(no subject)

[shapinglight]

I'm beginning to wonder when, if ever, I'm going to get the chance to watch the last episodes of BSG. I'm 5 episodes in to what Region 2 calls season 5 and Region 1 season 4.2, and stalled there due to lack of TV-watching time. :( Really annoying, because at this stage everything is up for grabs, and what's more, I still can't look at the icon posts on galactica_icons for fear of being spoilered. :((

This post isn't about BSG, though. Instead, are there any other Stephanie Plum fans out there, because I've just read the 15th book in the series and...

Spoilers for the Stephanie Plum books by Janet Evanovich within



....I must admit, I'm getting a bit tired of them. Okay, the cast of characters is still lots of fun (Grandma Mazur is a hoot) and I still enjoy what to me, not being from Hoboken, is the surreal nature of the setting and events - things like heavily armed senior citizens comparing weapons and the 'viewings' at the funeral home, and the contrast between Stephanie's parents and the life of the Burg, as compared with Ranger and co. But the plots are getting sillier and sillier, which is okay when they make sense but a lot less so when they don't, or the denoument is disappointing, as was the case with this last one, or when you get to the end and realise that an awful lot of what went on was nothing to do with the plot at all even though it was being built up as such, like the 14th one. Also, I'm sick and tired of the Stephanie/Morelli/Ranger love triangle. After all, it's not really a triangle, because it's so obvious who Stephanie's going to choose in the end.

:sigh:

Okay, I know Evanovich has hit on a winning formula and is probably reluctant to mess with it, but I'm all for long-running series allowing character development, as in Lindsay Davis's Falco books, or indeed BtVS.

What does everyone else think?

On a more positive note, I'm reading The Suspicions of Mr Whicher by Kate Summerscale, a book about a notorious Victorian murder mystery (a true story), which is not only very well written but also packed full of interesting details about how words such as 'sleuth' and 'lead' and so on became common parlance in detective fiction, and indeed how the general public's view about detectives evolved during the Victorian era. Fascinating stuff.

Finally, I wish I'd paid more attention to the first episode of Desperate Romantics, the BBC's new series about the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, featuring the lovely Aidan Turner of Being Human fame as Dante Gabriel Rossetti. This is because, despite already having a plot bunny for my story for the Darla ficathon, I now have another, which I think I might end up writing because it's shorter and possibly more doable given that I seem to have no writing time at all just now, and that program would have been very useful. Oh well, there's always IPlayer.

Comments

[mistletoe54.livejournal.com]

Darn! I forgot that PRB thing was starting. If you want any info on the pre-Raphaelites, just ask. I know quite a bit.

despite already having a plot bunny for my story for the Darla ficathon, I now have another

Yes, I could see Darla having a ripping time with them then. After all, she was a stunner. Not really common enough for their tastes though.

[shapinglight]

Not really common enough for their tastes though.

This is true, and thanks for the offer. I may well get back to you on it.

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

But the plots are getting sillier and sillier, which is okay when they make sense but a lot less so when they don't, or the denoument is disappointing, as was the case with this last one, or when you get to the end and realise that an awful lot of what went on was nothing to do with the plot at all even though it was being built up as such, like the 14th one. Also, I'm sick and tired of the Stephanie/Morelli/Ranger love triangle. After all, it's not really a triangle, because it's so obvious who Stephanie's going to choose in the end.

Nods. It's become a dog chasing it's own tail, everyone and everything just circles around over and over. The only thing that changes is a new cast of felons who, for the moment, are enough of an amusement. But I really wish Stephanie would do something - marry Morelli, marry Ranger, get a better job, a new pet - anything!

I'm all for long-running series allowing character development, as in Lindsay Davis's Falco books, or indeed BtVS.

Yes, I get far more excited when I hear about a new Falco or a new Maisie Dobbs or a new Mistress of the art of death than a new Stephanie. Even Sookie Stackhouse is developing in her series for goodness sake.

[shapinglight]

But I really wish Stephanie would do something - marry Morelli, marry Ranger, get a better job, a new pet - anything!

Me too, especially as she's always complaining that her life's a mess.

Even Sookie Stackhouse is developing in her series for goodness sake.

That's good. I haven't seen True Blood (don't get that channel), but I had heard that a lot of people didn't like Sookie because she was somewhat Bella from Twilight-like. Is that true?

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

No, I find Sookie quite feisty.

[shapinglight]

Ah, that's good. I hope I get the chance to see True Blood one day.

[kathyh]

I'm going to get the chance to watch the last episodes of BSG.

I feel your pain as we're even further behind and have only made it to episode 7 of series 4 so far! Avoiding spoilers is getting harder and harder.

Skimming quickly past Stephanie Plum as I'm only up book 10 and (OK, I peeked a little) I'm getting a little tired of them too.

"The Suspicions of Mr Whicher" is on my list of things I want to read. I bought it for my dad hoping to nick it from him once he's finished it, but he hasn't obliged me by reading it yet. I might just nick it anyway :)

[shapinglight]

Avoiding spoilers is getting harder and harder.

Very much so. I just have to close my eyes and scroll by very fast when I see anyone talking about BSG. I'm so close to the end too. It's very frustrating.

I'm getting a little tired of them too.

Sadly, they've gone very, very stale. I don't think Janet Evanovich is enjoying writing them any more either.

As for Mr Whicher, you should definitely borrow it back from your dad. If he's waited this long to read it, he can wait a little longer while you read it.

[molly_may]

I agree with you on the Plum books. I still enjoy reading them because they're funny and the very definition of "light reading", but the fact that the triangle appears to be stuck in limbo forever makes the characters sort of frustrating, and the plots absolutely do continue to get sillier. It's been a long time since I read the first book, but I seem to remember that it was funny without being so ridiculously cartoonish.

[shapinglight]

It's been a long time since I read the first book, but I seem to remember that it was funny without being so ridiculously cartoonish.

That's pretty much what my daughter said. She remembers the villain from the first book as being seriously scary. The villain in the latest one is just an idiot and even though he's supposedly done something gruesome he's not frightening at all.

[brutti-ma-buoni.livejournal.com]

Another vote for the Move On, Stephanie camp, I'm afraid. I bought the first ten or so in hardback, but since then it's been an occasional paperback or library book. The setting, which was so amazing, is now horribly familiar and despite the wacky plots it's also pretty predictable.

I thought Suspicions of Mr W was fascinating - especially the police deference to middle class householders in a case of outright bloody murder. Bit narked, speaking as an archivist, that the author didn't do any research locally in Wilts, apart from reading the newspapers. I think that weakens the book somewhat as you don't get a clear view of the locality apart from that filtered by the journalists - who clearly have their own agendas to press home. But I suspect only my fellow professionals would care on that count!

[shapinglight]

The setting, which was so amazing, is now horribly familiar and despite the wacky plots it's also pretty predictable.

Yes, not to mention very stale. I feel as if Evanovich is writing by numbers now and not enjoying doing it.

Interesting what you say about the author not having done local research, apart from newspapers. I hadn't realised that, having not read the bibliography yet. And you're an archivist? Very interesting.

[brutti-ma-buoni.livejournal.com]

Heh. Archivists would say I'm not really an archivist, as I sit in an office doing government paperwork, not working with historical records any more. But I remain qualified and caring about things like the absence of reference to Wiltshire and Swindon Record Office. The author has been to a local museum and got some photos and newspapers, which is fine, but not to the place which should have the bulk of the county's written heritage. Seems odd to me.

But it's still a fascinating read. So much true crime feels horibly salacious, but Suspicions truly is interested in the society and psychology above all. The invention of 'the detective', which is such a powerful cultural icon thereafter, really does feel like a turning point.

[shapinglight]

The invention of 'the detective', which is such a powerful cultural icon thereafter, really does feel like a turning point.

Yes, I agree. I'm finding the book almost unputdownable.

[kitmarlowescot2.livejournal.com]

I did not know that Janet Evanovich was popular in England. Yeah, her plots are light, but it's a summer book. And my 88 grandfather and mother love her. I prefer it as a book tape while on trips, and it's Stephanie Plum, who say's their has to be a plot ? I am a Ranger fan, though I know she wouldn't end up with him.

[kitmarlowescot2.livejournal.com]

And the plots make a hell of lot more since, than Laurell K. Hamilton's, all it is sex, sex and more sex.

[shapinglight]

who say's their has to be a plot ?

Well, there is plot of a sort. It's just not good plot any more.

[acacia5.livejournal.com]

I am a big fan of the Stephanie Plum books, but I also felt disappointed when I read the latest one. It still made me laugh out loud in some parts, but there was no 'freshness' to it. I used to eagerly await the next in the series, but not so much now. I have read some of the books in her other series, but the female characters annoyed me too much for me to enjoy them. I guess that is one of the advantages of slash. Males are rarely, if ever, written in that ditsy, cutesy way that female ones are.
I might try The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, as the setting sounds like it makes it a bit different from the average mystery novel.

The last episode of 'Being Human' is on tonight. I cant wait! I deliberately avoided reading any posts about it for fear of spoilers, and am really enjoying it. We are still waiting for the Dr Who and Torchwood specials though.

Thinking about the Stephanie Plum books again, and I guess that in some ways Stephanie could be thought of as 'ditzy and cute'. The fact that she was a funny character, and yet didn't come across this way to me, was one of the things that was clever about the series. If she had a difficult case, and had fluttered her eyelashes and pretended to be helpless to get one of the males to help her, then it would be different, and very annoying.

[shapinglight]

I might try The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, as the setting sounds like it makes it a bit different from the average mystery novel.

I hope you enjoy it. It's not a novel, though. Also, you're right about the Stephanie Plum books. They're really stale, aren't they? It's sad. Stephanie being not quite as ditzy as she appears is one of their saving graces. At least she got to be a little bit smart in this one.

I hope you've enjoyed Being Human. It's been one of the TV highlights of the year for me. Am so hoping the BBC doesn't ruin it in season 2.