Reading Update

[jaggedwolf]

Dune by Frank Herbert

I liked the first half or two-thirds of this book a lot more than the second. After the timeskip, the Fremens won many battles with Paul leading them, but I didn’t care about any of it or the murdered-offscreen-son. In contrast, I enjoyed the politics that House Atreides and Paul had to deal with as they settled into Arakkis, with poor doomed Duke Leto and the ever-sharp Jessica. The Litany Against Fear was appropriately badass in context. Might read the sequels sometime, IDK.

I tried watching the 2021 movie but dropped it halfway through, mostly out of boredom - felt like a barrage of stuff happening, with little reason for me to care. Liked the actors for Paul and Leto. Disliked Jessica’s. She came off more fragile than the Jessica of the books, especially when reciting the litany.

It makes sense for a 2021 movie to not use the word “jihad” the way the book did, but I admit I liked the mashup vibes of the book, stealing words from everywhere, what with the OC bible and its formation-by-committee history as detailed in the appendices. The movie felt...flatter in that aspect? Because it can’t get rid of the vibes or the fantasy words, only the real ones. I dunno, maybe someone who's watched the whole movie has actual thoughts about this.

Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ by Giulia Enders

A quick non-fiction read about the human digestive system (mostly the intestines), with charming illustrations (like this one). I should read more books about human biology, this was fun! Learned about the mechanisms behind some food intolerances, various gut bacteria, the connection between our gut and our brain, and so on.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

One of those books that I may have previously read in hand-sized-paperback-form as a kid, my memory is very unclear - all I remembered was her cousins being shit to her and then the surprise wife that will not help us later.

My main reaction is that I thought Rochester would be a broody asshole, but instead he’s a trollly asshole?? He’s out here disguising himself as a fortune-lady in his own house solely so he can be a dick to that lady who likes him and to like, convolutedly flirt with Jane?? His long-term plan for the wife he locked away was to hope Jane forever thinks Grace Poole is terrible?? It made the book bizarrely entertaining to read.

Jane herself was great. I’d never omosised the post-failed-wedding section, so I was pleased with her getting a surprise inheritance that she decides to share with her cousins. I was not at all pleased with St John Rivers, one of said cousins. He sucks so hard. Go die alone doing your dumb missionary work, St John, I don’t care how many times your cousins say you’re a good person.

Comments

[pseudo_tsuga]

God, St.John Rivers was horrible. I was so glad that Jane completely turned him down for his dumb missionary trip.

I didn't like the book as a kid but Jane is an amazing character.

[jaggedwolf]

He's sooo bad. I was so concerned that Jane thought his missionary trip was a good idea and almost left with him.