Wednesdays suck, but the Confessions do not
Wednesday, January 17th, 2007 09:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mothwingHm. I don't think I like Gregory Maguire's endings. On the whole.
To be honest, I always have trouble with endings. And it's not entirely true, either, because I loved the ending of Wicked, but I was ready to love anything because I love Elphaba so much. But the ending of Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister... he seemed to rush the fairy-tale bits in too quickly, which makes the contrast between the historic novel-setting and the fairy-tale background to sharp. The Epilogue seeemed pasted on and strange, and there were all sorts of things that came in far too quickly after he had taken his time to build up his story so carefully - but I really, really liked the book, apart from that weird ending.
Maybe it's just me, it's the same thing I (massively) dislike about Wolfang Holbein and Marion Zimmer Bradley. There is a loooong story, compared to which the ending just whooshes past you, and you can't believe you're suddenly looking at the back cover of the book that's been with you for so long. Hm.
The good thing about today: when it's over, it'll be another six days until the next Wednesday.
It's the worst day of the week, only brightened up by nice people. But other than that - first lesson at eight, early-morning pointlessness, then next lesson til twelve, which is interesting, but the Professor is rather strict, then two hours of free time (thankfully), then a session from two to four, then a session from four to half past six. Blegh. Especially the last one - the content could be summed up in about forty minutes, usually, but since we are an education seminar, there (of course!) HAS to be some group work, and what would group work be without the use of lots of coloured paper - so there's usually a full HOUR. of covering coloured paper with notes and putting it up on the wall to introduce the content to people who already know everything about it because they read the same texts as we did.
Oh, there isn't always coloured paper. Today, they had us draw pictures - although we could also have introduced the psalm we were dealing with with a mime. I didn't spend three years happily working my ass off at school so I could attend university to get into a course in which I'd be allowed to paint pretty pictures and do a mime.
To be honest, I always have trouble with endings. And it's not entirely true, either, because I loved the ending of Wicked, but I was ready to love anything because I love Elphaba so much. But the ending of Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister... he seemed to rush the fairy-tale bits in too quickly, which makes the contrast between the historic novel-setting and the fairy-tale background to sharp. The Epilogue seeemed pasted on and strange, and there were all sorts of things that came in far too quickly after he had taken his time to build up his story so carefully - but I really, really liked the book, apart from that weird ending.
Maybe it's just me, it's the same thing I (massively) dislike about Wolfang Holbein and Marion Zimmer Bradley. There is a loooong story, compared to which the ending just whooshes past you, and you can't believe you're suddenly looking at the back cover of the book that's been with you for so long. Hm.
The good thing about today: when it's over, it'll be another six days until the next Wednesday.
It's the worst day of the week, only brightened up by nice people. But other than that - first lesson at eight, early-morning pointlessness, then next lesson til twelve, which is interesting, but the Professor is rather strict, then two hours of free time (thankfully), then a session from two to four, then a session from four to half past six. Blegh. Especially the last one - the content could be summed up in about forty minutes, usually, but since we are an education seminar, there (of course!) HAS to be some group work, and what would group work be without the use of lots of coloured paper - so there's usually a full HOUR. of covering coloured paper with notes and putting it up on the wall to introduce the content to people who already know everything about it because they read the same texts as we did.
Oh, there isn't always coloured paper. Today, they had us draw pictures - although we could also have introduced the psalm we were dealing with with a mime. I didn't spend three years happily working my ass off at school so I could attend university to get into a course in which I'd be allowed to paint pretty pictures and do a mime.
no subject
Date: Wednesday, January 17th, 2007 09:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Thursday, January 18th, 2007 05:59 am (UTC)Wait until you get to the ending. Pasted on, I say.
And all those expectations you build up during the book that he keeps contradicting - at the end he switches back and reveals the new ones he wanted the reader to have are not true again, and your own were right all along. The idea was good, but I didn't entirely like the way he did it, especially because he had such a hard time building these up in the first place. Just when you start believing something might be true after all - Nope, it's your first impression of things.
...Or maybe I'm just miffed because my favourite couple weren't a couple. *g*
no subject
Date: Saturday, January 20th, 2007 01:00 pm (UTC)