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Mar. 9th, 2010 08:37 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lls_mutantThe books I've been reading recently (A Thousand Splendid Suns and The Handmaid's Tale) have really been sticking with me. I've started googling a little, and it's been interesting. For one, I've come across some very harsh reviews of both The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns. And for two, I've come across the fact that The Handmaid's Tale was made into a movie. Anyone see it? Is it any good? I think I'm going to have to see if I can rent that one.
I started googling A Thousand Splendid Suns mainly because I wanted to see if I could get some insight into what happened to Aziza at the orphanage. I thought it was pretty clear that proprietor of the orphanage (I can't remember his name and the book has wandered off) didn't harm the children, but at the same time, it was clear that something was happening to Aziza there. While Hosseini never answered that- and I think that was a good choice, because that was part of what made it so terrible for Laila, was that she knew something had happened and she couldn't help, I was looking for speculation. And I started reading a few reviews.
In a way, it was really interesting for me to find some negative reviews of ATSS (and of The Kite Runner). One thing that bugs me about myself is that I tend to be too sensitive. I worry about this if I ever manage to get a novel off the ground and submitted. Oddly, I can take rejection. I can take the editorial process. What can phase me is getting something out there, polished up and ready, and THEN having someone say "this is why it sucks." Which is funny, because hi, Mutant REVIEWERS from Hell, right? Right.
But the thing was, I loved The Kite Runner. And I loved A Thousand Splendid Suns even more. I didn't think they were overly melodramatic, I didn't think Amir was utterly unlikeable, and I didn't think that Hosseini neglected the politics of Afghanistan (all comments found in reviews). I didn't think that The Kite Runner was overly sentimental, or that the prose was clunky, or that A Thousand Splendid Suns started overly programmatically. (A word the reviewer made up, not me ;) Or at least, my spellcheck isn't acknowledging it.) I don't think the books are perfect- I don't think any book is perfect- but while I've never drawn up a "Top 10 books" list, I'm pretty sure that if I did, "A Thousand Splendid Suns" would be on it.
(Hmmm. Okay. Let's do it. Lissa's Top Ten favorite books, at least today, trying to keep it to one book per author:
1. Atlas Shrugged- Ayn Rand
2. Gone with the Wind- Margaret Mitchell
3. A Thousand Splendid Suns- Khaled Hosseini
4. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban- J.K. Rowling (although I'd also put OotP and GoF here as well)
5. Ender's Game- Orson Scott Card
6. Scarlett Feather- Maeve Binchey
7. To Kill a Mocking Bird- Harper Lee
8. The Watchmen- Alan Moore
9. Little Women- Louisa May Alcott
10. The Lorax- Dr. Seuss (seriously, I do get chills when I read it, and I've read it literally over 1000 times by now.)
Anyway, I guess my real point is that this is just kind of one of those drive-home-the-points of what someone loves, someone else will hate. It's not that I marvel that anyone could hate the books I love (I mean, come on- I'm an Ayn Rand fan), but it's just a great reminder for me. I don't know. I'm really babbling.
In a totally unrelated bit, , parent teacher conferences!
Toby's in preschool, so it's not like I'm looking for someone to say my kid is a genius or anything. But when I had the conference, his teachers had nothing but wonderful things to say about him. It's clear that Toby's behaving himself in school, and that they're really, really enjoying having him this year.
I was surprised by how much THAT hit me, too, and I realize why. I'm a stay-at-home parent- raising the kids IS my only job right now. I know I can't control everything my kid does, but when his teachers tell me how great they think Toby is and how much they enjoy having him, and that he listens in class, that he behaves, and that he's a bright, wonderful little boy? It's like an evaluation of ME, in some way. It makes me feel like I'm doing a good job. :) Which, given the attitude Toby's been copping at home a lot recently, is something I need right now.
This concludes today's babblings. I need to get the kids up, make chocolate play-dough for a playdate, check and see if I need to grocery shop at all today (Toby has to take snack for preschool tomorrow and wants to take chocolate chip cookie bars, and we have Fellowship supper for which I'm taking soda bread), and get ready for the said playdate. Plus, I've been trying to get Not Where I Belong going, and it's hard this time, because there is much discussion of feelings that has to be just right.
Oh, and before people ask- for chocolate playdough- melt 12 oz of semisweet chocolate chips and stir in 1/3 cup corn syrup. Refrigerate/let sit. It doesn't taste great (at least, not to me), but it really feels like playdough and Toby liked the taste.
My weekend off is definitely over!
I started googling A Thousand Splendid Suns mainly because I wanted to see if I could get some insight into what happened to Aziza at the orphanage. I thought it was pretty clear that proprietor of the orphanage (I can't remember his name and the book has wandered off) didn't harm the children, but at the same time, it was clear that something was happening to Aziza there. While Hosseini never answered that- and I think that was a good choice, because that was part of what made it so terrible for Laila, was that she knew something had happened and she couldn't help, I was looking for speculation. And I started reading a few reviews.
In a way, it was really interesting for me to find some negative reviews of ATSS (and of The Kite Runner). One thing that bugs me about myself is that I tend to be too sensitive. I worry about this if I ever manage to get a novel off the ground and submitted. Oddly, I can take rejection. I can take the editorial process. What can phase me is getting something out there, polished up and ready, and THEN having someone say "this is why it sucks." Which is funny, because hi, Mutant REVIEWERS from Hell, right? Right.
But the thing was, I loved The Kite Runner. And I loved A Thousand Splendid Suns even more. I didn't think they were overly melodramatic, I didn't think Amir was utterly unlikeable, and I didn't think that Hosseini neglected the politics of Afghanistan (all comments found in reviews). I didn't think that The Kite Runner was overly sentimental, or that the prose was clunky, or that A Thousand Splendid Suns started overly programmatically. (A word the reviewer made up, not me ;) Or at least, my spellcheck isn't acknowledging it.) I don't think the books are perfect- I don't think any book is perfect- but while I've never drawn up a "Top 10 books" list, I'm pretty sure that if I did, "A Thousand Splendid Suns" would be on it.
(Hmmm. Okay. Let's do it. Lissa's Top Ten favorite books, at least today, trying to keep it to one book per author:
1. Atlas Shrugged- Ayn Rand
2. Gone with the Wind- Margaret Mitchell
3. A Thousand Splendid Suns- Khaled Hosseini
4. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban- J.K. Rowling (although I'd also put OotP and GoF here as well)
5. Ender's Game- Orson Scott Card
6. Scarlett Feather- Maeve Binchey
7. To Kill a Mocking Bird- Harper Lee
8. The Watchmen- Alan Moore
9. Little Women- Louisa May Alcott
10. The Lorax- Dr. Seuss (seriously, I do get chills when I read it, and I've read it literally over 1000 times by now.)
Anyway, I guess my real point is that this is just kind of one of those drive-home-the-points of what someone loves, someone else will hate. It's not that I marvel that anyone could hate the books I love (I mean, come on- I'm an Ayn Rand fan), but it's just a great reminder for me. I don't know. I'm really babbling.
In a totally unrelated bit, , parent teacher conferences!
Toby's in preschool, so it's not like I'm looking for someone to say my kid is a genius or anything. But when I had the conference, his teachers had nothing but wonderful things to say about him. It's clear that Toby's behaving himself in school, and that they're really, really enjoying having him this year.
I was surprised by how much THAT hit me, too, and I realize why. I'm a stay-at-home parent- raising the kids IS my only job right now. I know I can't control everything my kid does, but when his teachers tell me how great they think Toby is and how much they enjoy having him, and that he listens in class, that he behaves, and that he's a bright, wonderful little boy? It's like an evaluation of ME, in some way. It makes me feel like I'm doing a good job. :) Which, given the attitude Toby's been copping at home a lot recently, is something I need right now.
This concludes today's babblings. I need to get the kids up, make chocolate play-dough for a playdate, check and see if I need to grocery shop at all today (Toby has to take snack for preschool tomorrow and wants to take chocolate chip cookie bars, and we have Fellowship supper for which I'm taking soda bread), and get ready for the said playdate. Plus, I've been trying to get Not Where I Belong going, and it's hard this time, because there is much discussion of feelings that has to be just right.
Oh, and before people ask- for chocolate playdough- melt 12 oz of semisweet chocolate chips and stir in 1/3 cup corn syrup. Refrigerate/let sit. It doesn't taste great (at least, not to me), but it really feels like playdough and Toby liked the taste.
My weekend off is definitely over!
