![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Dec. 15th, 2009 02:44 pmSo I read Sold Down the River, the fourth Benjamin January book, a while back, and decided to hold off on reviewing it until I got the next one so as not to completely spam my flist . . . and now it is going to get totally shortchanged because the next one, Die Upon a Kiss, is the Benjamin January book that was written for me. It is full of (literally) operatic drama and wildly labyrinthian revolutionary plots and people agonizing about the director's terrible artistic choices in between trying not to get killed! There is lots of musing on Shakespeare, and awesomely hardcore ladies, and the LEADER OF THE CORPS DE BALLET IS NAMED MARGUERITE. I maintain that she is Madame Giry's grandmother. I could not in any way keep track of the actual murder plot, which is probably as it should be in a meta-opera, but I really enjoyed the SUPER DRAMATIC cast of characters. (I kept picturing Montero as played by Wilhelmina Slater. Yes, she is that fabulous.) Sold Down the River is, I think, actually a much better book - it's the one where January has to go undercover as a plantation slave, and really doesn't shy away from how awful that was, while keeping all the characters involved very much three-dimensional. But Die Upon A Kiss is totally my favorite so far. VIVA L'OPERA!
I was actually 3/4 of the way done with Die Upon a Kiss yesterday when I went to go see The Princess and the Frog, so it was a bit jarring to go from a fairly gritty picture of the complex segregated society of nineteenth-century New Orleans to Disney Fantasy 1920's New Orleans. Not that I am complaining about Disney Fantasy New Orleans - I really liked the movie, and I actually thought they did a pretty good job subtly alluding to the societal issues without having them at all overtake the gleeful Disney escapism. Also, Tiana is definitely up there among the Most Awesome Disney Princesses, and to add to that, actually has a supportive mom! And female friends! And passes the Bechdel test a whole lot! I could have wished for a couple things, namely ( spoilers ) but overall I came out pretty Pleased With That Film Experience. Also, jazz music: an excellent soundtrack choice!
I was actually 3/4 of the way done with Die Upon a Kiss yesterday when I went to go see The Princess and the Frog, so it was a bit jarring to go from a fairly gritty picture of the complex segregated society of nineteenth-century New Orleans to Disney Fantasy 1920's New Orleans. Not that I am complaining about Disney Fantasy New Orleans - I really liked the movie, and I actually thought they did a pretty good job subtly alluding to the societal issues without having them at all overtake the gleeful Disney escapism. Also, Tiana is definitely up there among the Most Awesome Disney Princesses, and to add to that, actually has a supportive mom! And female friends! And passes the Bechdel test a whole lot! I could have wished for a couple things, namely ( spoilers ) but overall I came out pretty Pleased With That Film Experience. Also, jazz music: an excellent soundtrack choice!
