(no subject)

[skygiants]

The third Nebula Nominated Novella About Grief on the ballet was Ai Jiang's Linghun, which I am glad to have on the ballot as a bold stand against total Tor Dot Com domination even though I also did not like it as much.

The premise of Linghun is extremely cool and interesting: it's set in an incredibly hot real estate market where all houses are inherently haunt-able, and more or less guaranteed to develop the ghost of a dead loved one once a family moves in. The three POV characters are, respectively, the resentful daughter of a family who has just moved into one of these houses to cultivate the ghost of her dead brother; the resentful son of one of the many families that camp out on the lawns of said houses hoping for opportunities to enter a bidding war into newly-available properties; and the old woman who lives in the only un-haunted house in town.

I love this concept so much and there is a lot that's really interesting here, but I didn't particularly jive with the prose and some of the Tragedy Plot Elements that hit later threw me out of the story completely.

I first found myself scrambling for purchase on the narrative when we learn that bidding wars for newly available houses always take the form of BLOODY BATTLE ROYALES ON THE FRONT LAWN. To be clear, I do not object to absurd battle royales on the front lawn if the tone of a book is equivalently absurd ... however, the tone of this book seems to be attempting a quiet melancholy exploration of the consuming nature of grief ....

I think no one is explicitly intended to die in these battles, just get ... beat up and retire from the housing market? I guess? But a child DOES tragically die and it's very sad and ironic despite that we've just had many paragraphs describing the horrific and bloody nature of the front lawn battles royale such that it does not seem like it should be a particular surprise.

Anyway. After witnessing a Front Lawn Battle Royale, the two teen protagonists decide to run away together from the trap of their parents' obsessive grief and start a new life in the city. Which they do!

IMMEDIATELY THE NEXT CHAPTER THE BOY GETS CANCER AND DIES SJD:KLFJDSKL:FJDSK:LFD

I'm so sorry. I hit this and I could not stop laughing. Immediately the next chapter! Immediately the next chapter. I know novellas are short and you've got to move this along, and we had to get the girl back to town for the Themes, but I could no longer emotionally engage. I accept that perhaps this is on me.

That said I know many people liked this better, and it's quite short so if the concept intrigues you it may be worth giving a try regardless!

Comments

[ashelterofpages]

I have plans to try this soon, as I have access to the audiobook. The premise sounds so up my alley that I can't help but want to see if I get on well with it.

[skygiants]

I hope you have a great time with it & curious about your thoughts either way!

[movingfinger]

Maybe the author heard the phrase "bidding wars" and expanded it to the most dramatically exciting meaning possible!

[skygiants]

It's a great idea as satire! I don't think this book is intended to be satire!

[rachelmanija]

I love that premise, but it seems like it should be a gently melancholy story about love and loss.

we learn that bidding wars for newly available houses always take the form of BLOODY BATTLE ROYALES ON THE FRONT LAWN.

LOLOLOLOL that is hilarious. But apparently not intended to be hilarious?

child DOES tragically die and it's very sad and ironic despite that we've just had many paragraphs describing the horrific and bloody nature of the front lawn battles royale such that it does not seem like it should be a particular surprise.

I can't imagine why a child could die during a visit to the HOA Chainsaw Massacre Zone!

IMMEDIATELY THE NEXT CHAPTER THE BOY GETS CANCER AND DIES SJD:KLFJDSKL:FJDSK:LFD

He got hit by the Cancer Cement Truck.

[skygiants]

I think it's probably possible to effectively combine melancholy and satire, but I think it's a quite tricky thing to do and I do not think this book is landing it.

I was thinking about the gratuitously depressing cement truck the whole time!

[asakiyume]

I started laughing too. [ETA: by which I mean, when I read your description--not the book!] Somehow I imagined someone saying, "Hurry! You've got to get to the Themes!" and the the boy choking and dying.

[skygiants]

THAT FEELS LIKE MORE OR LESS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED

[landingtree]

Usually a 'spoilers about why I don't like it' section would make me less likely to want to read a story, but this one makes me more! Though I feel like I may react the same!

[skygiants]

REALLY THRILLED TO HEAR IT, I will be so curious about your thoughts if you read it!

[chestnut_pod]

The third Nebula Nominated Novella About Grief on the ballet -- I was briefly very excited, if a little confused!

I've got Linghun on hold now, finally, too, as my library at last condescended to acquire it after it made the shortlist. I'm a bit short on emotional engagement these days anyway and, given it's short, will look forward to the bloody lawn battles!

[blotthis]

this is still so funny. i dont understand the need for the bloody battles anyway. is it to avoid thinking about the house buying process