R. Frac in Moominland (Books Post)
Dec. 9th, 2018 09:16 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
radiantfractureQuotidian Quotient
We had nearly a week of hard-frost mornings with bright blue skies. Now great winds are rolling around the Beautiful Shed, I have daylight candles lit, and the sky is full of portents. Well, clouds.
I sent nine postcards for the year's turning yesterday, and was pleased with myself about it. It was an efficient day, actually -- so much so that it feels like risking a jinx to say so. (If you wanted a card but you're not sure I have your address, pls DM.) I often use "sunreturn" from Le Guin's Earthsea as the focus of my solstice cards.
Today I wrote a small letter to my friend on the Isle of Iona, who is used to such eccentricities as paper letters from me. I love writing letters. I wish I had more occasion to do so.
Friday night K. and M. had me over for dinner, and I liked it so much I went out and bought the same fish fillets and bok choy so I could make the identical dinner over again. They have a wood stove, and the smell and feeling in the house are a joy. Much talk of shop and also Barcelona, which K. & M. love and I have never visited.
Books Post Proper: Frac Visits Moominvalley for the First Time
As I think I've explained elsewhere, I find it difficult to read seriously during a heavy teaching term. I end up reading short, easy things, or the first chapter of several things while wearing a distracted frown, or, if I'm not careful, no things at all except Internet skimming. I also don't like to read material directly related to work in case I discover an error or omission that it's too late for me to fix.
I have a mind of many portcullises and trapdoors.
Are there short (or swift) and satisfying books you can suggest for such circumstances?
I follow the Backlisted podcast obsessively, and the last episode but one discussed Moominvalley in November. Consequently, I've been reading the Moomins for the first time. I didn't read the books as a child. I heard about Tove Jansson on a different books podcast (Bookfight. As an indirect result, I read The Summer Book a few years ago. I love it, but I'd never sought out the children's books until now.
Here are the Moominbooks and my reading experience of them thus far.
Comet in Moominland – I haven't read this yet, as they don't seem to have it at the library.
The Moomins and the Great Flood – I read this first. This is the first Moomin book that Jansson wrote, though not the first published in English. Like many first-books-in-a-series, it doesn't have quite the voice or the feel of the later books. I like whimsy, and this contained much of it, but it didn't do that much for me.
Finn Family Moomintroll – In progress. Tonally on the lighter end of the spectrum; more a collection of set pieces so far.
Moominsummer Madness – This was fun, mildly perilous, and stuffed with delightful bits of satire on excessive park signage and the theatrical life.
Moominland Midwinter – This I read second and liked better than Great Flood, as the strangeness begins to cohere into a worldview, and large ideas lurk & loom & then quietly melt away in the thaw.
Tales from Moominvalley – Not read yet.
Moominpappa at Sea – Not read yet, but looking forward to it, as it apparently concerns Moominpappa's midlife crisis.
Moonminvalley in November – Yeah, like they said on Backlisted: an actual masterpiece. Seriously. It's wonderful.
I wouldn't skip right to it, though. If you are, like me, new to Moominvalley, I would read at least one and preferably several other Moomin books first, because the strength of this book rests partly on its relationship to, and difference from, the others in the series. Backlisted episode here if you don't want to take my word for it.
Non-Moomin-Related Books
Sjon Moonstone: The Boy Who Never Was
A novella, really. This was interesting. The plot concerns a young queer man in Iceland, obsessed with cinema, trying to survive the post-World-War-One flu epidemic. It's an elliptical, spare, psychological narrative, cool and estranged.
I'd only read The Blue Fox before and found it disquieting and difficult to forget. At first I didn’t like Moonstone as much, but the final chapter – a sort of coda, really – did several things that mashed around what I thought the story was doing with fiction and nonfiction. Some of these new ingredients I liked and some I didn’t so much, but they all changed the way I read the earlier part of the book, and so I ended up liking it better. A book to re-read.
I've started another of Sjon's novellas, and am feeling doubtful about it, but since narrative disquiet seems to be his hallmark, I should probably carry on.
{rf}
We had nearly a week of hard-frost mornings with bright blue skies. Now great winds are rolling around the Beautiful Shed, I have daylight candles lit, and the sky is full of portents. Well, clouds.
I sent nine postcards for the year's turning yesterday, and was pleased with myself about it. It was an efficient day, actually -- so much so that it feels like risking a jinx to say so. (If you wanted a card but you're not sure I have your address, pls DM.) I often use "sunreturn" from Le Guin's Earthsea as the focus of my solstice cards.
Today I wrote a small letter to my friend on the Isle of Iona, who is used to such eccentricities as paper letters from me. I love writing letters. I wish I had more occasion to do so.
Friday night K. and M. had me over for dinner, and I liked it so much I went out and bought the same fish fillets and bok choy so I could make the identical dinner over again. They have a wood stove, and the smell and feeling in the house are a joy. Much talk of shop and also Barcelona, which K. & M. love and I have never visited.
Books Post Proper: Frac Visits Moominvalley for the First Time
As I think I've explained elsewhere, I find it difficult to read seriously during a heavy teaching term. I end up reading short, easy things, or the first chapter of several things while wearing a distracted frown, or, if I'm not careful, no things at all except Internet skimming. I also don't like to read material directly related to work in case I discover an error or omission that it's too late for me to fix.
I have a mind of many portcullises and trapdoors.
Are there short (or swift) and satisfying books you can suggest for such circumstances?
I follow the Backlisted podcast obsessively, and the last episode but one discussed Moominvalley in November. Consequently, I've been reading the Moomins for the first time. I didn't read the books as a child. I heard about Tove Jansson on a different books podcast (Bookfight. As an indirect result, I read The Summer Book a few years ago. I love it, but I'd never sought out the children's books until now.
Here are the Moominbooks and my reading experience of them thus far.
Comet in Moominland – I haven't read this yet, as they don't seem to have it at the library.
The Moomins and the Great Flood – I read this first. This is the first Moomin book that Jansson wrote, though not the first published in English. Like many first-books-in-a-series, it doesn't have quite the voice or the feel of the later books. I like whimsy, and this contained much of it, but it didn't do that much for me.
Finn Family Moomintroll – In progress. Tonally on the lighter end of the spectrum; more a collection of set pieces so far.
Moominsummer Madness – This was fun, mildly perilous, and stuffed with delightful bits of satire on excessive park signage and the theatrical life.
Moominland Midwinter – This I read second and liked better than Great Flood, as the strangeness begins to cohere into a worldview, and large ideas lurk & loom & then quietly melt away in the thaw.
Tales from Moominvalley – Not read yet.
Moominpappa at Sea – Not read yet, but looking forward to it, as it apparently concerns Moominpappa's midlife crisis.
Moonminvalley in November – Yeah, like they said on Backlisted: an actual masterpiece. Seriously. It's wonderful.
I wouldn't skip right to it, though. If you are, like me, new to Moominvalley, I would read at least one and preferably several other Moomin books first, because the strength of this book rests partly on its relationship to, and difference from, the others in the series. Backlisted episode here if you don't want to take my word for it.
Non-Moomin-Related Books
Sjon Moonstone: The Boy Who Never Was
A novella, really. This was interesting. The plot concerns a young queer man in Iceland, obsessed with cinema, trying to survive the post-World-War-One flu epidemic. It's an elliptical, spare, psychological narrative, cool and estranged.
I'd only read The Blue Fox before and found it disquieting and difficult to forget. At first I didn’t like Moonstone as much, but the final chapter – a sort of coda, really – did several things that mashed around what I thought the story was doing with fiction and nonfiction. Some of these new ingredients I liked and some I didn’t so much, but they all changed the way I read the earlier part of the book, and so I ended up liking it better. A book to re-read.
I've started another of Sjon's novellas, and am feeling doubtful about it, but since narrative disquiet seems to be his hallmark, I should probably carry on.
{rf}
no subject
Date: 2018-12-09 08:32 pm (UTC)That is nice.
Consequently, I've been reading the Moomins for the first time.
My introduction was Finn Family Moomintroll. I think it's a good starting place. I'm pretty sure my next was Moominland Midwinter. I have no especial memories of the rest (if I read them) except liking Moominvalley in November, but I was in elementary school at the time. I should probably re-read.
no subject
Date: 2018-12-10 12:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-12-10 01:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-12-09 09:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-12-10 12:14 am (UTC)I'm going to go ahead and assume there's queer content? Coz that would be great.
no subject
Date: 2018-12-10 12:24 am (UTC)most entertaining/least amount of work queer novels i've read lately were probably the Caphenon, Fletcher Delancey. they are set in the Star Trek universe, which bugged the crap out of me, but other than that, they are simply brilliant. alien lesbian love story. great characterizations. fundamentally candy.
i could make a giant list of queer/lesbian/gay science fiction & fantasy. some of it is candy and some isn't. o, Ellen Kushner's Riverside novels are delightful. gay romance, vaguely victorian alternate world fantasy. beautiful use of language throughout, one of Kushner's greatest strengths. i probably should start curating a list somewhere online, i've been digging this stuff up for so long.
no subject
Date: 2018-12-11 04:34 am (UTC)That said, these are also great. (Swordspoint was a big book for me once upon a time.)
no subject
Date: 2018-12-11 04:39 am (UTC)(I think swordspoint was the first actually-gay fantasy novel i ever found and i was like: this is TREASURE. i am glad the world has expanded and also i still adore every word of it.)
no subject
Date: 2018-12-09 10:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-12-11 04:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-12-11 02:09 pm (UTC)Any of those shepherd books worth reading? I do love a bucolic sheep tale (or a grizzly sheep tale, not picky).
no subject
Date: 2018-12-11 04:47 pm (UTC)Not really? Maybe? If you like parables.
Backlisted is also how I discovered Barbara Comyns, though, and that was definitely worth it.
I could go on...
no subject
Date: 2018-12-11 06:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-12-10 05:30 am (UTC)I like the Tor novellas for short/satisfying—the caveat being that not all are satisfying (see: the Binti books, which are more a three-part series than three standalone short reads) & some are deceptively heavy. But some of my favorites have been:
The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps, Kai Ashante Wilson & sequel (stylistically v. dense but also delightful, fun, vivid) (Q)
Of Sorrow and Such, Angela Slatter (great witchy magic/atmosphere) (Q? I think?)
Winter Tide, Ruthanna Emrys (cozy New England, critical take on Lovecraft) (Q via supporting characters)
The Ballad of Black Tom, Victor LaValle (Lovecraft criticism gets pretty heavy in this but it's still really fun)
The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe, Kij Johnson (great atmosphere)
A Human Stain, Kelly Robson (engagingly creepy/weird horror) (Q)
not appearing on this list are things like Mapping the Interior, Stephen Graham Jones and other texts I maybe liked a lot but which felt long/dense/difficult despite their novella length.
Not a Tor novella, but also a good novella:
Fever Dream, Samanta Schweblin (a good balance between thriller pacing and weird/confusing)
I also love middle grade for this sort of thing. Diana Wynne Jones is a delight (I've been reading the Chrestomani series), I enjoy Frances Hardinge, Jane Yolen tends even younger but makes for really easy reading, Travel Light by Naomi Mitchison shines with beauty, and here is most of my middle grade TBR.
Since comments above indicate it's of interest, I've marked what texts I can remember having queer content with (Q).
no subject
Date: 2018-12-11 03:36 am (UTC)It's so good. I listen to the episodes over and over again like music (but I am wont to do that sort of thing. Practicing to be human I guess.)
no subject
Date: 2018-12-11 04:42 am (UTC)and while we're on novellas, Martha Wells' Murderbot novellas, the whole set.
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Date: 2018-12-11 05:08 am (UTC)Two recommendations make a library hold.
See, that's a great idea. I keep reading such enthusiastic reviews around DW.
no subject
Date: 2018-12-11 08:48 pm (UTC)Perverse reader is perverse
Date: 2018-12-21 01:00 am (UTC)Re: Perverse reader is perverse
Date: 2018-12-21 04:13 am (UTC)Re: Perverse reader is perverse
Date: 2018-12-21 07:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-12-10 01:46 pm (UTC)I still haven't read Moominpappa and Comet.
no subject
Date: 2018-12-11 03:34 am (UTC)That's right! Thank you. I'd forgotten that Moominsummer has some terrific awful characters. Emma the theatre mouse and the person who is permanently sorry for herself until she becomes a great tragedian (it me). And the floating theatre is such a lovely idea.
Does Finland flood a great deal? There seem to be a lot of floods in Moominland.
no subject
Date: 2018-12-11 01:52 am (UTC)Love it! I wish I knew people, er, I guess I now know someone who would do such a thing. :) (Ursula's my favorite!) I'd correspond with you. :) My mentor in the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids lives on a Scottish Island, and we write letters, too.
I've known of Moomins from a friend who is a fan, but I haven't read these yet. Guess I should start!
Here's a short and beautiful book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/410615.Green_Angel
Apparently you can get things like Coelho's, "The Alchemist," in graphic novel form (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11732641-the-alchemist). So I might try getting a quick fix that way, and read the full book forms when I have more time and concentration for full books.
I also sample, or more like... do shots of all the relevant bits of non-fiction books through Blinkist. (https://www.blinkist.com/) At first the concept was almost offensive, but efficiency pleases me, and I've enjoyed using it, and make note of books I may want to fully read later.
And of course, there are always short stories, like The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, or anthologies. :)
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Date: 2018-12-11 03:29 am (UTC)Lovely! Shall we start with sunreturn cards?
I think a small rocky island Scotland or northwards feels remote enough to really warrant a letter.
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Date: 2018-12-11 03:44 am (UTC)I'll have to tell Eileen that I'm getting another pen pal who is pen pals with another Scottish islander. ^_^
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Date: 2018-12-11 04:50 pm (UTC)Yeah, I have to get away from this semi-conscious rule that if it doesn't count as a Goodreads completion it's not a good use of my time...
no subject
Date: 2018-12-12 03:35 am (UTC)But you could put individual stories in a stories checklist somewhere, like a notebook or a to-do app.
In my planner, I currently have notes just for books I'm reading, with checkboxes next to chapter names... to encourage me that I'm getting reading done. :D
sunreturn starts soon!
Date: 2018-12-13 09:57 am (UTC)Though some of my favorite radio shows are of course available like podcasts, on demand online. Hmm, I need to work on more listening days or something.
re: wood stoves
Someone half a block away uses one for their heat, and I love that the smell is readily available upon leaving the house. Though sometimes I wonder why wood smoke connotes "cosy" when it should really be "FIRE! DEATH!" or something.
re: reading recs
Have you read Texts from Jane Eyre by the wonderful now-Daniel Mallory Ortberg? Different takes on classic lit, via texts. Small bits, easily consumed quickly, while also funny and sometimes brilliant. I think my favorites are from Odysseus: Where did all these sheep come from, Circe? Where did my men go? Etc.
Re: sunreturn starts soon!
Date: 2018-12-14 05:00 pm (UTC)Hmm, true. But! If you find something you like, it's like there's this limitless trove of what you want.
...and I know they're not great for the air quality, but I love them. Even though I spent all summer distressed by the smell of burning forest, I still love wood
stoves in the winter.
Not as a whole book (The Toast, sigh) -- that would be fun and also possibly applicable to teaching Eng. Lit.
Re: sunreturn starts soon!
Date: 2018-12-19 05:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-12-15 06:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-12-16 08:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-12-16 10:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-12-21 10:53 pm (UTC)Jansson is so good on selfishness in these books. Her characters can be absolutely awful, but things generally turn out all right. The selfishness is rather childish and forgivable and can be accommodated, usually through the generosity of Moominmama. I end up feeling like Jansson is making room for people to be less than perfect, even unpleasant, but still part of the family/community.
But there's something so distressingly and particularly patriarchal about Moominpappa at Sea so far. This insistence on doing everything and knowing everything; on trying to suppress and crowd out Moominmama's skills and knowledge -- it's beyond lovably flawed into actively oppressive. It makes it quite hard to read, for all the fascination of the lighthouse and the island and the signs that Something is going on.
I'm only on page 57, though, so there's time for my mind to be changed.