mjj (flemmings) wrote,
mjj
flemmings

Tana French, In the Woods

It's been years, or maybe decades, since I've become as lost in a book as I was in In The Woods. Tokyo, maybe, when I'd be in the English landscape of PD James or Dick Francis, and look up to find myself in Ueno or on the Odakyuu. But that was a cultural thing: the disjunct between the language and emotions on the page and the completely different ones around me was too complete for them to coexist. This was... just being someone else somewhere else for as long as I was reading. Only very persuasive first person voices do that to me-- not even Aaronovitch manages it, but then everything Peter says must be noted by Me-as-Reader because it's likely to come back to bite me. French's voice just sweeps you along.

It helped not knowing what kind of book I was reading. (This is why one should avoid blurbs, but then how can one tell if one wants to read the book in the first place? A problem.) Is it a mystery or psychological thriller or a horror story or a fantasy, or just a mainstream novel with elements of the foregoing? Will not say myself; one's reaction varies depending on what genre you think you're dealing with. The thing I thought was going to disappoint me did disappoint me, except I think that's possibly me being dense. And otherwise-- a fun if antsy ('this cannot possibly end well') two days in another country. Should be happy to repeat the experience again some time.
Tags: japan, reading, reading_14
Subscribe

  • Not with a bang but a whimper

    It's going to snow some time in the near future, so as long as it's possible biking weather I figured I'd better get to the hardware store for…

  • Shifts

    1. Sunday was hair wash day but I wanted an epsom bath. Which had, but could smell- because I have A Nose- my hair just the slightest bit manky from…

  • The dead days

    Another calm grey dry day, but brighter than before: like the best of civil November. The seasonal fantods withdraw for a spell, as they bloody well…

  • Post a new comment

    Error

    Anonymous comments are disabled in this journal

    switch
    default userpic

    Your reply will be screened

    Your IP address will be recorded 

    Help
  • 0 comments