I have been nominated for an award! This by lovely Lauyrn Arpil, whose YA books I love.
Take a look at her blog http://laurynapril.blogspot.co.uk/ to find out about those intriguing, psychologically slanted paranormal YA books.
There’s a sequel to ‘Into the Deep’ coming out soon, and I’m eager to read it, though sadly, I stopped being a YA a long time ago. I really enjoy Ivy and Brandt as a team.
So, I can only say, Thanks, Lauryn, you are a star, and your blog is always an intriguing read.
So, to comply with the rules, seven facts about myself.
1. I am a names geek.
2. I find polishing boots and shoes nice and soothing, so my
family tend to have wonderful glossy shoes.
3. I love tea. I love tea! I love tea!!!
4. I was so horrified by ‘1984’ when I read it when young – and got a
ridiculous phobia about it over the years, to the point where I felt that my day was somehow polluted if I saw it in a library. Recognising
this as neurotic, I did a psychological experiment on myself and practised ‘desensitising’ myself about it as I understood the process.
Accordingly, I went up to the dreaded object, touched it, handled it, read one sentence, read a paragraph, finally read about the torture scenes.. Ridiculous, eh? And I’ve never minded rats…
Well, I’m glad to say it worked and these days I don’t shudder with abhorrence when I see it, but I still say that is one horrific book, as of course, it was intended to be.
5. On a point so hammered home in 1984 – surveillance – I am
concerned for the threat to civil liberties by constant surveillance by CCTV in towns.
Ah, yes, I know the arguments – it can be invaluable in catching violent criminals (witness that man who carried out a disgusting attack on two women from behind recently being caught by CCTV) but I think we must still be very wary of accepting constant surveillance.I remember when I was a child the surveillance that we practised in Russia was deplored in the British press.
Now we have it ourselves, it has suddenly become a good thing, on the grounds that ‘If you aren’t doing anything wrong, you won’t object to it’. No doubt the KGB said the same back then…
6. When posting on my thread about Wuthering Heights on Goodreads
I noted something ironic in my attitude to Heathcliff. I started that
discussion stating that I am amazed I am that anyone can see him, with his habit of bullying women and children as romantic, and how ridiculous it is that he devotes his whole life to taking vengeance on the people who caused him to lose his love object Cathy (and their descendants).
But, I equally dislike the less well known Charley Kinraid from Elizabeth Gaskell’s ‘Sylvia’s Lovers’ because of his emotional shallowness. He’s conveniently able to forget his vows to marry Sylvia or nobody within a few months, and as for his compromises over the press gang – anyone who’s had the misfortune to discuss the issue with me knows how I can go on about that!
Now, there’s a contradiction, I dislike the one for obsessive faithfulness, the other for emotional shallowness! There’s no pleasing me.
7. I have a terrible singing voice. I would love to sing well, but…Nobody
can stand hearing me sing. The cat runs away! I can’t stand hearing me sing!
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Te Houtaewa and the Stolen Sack of Kumara
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17 Responses
Nice post, Lucinda. I’m with you on the surveillance issue – the old ‘If you’ve done nothing wrong, you’ve nothing to fear’ line can be answered by a question: ‘If I’ve done nothing wrong, why should I be subject to almost constant surveillance?’
As for Heathcliff – well, he’s Romantic all right, but certainly not in the Barbara Cartland sense of the word. What is truly remarkable about Wuthering Heights is that although Heathcliff is a repellant character on so many levels, Emily Bronte makes it difficult if not impossible to condemn him outright; we may hate him, but we’re also made to sympathise with him. I like the way the novel explores the murky, conflicted swamp that is the human mind. One of the marks of a great novel, in my opinion!
Hi Mari, glad you see the dangers of constant monitoring! The ins and outs of Heathcliff are so fascinating that I started a discussion over on Goodreads – it’s been fascinating, and only one person abusive so far(perhaps H writing from the beyond?), though strong opinions have been vaunted! Do stop by some time…A lot take him seriously, but I have to laugh at a Byronic anti hero type who is so mean that he eats porridge for dinner (well, he’s meant to be a cruel hard landlord). I like the argument, ‘Hate the sin, love the sinner’ though I’m not a Christian, in approaching such people in literature.
Thanks for the award Lucinda! Love reading your facts too. If there is one thing I hate almost as much as taking the recycling/garbage out it is polishing shoes. I need you to live nearby so I can bake you a cake in exchange for a boot polish 🙂
Love you, Bluebird! I love a home made bakewell tart. Do you think I should become a shoeshine girl? I need one thousand approx to publish my book as a paperback, and frequent migraines since my run in with the H word mean that I can’t hold down a job…
Lucinda well done. You deserve this award and every other award out there!
Hello, Tersia, Thank you. I’m hardly likely to disagree with you about my deserving awards! I was going to nominate you, but you don’t seem to have a blog at the moment. If you start one, let me know. Have you thought of writing fiction, by the way? I was impressed with the strength of your writing style. It is cathartic for some (Anne Rice is a case in point).
Bluebird, Glad you enjoyed my ramblings. I’ll take you up on that cake offer…I love a date and walnut cake, or home made Bakewell Tart…
Tersia: Thanks so much, the only thing that stopped me recommending you is that you don’t have a blog at the moment that I can find. I wonder, have you ever thought of writing fiction?
Thank you so much for the award, Lucinda! I enjoyed reading your seven facts. I love tea too, but I can’t agree with you on polishing shoes – I hate having to do that!
Pity one can’t cyber polish shoes, I’d make some money that way…
Congratulations on winning yet another blogging award, Lucinda. You deserve every one of them. I have just been rereading some of your more recent posts. Having read That Scoundrel, Emile Dubois I enjoy the extra insights into the characters and appreciate the well-researched background details. As a package, this blog builds not only a feel for your novel but also for your way of looking at life.
Thank you for nominating me for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award. I greatly appreciate the gesture.
A pleasure, Thomas, re the nomination. ! I got to know Emile and Co very well by doing re-writes.
Lucinda, thank you so much for the nod (Award nomination….a FLIPPIN award nomination!!!) I am truely touched. My problem is… I’m not very clued up. What do I need to do/post etc? Haaaaylp?! And thankyou once again. I logged in today to talk about my terrible 48 hrs (PTSD caused by Hyperemesis) and found your lovely replies. My eyes may have leaked a little bit. Thank you x
Hello, all you need to do is copy the logo, answer the silly questions on my post under ‘Very Inspiring Blog Award’ and nominate fifteen others. That is no joke, the fifteen others, if you can’t think of fifteen straight off, just nominate as many as you can think of and add on later.
I’m so glad you are pleased; you deserve it. I think a lot more research should be done into PTSD caused by Hyperemesis. A number of women on the MumsNet thread have had to have counselling.
Thank you so much for the award. You are a brilliant writer so it is doubly the honour coming from you! Thank you Lucinda for your support and cyber friendship. It truly means a lot to me!
Thank you, Tersia, that is so nice.
Just seen this, Shreyl. All very fascinating.