>If you have
>any comments on whether the Feminist Press should reissue Native Tongue,
>and why, please let me know and I'll make sure Susan hears about it--it
>might help support her decision and demonstrate demand to the people at the
>Press. You can contact me directly at bew118@pse.edu, or send it to the
>list if you think everyone would be interested.
OhmygodohmygodohmyGOD! Yes, yes, YES this should be reprinted! And I want
copies NOW!
Actually, I JUST finished reading Native Tongue two days ago (can you tell?
:-D)....and I thought it was BRILLIANT! For one thing, linguistics in
general interest me, but, more specifically, to see it treated as the art
form it is was really exciting! I love the attention to body parl, etc. One
of my biggest frustrations with our culture is how we are so locked in to
this rational, intellectual discourse, which seems so reliant on words,
words, words - blechh! For one things, no one even agrees on the _meanings_
of words! How can we possibly communicate effectively if we rely on them
alone?!?! The answer is we can't. (uhoh I'm ranting) Anyway, I was thrilled
to see that particular fantasy of mine in a story - a society where
communication is not dependent on words alone.
What drew me to the book in the first place, however, was the concept of
the women inventing their own language. I wish the book had touched on that
more than it had, but then I've only read the first one. In fact, I don't
even know the names of the next two. I'm just so thrilled that there ARE a
next two!
I keep this little "blank" book with me at all times (the quotations are
there 'cuz it's not so blank anymore!) in which I've written down the names
of all the books I want to read - every time I read an intriguing review,
or it's discussed on this or another list, or a friend recommends it, I jot
it down in this book. Then when I get down to my favorite used book store
(I rarely feel it necessary to shell out the cash for a brand-new book),
I'm armed with this little book. Now, in this book, I have separate
sections for sci fi and alternate histories, but what usually happens is
that I can only find one or two of those titles in any given trip.
So, check this out. Last weekend, I managed to get the following all in one
trip:
Native Tongue by Suzette Haden Elgin, which I obviously adored!
Star-Anchored, Star-Angered, also by Suzette Haden Elgin, which is the one
I launched into immediately, having been so delighted with her other book.
So far, so good!
The Vampire Tapestry, by Suzy McKee Charnas, which is the first of the pile
I read - I really enjoyed it - in fact, I wish I had read this one and
never bothered with Anne Rice, 'cuz what I've enjoyed about the Rice books
is merely the _concept_ of supernatural beings dealing with the modern
world. Her writing is so beyond horrible that I become tongue-tied
(finger-tied?) in the attempt. The only thing worse than Anne Rice's
writing is her husband's poetry.
The Proteus Operation, by James P. Hogan
A Different Flesh, by Harry Turtledove
Winter in Eden, and West of Eden by Harry Harrison
In the Mother's Land, by Elisabeth Vonarburg
The Crystal Empire, by L. Neil Smith (although I couldn't get through any
of his other books)
Faery!, edited by Terri Windling
Bridge of Birds, by Barry Hughart (which I'd already read, but loved so
much I wanted a copy)
A Door Into Ocean, by Joan Slonczewski
Raising the Stones, A Plague of Angels, and Sideshow, by Sheri Tepper
And I got all of this for sixteen bucks! Am I in HEAVEN or what?!? Guess
what I'll be doing this weekend...... :-}
Anyway, this is way more information than anyone wants. I just had to gloat
about my shopping success with people who would understand why I'm so
thrilled!
And PLEASE someone tell me the names of the remaining titles in the Native
Tongue trilogy. I must have them I must have them I must have them.
Laura
Laura
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu May 25 2000 - 19:06:54 PDT