out is part of the process. And she gave the names of all these people who betaed for her in the back, so we know who to blame. ;)

[derien]

True enough. On that basis I feel like I shouldn't complain too much. :)

[cuddyclothes]

Dumas had a team? I am flabbergasted.

[amedia]

getting those worked out is part of the process.

Exactly!!!

And she gave the names of all these people who betaed for her in the back, so we know who to blame. ;)

LOL! You'd think at least *one* of them would have noticed. Aargh.