A word, a look, will be enough to decide whether I enter your father's house this evening or never.

[redbrunja]

For Darkness Shows The Stars is a sci-fi YA retelling of Persuasion, and in one sense it’s really good – I finished it in about two days – the characters are likable and the reasons why they made the choices they did are very understandable, as is their estrangement.

HOWEVER, there is this really uncomfortable pro-slavery subtext that I found pretty disturbing. Basically, the world-building sets up different castes of people, one caste of which is mentally disabled and used as the labor force, and one which is in power. Basically, the author legitimized a lot of the lies told about black people during slavery (dumber than white people, unable to be trusted to care for their children, that they like/feel loyalty to their masters) and made them literally true.

I think the author would be appalled to hear this, since a lot of the story is about breaking down this abusive power structure, but, basically, the basic world-building made me really, really uncomfortable.

But this novel did make me pick up the original Persuasion, so I'm reading that.

In other news, I'm in the middle of The Screaming Staircase, by Jonathan Stroud (children fighting ghosts!) and I have a good feeling about that.

Also, reading Wednesday needs to be Reading 'Some Other Day' because I can never actually manage to post a reading update on Wednesday.

Comments

[grav-ity.livejournal.com]

"Darkness" is next on my list (because her new book, which is a companion set in the same universe, is the Scarlet Pimpernel with a female protag), but this is very odd to hear, for sure! Now I'm curious AND a little bit uncomfortable.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

I would be really interested in other people's opinions on this, and I'm also looking forward to Darkness, which I suspect I will enjoy more.

[hungrytiger11.livejournal.com]

Is it just the fact that the world-building included this at all, or that you didn't feel the narrative explicitly enough condemned that caste system/slavery stuff? (I haven't read the good so am curious before I read, I guess...). I can understand maybe having it in world building if it is being used to discuss or condemn a topic, like the stuff in 1984 or Brave New World. On the other hand, it is disappointing if it did not come off that way...

Hope you enjoy Persuasion; it is my favorite work of Austen's (perhaps because I am now older too?)

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

r that you didn't feel the narrative explicitly enough condemned that caste system/slavery stuff?

It was this. I felt they toned down how awful their caste system would logically be, in order to make the heroine appear more unquestionably heroic.

Hope you enjoy Persuasion; it is my favorite work of Austen's (perhaps because I am now older too?)

I'm halfway through and enjoying it so far.

[hungrytiger11.livejournal.com]

I felt they toned down how awful their caste system would logically be, in order to make the heroine appear more unquestionably heroic.

That is too bad :(

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

It is, because it is otherwise a really excellent read, but I would not recommend it without reservations.

[lokifan]

Stroud! I love him so much. Have you read the Bartimaeus Trilogy?

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Yes!

[h-loquacious.livejournal.com]

So, I love Persuasion, and have heard mixed reviews about that adaptation of it (mixed for severall reasons). This just supports my decision not to read it.

But then, I am generally sceptical of most Austen adaptations anyway, and there is so much potential to do Persuasion badly...

I hope you enjoy the original novel though!

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Do you remember why the reviews were mixed? I'm curious what other people's issues were.

[h-loquacious.livejournal.com]

I checked GoodReads, because I couldn't remember, but basically, the happily ever after felt unearned in the context of the dystopian inequality stuff (haven't read the book, so I can't comment), Mostly though (and the reason I'm not reading it), I have heard that the story doesn't do justice to Wentworth/Anne, for all that plot-wise, it's a fairly faithful retelling. The details/the heart of them just aren't there.

And I heard it from someone whose opinion I trust. That, combined with the fact that I'm generally leery of both Austen adaptations AND dystopian novels in general (though, to be fair, I have heard the dystopian aspects are essentially the best part of the book) means I probably will never read it. I just, I love a lot of Austen, but in particular Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion, so much in their original form that very few adaptations stand up for me. They just don't. (I also love Sense and Sensibility, but for whatever reason, adaptations of that book tend to work better for me. Actually, adaptations of P&P work better for me in general than adaptations of Persuasion. Just because. I can't explain it. Perhaps it's because there's been so many of them that the law of large numbers states that at least a few must be decent. I just, I'm really protective of these books...)