erastes | Smooshie Meme and a couple of disappointing.reads

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Two Dissapointing reads Not reviews as such, just general thoughts, as I didn't finish either of them.

Hot Valley - James Lear. Those of you who follow my blog know that I Adored James' last book "the Back Passage" and I was consequently looking forward to Hot Valley very much. I don't know what I expected, really - I only know that TBP was witty, pretty unique, sexy as hell and had a good premise, a decent plot, and the sex fitted in beautifully with the interrogation technique and sexiness of his protag (and if you haven't bought it yet, then DO) The "sex within every scene" worked in that book, but with this, an allegedly more serious historical piece, it got so ridiculous with the protag having sex with every single man he meets in 1861 that I just ended up wanting him NOT to have sex with the next one. In the end I skimmed every sex scene, leaving me very few pages to actually read - to end it. Porn, yes. Lots. If you want a "one-handed read" and don't give a flying fortress about plot or realism or the American Civil War, then you'll love it.

Phyllida and the Brotherhood of Philander - Sorry, sorry sorry to those of you who loved this and stuff, and AGAIN I was looking forward to this one too - but I couldn't get beyond chapter four. I should have realised that The Het would squick me but it wasn't just that that stopped me reading, sex scenes are easily skipped in preference to plot and characterisation after all. It was partly the OKHOMO theme that put me off; the mother didn't think twice about encouraging her daughter to marry a known sodomite and daughter was also happy about it "I have no problem with men like that" and promptly falls IN LURVE with him in about half an hour because 1. He's as handsome as the heroes in the novel she writes (hmmm....) and 2) she sits on his lap and he gropes her tits. He also was miraculously cured of his gayness by her sitting on his lap and became "harder than he'd ever been in his life" - and thus was Bi-sexually converted.

Look. I'm more than happy about bi-sexuality. I'm as bi-sexual as they come. Gender has never entered into my choice of life or bed partner, but this... No. sorry. It wasn't even that that made it unreadable as realising one is attracted to both males and females can be a thunderbolt I guess, wasn't for me, I just always knew, but it could be a shock I guess. But Phyllida herself put me off - she vacillated from feisty and independent (battling the lawyer for her rights in the marriage settlement) - to psycho (physically attacking her husband over a quip that she looked too young in her nightgown) - to just plain stupid -whining about how she'd had a major orgasm and feeling bad that it happened when her husband had "raped her". He hadn't really, and anyway, there was no concept of rape within marriage - No might mean no NOW, but not then, it's the leaking of modern sensibilities again.. Sorry. I'm very pleased that the author has sold this to a mainstream publisher, and I can see why it happened because her heroine is probably very much a "romance heroine", but as I've read almost no romance I didn't like her at all.

Anyway. Disappointing.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

He also was miraculously cured of his gayness by her sitting on his lap and became "harder than he'd ever been in his life"

What.

Evah.

Icon Lurve

::preens::

That's one of mine, one of my early ones. Thank you!

I love your progress meter. Where'd you get it? I'd love to have one, even though mine would grow a lot slower than yours. :-)
Ellen

http://www.writertopia.com/toolbox/meters

I can't work out how to amend them from that page, though - I got mine when i used igoogle, and created a tab for "writing" he came with the page!

... the plot and structure were an unfortunate reversion to the model of his first novel, The Low Road, with two separated protagonists who didn't-realized-they-lurved-each-other shagging for Scotland. If anything, the device worked better in the first novel when there was a reason for one character to write down his experiences, and the discovery of the journal had a bearing on the plot. I really enjoyed his second novel, Palace of Varieties, so would recommend that - quite a lot of sex but the protagonist was much more interesting than the two cardboard cutouts in HV, and the ending was satisfying. That's the one I would choose to reread, though it's not as funny as the Back Passage. He does better with an English setting in the not-too-distant past, it seems; Jacobite Scotland and civil-war America are only dimly visible.

Have you started the W.A. Hoffman yet? I look forward to your reviews of those! I was slightly disappointed with Bowie's The Journeyer, which I was hoping would turn out to be along the same lines (though it must be admitted I bawled like an infant at the ending so the author must be doing something right!) Bowie did better when he reached dry land, but Hoffman seems good at sea. I can't judge the degree of realism to Hoffman's depiction of seventeenth-century Jamaica et al, but she does create a strong feeling of place in the novels, even if an expert would not consider the details to be wholly accurate (and she has a bibliography of reference works - good sign!)

I don't think I'll go back and read any more of James' ealier books, I'll wait for the next Mitch one.

No - haven't bought the Hoffman books yet, I've got three to read for ERWA which I'll be reviewing on that site in July but I'll probably get around to them soon! Watch this space!

her heroine is probably very much a "romance heroine", but as I've read almost no romance I didn't like her at all.

You've read almost no romance? Huh?? Was this sarcasm that went over my head?

I have read very little what RWA would consider to be heterosexual "romance" - not since I was about 13 and discovered sci-fi, at least. I read a lot of Mills and Boons when I was younger, but nothing since then.

The last one I read was about 4 years ago - something my mother gave me as the writing is quite good - was "The Whitest Flower" and OMG the female is such a Sue I threw it across the room upon finishing.

Smooshie Meme and a couple of disappointing.reads

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Progress meter

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I was disappointed by Hot Valley too ...

Re: I was disappointed by Hot Valley too ...

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