Gracling

Well, unlike the previous book, this book has gender in it. Along with that, gender issues to discuss, but I’ll get into that (maybe) at a later date. For now, Graceling will dazzle me with something else. Something far more interesting than gender roles and all that. Yes, you guessed it, eyes. More specifically Katsa’s eyes. My first impression of them was that they were were preternaturally bright, like a jungle cat’s. After all, who wouldn’t want eyes that glowed in the dark? Well, aside from the people within the book of course. My second notion was based on the color of Katsa’s eyes: one as blue as the ocean and the other as green as the rolling hills. Lovely colors, yes?

Well, they would be if anyone bothered to enjoy such unusual eyes. But in Graceling that’s the last thing people want. It seems to be that the eyes are the most obvious (and perhaps the only) physical sign that a person is different, both blessed and cursed with abilities they were born with. I say cursed because a parent’s worst fear is to see two different colored eyes on their child. Here in this world, it’s unusual and fetching (for example, David Bowie has amazing dual colored eyes). In Katsa’s world, it’s a sign that that person isn’t as ‘human’ as everyone else.

As interesting as having different colored eyes is, it’s also interesting how everyone fears it. Or rather, fear what it means. I can see why though, why love something that’ll turn into a weapon for a possibly unstable king? Or even a stable king! After all, politics is a dirty game…

A Strange Relationship....

I could say a lot of things about the ending of The Left Hand of Darkness, I suppose. But I think I’m going to focus on one aspect this time: the emotional relation between Estraven and Genly. Okay, I’ll admit it. I desperately wanted them to sit around that little stove of theirs, fighting off the cold and weariness after yet another day’s un-ending work. They would exchange a few words, but a comfortable yet strangle tense silence would run between them. Genly would offer to help Estraven practice mind speech, to which the careful reply would be a refusal. As the snow and wind raged outside, the strange tenseness would increase. Genly would shiver and try to refuse the blanket Estraven incessantly offers him. Eventually an agreement would be forged; that they could both use it so that one wouldn’t be less cold than the other. Slowly the heat of their bodies would get to them and Genly would hesitantly turn his head towards Estraven after secretly watching him from the corner of his eye, lean down slightly and-

Yeah, you get the idea. I wanted that to happen, dammit. And it never did. Instead Estraven the Stupid went and killed himself to help Genly on his ‘quest’. Grr. But the feelings were there, no doubt about it. What made it that more realistic was that it took a considerably amount of time for those two to understand each other enough for those emotion to develop. It didn’t happen instantly and those two continuously teased us, the readers, by not making it happen at all. Damn them. Ahem, anyways, I enjoyed that it felt so real and believable. It was something people, those who have felt that want for another and even those who haven’t, could almost taste and want for themselves. If someone asked me if I knew of another instance where a similar ploy was in something I’d think of Vampire Princess Miyu.

I believe that this anime is also a novel, but I know it as an tv series and (what the anime is based off which is slightly unusual as it’s usually the other way around) the OVA. I’ve seen both. The two main characters in this anime Miyu and Larva (or Lava, your choice) have a similar relationship. Okay I could say A LOT about these two. Really. They are unutterably fascinating to me. But there’s also that undertone of “want” between them that they have never acted on. Perhaps they, like Genly or Estraven, are scared of changing what already works for them. It’s really diving into the unknown after all. It could change so much, for the better….or worse. And neither Miyu and Larva or Estraven and Genly are willing to take that plunge into darkness.

It’s all a bit fascinating really, to watch them want each other but refuse. Do you agree?

Left Hand of Darkness- Estraven.

Okay, I’ll admit it. The gender thing still confuses me, mostly because the author/Genly can’t stop referring to everyone as “he”. Sure I get what they mean but that does not make it easy when it comes to picturing these people. But I get these hilarious visions of pregnant men waddling around in the snow like overstuffed penguins.... Anyways, that’s not what this blog is about so enough of that. It’s totally moot point.

My main interest is Estraven at this point. Interestingly, the novel isn’t about Genly anymore, is it? At first, I thought it was since he was the central character up until his kidnapping. However, it seems more like the novel is about Estraven and what kind of person he really is. Genly is like a pawn (I use that term loosely, but I think it still applies), unknowingly being played by Estraven in his careful game of politics. After all, who better to use than someone who knows absolutely nothing?

That doesn’t mean, however, that Estraven is some sort of slimy politician. I’m fairly sure he isn’t even if he uses some sly moves. He obviously shows regret when Genly gets captured, going as far as to risk himself to break the envoy out. He knows what he put Genly through and readily admits it: “…have put you in pain, and shame. And danger. I know it.” (199) He also claims that while he trusts Genly, Genly does not trust him. Yet, somehow, that will work out just fine.

I also like the relationship the two have. From what I can tell, Genly went from cautious trust (the very beginning before Estraven was kicked out of Karhide) to suspicion and distrust to tentative friendship. They agree to exchange more personal names after Genly gets out of his ‘prison’ and work together to survive (I’m not gonna lie I totally wish Estraven jumped Genly when he was in kemmer. I would’ve liked that!). It’s slow but like a snowball rolling down a hill, it seems to pick up with increasing speed as the distance goes on.

Anyone else have thoughts about Estraven in general or his strange relationship with Genly?

Bloodchild

I can't say I enjoyed this story very much. If I had to go for favorite short stories, I’d pick H.P Lovecraft. I found it interesting, though and I liked how the reader is forced to pick things up without being fully explained as to what it means. The way I see it is that as readers, we’re being dropped into a foreign land without knowing the language, culture or social norms. We are being forcibly assimilated into something we know nothing about. I like that, again it’s like being dropped in the middle of…China and seeing how well you cope with the change.

I also like two specific things from the story: the egg and the Tlics- or whatever they are. Let’s start with the egg. Point blank, it’s fascinating. We don’t know what the egg actually looks like. Maybe it looks like the eggs we’re used to. Maybe it’s soft, like when a turtle or a snake first lays their eggs. Maybe it’s actually a container with liquid inside that’s called an ‘egg’. Who knows? Personally I’d like to think of either soft shelled snake egg or the container theory.

Aside from just what an egg is or looks like, I’m really interested in the effect of it. It seems very similar to smoking pot or having morphine in your system. You feel good, maybe a little sleepy, no pain is felt and it actually de-ages you. From what I can see the egg, if taken frequently enough, can prolong life by at least three times! Of course, how long is a lifespan in this story? Is it like ours, somewhere around 80 years? Shorter, longer? Who knows? But the egg definitely prolongs it.

Of course, there’s also the liberal usage of the egg. It’s safe to say, I think, that it’s fairly addictive. Because people (I hesitate to say human because for all we know they could be humanoid but not actual humans) start off on the egg at an early age, they’re used to the altered state it brings. Crave it even, like Gan’s brother Qui who “always demanded his share of egg.” (9) As far as the egg goes, it’s an excellent way to control people. In some small away, perhaps it does…

I’m going to quickly touch on that a bit before moving on. Although Butler says this isn’t a story on enslavement, I think I have to disagree a little bit. Is it complete enslavement? Well, no. After all, the people don’t really seem to care most of the time. However it seems that the Tlics (that’s what I’m going to call them) need people far more than people need them. So yes, perhaps it is a form of control over them, just to keep them near.

Now…onto the Tlics. I’m not quite sure what to think of them. Okay that's not completely true. The Tlics remind me of these pink bugs: It's in Greek I know, sorry. It was the best one I could find. Only instead of having short arms maybe they're more like centipede legs. Or maybe they're like this. Eh. Whatever. What I really like about them was their titles. T' might means "miss" as far as I know... N' is someone who's preggy and Ch' is a Tlic who's widowed? Well that's my understanding of it anyway. What I'm fairly sure of is that I probably wouldn't want to see one in real life.

Pretty?

I'll make this page pretty later on. When I'm not busy/feeling lazy. Til then, bare with the fugly-ness.