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Aug. 25th, 2024 10:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
skygiantsosprey_archer, genarti have just finished a chapter-a-day buddy read of Franny Billingsley's The Robber Girl, which was great for us but I think possibly less than kind to the book itself ... This is a book with a very distinctive voice that immediately sets up Questions and Mysteries. The nameless ten-year-old Robber Girl accompanies Gentleman Jack and his gang of bandits haunting the plains of what seems to be the American West; she has a mysterious and mostly-forgotten past, a judgmental dagger that speaks to her in her head, an Affliction that prevents her from speaking except when spoken to first, and a promise that once she's helped Gentleman Jack achieve his goals she will gain a Grandmother and a home and an opportunity to be loved.
When an attempted act of banditry goes wrong, Gentleman Jack ends up in jail, and the Robber Girl ends up at the house of the town judge and his depressed and grieving wife. She wants to help Gentleman Jack escape from jail. The Judge wants her to testify at his trial and also for her to eat some square meals. We, the readers -- at least if our small group is any judge -- want to know who the Robber Girl is, and how she came to be with Gentleman Jack, and who Grandmother is, and what the Judge's motivations are for his kindness, and whether the talking dagger is real and can in fact talk, and how Afflictions work, and whether we are currently in an alternate American West or not, and whether the town is in fact part of the broader civilization implied by the fact that Jack is accused of murdering a Federal Marshall, and and and ....
.... and some of these questions will be answered! But not all of them, and many of them sort of hastily at the end in a way that I'm not sure actually makes a ton of sense when you spend several weeks interestedly batting about possible answers, which, unfortunately, we were. Honestlhy I think the book is really much less interested in its mysteries and much more in the slow development of the relationship between the Robber Girl and the Judge and his wife -- and I do think it does that really well. The Robber Girl's voice is distinctive and compelling, and Billingsley does really lovely work providing glimpses of adults working through their own grief through the eyes of a traumatized and feral ten-year-old. As a book in which grieving people negotiate trauma and come together to form a new family, it is a really unique and lovely evocation of the form (at least until the very end when everything starts clicking into place just a bit too neatly.) I think probably the book that it is and wants to be should have had, like ... 50% less Questions and Mysteries in its initial setup, and also resolved those questions maybe like 70% less definitively on the side of All Cops Are Good.
I had a fantastic time and I have no regrets about the way we did it, but I do think I'd be a higher on the book if I'd just raced through it and let the Robber Girl's voice carry me along.
osprey_archer has an example of the language in her post;, she calls it an imperfect but engrossing read, with which I would agree!
no subject
Date: 2024-08-26 03:33 am (UTC)May I ask?
no subject
Date: 2024-08-26 02:46 pm (UTC)jr yrnea cerggl dhvpxyl gung Tragyrzna Wnpx vf npphfrq bs univat xvyyrq n Srqreny Znefuny, ol gur ynfg anzr bs Fgneyvat, nf jryy nf frggvat n ubhfr sver gung xvyyrq gur erfg bs uvf snzvyl. Gur Eboore Tvey nyfb, haeryngrqyl, gnxrf ba gur svefg anzr bs Fgneyvat jura gur Whqtr cerffrf ure sbe bar orpnhfr fur yvxrf gur fbhaq bs vg.
Ubjrire, jr xabj gung gur Eboore Tvey, jub vf abj gra, unf orra jvgu Wnpx fvapr fur jnf fvk, naq unf snvag zrzbevrf bs ure zbgure nonaqbavat ure naq gryyvat ure gung fur jnf abg jnagrq. Jr ner gura gbyq gung gur Srqreny Znefuny jnf xvyyrq yrff guna n lrne ntb.
Gur Eboore Tvey nyfb unf n jngpu jvgu n cvpgher bs Tenaqzbgure, gur crefba gung Tragyrzna Wnpx fnlf jvyy fbzrqnl gnxr ure va naq cebivqr ure jvgu n ubzr. Jura va cevfba, Tragyrzna Wnpx gryyf ure gb qrfgebl gur cvpgher engure guna yrg gur gbjafcrbcyr frr vg. Riraghnyyl jr yrnea gung gur Eboore Tvey erfrzoyrf gur jbzna va gur cvpgher.
Gur Eboore Tvey vf qvfpbhentrq sebz guvaxvat nobhg nal naq nyy bs guvf ol gur qnttre, juvpu vf pbafgnagyl ornzvat artngvir gubhtugf vagb ure urnq. Xavirf qb unir zntvp va guvf jbeyq -- frireny gvzrf n qnttre genafsreerq gb nabgure crefba jvgubhg gur arprffnel cnlzrag vzzrqvngryl jbhaqf gur crefba jub gbbx vg.
Dhrfgvbaf gung ner riraghnyyl nafjrerq, erfbyivat gur onfvp zlfgrel: Tragyrzna Wnpx jnf nsgre Zef. Fgneyvat, gur gbja Fbatoveq, jub unf n havdhr pbaarpgvba gb gur thneqvna qrvgl. Gur Eboore Tvey vf gur Fgneyvat qnhtugre, jub fbzrubj fheivirq gur sver naq jnf gnxra va ol Tragyrzna Wnpx sbe [jbeyqohvyqvat thneqvna qrvgl ernfbaf]. Gur cvpgher vf abg n cvpgher bs Tenaqzbgure ohg bs gur qrnq Zef. Fgneyvat; Tenaqzbgure vf na haeryngrq crefba, Wnpx'f rivy zbgure, jub vf gelvat gb ohvyq n pevzvany rzcver va na rivy arvtuobevat gbja.
Dhrfgvbaf gung jr fcrag n ybg bs gvzr qvfphffvat va pung juvpu ner arire nafjrerq: jul gur Eboore Tvey erzrzoref orvat erwrpgrq ol ure zbgure; jul Tragyrzna Wnpx naq gur tnat xvyyrq gur ragver snzvyl vafgrnq bs whfg gnxvat gur zbgure; jurgure gur Whqtr naq uvf jvsr naq gur erfg bs gur gbja unir xabja gur ragver gvzr gung gur Eboore Tvey jnf gur Fgneyvat qnhtugre naq guvf vf jul gurl gbbx ure va; jul fur erzrzoref orvat jvgu Wnpx fvapr fur jnf fvk jura ure sngure qvrq yrff guna n lrne ntb; jurgure gur xavsr vf va snpg n znyvpvbhf zntvpny negvsnpg tvira gb ure ol Wnpx ba checbfr gb znxr ure sbetrg jub fur vf be jurgure gur xavsr'f qvnybthr vf n znavsrfgngvba bs gur Eboore Tvey'f bja vagreany pbasyvpg naq genhzn; jul Wnpx yrg ure xrrc gur cvpgher bs ure zbgure naq gbyq ure gung vg jnf n cvpgher bs uvf zbgure ... bxnl jr qvqa'g npghnyyl fcraq n ybg bs gvzr ba gung ynfg bar orpnhfr vg bayl pnzr hc va gur ynfg gjb puncgref ohg jr QVQ fcraq n ybg bs gvzr fcrphyngvat ba Tenaqzbgure'f vqragvgl naq eryngvbafuvc gb gur gbja naq 'ab eryngvbafuvc gb gur gbja, na ragveryl haeryngrq naq rivy crefba' vf gur yrnfg vagrerfgvat nafjre VZB.
no subject
Date: 2024-08-26 07:17 pm (UTC)I see why you spent sincere time on this questions [rot13] naq gur gvzryvar bar srryf yvxr na rqvgbe fubhyq ernyyl unir nqqerffrq vg; gur bguref ner zreryl sehfgengvat gb gur ernqre, gung bar oybjf gur fgehpgher bs gur obbx.
no subject
Date: 2024-08-26 09:01 pm (UTC)Gur gbjafsbyx, vapyhqvat Srqreny Znefunyy Fgneyvat, gubhtug gung nyy guerr bs gur Fgneyvatf unq qvrq va gur sver, rira gubhtu gur tvey'f obql jnf arire sbhaq.
Guerr lrnef yngre (nsgre Eboore Tvey unq fcrag guerr lrnef jvgu gur ebooref), Wnpx gbbx ure nybat jura ur xvyyrq Srqreny Znefunyy Fgneyvat sbe haeryngrq ernfbaf. Bar lrne nsgre guvf, gur obbx ortvaf.
Ubjrire, guvf gvzryvar vf bar gung V ohvyg sebz uvagf va gur obbx, orpnhfr vg'f arire ernyyl znqr pyrne. Naq vg'f pbafvqrenoyl pbashfrq ol gur snpg gung gur qrfpevcgvba bs gur Fgneyvat'f ubhfr znqr vg fbhaq yvxr vg unq orra ohearq qbja zhpu zber erpragyl guna sbhe lrnef ntb. Gur Eboore Tvey ubyqf ure oerngu tbvat cnfg vg, juvpu pbhyq or n genhzn ernpgvba, ohg V ernyyl tbg gur vzcerffvba gung gur cynpr vf yvgrenyyl fgvyy fzbxvat.
no subject
Date: 2024-08-26 10:50 pm (UTC)V gubhtug vg jnf cerggl pyrne (evtug sebz gur ortvaavat, jurer V abgvprq fbzr pnershy fcrpvsvpvgl va jung gur Eboore Tvey npghnyyl erzrzorerq naq jnf yvxr "nu, guvf vf n yvr Wnpx unf gbyq lbh") gung fur qvqa'g erzrzore ure zbgure nonaqbavat ure; fur erzrzorerq ure zbgure, naq erzrzorerq orvat pbyq naq nybar naq fpnerq, naq Wnpx unq rkcynvarq gb ure gung ure zbgure unq nonaqbarq ure naq jnf n ubeevoyr crefba, rgp.
V nyfb vzzrqvngryl (hayvxr Nfgre) ernq gur Eboore Tvey'f ernpgvba gb gur ohearq ubhfr (gung vg fzryyrq yvxr fzbxr naq yvr naq znqr ure purfg naq guebng uheg) jnf n genhzn ernpgvba bs ohevrq zrzbevrf evfvat, abg gung vg jnf fgvyy fzbxvat; V jnfa'g vavgvnyyl fher vs ure onpxfgbel eryngrq gb gung fcrpvsvp ubhfr be gb sver zber trarenyyl, ohg V gbbx vg nf genhzn. Naq V jnfa'g nf obgurerq nf Orppn naq Nfgre ol gur gvzryvar, orpnhfr V jnf yvxr, "bu, bxnl, gur snzvyl qvrq fbzr lrnef onpx, Znefuny Fgneyvat qvrq n lrne ntb, tbgpun." V nterr gung vg pbhyq naq fubhyq unir orra fcryyrq bhg zber pyrneyl, gubhtu, orpnhfr vg jnf ernyyl rnfl gb ybfr genpx bs.
However, I fully agree that many of the revelations at the end really don't get time to breathe, and some of them really, really should. (Jnf gur Whqtr ng nyy hfvat ure sbe nagv-Wnpx raqf orsber tenqhnyyl pbzvat gb pner sbe ure va ure bja evtug, be qvq ur nyjnlf fhfcrpg ure vqragvgl, be vs ur qvqa'g jura qvq ur fgneg gb? Vf gur xavsr npghnyyl zntvpnyyl gnyxvat gb ure be vf guvf nyy va ure urnq? Qvggb gur qbyyf fur gnyxf jvgu jub nffvta ure gnfxf? Jung ner Nssyvpgvbaf naq ubj qb lbh trg bar naq qbrf rirelbar nterr gung gurl'er erny? Jung ner/jrer gur bgure zrzoref bs gur tnat yvxr, naq ubj zhpu jrer gurl ba obneq jvgu Wnpx'f rirelguvat, naq, eryngrqyl, vf vg whfg rirelbar va gur Qvpxrafvnayl qehax naq pevzvany pnalba rivy naq rirelbar va gbja shaqnzragnyyl qrprag rira vs fbzr bs gurz ner xvaqn zrna ng svefg tynapr, be ner jr tbaan pbzcyvpngr gung fbzr?) Nu jryy.
On the whole I did really enjoy it, but I agree that it needed several fewer dangling backstory revelations and plot threads, in order to free up space to let the ending breathe more and give more space to letting us learn more about some people's motivations past and present.
no subject
Date: 2024-08-26 10:52 pm (UTC)I was hoping that one had been answered!
Thank you for providing your data points. So what's the deal with the alternate history or not?
no subject
Date: 2024-08-26 11:17 pm (UTC)The deal is: WHO KNOWS.
Which is to say, this broadly seems to be a town in the American West. Probably. Except that it has a Pleiades-based religion in which the seventh sister, the Blue Rose, is their main goddess; the followers of the Blue Rose settled in this town specifically after wandering, but no other religion (Christianity, other Abrahamic, known Indigenous American, etc.) is never mentioned at all, even in opposition or as a thing that people do elsewhere. Opals seem to be a big thing -- religiously, but also, because of that, there are a lot of them around. And there are some other worldbuilding-y things that set the town apart from our world, but basically, from what's on the page this could either be a slightly alternate world or a particularly splinter community that mysteriously never feels any need to mention Christianity, but we don't have actual confirmation as to which. On the whole, I come down on alternate world, but it would've been nice to have it slightly more confirmed, if only by fewer offhand references to things like Belgium.
no subject
Date: 2024-08-27 12:24 am (UTC)Okay: I had mistakenly understood that there was Christianity in this world. If there isn't, the American West-shape is even weirder, actually. This is beginning to sound like one of those alternate splinters that, as in Witch Week, never properly reassimilated to their original timeline or fully detached.
no subject
Date: 2024-08-26 09:04 pm (UTC)V guvax gur obbx jbhyq unir orra fgebatre ubarfgyl vs fur unq orra fbzr enaqbz fgenl gur ebooref cvpxrq hc. Fb znal bs gur ceboyrzf jvgu gur gvzryvar naq gur zlfgrevrf nevfr sebz ure pbaarpgvba gb gur Fgneyvatf.
V nyfb gehyl PNAABG trg bire gur snpg gung fur anzrq urefrys Fgneyvat naq ab bar gubhtug gung guvf jnf rvgure n gnhag (tvira gung gurl jnag ure gb grfgvsl nobhg gur zheqre bs Srqreny Znefunyy Fgneyvat) be n pyhr gb ure gehr vqragvgl. Gurer qba'g frrz gb or fb znal fgenl puvyqera ehaavat nebhaq gung gurl jbhyqa'g or jbaqrevat jurer fur'f sebz.
no subject
Date: 2024-08-26 10:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-08-30 12:20 am (UTC)Personally, I think the question of knife: real or fake? is immaterial! If it's real, her healing is her ability to ignore it and not immediately accept its bile; if it's fake, her healing is the diminishment of that horrible coping mechanism! As for the rest, I simply cannot say, lol. The setting in Chime is equally questionable regarding its location in ¿England?
no subject
Date: 2024-08-30 12:31 am (UTC)I agree that the question of the knife is immaterial EXCEPT inasmuch as it reflects on my One Million Questions about Gentleman Jack and his brainwashing ? of this child, and if he has access to evil brainwashing magic knives that he can hand out to people at will I sort of want to know about it!