Books 2012: a memorable smell

[hawkwing_lb]

Books 2012: 215-217


215. Alain Corbin, The Foul and The Fragrant: Odour and the Social Imagination. Papermac, London, 1996.

It would be wrong to accuse Corbin's magnificent work on the role of the sense of smell in 18th and 19th century French of being easily read: but it is, however, fascinating, detailed, and absorbing, and more than rewards the effort expended in its reading. I recommend it very highly, and wish I didn't have to give my copy back to the library.


216. R.M. Meluch, Jerusalem Fire. 1985.

A moderately interesting SF novel. I wave my hands at it, not necessarily in a good way. See a forthcoming Tor.com column for more details.


217. Lois McMaster Bujold, Captain Vorpatril's Alliance. Baen, 2012.

Oh. Oh. Sweet godless heavens, this is so much better that Diplomatic Immunity and Cryoburn. It's a happy adventure story, true, but Bujold does that excellently well, and Ivan's day in the sun is not nearly as slight or lopsided as the last two Miles outings.

I do think Bujold could stand to avoid epilogues, however.

Comments

[green_knight]

I'd wanted more Ivan for years. I *like* Ivan. He looks dull next to miles, but who wouldn't? And then he's not just a serial flirter and charmer - I'd known that - but I had this moment where I could not switch off my brain. And Ivan, in the beginning of the book, behaves abysmally. He's not respecting boundaries. He's all entitlement, does not take no for an answer, ever, and walks in with the confidence that he's above the law and social conventions.

And I felt very, very angry that everything - the author, the book's conventions, my own past enjoyment of Ivan-the-character validated this behaviour, said 'oh, that's just Ivan, he's a good guy, therefore you need to laugh and smile and like him whatever he does'. And I was all out of liking for people who behaved like he did.

[hawkwing_lb]

He does behave like a creep. (He thinks it's in service of the greater good, but still: creep behaviour.) And the book doesn't ever actually problematise that.

Still. Better than Cryoburn by a long shot.

[etumukutenyak.livejournal.com]

Ngh! My copy of CVA is on it's way to me...can hardly wait!

[hawkwing-lb.livejournal.com]

Ivan acts like a creep in (he thinks) a good cause, which annoyed me extremely. But otherwise it is fun.