Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Youth Hurts

I'm not going to read 3 Willows, and I think it's at least in part because of the numeral in the title. It's a little precious. Also, the subtitle, which appears to be different on different editions of the book: "the sisterhood grows" vs. "a new sisterhood grows." Come on. You're writing a separate book; is anyone going to pretend that the editor didn't force her to include the part about the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants?

But really, it's for the same reason I had so much trouble reading Just As Long As We're Together. I get so frustrated when characters have certain kinds of troubles, and in this book, Ama is being forced to spend the summer camping when she signed up for an academic enrichment program. I can't enjoy that. I'm outraged on her behalf, and yelling at her counselors in my head, even when she's having fun and meeting a cute boy. "C'mon, Ama!" I'm shouting. "Get ANGRY!"

This is not wholesome. I'm moving on.

Also, re: Survivor. Being Chuck Palahniuk has got to be a miserable experience. There is no beauty in the world he lives in, only sad, cheap, rotting things, people who are shallow and crass or deep and torn and mangled. There is nothing to live for in that world. I wonder what he's like in person.

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