May meme - Teenage books
May. 13th, 2014 08:18 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
brigdhI'm doing that old December talking meme, but for May! Feel free to ask me something; I have lots of empty days.
May 10th: "Favourite book from your teens that's still somehow with you?" for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
verdande_mi.
A lot of the books I was obsessed with as a teen I no longer have quite the same feelings for. Of course I had an Anne Rice phase (because, really, who didn't that phase?), but I haven't reread any of her books in years and no longer feel the same degree of affection for the characters or world. Similarly, I had a very intense Robin Hobb phase– I reread my copy of her first trilogy until it literally fell apart and I had to tape the covers back on– but I was disappointed and put off by her more recent books, not to mention her personal behavior. She, like Anne Rice actually, is extremely vocal about her dislike of fanfiction, as well as speaking out against treating mental illnesses with medication, because it "stifles creativity" or some nonsense.
Some individual books I loved were Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible (about a family of American missionaries in the Belgian Congo in the 1960s), Zilpha Keatley Snyder's The Changeling (about two friends, one from an abusive family, and their fantasy world), and probably more that I'm forgetting. But though I still feel fond of them, I haven't actually reread them in a very long time.
But the question is about books that are still with me! And the first thing that occurs to me is Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. I think I first started reading them when I was 13 or so, randomly pulling off one from the middle of the series from a library shelf. And then I was hooked; I love his comedy, of course, but I also love the sense of humanism and morals and worldview that come through the stories. They've probably influenced my own ideas about these things to an embarrassing extent. One of my favorite scenes in this one, from Hogfather, between Death (as in, The Grim Reaper, who always speaks in all capitals) and his mortal, normal (well, mostly) granddaughter Susan:
“All right," said Susan. "I'm not stupid. You're saying humans need... fantasies to make life bearable."
REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.
"Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little—"
YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.
"So we can believe the big ones?"
YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.
"They're not the same at all!"
YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET—Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME...SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.
"Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the point—"
MY POINT EXACTLY.”
AH SO GOOD. If you have somehow not read the Discworld series, I recommend you do so immediately. My favorites are Hogfather and Small Gods, but there's very few bad ones out of forty-so books.
May 10th: "Favourite book from your teens that's still somehow with you?" for
verdande_mi.A lot of the books I was obsessed with as a teen I no longer have quite the same feelings for. Of course I had an Anne Rice phase (because, really, who didn't that phase?), but I haven't reread any of her books in years and no longer feel the same degree of affection for the characters or world. Similarly, I had a very intense Robin Hobb phase– I reread my copy of her first trilogy until it literally fell apart and I had to tape the covers back on– but I was disappointed and put off by her more recent books, not to mention her personal behavior. She, like Anne Rice actually, is extremely vocal about her dislike of fanfiction, as well as speaking out against treating mental illnesses with medication, because it "stifles creativity" or some nonsense.
Some individual books I loved were Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible (about a family of American missionaries in the Belgian Congo in the 1960s), Zilpha Keatley Snyder's The Changeling (about two friends, one from an abusive family, and their fantasy world), and probably more that I'm forgetting. But though I still feel fond of them, I haven't actually reread them in a very long time.
But the question is about books that are still with me! And the first thing that occurs to me is Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. I think I first started reading them when I was 13 or so, randomly pulling off one from the middle of the series from a library shelf. And then I was hooked; I love his comedy, of course, but I also love the sense of humanism and morals and worldview that come through the stories. They've probably influenced my own ideas about these things to an embarrassing extent. One of my favorite scenes in this one, from Hogfather, between Death (as in, The Grim Reaper, who always speaks in all capitals) and his mortal, normal (well, mostly) granddaughter Susan:
“All right," said Susan. "I'm not stupid. You're saying humans need... fantasies to make life bearable."
REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.
"Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little—"
YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.
"So we can believe the big ones?"
YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.
"They're not the same at all!"
YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET—Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME...SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.
"Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the point—"
MY POINT EXACTLY.”
AH SO GOOD. If you have somehow not read the Discworld series, I recommend you do so immediately. My favorites are Hogfather and Small Gods, but there's very few bad ones out of forty-so books.
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no subject
Date: 2014-05-13 12:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-05-13 02:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-05-13 04:53 pm (UTC)Really? :( I'd read her anti-fanfiction rant and have had a hard time enjoying her work as much since then, but didn't know there were other views of hers to be leery of.
And Pratchett ♥, of course. I discovered him as an adult, but have been trying to get my children started on Discworld early, with only limited success so far (L enjoyed Amazing Maurice, as a cat and rodent lover, but bounced off Wee Free Men), but they're still young, and I'm waiting until my son will be old enough to appreciate the Watch books, which I think he should enjoy.
no subject
Date: 2014-05-13 10:13 pm (UTC)I will totally impose Pratchett on any future children of my own, so I understand your efforts. :)
no subject
Date: 2014-05-14 04:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-05-13 07:30 pm (UTC)pratchett is my heroic captain obvious - he's this person who's speaking the - necessary truths? unchanging truth? - while saving them from being trite. like, if i had children, i'd give them pratchett's books because he'd teach them right. in my mind, he's kind of one of these authors keeping the universe's structure correct and just.
no subject
Date: 2014-05-13 10:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-05-13 11:53 pm (UTC)Oh Robin Hobb :( I don't think I've ever been this disappointed by an author before. She has the dubious honour of being one of the authors (maybe the only) I never read in English. I had to have a talk about my family about not buying me her books anymore and yet one of them random appeared in my brother's bedroom that one ttime, idk, man, idk.
Terry Pratchett is so so amazing! Do you remember the first one you read?
no subject
Date: 2014-05-14 12:30 pm (UTC)My first Pratchett was 'Men at Arms', which I think was actually probably a good one to start with! I think a lot of his very earliest ones are not as good, but this also wasn't so late in the series that who-was-who was confusing. What about you?
no subject
Date: 2014-05-14 09:14 pm (UTC)Men at Arms is good and also one of the first I read (...in French, because that was all my library. No regrets, the French translation is awesome.), but my first one was Reaper Man. The first one I read in English was Thief of Time, which is tied with Wintersmith for my favourite.
no subject
Date: 2014-05-15 12:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-05-15 10:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-05-16 02:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-05-20 03:38 pm (UTC)I’m the same as you – there are some books from my youth I don’t think I would enjoy as much today and I don’t want to re-read as not to tarnish my memories of them. But there is one book I especially want to re-read: Goodnight Mr. Tom by Michelle Magorian. I read that one in my pre-teens and it made a profound impression on me at the time. It’s set in England during World War 2 two and follows a young boy sent to the countryside and the relationship and friendships he builds with the old man he lives with. I’ve always been fascinated by history and loved reading about this time period, and the story of the boy and how his life changed for the better when he got care and love from this grumpy old man connected with me and left traces that hasn’t disappeared.
I’m not familiar with the Discworld series, but they sound very interesting and I think I’ll borrow a book from the library (if they have them) and see if it’s for me. The quote was a good one; it certainly made me want to give this world a try. I agree with Death – humans need fantasy to be human and I loved how he compared the lies of the tooth fairy and such to the lies of justice and the like. That is something that feels very true to me. Thank you for adding the quote and mentioning this series to me.
Author’s dislike of fanfiction is a little baffling to me. I can understand why they find it weird or upsetting or whatever, but they don’t have to read it or partake in it any way. And I think it’s strange many seem so hostile towards it – I guess it comes down to a difference in opinion regarding copyright. Copyright is not very in line with human nature if you ask me, we have always told and retold stories and I don’t think that is something that will stop, and fanfiction is just a variant of this retelling business we’re so good at. I understand why copyright is needed (to a certain extent) and why it was put in place, but it is way past the need of a change.
no subject
Date: 2014-05-22 02:24 pm (UTC)You really should try out the Discworld series! It's so wonderful. I'll have to try Goodnight Mr. Tom myself, as I've never read it. It sounds good, though.
And I completely agree with you about copyright.