funeral - book review (Lord John and the Private Matter)

[erastes]

Well, it's done, and it was a beautiful service and a wonderful occaison. I'm so happy that chose the woodland burial thing because it was just wonderful. Peaceful and the woods were incredibly picturesque even this time of the year. The sun came out for the 2 hours we were there, and the birds were all flitting about everywhere. Relatives descended and were kind and we all said "let's keep in touch" when we all know we won't really. Dad got through it, but whether he will remember it or not, I don't know.

Oh and the funeral Director had a pimp cane. I smiled through my tears, but of course there was no-one I could tell!!!

I feel better now, though, than I have since she died. It's closure, I suppose. I can relax now, at least. It wasn't her that we buried there, after all. Just her body. Anyway, thanks again to all who sent good wishes, you all mean a lot to me, and from now on this LJ will be back to normal and no-one will be spared! Too much sadness and she wouldn't have wanted that, as she was most irreverent and would want me to continue to enjoy life with the same "moderation is for monks" ethos I've always had.


That being said - on with the motley.

I actually read this in one sitting, which surprised me, it's quite rare that I do that. It was, as you can guess by it's unputdownableness a good read and an intriguing and interesting "mystery."I quantify that word because it was about as much as a mystery as an episode of "Columbo" as in it was fairly obvious what was going on from the first chapter but I enjoyed the rather circuitous path that DG sent her protagonist.

As a period piece it was pretty good, too. And as an historical written by a non-Brit she does a pretty good job. There are points in the book where I felt she was rather too heavy handed with the period feel and I was jolted out of "being in the time" to "being taught" but they were few enough and didn't spoil the enjoyment.

As a slashy piece it was nicely done. She writes a homosexual character in a mainstream book and writes the sex in a dot dot dot way that is very sexy, leaves a lot to the imagination and the fanficcer, without really upsetting the sensibilities of people who DON'T want to read about throbbing cocks. I have been wondering whether I should split my writing into erotica and less-so, to appeal to the mainstream a little more. I haven't decided yet. Lord John is an interesting and nicely angsty character, but I didn't feel that there was enough of the essential "him" in this for me to get to know him. I know that a lot of people who pick up this book will have already met him in other works, but I hadn't so I didn't even know what he looked like and it wasn't till about half way through the book that I discovered that he had blond hair and I was rather shocked, she'd left it so long that I had already put a face and appearance to him. I would have liked a description earlier on. Sharpe is described at the beginning of every book, as far as I can remember, for those readers who have picked up the books out of order.

The writing is good, a fine mix of period and yet doesn't leave the reader struggling through run on sentences worthy of Austen.

If I have any one quibble about it was it's predictability. The whole plot didn't give me any surprises - it led (for me) inexorably to one fact to another. I think that she COULD write something that would make me say "OMG I didn't see that coming" in the way that George RR Martin always manages to do, but she didn't manage it in this book, and if she's setting Lord John up to be an historical detective then it's something she will need to do, or Lord John will be as predictable as Jessica Fletcher.

All in all I'll give it a 7 out of 10. I'll get the next Lord John books, but I'll probably get them from the library rather than buying them.

Comments

Re: "Oh and the funeral Director had a pimp cane. I smiled through my tears"

[erastes.livejournal.com]

noddity. the HFC short is at the back of this novel, and she is releasing/has released a 3 novella anthology of Lord John soon or has done. It's not BAD, in fact it's pretty good, but galling that I know at least four on my flist (you included) who could do it better.

[themostepotente.livejournal.com]

Oh, hon, I'm glad the funeral was nice. I was thinking about you today.

You get extra squishy hugs for holding up so strongly.

*HUGS*

[erastes.livejournal.com]

nice might be a bit too strong, but I got through it. The place is so beautiful that I can look at it and not feel too sad.

[ariadneelda.livejournal.com]

*hugs* I'm glad you feel some closure. ♥

Oh, and I got your book! I hope I'll get around to read it soon. :-)

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Squee! I hope you like it!

[catsintheattic.livejournal.com]

Just... *hugs*

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Aw thank you

*hug back*

[ter369.livejournal.com]

...but I didn't feel that there was enough of the essential "him" in this for me to get to know him. I know that a lot of people who pick up this book will have already met him in other works

He's pretty vague in the Outlander books, as his sole purpose is to pine for Jamie Fraser. I don't even recall that he's blond and I've read several books where he appears. Gabaldon is a lush writer, in that she creates sensory worlds regardless of the historical setting. I think her forte is dialogue, in particular storytelling by characters to other characters. Her biggest flaw is "And Then The Next Worst Thing Happened", which gets old and melodramatic after three books. I read one Lord John short story, but skipped the books because he's so bland, more of a witness to events than a participant in a story goal.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I'm glad it wasn't just me. I should have added about the mass of coincidence on which the story hung, too.

I don't think I'll bother with the Jamie Fraser novels, to be frank. and yes, it's such a shame that John is so bland, specially as he spends a lot of time in introspection and could be very interesting indeed, but he's so bloody passive at times I want to biff him.

[ter369.livejournal.com]

I should have added about the mass of coincidence on which the story hung, too.

Oh, that does sound like Gabaldon's style.


.....he's so bloody passive at times I want to biff him.

I felt like he invaded the Outlander books, as a sidebar of UST on his side. It doesn't go anywhere, as character development or propeling events, so I thought she might be writing novels about him as a way to ... go somewhere.

Thanks for the anti-rec!

[ejab62.livejournal.com]

It made me smile (tiny one and with mixed emotions) that you feel good about the place your mother's body has been put to rest. I don't know why but it *is* important somehow that the place can count on your approval somehow.