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Daughters in Law, Seeking Sanctuary
Sunday, December 4th, 2011 12:11 pmIn Books:
Daughters in Law, by Joanna Trollope: This isn't an especially deep book, but it's well observed, and the characters are true and compelling. It's the story of a family with three sons, and the chaos that occurs when the youngest marries an impulsive, somewhat spoiled girl, who has no intention of knuckling under the gentle rule of the family matriarch. I was amused that every time the plot strayed too far into soap opera territory, Trollope switched the point of view to the one character who was sick of the whole overly dramatic aspect of the story, too. It was as if the author was completely in sync with me, and I with her, as the plot rolled along. There was never a dull moment, and when I was fed up with a particular story point or character, the narrative switched. But this never felt forced or fake. One advantage that I can immediately see of this storytelling technique is that characters who might otherwise be sidelined get their "moment in the sun" and Trollope successfully handles letting unexpected characters relate their points of view on dramatic moments. (The eight-year-old daughter of one of the couples watches one of the central conflicts of the novel and tries to sort everything out, to very good effect.) A very enjoyable book, a good present for those struggling with difficult family dynamics, or those who enjoy the slight thrill of schadenfreude that comes from observing other family's petty squabbles writ large.
On DVD:
Sanctuary, Season 3: This excellent season is reminding me just how much I wish that TV networks were flexible about running times. Several times during this run, I've thought to myself how much better the episode would have been if there wasn't a rush at the end to fit into the 42-minute timeframe. Often, the hurried ending comes at the expense of closure or a calm moment for the characters, which, while it promotes tension and excitement, leaves me feeling a bit wrung out and rather sorry for the characters as a whole. (It should be noted that these quiet moments and missing scenes are the things I seek out fanfiction for, but it would be nice if they could occur in canon more frequently.) ( For example... (with spoilers) )
On a side note, I'm participating in Fandom Stocking this year. If anyone's interested, it's free to join/participate, and I think sign-ups are still open. (The mods are doing a top notch job so far with their organization of the whole thing.) Feel free to check it out and consider joining!
Daughters in Law, by Joanna Trollope: This isn't an especially deep book, but it's well observed, and the characters are true and compelling. It's the story of a family with three sons, and the chaos that occurs when the youngest marries an impulsive, somewhat spoiled girl, who has no intention of knuckling under the gentle rule of the family matriarch. I was amused that every time the plot strayed too far into soap opera territory, Trollope switched the point of view to the one character who was sick of the whole overly dramatic aspect of the story, too. It was as if the author was completely in sync with me, and I with her, as the plot rolled along. There was never a dull moment, and when I was fed up with a particular story point or character, the narrative switched. But this never felt forced or fake. One advantage that I can immediately see of this storytelling technique is that characters who might otherwise be sidelined get their "moment in the sun" and Trollope successfully handles letting unexpected characters relate their points of view on dramatic moments. (The eight-year-old daughter of one of the couples watches one of the central conflicts of the novel and tries to sort everything out, to very good effect.) A very enjoyable book, a good present for those struggling with difficult family dynamics, or those who enjoy the slight thrill of schadenfreude that comes from observing other family's petty squabbles writ large.
On DVD:
Sanctuary, Season 3: This excellent season is reminding me just how much I wish that TV networks were flexible about running times. Several times during this run, I've thought to myself how much better the episode would have been if there wasn't a rush at the end to fit into the 42-minute timeframe. Often, the hurried ending comes at the expense of closure or a calm moment for the characters, which, while it promotes tension and excitement, leaves me feeling a bit wrung out and rather sorry for the characters as a whole. (It should be noted that these quiet moments and missing scenes are the things I seek out fanfiction for, but it would be nice if they could occur in canon more frequently.) ( For example... (with spoilers) )
On a side note, I'm participating in Fandom Stocking this year. If anyone's interested, it's free to join/participate, and I think sign-ups are still open. (The mods are doing a top notch job so far with their organization of the whole thing.) Feel free to check it out and consider joining!
