reading this book is like coming home

[jade_sabre]

OH MY GOD

IT HAS BEEN OVER A YEAR SINCE I READ THE QUEEN OF ATTOLIA

no wonder this reread feels so good. especially after Nobody's Princess because I am suddenly sick of reading about chicks who sneak out and learn how to fight and do "manly" things because "girls are just as good as boys at manly things and who says they're manly anyway" I mean not that I disagree with that sentiment but it's all well and good for Helen that she gets to sneak out and learn this stuff but you know what think of all the other women who couldn't. (Also I think, philia_fan, I finally understand what you mean by "why does this book have a sequel that makes me like it less" syndrome.)

One of the cool things about Attolia is that while she can embroider up a storm, she's also a really competent leader. These other books seem to dismiss the other women doing all the embroidering because it's so boring and all they ever do is gossip. Well, Attolia not only embroider, but also spied and prepared her husband's poison. And yes, she envied Eddis the lack of velvets and the running and playing with her cousins, and yes, she was unhappy, but she still ended up holding onto her country and having a ton of power and staying on the playing field until she finally found someone with whom she could share her burden, without becoming any less of what she was.

One of the things I liked a lot about Crown Duel was the fact that the women had all sorts of secret codes and undercurrents of intrigue that were all communicated through things like fans. I think sometimes in an author's haste to provide a really strong female character, she ignores all the wonderful chances for subtlety that were, in fact, what most women had to deal in.

Also, this time around? The parallels of Gen's and Attolia's insomnia. Will be trying to form some sort of thoughts about this.

TIME FOR NOTORIOUS

Comments

[idiosyncreant.livejournal.com]

I *so* agree with you.

It's almost reverse denial of the strength of women in the past, to make them do bull-headed and man-only things to be true heroines. The preponderance of them is primarily the issue, I think--some of the best characters are bull-headed and play with swords or disguise themselves for a walk-about or play chess.

(Have you read Seven Daughters, Seven Sons?)

But women have been going through with arranged marriages and birthing babies and sewing sheets AND running their husbands thus the world or other deviously feminine things that are quite amazing. And not acknowledging that is very sad.

Thanks for making me rant, JADE. >.<


Whoa. I never saw the parallel there with the insomnia. What a find! Lucky duck...

[philia-fan.livejournal.com]

*thinks Jade might like her WIP!!!*

[keestone.livejournal.com]

I like both type of story. Dealing With Dragons is my most recent sanity-read, and I've always loved how Cimorene just walks out of the conventional fairy tale life. I also just recently got reminded of how much I loved The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. And by-the-bye, did you know that hundreds of women pretended to be men and fought as soldiers on both sides of the Civil War? At the same time, I love love love Little Women, and all the subtle negotiations of independent womenhood (both conventional and non) in it. I also love how Lois McMaster Bujold explores the usually-ignored female power structures in a patriarchal society on Barrayar.

What really annoys me is when a Calamity Jane gets Doris Day-ed.

[avian-xj.livejournal.com]

...we have telepathy. I was just going through queensthief_fic a few minutes ago looking for the Dancing Bear Conspiracy, and I passed by Willow's Insomnia title and of course my thoughts would wander onto that same topic.

[chaos-harmony.livejournal.com]

I should read this trilogy, shouldn't I.

And I agree with you. Similarly, I remember a friend criticizing The West Wing for not featuring strong enough female characters because there weren't enough women in "high-powered" positions in the fictional White House. And while I definitely see her point, I don't think not being in a high-powered position necessarily means that a female character isn't strong - the female assistants, for instance, get to be witty, dynamic, and intelligent, and their (mostly male) bosses are incredibly dependent on them.

[spellcoats.livejournal.com]

THANKS FOR TELLING ME THERE'S A NEW BOOK COMING OUT, FAGGOT.

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

These other books seem to dismiss the other women doing all the embroidering because it's so boring and all they ever do is gossip.

I hate that stereotype by now. I think I didn't care so much in books, but fanfic has utterly ruined it for me. I can't take any ATLA fic seriously that has either Mai or Katara being compared to shallow, conniving, vain society bitches. Like I'm supposed to believe that a group of 12 women, even rich women, are ALL shallow, vain, and money-grubbing husband hunters? Who will all absolutely despise the new princess out of jealousy? Bahhh.

I think sometimes in an author's haste to provide a really strong female character, she ignores all the wonderful chances for subtlety that were, in fact, what most women had to deal in.

Books and fics that do this often impress me. I feel like the conventions of historical fantasy fiction, particularly with royalty or noble class, have these preconceived patterns that focus on shallow stereotypes, particularly ones that contrast one woman against a group of others (often the male's love interest.) This is why I have this intense interest (as yet undeveloped) in the Joo Dee group in Ba Sing Se, in ATLA. I mean, BSS is such a male city, from the king to Long Feng to the Dai Li, that I just wonder what all the women are up to.


I've only read QoA, not the third book. But I loved Attolia as a character for the reasons you describe here. I particularly loved how there's hints throughout both books that the women have things in common, yet live different lives, but they're able to come together as female rulers--very different types of rulers from very different nations--who can be allies, maybe someday friends. And when they join up, they're so professional. They talk about their kingdoms and their troops and their jobs and they worry about holding vs. sharing power and they're not made into stereotypes of young girls.

And they can do that while one is an unconventional "rough" person and one a traditionally female "pretty" person...yet both are so much more.