Ruby in the Smoke

[muchabstracted]

I'm enjoying Philip Pullman's other trilogy (comprising of four books, as far as I can tell), about Sally Lockhart. I think it is probably not nearly as ambitious as His Dark Materials, but it's fun, in an 18th century Britain sort of way. The quote that I wanted to share:

There were few places, in the England of 1872, where a young lady could go on her own to sit, and think, and possibly drink some tea.

Now, someone, please, inspire me to finish Name of the Rose! I want to, really I do!

Comments

[the-paper-nun.livejournal.com]

Well you should. I found it a good read, plowed right through it if I remember correctly..

Having a hard time plowing through Dark Materials, however. That series disturbs me.. a lot.

[muchabstracted.livejournal.com]

I think his theology is interesting. Not my theology at all, but interesting.

[strange-selkie.livejournal.com]

very good icon, by the way. It's gorgeous in a nonsubtextual in any way at all kind of way. Next time, ask her to show you her pictures of eggs.

[the-paper-nun.livejournal.com]

Thankyou. I saw the painting and decided I had to get Andrea to make it my icon.

[strange-selkie.livejournal.com]

I only liked 'The Ruby in the Smoke', me; it kind of degenerates into straight Victorian stack-a-tragedy genre fic by the third (fourth?) one.... but it is much, much easier to get through as a sit-down read than 'HDM'. Just my two shekels...

[muchabstracted.livejournal.com]

Given that I read four-fifths of Ruby In The Smoke while on shift at the Hotline, I agree. I'm reminded of Susan Cooper's non Dark Is Rising books, actually.

His Dark Materials...

[(Anonymous)]

...I just couldn't get into it. I made it through a third of the Golden Compass before I got distracted. So here's my question- do you think it's worth forcing myself? Am I going to get into later in the book (a la Jacqueline Carey) or am I just going to feel accomplished for having finished it (a la the 13 struggle to finish Lord of the Rings)?

Right now, I'm making my way through Laurell K Hamilton's Anita Blake series. I wasn't going to read any more of it after the first one, but now at book 4, I'm really getting into it. Same thing happened with Harry Potter actually. Maybe Philip Pullman is one of those...

-Jenny

Re: His Dark Materials...

[muchabstracted.livejournal.com]

Well, it was fun and intelligent. And way better written than Harry Potter. I'd say that if you're not into it by the end of the first book, you're probably not going to be into it. That's fairly arbitrary.