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The sole, lonely cricket left after Monday's massacre has just started to sing. This is the first time I've heard him since the massacre. It reminds me of something Laurell K Hamilton made her character Anita Blake say about part of the book 'Charlotte's Web' in her book 'Cerulean Dreams'
'"Summer is over and gone, over and gone" sang the crickets.' Then there's a bit about how people usually think that this bit is a sad bit in the book, but not for Anita because after summer comes autumn and her favourite time of the year. In this book, she and a few special friends begin reading to each other because it's something they miss, and some of the special friends, like me, were never read to once they could read for themselves. It's also a very intimate, relationship thing - you don't read your favourite childhood books to people you don't care about.
And so, listening to the cricket sing reminded me of that part of the book. I like Laurell K Hamilton's work. Her broken people tell you little things every so often that remind you how, over their lifetime, they got to the point of being broken. And her good people always do their damnedest to protect the people they lay claim to - not just the people they care about, but the people that they feel responsible for even though they can't stand them.
Edit: That should be 'Cerulean Sins', not 'Cerulean Dreams' - I think I was flashing on the next one, 'Incubus Dreams'.
'"Summer is over and gone, over and gone" sang the crickets.' Then there's a bit about how people usually think that this bit is a sad bit in the book, but not for Anita because after summer comes autumn and her favourite time of the year. In this book, she and a few special friends begin reading to each other because it's something they miss, and some of the special friends, like me, were never read to once they could read for themselves. It's also a very intimate, relationship thing - you don't read your favourite childhood books to people you don't care about.
And so, listening to the cricket sing reminded me of that part of the book. I like Laurell K Hamilton's work. Her broken people tell you little things every so often that remind you how, over their lifetime, they got to the point of being broken. And her good people always do their damnedest to protect the people they lay claim to - not just the people they care about, but the people that they feel responsible for even though they can't stand them.
Edit: That should be 'Cerulean Sins', not 'Cerulean Dreams' - I think I was flashing on the next one, 'Incubus Dreams'.
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Of course I think my favourite character is Edward (aka Death), because the relationship between him and Anita is open and honest (although it is not a nice relationship). Although I did appreciate Oliver's point as well.
I remember reading to kids at the library as a part of organised activities for kids. It was a good way of practicing storytelling. I don't think they do it any more. Lack of interest. <sigh>
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As for Anita - I think she'll keep her day job. She mentions in a couple of the books that if she doesn't use her ability as an animator then it goes out on its' own and she can't control what it raises. Then again, maybe that's just part of the necromancy and goodness knows she tends to end up using that even when she doesn't want to, because with all the shit that happens she gets backed into corners where she has to or let someone else get hurt.
And yeah, the way she goes 'argh!' a lot with the men in her life... Jason describes it best in 'Cerulean Sins'. I'll just go find the bit... Here it is:
"You can't fall madly in love with Jean-Claude, or anyone else, because you've divided your world up into different parts with each of them. Because no one man has your whole world, no one man can rock your whole world." ... "I thought it was all accidental, and it was, and it wasn't. You're terrified of wanting to belong to just one person."
And on the next page, Anita replies:
"I loved my mother with my whole heart and whole soul, she was my world. She died, and it nearly destroyed me." I thought about everything he'd said, and I couldn't argue with it, and I couldn't pretend it didn't make sense. "I never want to put my whole world in any one person's hands again, Jason. If they die, I won't die with them."
"So you'll hold a little of yourself back from everybody."
"No," I said, "I'll hold back a piece of myself for myself. No one gets all of me, Jason, no one, except me."
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It was more a storytelling exercise than a reading exercise, and came in handy showing me the tricks to capture someone's attention with words. Also useful for memorizing great slabs of text at a glance (which I admit did come in useful later both in English and when I trod the boards).
As for Ms Blake, maybe it would have been more accurate to say that I want to see what happens when she finally stops being an animator and becomes a full-fledged necromancer.
<grin>
I agree with her wanting to belong to herself, since that's all a person can do and remain spiritually healthy. You can't belong to another person, as that's unfair to both them and you. But what Anita is doing is tearing herself to bits and giving parts of herself to others. It doesn't matter if she retains a bit for herself, she's still tearing herself to pieces.
Ooops. Just remembered the irony of me giving people (even fictional people) relationship advice.
Heh.
<sigh>
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And IMO the whole thing is waaay more than that. But I go with the 'If they die I won't die with them' sentiment - that is what my SO and I are consciously working towards. Partnership and independence instead of co-dependence.
So Anita is tearing herself up because she can't reconcile the difference between loving and being loved and being owned or giving over control of your life to someone else.
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Then again, I answer a resounding "No!" to the question "Is it better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all?" and believe "that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts." But then again I am a hopeless romantic, and the market for those is a little weak at the moment. Very little demand. <grin>
Must see if Simon Green's Hex and The City has made it into the stores yet. This is the latest book in his Nightside series, which is highly reccomended. As is most of his other books. He writes myths rather than stories (ie, the stories have a resonance that transcends the medium he uses).
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