books - "Strangers," "Lost Souls," "Samurai Cat."

[derien]

I finally got to the bit about a queer interpretation of Holmes in "Strangers."  I totally love it.  I find it convincing.  I would say, "but then again, I would, I'm a slasher," but mizzmarvel, for some reason, did not, and she's a slasher, too.  I recall daegaer saying it would be hard to prove that Doyle actually did have a gay subtext in mind when he wrote that stuff.  True enough.  He could just have been following the trends in literature at the time, and the previous popular detectives.  I guess, though, I don't need to be convinced that a writer DID mean it that way, it's enough for me that he could have.  That's all I ask.  In fact, I think I prefer the state of uncertainty, the mystery.  After all, he's a mystery story hero, he should be mysterious. 


In completely different news in reading, I hate "Lost Souls" (Poppy Z. Brite) intensely, because it's dull.  One of the other ladies in the book club read a bit and then abandoned it saying it was "perverted and disgusting."  She seemed to feel quite strongly about it, and I envied her passion.  The guy/guy scenes just aren't well enough done to make up for the purple prose and the teen angst.  I set it where I might pick it up when I'm bored, but instead I'm grabbing "The Adventures of Samurai Cat," (Mark E. Rogers) 


If you're a crack-fiend, Samurai Cat is the good stuff, imho.  Miaowara Tomokato's Lord Nobunaga is killed (by Nazis, Martians and Venusians, Prohibition gangsters and monsters) and Miaowara goes seeking revenge.  It was really the first time I'd seen something absolutely bizarre treated with respect and done to the hilt.  I have four books (I'm not sure if there are more) - "The Adventures of Samurai Cat," "More Adventures of Samurai Cat," "Samurai Cat In The Real World," and "The Sword of Samurai Cat."  The first three are illustrated with drawings and full paintings.  (And each section starts with a map showing the territory Tomokato is in, but no matter where he is - Japan, Middle Earth, Mars - the map shows "Delaware" and "The Author's House.")  I used to think it unfortunate that the binding job is so bad that all the pages are falling out, but now I'm thinking this is a good thing, because maybe someday eor might scan the books in so that everyone can share the crack. 

Ack, need to stop dorky rambling. 

Comments

[kryptyd.livejournal.com]

I haven't read that one (lost souls) but I read some of her stuff years ago and quite liked it. In fact I was mesmerised by one scene where some guy punches some other guy in the face and then they jump in bed together (silly I know) and kept rereading it! Of course, that was long before I knew about the internet and porn. I suppose that scene would seem very tame if read it again... I don't imagine anyone likes Poppy Z Brite but angsty teens!

I actually read the Wasp Factory for a similar reason to that. My friend and book-buddy Liz was reading it and couldn't finish because it was so "disgusting". I was intrigued!

[derien.livejournal.com]

I've read SO much slash that was superior to Ms. Brite (or at least this book), in my opinion. I mean, vampires aren't my bag, really, (anymore - since Anne Rice ruined them), but I read one of keelywolf's "Angel" fics, and I liked it much better than this book.

[daegaer.livejournal.com]

. . . I think I need those Samurai Cat books.

[derien.livejournal.com]

Oh, I think you do. I'm just afraid they might be out of print, so I'm hoping Eor will scan them.

[cygny.livejournal.com]

Who's the author of Samurai Cat? It sounds very interesting ^___^

[derien.livejournal.com]

Mark E. Rogers.

[cygny.livejournal.com]

Thankee dear, will add this to my to-purchase-and-read list :)

[peak-in-darien.livejournal.com]

Dorky rambling is love.

[derien.livejournal.com]

:)

[bravecows.livejournal.com]

Samurai Cat sounds so cool.

[derien.livejournal.com]

*chortles* I think so. :)

And I think YOU'RE spiffy. :)

[licking-suntan.livejournal.com]

I've read Lost Souls and one or 2 other Poppy Brite books. The best I can say about them is that you don't have to think too much when you read them. The vampires were idiots.

[derien.livejournal.com]

The vampires don't make sense in so many ways.

There's one who seems to feel remorseful about killing people, but keeps doing it when there's apparently, as far as I can see, no need for it. (He shouldn't have to drain a person to feed just himself when the other three can all feed off one person and have blood left over.)

Then there's the whole thing about every mother to a vampire dying. Just does not make sense.

There's plenty more, but I don't feel like going on at the moment.

My main worry is that I don't quite know what I'm going to say to the waiter when he asks if we liked the book. I've got this horrible feeling that I'm going to have to be honest, because I'm like that.