Monday, March 28, 2011

I Might Have Joined A Book Club

And I may or may not regret it. At the very least there will be food and I get to play with the baby. And meet new people. However, the book is The Girl With The Freaking Dragon Tattoo. I know there have already been several reviews posted among my blogging buddies so based on a vague recollection of them I traded some used books in so I didn't have to pay for it (no library card yet, lazy me). And I will trade it right back in. I did a power-read this evening so I am maybe 60% done with it. And OY. I forget how much I dislike violent books. My mom did try to explain it to me at one point because she couldn't decide if she wanted to recommend it to me or not, and she was hung up on exactly what I am hung up on. How is it drawing attention to the violence against women by luridly describing it and using it as a major plot point for the whole book? Would you not have to write the book if there was no violence against women or would you not be able to

And yet, little bits of information keep getting revealed so it is a total tease and I want to know whodunit. Ergh.

Is there a word for a male Mary Sue? The Indiana Jones/Robert Langdon charming academic reporter who is loved by all the ladies and can do no wrong? And of course all the female characters are beautiful, if troubled, and they all adore him.

I fear I will derail the book club discussion. I will have to see if they have a reading list of their past choices so I can make an informed decision if I stick with them. Although, meeting most of them might help, too. If it's just an excuse for a girls' night and they are cool ladies, I might be able to roll with it. But I sure have to get a library card if that's the case.

Anybody want to send me links to their old reviews so I can back up my potential rant?

4 comments:

thefarmersdaughter said...

I tried to read that book. Really tried. It's still sitting on my bedside table. I just had to stop. Not because of any violence, just because I found it dull. It made me realize I was reading. I never got "lost" in it like I do with other books. So, I stopped.

Good for you joining a book club. I would like to think I would, but I know I wouldn't.

Anne At Large said...

Yeah I think you'll survive without it. It does start out with a bunch of dry background stuff and there are interludes of more dry stuff throughout, it was only when they got to the whodunit bit that I finally got sucked in.

I am keeping my fingers crossed for the next book, this one made me cranky. But it sounds like it is a pretty social thing mainly so I am trying not to stress about it. We will see if I stick it out. I will let you know if we read something awesome.

thefarmersdaughter said...

thanks. I'm reading Jules Verne right now..... and some vampire novel.... what a combo huh?

Anne At Large said...

It's hard to go wrong with Verne, but what is your vampire book? I haven't read any recently because there have been SO many.