"Stop It!", Part Deux (Spoilery)

I think it's time to give up on For a Few Demons More. Every time I sit down with it, I start thinking about other stuff I could be reading, and indeed, I've read two other books before getting halfway through this one. Question is, do I give up on this series entirely? I couldn't finish the second one either (The Good, the Bad and the Undead) but I really enjoyed the third (Every Which Way But Dead). There are things I really love about Harrison's universe, like the secondary characters, and some of the little, funny, mundane details that make the Hollows come alive. But at the time, with all the detail and exposition involved, there are still sentences like this (p.149): "I took a quick breath and narrowed the inflow before my chi overflowed and I'd have to spindle it." And, five books in, I don't get it, the line stuff, the chi stuff, and I feel dumb. But many, many people love this series, so mebbe I am. So for now, this is a DNF (I'll skim the rest and I already read the end).

But I must address one thing. My biggest problem by far is Rachel Morgan, the protagonist from the series. I've gone from merely thinking the girl's kinda dumb, to full-blown dislike. I'd like to put my fake therapist hat on to try and help a fictional character. Just to refresh your memory:



Rachel, please try to learn from your mistakes. It is time to look before you leap, think before you act, take a deep breath before opening your piehole. Yes, you have pissed off half the critters in Cincinatti, as well as half the demons in the Ever After, but you've got no one to blame but yourself. Have you ever considered that there might be consequences to your actions? Stop it, you knucklehead. As for your relationships, you're starting to come off like a manipulative user.You know Ivy has strong feelings for you, and you appear to for her, but you don't do girls. So instead, you've turned to the closest thing to Ivy: Kisten. Fine, Denial Girl, but don't keep goading Ivy, asking her to drink from you, but that's all, no funny stuff. It makes you seem like a mindfucker. Have you ever heard the expression "Shit or get off the pot?" Just stop it! [Wo]Man up, get yourself some Birkenstocks, and Indigo Girls albums, and book a little weekend for you and Ivy in Provincetown. It'll get you what you both want.

Whew, I feel much better. Seriously is it just me? Hope I didn't get too spoilery.

Other interesting things...

...though perhaps not as interesting as possibly murderous transgendered rock stars who love lesbians.

I wasn't going to reveal the subject of my whiny DNF post, but to give readers fair warning: it was Dark Whispers by Samantha Garver. Although I did give up on it, I found a review at AAR today, that I very much agreed with. The reviewer, Leigh Thomas had many of the same concerns that I did, and her assessment of the hero and heroine were spot on. I'll be looking to see if anyone else takes this one on, and what they think. It's unfortunate, because I would've liked to pimp a new author, and it was a fun idea.

Anyone watch Jane Eyre on Masterpiece Theater? I love this story,ever since I saw an old BBC miniseries of it (with Timothy Dalton) when I was 14. I loved Rochester, although now, in my old age, I want to smack him around a bit. Is it me or is this version a little, well, sexier than the novel? Not that there was any actual sex, but Jane and Rochester seemed a little flirty to me. I'm not a stickler though, and I enjoyed it plenty. I'm looking forward to next Sunday and Rochester's betrayal. I thought Jane was particularly well cast.

The Great DNF Debate

I have a really hard time giving up on books. I feel like I owe it to myself to finish after investing a certain amount of time. And the author put her/his time and effort into it, shouldn't I finish it so that I can form an opinion based upon the entire work? Plus, what if I give up and it turns out that I missed something really good? Like, if I had only continued reading for ten more pages, the whole thing would have turned around. I have issues. But if all those concerns aren't enough, I also spent money on the book, dammit!!

I am currently reading a book that I was looking forward to, and had really hoped to enjoy, for a number of reasons. But it's slow going, I admit. I'm putting it down or falling asleep a lot. I knew I was in trouble when I picked up the book this evening and sighed deeply when I saw how much I had left.

There are several glaring problems with this book, which are growing increasingly distracting. The first is a problem I believe is associated with the phenomenon of the "wallpaper historical." I am completely confused about when this book takes place. It must be some time during the nineteenth century. One of the main characters is a Bow Street Runner (early Victorian?). Men wear tricorn hats, stockings and breeches (Regency? Georgian?) The behavior is very anachronistic. Everyone is awfully informal, calling each other by the first name. The heroine is charming and witty, but her winking, eyebrow waggling, and constant facetious/funny/provocative comments seem like they might cause consternation in others. In the last chapter I read, a group of characters trooped off to a tavern, where scantily clad men and women dance like extras in "Dirty Dancing." There is a talent contest, where a titled lady gets up and sings in front of the entire tavern. The heroine then dresses up like a man, and gets up on stage and sings a very suggestive song, aimed at the hero (who she has kissed once). Maybe I'm just clueless, but I'm confused and getting irritated.

Plus, there are editing/sloppiness issues. Everyone is scowling all the time. Characters' eyelids draw together (one more than one occasion), which gave me a disturbing mental image until I realized that what the author meant was that their eyebrows had drawn togther. The heroine is described as "uncommonly tall". How tall is she, you might ask? At one point she is described as being two feet taller than a man, at another point she is one foot taller than another male character. Even if we place these men at a petite 5'3", that's one freakin' tall woman.

I'm the kind of reader who can forgive all kinds of errors and absurdity, for the sake of an intriguing and entertaining love story. Alas, that doesn't seem to be the case either. I know I'm rambling here, but I had to get this off my chest. When is it time to give up on a book? I keep hoping it's going to get better, but instead I'm getting caught up in and distracted by the issues. Should I cut my losses? My head says yes, but my heart says, "Keep going, give it chance." It seems like a lot of work, though.