Monica had offered:
>
>Maryelizabeth stated:
>
>>I like these books [Laurell Hamilton's Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter books]
>>a >>lot as well, although they could be improved if her
>>prose would improve. I think she's a great storyteller, but for me, these
>>are airplane books, (or light summer reading) where I don't have time to
>>count how many times she uses exactly the same pronouns or adjectives to
>>describe something.
>
>Oh I do so have to disagree. It's written in first person, and Anita (the
>main character) is this hard-boiled tough as nails (and a bunch of other
>cliques) chick and I can not feel that the character's prose should be
>"flowing." Hamliton writes her books like a 1940's detective novel, but,
>with a woman, vampires, and a good amount of sexual tension thrown in. I
>adore them.
>
>Yah, they are almost like candy, and you read them voraciously, but, they
>stick with you for a long time, and you want to read them again, and get the
>newest one.
Well, let's agree to like them, but with different reactions. BTW, to
clarify my earlier comments, I don't necessarily want her prose to be
flowing, I just don't want to have character's hair described that way 7
times in one book. And there are plenty of good PI novels out there with a
good voice with a tough female protagonist that aren't lyrical, but are
less amateurishly phrased, IMO. For example, no SF tie in here, but Randye
London's Sydney Sloan books come to mind as an immediate example.
And I have absolutely no interest in investing time in rereading these. Of
course, I rarely reread anything, to be honest.
>>Me:
>>Of interest in a similar vein (heh heh) I might suggest Tanya Huff's
>>"Blood" books. Just read the first one in Seattle last weekend, and thought
>>it was pretty good entertainment.
>
>Monica:
>Yup. The first three books are nifty. The last two are a disappointment. I
>just finished her last "Blood" novel, and scuttlebutt from the dealer that I
>bought it from says it's her last. I was not impressed and I just did not
>like the "feel" of the novel.
>
>I won't go into details and spoil it for the those that are reading it or
>plan on reading it. Just, personally, I did not like it.
Thanks for the warning -- I'll probably continue, but with some
reservations. Sometimes I find this can be an asset. When one reads with
lowered expectations, sometimes one can be pleasantly surprised. :[
Actually, wasn't the fourth supposed to be the last one, and then she came
out with the fifth, which was "really" the last one?
Maryelizabeth
Mysterious Galaxy 619-268-4747
3904 Convoy St, #107 800-811-4747
San Diego, CA 92111 619-268-4775 FAX
http://www.mystgalaxy.com
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu May 25 2000 - 19:06:18 PDT