(no subject)

[nigeltde]

Last night I finished Vikram Seth's An Equal Music. I'd previously read The Golden Gate (a novel composed entirely of sonnets, even the contents and acknowledgements) by him, and while there were elements of it that I was dissatisfied with, I thought it was brilliant. But An Equal Music is even better; I was just blown away by the beauty of the prose. It wasn't consciously beautiful in that purpley-but-not way, but just this quiet, gentle, poignant, questioning lyricism and it was the main reason why the main character didn't come off as a self-centered jerk, which he really could have. His name is Michael and he's a violinist, which is the other reason I adore this book. I know much, much less about classical music than I would like to and this book was absolutely fascinating in that it gives you an idea about what it's like to be a clasical musician. Anyone who loves music passionately, even, I reckon, if they're not fond of classical music, would love this book. It's about what music does to us, does for us, about why it's so important. And the woman Michael loves has a certain medical condition which I won't spoil because I can't be fucked to use the cut tags but Michael's musings on it are absolutely heartbreaking. Plus, it's also set in Vienna and Venice and the descriptions of the cities are wonderful. Just, a fantastic book; if you get the chance, check it out.


And now for something completely different:

For 5 of your fandoms, name:

1. The first character you first fell in love with:
2. The character you never expected to love as much as you do now:
3. The character everyone else loves that you don't:
4. The character you love that everyone else hates:
5. The character you used to love but don't any longer:
6. The character 'ship everyone else loves that you don't:
7. The character 'ship you love that everyone else hates:



Smallville
1. Lex.
2. Lex. I certainly didn't expect a love this unholy in its size.
3. Jason. You. Are. Booooooring. And even worse, a ridiculous-Lana-plot enabler.
4. Hmm. Martha? But I think she gets a lot of love.
5. Lionel. Be evil again! Be the magnificent bastard we all know you can be!
6. Lex/Chloe.
7. None, really.

Due South
1. Fraser. Again with the unholy love.
2. Ray Vecchio. I went in thinking I would be all like, when's Ray K coming already? And then I didn't want you to leave! You're brilliant.
3. Thatcher. Does everyone love her? I find her really annoying.
4. Turnbull; I think others find *him* really annoying but I think he's pretty cute...
5. No-one.
6. Fraser/Vecchio. Sometimes I can buy it and like it in fic, but mostly I don't want to read it.
7. Ray K/Frannie?

Buffy/Angel
1. Willow.
2. Angel. God, I hated you in Buffy. And then I adored you in Angel! That confused me but I don't mind.
3. Andrew. I find your geekisms amusing but you are a moral fucking vaccuum.
4. Cordelia. Everyone seems to hate your Angel incarnation, but I loved you!
5. Spike. When I first saw you, I thought, damn, you are fresh and funny and cool. And then in season 4 you just started sucking so hard I didn't recognise you anymore. Why couldn't you have stayed dead all those times?
6. Buffy/Giles. Noooooooooooooo!
7. None, really.

Lord of the Rings
1. Gandalf (going back to The Hobbit)
2. Boromir. Because I never liked him much in the books but I fell in love during FotR the movie. The power of Peter Jackson (& co) and Sean Bean combined...
3. Legolas.
4. Arwen.
5. No-one; I don't hate now anyone I didn't hate before.
6. Sam/Frodo. I love you two and your relationship, but I have zero interest in reading fic about it.
7. Bill/Shadowfax? Just kidding! No, really. Please don't write that.

Sports Night
1. Dan. Dan, Dan, ah, Dan *insert heavy sigh here*. Will you marry me?
2. Jeremy
3. Casey. Casey, I actually *do* love you, but why are you such an annoying dick so often?
4. Rebecca? Do people hate her? I thought she was quite cool.
5. Dana. I like you and all, but over time your craziness has become rather grating.
6. Erm, Casey/Dana? Is there a big following?
7. None.

Comments

[pierce.livejournal.com]

try 'A Suitable Boy', like Golden Gate
also very good.

[nigeltde]

Yes, A Suitable Boy is definitely in my top ten books to read next list. I read that he lost the manuscript for it in a house fire and had to rewrite the entire thing; it being the longest book in English, apparently!