Bright lights, big city
Apr. 5th, 2021 10:46 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dolorosa_12Yesterday, the sun was shining, and the water sparkled on the river, and it was pleasant to be outside. Today, Matthias and I are supposed to be going over for lunch outdoors (indoor gatherings are not currently allowed, and I wouldn't do so even if they were) at notasapleasure and her husband's place.
Today, it is snowing. British weather, eh?
Today's book meme prompt asks for:
5. A book where you loved the premise but the execution left you cold
A recent book that fits this prompt is The City We Became, by NK Jemisin. It's got a glorious premise — various people awaken to discover that they are the physical, human embodiment of major cities. The 'city' of the title is Jemisin's home town, New York, and the characters in the book embody not the city as a whole, but its five boroughs. It should be right up my alley: I love cities, I love urban life, and I love books which celebrate the community that blossoms in big cities. For the most part, Jemisin's five borough representatives are cleverly drawn.
And yet ...
The characters who embody cities other than New York are less well done (London is a collection of clichés, Hong Kong makes me uneasy in the implications, etc). The fact that only New York is special enough to not just have a human embodiment of the city, but also embodiments of its districts, is grating (I assure New Yorkers that there are other amazing major cities whose individual districts also have distinct characteristics). But my issue with the book is just more of a general disatisfaction. It's one of the few instances where I feel the (excellent) short story of which The City We Became is an expansion was just fine on its own, and needed no further fleshing out.
To be honest, I find this with most of Jemisin's writing. I admire it, but it leaves me cold emotionally. I never have any desire to reread it, and I can't remember feeling any particularly strong emotional response while reading any of her books. I'm glad she wins awards, but her books don't really do anything for me, apart from sparking a kind of distanced, sober admiration.
6. A book where you were dubious about the premise but loved the work
7. The most imaginative book you've seen lately
8. A book that feels like it was written just for you
9. A book that reminds you of someone
10. A book that belongs to a specific time in your mind, caught in amber
11. A book that came to you at exactly the right time
12. A book that came to you at the wrong time
13. A book with a premise you'd never seen before quite like that
14. A book balanced on a knife edge
15. A snuffed candle of a book
16. The one you'd take with you while you were being ferried on dark underground rivers
17. The one that taught you something about yourself
18. A book that went after its premise like an explosion
19. A book that started a pilgrimage
20. A frigid ice bath of a book
21. A book written into your psyche
22. A warm blanket of a book
23. A book that made you bleed
24. A book that asked a question you've never had an answer to
25. A book that answered a question you never asked
26. A book you recommend but cannot love
27. A book you love but cannot recommend
28. A book you adore that people are surprised by
29. A book that led you home
30. A book you detest that people are surprised by
notasapleasure and her husband's place.Today, it is snowing. British weather, eh?
Today's book meme prompt asks for:
5. A book where you loved the premise but the execution left you cold
A recent book that fits this prompt is The City We Became, by NK Jemisin. It's got a glorious premise — various people awaken to discover that they are the physical, human embodiment of major cities. The 'city' of the title is Jemisin's home town, New York, and the characters in the book embody not the city as a whole, but its five boroughs. It should be right up my alley: I love cities, I love urban life, and I love books which celebrate the community that blossoms in big cities. For the most part, Jemisin's five borough representatives are cleverly drawn.
And yet ...
The characters who embody cities other than New York are less well done (London is a collection of clichés, Hong Kong makes me uneasy in the implications, etc). The fact that only New York is special enough to not just have a human embodiment of the city, but also embodiments of its districts, is grating (I assure New Yorkers that there are other amazing major cities whose individual districts also have distinct characteristics). But my issue with the book is just more of a general disatisfaction. It's one of the few instances where I feel the (excellent) short story of which The City We Became is an expansion was just fine on its own, and needed no further fleshing out.
To be honest, I find this with most of Jemisin's writing. I admire it, but it leaves me cold emotionally. I never have any desire to reread it, and I can't remember feeling any particularly strong emotional response while reading any of her books. I'm glad she wins awards, but her books don't really do anything for me, apart from sparking a kind of distanced, sober admiration.
6. A book where you were dubious about the premise but loved the work
7. The most imaginative book you've seen lately
8. A book that feels like it was written just for you
9. A book that reminds you of someone
10. A book that belongs to a specific time in your mind, caught in amber
11. A book that came to you at exactly the right time
12. A book that came to you at the wrong time
13. A book with a premise you'd never seen before quite like that
14. A book balanced on a knife edge
15. A snuffed candle of a book
16. The one you'd take with you while you were being ferried on dark underground rivers
17. The one that taught you something about yourself
18. A book that went after its premise like an explosion
19. A book that started a pilgrimage
20. A frigid ice bath of a book
21. A book written into your psyche
22. A warm blanket of a book
23. A book that made you bleed
24. A book that asked a question you've never had an answer to
25. A book that answered a question you never asked
26. A book you recommend but cannot love
27. A book you love but cannot recommend
28. A book you adore that people are surprised by
29. A book that led you home
30. A book you detest that people are surprised by