(no subject)

[jinian]

Why haven't I seen this before? L. Timmel Duchamp wrote a very interesting critique of A Civil Campaign ages ago. Lots of other good stuff at her site, too.

Comments

Re: *blink*

[jinian.livejournal.com]

I don't think Duchamp is one of those people. I think she went too far with her reading, but she was able to find some intriguing material along the way. None of it was about being offended except that she didn't want to be reading a straight-faced romance novel; her thesis was more along the lines that Bujold was being tongue-in-cheek a lot of the time. It was certainly interpretation, and stretching, but I don't think it was a militant feminist overreaction.

Re: *blink*

[rubricity.livejournal.com]

You're probably right.

The irony is I probably overreacted due to the painful conversations I've recently been involved in with some people who were definitely having the militant feminist overreaction. So there I am doing pretty much what I'm making snide comments on. It is to laugh.

Re: *blink*

[elisem.livejournal.com]

"I think she went too far with her reading, but she was able to find some intriguing material along the way."

Hmm. I think she made a few interesting points, but went badly awry, probably because (as she admits) she is less-than-familiar with Heyer's work, and is probably not all that familiar with Bujold's, either.

It bugged me, because Duchamp has a good keen mind and a taste for interesting symbol-play, and I found that her unfortunate but pretty basic wrongnesses about a few things made the essay a rather flimsy edifice, and overweighted, at that, and the whole thing erected (pun intended) upon an unstable foundation on a patch of shifting sand.

In other words, I wish it had been better, because I think Duchamp is capable of better, and I'd like to read what she had to say about the actual book Lois wrote.

(Am tempted to enumerate my objections point by point, but I must go to bed, because morning approacheth and an appointment for a physical is scheduled, and I gotta go to it, so not now for the textual analysis of the textual analysis, alas.)

Elise,
who will probably be expounding and doing stand-up comedic commentary upon this theme at Minicon, and who hopes that somebody will remember to write it down to share with them as won't be able to be there, but who will be missed and thought of fondly. [wave, wave]