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Queering kinship in "The Maiden who Seeks her Brothers" (A)
As I promised before, I will share with you some of the articles contained in the queer-reading study-book "Queering the Grimms". Due to the length of the articles and Tumblr's limitations, I will have to fragment them. Let's begin with an article from the Faux Feminities segment, called Queering Kinship in "The Maiden who Seeks her Brothers", written by Jeana Jorgensen. (Illustrations provided by me)
The fairy tales in the Kinder- und Hausmärchen, or Children’s and Household Tales, compiled by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm are among the world’s most popular, yet they have also provoked discussion and debate regarding their authenticity, violent imagery, and restrictive gender roles. In this chapter I interpret the three versions published by the Grimm brothers of ATU 451, “The Maiden Who Seeks Her Brothers,” focusing on constructions of family, femininity, and identity. I utilize the folkloristic methodology of allomotific analysis, integrating feminist and queer theories of kinship and gender roles. I follow Pauline Greenhill by taking a queer view of fairy tale texts from the Grimms’ collection, for her use of queer implies both “its older meaning as a type of destabilizing redirection, and its more recent sense as a reference to sexualities beyond the heterosexual.” This is appropriate for her reading of “Fitcher’s Bird” (ATU 311, “Rescue by the Sister”) as a story that “subverts patriarchy, heterosexuality, femininity, and masculinity alike” (2008, 147). I will similarly demonstrate that “The Maiden Who Seeks Her Brothers” only superficially conforms to the Grimms’ patriarchal, nationalizing agenda, for the tale rather subversively critiques the nuclear family and heterosexual marriage by revealing ambiguity and ambivalence. The tale also queers biology, illuminating transbiological connections between species and a critique of reproductive futurism. Thus, through the use of fantasy, this tale and fairy tales in general can question the status quo, addressing concepts such as self, other, and home.
The first volume of the first edition of the Grimm brothers’ collection ap[1]peared in 1812, to be followed by six revisions during the brothers’ lifetimes (leading to a total of seven editions of the so-called large edition of their collection, while the so-called small edition was published in ten editions). The Grimm brothers published three versions of “The Maiden Who Seeks Her Brothers” in the 1812 edition of their collection, but the tales in that volume underwent some changes over time, as did most of the tales. This was partially in an effort to increase sales, and Wilhelm’s editorial changes in particular “tended to make the tales more proper and prudent for bourgeois audiences” (Zipes 2002b, xxxi). “The Maiden Who Seeks Her Brothers” is one of the few tale types that the Grimms published multiply, each time giving titular focus to the brothers, as the versions are titled “The Twelve Brothers” (KHM 9), “The Seven Ravens” (KHM 25), and “The Six Swans” (KHM 49). However, both Stith Thompson and Hans-Jörg Uther, in their respective 1961 and 2004 revisions of the international tale type index, call the tale type “The Maiden Who Seeks Her Brothers.” Indeed, Thompson discusses this tale in The Folktale under the category of faithfulness, par[1]ticularly faithful sisters, noting, “In spite of the minor variations . . . the tale-type is well-defined in all its major incidents” (1946, 110). Thompson also describes how the tale is found “in folktale collections from all parts of Europe” and forms the basis of three of the tales in the Grimm brothers’ collection (111).
In his Interpretation of Fairy Tales, Bengt Holbek classifies ATU 451 as a “feminine” tale, since its two main characters who wed at the end of the tale are a low-born young female and a high-born young male (the sister, though originally of noble birth in many versions, is cast out and essentially impoverished by the tale’s circumstances). Holbek notes that the role of a low-born young male in feminine tales is often filled by brothers: “The relationship between sister and brothers is characterized by love and help[1]fulness, even if fear and rivalry may also be an aspect in some tales (in AT 451, the girl is afraid of the twelve ravens; she sews shirts to disenchant them, however, and they save her from being burnt at the stake at the last moment)” (1987, 417). While Holbek conflates tale versions in this description, he is essentially correct about ATU 451; the siblings are devoted to one another, despite fearsome consequences.
The discrepancy between those titles that focus on the brothers and those that focus on the sister deserves further attention. Perhaps the Grimm brothers (and their informants?) were drawn to the more spectacular imagery of enchanted brothers. In Hans Christian Andersen’s well-known version of ATU 451, “The Wild Swans,” he too focuses on the brothers in the title. However, some scholars, including Thompson and myself, are more intrigued by the sister’s actions in the tale. Bethany Joy Bear, for instance, in her analysis of traditional and modern versions of ATU 451, concentrates on the agency of the silent sister-saviors, noting that the three versions in the Grimms’ collection “illustrate various ways of empowering the hero[1]ine. In ‘The Seven Ravens’ she saves her brothers through an active and courageous quest, while in ‘The Twelve Brothers’ and ‘The Six Swans’ her success requires redemptive silence” (2009, 45).
The three tales differ by more than just how the sister saves her brothers, though. In “The Twelve Brothers,” a king and queen with twelve boys are about to have another child; the king swears to kill the boys if the newborn is a girl so that she can inherit the kingdom. The queen warns the boys and they run away, and the girl later seeks them. She inadvertently picks flowers that turn her brothers into ravens, and in order to disenchant them she must remain silent; she may not speak or laugh for seven years. During this time, she marries a king, but his mother slanders her, and when the seven years have elapsed, she is about to be burned at the stake. At that moment, her brothers are disenchanted and returned to human form. They redeem their sister, who lives happily with her husband and her brothers.
In “The Seven Ravens,” a father exclaims that his seven negligent sons should turn into ravens for failing to bring water to baptize their newborn sister. It is unclear whether the sister remains unbaptized, thus contributing to her more liminal status. When the sister grows up, she seeks her brothers, shunning the sun and moon but gaining help from the stars, who give her a bone to unlock the glass mountain where her brothers reside. Because she loses the bone, the girl cuts off her small finger, using it to gain access to the mountain. She disenchants her brothers by simply appearing, and they all return home to live together.
In “The Six Swans,” a king is coerced into marrying a witch’s daughter, who finds where the king has stashed his children to keep them safe. The sorceress enchants the boys, turning them into swans, and the girl seeks them. She must not speak or laugh for six years and she must sew shirts from asters for them. She marries a king, but the king’s mother steals each of the three children born to the couple, smearing the wife’s mouth with blood to implicate her as a cannibal. She finishes sewing the shirts just as she’s about to be burned at the stake; then her brothers are disenchanted and come to live with the royal couple and their returned children. However, the sleeve of one shirt remained unfinished, so the littlest brother is stuck with a wing instead of an arm.
The main episodes of the tale type follow Russian folklorist Vladimir Propp’s structural sequence for fairy-tale plots: the tale begins with a villainy, the banishing and enchantment of the brothers, sometimes resulting from an interdiction that has been violated. The sister must perform a task in addition to going on a quest, and the tale ends with the formation of a new family through marriage. As Alan Dundes observes, “If Propp’s formula is valid, then the major task in fairy tales is to replace one’s original family through marriage” (1993, 124; see also Lüthi 1982). This observation holds true for heteronormative structures (such as the nuclear family), which exist in order to replicate themselves. In many fairy tales, the original nuclear family is discarded due to circumstance or choice. However, the sister in “The Maiden Who Seeks Her Brothers” has not abandoned or been removed from her old family, unlike Cinderella, who ditches her nasty stepmother and stepsisters, or Rapunzel, who is taken from her birth parents, and so on. Although, admittedly, “The Seven Ravens” does not end in marriage, I do not plan to disqualify it from analysis simply because it doesn’t fit the dominant model, as Bengt Holbek does when comparing Danish versions of “King Wivern” (ATU 433B, “King Lindorm”).1 The fact that one of the tales does not end in marriage actually supports my interpretation of the tales as transgressive, a point to which I will return later.
Dundes’s (2007) notion of allomotif helps make sense of the kinship dynamics in “The Maiden Who Seeks Her Brothers.” In order to decipher the symbolic code of folktales, Dundes proposes that any motif that could fill the same slot in a particular tale’s plot should be designated an allomotif. Further, if motif A and motif B fulfill the same purpose in moving along the tale’s plot, then they are considered mutually substitutable, thus equivalent symbolically. What this assertion means for my analysis is that all the methods by which the brothers are enchanted and subsequently disenchanted can be treated as meaningful in relation to one another. One of the advantages of comparing allomotifs rather than motifs is that we can be assured that we are analyzing not random details but significant plot components. So in “The Six Swans” and “The Seven Ravens,” we see the parental curse causing both the banishment and the enchantment of the brothers, whereas in “The Twelve Brothers,” the brothers are banished and enchanted in separate moves. Even though the brothers’ exile and enchantment happen in a different sequence in the different texts, we must view their causes as functionally parallel. Thus the ire of a father concerned for his newborn daughter, the jealous rage of a stepmother, the homicidal desire of a father to give his daughter everything, and the innocent flower gathering of a sister can all be seen as threatening to the brothers. All of these actions lead to the dispersal and enchantment of the brothers, though not all are malicious, for the sister in “The Twelve Brothers” accidentally turns her brothers into ravens by picking flowers that consequently enchant them.
I interpret this equivalence as a metaphorical statement—threats to a family’s cohesion come in all forms, from well-intentioned actions to openly malevolent curses. The father’s misdirected love for his sole daughter in two versions (“The Twelve Brothers” and “The Seven Ravens”) translates to danger to his sons. This danger is allomotifically paralleled by how the sister, without even knowing it, causes her brothers to become enchanted, either by picking flowers in “The Twelve Brothers” or through the mere incident of her birth in “The Twelve Brothers” and “The Seven Ravens.” The fact that a father would prioritize his sole daughter over numerous sons is strange and reminiscent of tales in which a father explicitly expresses romantic de[1]sire for his daughter, as in “Allerleirauh” (ATU 510B), discussed in chapter 4 by Margaret Yocom. Even in “The Six Swans,” where a stepmother with magical powers enchants the sons, the father is implicated; he did not love his children well enough to protect them from his new spouse, and once the boys had been changed into swans and fled, the father tries to take his daughter with him back to his castle (where the stepmother would likely be waiting to dispose of the daughter as well), not knowing that by asserting control over her, he would be endangering her. The father’s implied ownership of the daughter in “The Maiden Who Seeks Her Brothers” and the linking of inheritance with danger emphasize the conflicts that threaten the nuclear family. Both material and emotional resources are in limited supply in these tales, with disastrous consequences for the nuclear family, which fragments, as it does in all fairy tales (see Propp 1968).
Holbek reaches a similar conclusion in his allomotific analysis of ATU 451, though he focuses on Danish versions collected by Evald Tang Kristensen in the late nineteenth century. Holbek notes that the heroine is the actual “cause of her brothers’ expulsion in all cases, either—innocently—through being born or—inadvertently—through some act of hers” (1987, 550). The true indication of the heroine’s role in condemning her brothers is her role in saving them, despite the fact that other characters may superficially be blamed: “The heroine’s guilt is nevertheless to be deduced from the fact that only an act of hers can save her brothers.” However, Holbek reads the tale as revolving around the theme of sibling rivalry, which is more relevant to the cultural context in which Danish versions of ATU 451 were set, since the initial family situation in the tale was not always said to be royal or noble, and Holbek views the tales as reflecting the actual concerns and conditions of their peasant tellers (550; see also 406–9).2 Holbek also discusses the lack of resources that might lead to sibling rivalry, identifying physical scarcity and emotional love as two factors that could inspire tension between siblings.
The initial situation in the Grimms’ versions of “The Maiden Who Seeks Her Brothers” is also a comment on the arbitrary power that parents have over their children, the ability to withhold love or resources or both. The helplessness of children before the strong feelings of their parents is cor[1]roborated in another Grimms’ tale, “The Lazy One and the Industrious One” (Zipes 2002b, 638).3 In this tale, which Jack Zipes translated among the “omitted tales” that did not make it into any of the published editions of the KHM, a father curses his sons for insulting him, causing them to turn into ravens until a beautiful maiden kisses them. Essentially, the fam[1]ily is a site of danger, yet it is a structure that will be replicated in the tale’s conclusion . . . almost.
But first, the sister seeks her brothers and disenchants them. The symbolic equation links, in each of the three tales, the sister’s silence (neither speaking nor laughing) for six years while sewing six shirts from asters, her seven years of silence (neither speaking nor laughing), and her cutting off her finger and using it to gain entry to the glass palace where she disenchants her brothers merely by being present. The theme unifying these allomotifs is sacrifice. The sister’s loss of her finger, equivalent to the loss of her voice, is a symbolic disempowerment. One loss is a physical mutilation, which might not impair the heroine terribly much; the choice not to use her voice is arguably more drastic, since her inability to speak for herself nearly causes her death in the tales.4 Both losses could be seen as equivalent to castration.5 However, losing her ability to speak and her ability to manipulate the world around her while at the same time displaying domestic competence in sewing equates powerlessness with feminine pursuits. Bear notes that versions by both the Grimms and Hans Christian Andersen envision “a distinctly feminine savior whose work is symbolized by her spindle, an ancient emblem of women’s work” (2009, 46). Ruth Bottigheimer (1986) points out in her essay “Silenced Women in Grimms’ Tales” that the heroines in “The Twelve Brothers” and “The Six Swans” are forced to accept conditions of muteness that disempower them, which is part of a larger silencing that occurs in the tales; women both are explicitly forbidden to speak, and they have fewer declarative and interrogative speech acts attributed to them within the whole body of the Grimms’ texts.
Ironically, in performing subservient femininity, the sister fails to perform adequately as wife or mother, since the children she bears in one version (“The Six Swans”) are stolen from her. When the sister is married to the king, she gives birth to three children in succession, but each time, the king’s mother takes away the infant and smears the queen’s mouth with blood while she sleeps (Zipes 2002b, 170). Finally, the heroine is sentenced to death by a court but is unable to protest her innocence since she must not speak in order to disenchant her brothers. In being a faithful sister, the heroine cannot be a good mother and is condemned to die for it. This aspect of the tale could represent a deeply coded feminist voice.6 A tale collected and published by men might contain an implicitly coded feminist message, since the critique of patriarchal institutions such as the family would have to be buried so deeply as to not even be recognizable as a message in order to avoid detection and censorship (Radner and Lanser 1993, 6–9). The sis[1]ter in “The Six Swans” cannot perform all of the feminine duties required of her, and because she ostensibly allows her children to die, she could be accused of infanticide. Similarly, in the contemporary legend “The Inept Mother,” collected and analyzed by Janet Langlois, an overwhelmed mother’s incompetence indirectly kills one or all of her children.7 Langlois reads this legend as a coded expression of women’s frustrations at being isolated at home with too many responsibilities, a coded demand for more support than is usually given to mothers in patriarchal institutions. Essentially, the story is “complex thinking about the thinkable—protecting the child who must leave you—and about the unthinkable—being a woman not defined in relation to motherhood” (Langlois 1993, 93). The heroine in “The Six Swans” also occupies an ambiguous position, navigating different expectations of femininity, forced to choose between giving care and nurturance to some and withholding it from others.
Here, I find it productive to draw a parallel to Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus. Antigone defies the orders of her uncle Creon in order to bury her brother Polyneices and faces a death sentence as a result. Antigone’s fidelity to her blood family costs her not only her life but also her future as a productive and reproductive member of society. As Judith Butler (2000) clarifies in Antigone’s Claim: Kinship between Life and Death, Antigone transgresses both gender and kinship norms in her actions and her speech acts. Her love for her brother borders on the incestuous and exposes the incest taboo at the heart of kinship structure. Antigone’s perverse death drive for the sake of her brother, Butler asserts, is all the more monstrous because it establishes aberration at the heart of the norm (in this case the incest taboo). I see a similar logic operating in “The Maiden Who Seeks Her Brothers,” because according to allomotific equivalences, the heroine is condemned to die only in one version (“The Six Swans”) because she allegedly ate her children. In the other version that contains the marriage episode (“The Twelve Brothers”), the king’s mother slanders her, calling the maiden “godless,” and accuses her of wicked things until the king agrees to sentence her to death (Zipes 2002b, 35). As allomotific analysis reveals, in the three versions, the heroine is punished for being excessively devoted to her brothers, which is functionally the same as cannibalism and as being generally wicked (the accusation of the king’s mother in two of the versions).
In a sense, the heroine’s disproportionate devotion to her brothers kills her chance at marriage and kills her children, which from a queer stance is a comment on the performativity of sexuality and gender. According to Butler, gender performativity demonstrates “that what we take to be an internal essence of gender is manufactured through a sustained set of acts, posited through the gendered stylization of the body” ([1990] 1999, xv). This illusion, that gender and sexuality are a “being” rather than a “doing,” is constantly at risk of exposure. When sexuality is exposed as constructed rather than natural, thus threatening the whole social-sexual system of identity formation, the threat must be eliminated.
One aspect of this system particularly threatened in “The Maiden Who Seeks Her Brothers” is reproductive futurism, one form of compulsory teleological heterosexuality, “the epitome of heteronormativity’s desire to reach self-fulfillment by endlessly recycling itself through the figure of the Child” (Giffney 2008, 56; see also Edelman 2004). Reproductive futurism mandates that politics and identities be placed in service of the future and future children, utilizing the rhetoric of an idealized childhood. In his book on reproductive futurism, Lee Edelman links queerness and the death drive, stating, “The death drive names what the queer, in the order of the social, is called forth to figure: the negativity opposed to every form of social viability” (2004, 9). According to this logic, to prioritize anything other than one’s reproductive future is to refuse social viability and heteronormativity—this is what the heroine in “The Maiden Who Seeks Her Brothers” does. Her excessive emotional ties to her brothers disfigure her future, aligning her with the queer, the unlivable, and hence the ungrievable. Refusing the linear narrative of reproductive futurism registers as “unthinkable, irresponsible, inhumane” (4), words that could very well be used to describe a mother who is thought to be eating her babies and who cannot or will not speak to defend herself.
The heroine’s marriage to the king in two versions of the tale can also be examined from a queer perspective. Like the tale “Fitcher’s Bird,” which queers marriage by “showing male-female [marital] relationships as clearly fraught with danger and evil from their onset,” the Grimms’ two versions of ATU 451 that feature marriage call into question its sanctity and safety (Greenhill 2008, 150, emphasis in original). Marriage, though the ultimate goal of many fairy tales, does not provide the heroine with a supportive or nurturing environment. Bear comments that in versions of “The Maiden Who Seeks Her Brothers” wherein a king discovers and marries the heroine, “the king’s discovery brings the sister into a community that both facilitates and threatens her work. The sister’s discovery brings her into a home, foreshadowing the hoped-for happy ending, but it is a false home, determined by the king’s desire rather than by the sister’s creation of a stable and complete community” (2009, 50)
#queering the grimm#queering the grimms#queer fairytales#the maiden who seeks her brothers#the twelve brothers#the six swans#the seven ravens#grimm fairytales#fairytale analysis#fairytale type
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Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Grimm Fairy Tales ..7 Books… .
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GFT Retrospective #54: Grimm Fairy Tales #49
The milestone approaches, Ticketholders!
As of now, I am one week away from 100k views on Blogger, and one week from reviewing the fiftieth issue of Grimm Fairy Tales in the Retrospective. No real plans for a personal milestone special yet, but I will think of something.
Please enjoy this review of the original Grimm Fairy Tales issue #49: Untitled.
#ncbd#new comic book day#new comics wednesday#zenescope#grimm fairy tales#comic books#comics#graphic novel#review#facebook#blogger#tumblr#reddit#twitter
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Indie Comics Review: Grimm Fairy Tales #49
Indie Comics Review: Grimm Fairy Tales #49
View On WordPress
#Dave Franchini#DC comics news#False Hero#Grimm Fairy Tales 49#Joe Brusha#Jorge Cortes#Julius Abrera#Kendra Hale#Moy R.#Ralph Tedesco#Tyler Esposito (Of Ghost Glyph Studios)#Zenescope Comics
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BANNED CLASSICS
Banned Classic Books - banned in various countries, time periods, etc. Non-fiction, children's, modern, etc.
How many have you read?
1
The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald)
2
The Catcher in the Rye (J. D. Salinger)
3
The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
4
To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
5
The Color Purple (Alice Walker)
6
Ulysses (James Joyce)
7
Beloved (Toni Morrison)
8
Lord of the Flies (William Golding)
9
1984 (George Orwell)
10
Lolita (Vladimir Nabokov)
11
Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck)
12
Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
13
Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
14
Animal Farm (George Orwell-1945)
15
The Sun Also Rises (Ernest Hemingway)
16
As I Lay Dying (William Faulkner)
17
A Farewell to Arms (Ernest Hemingway)
18
Their Eyes Were Watching God (Zora Neale Hurston)
19
Invisible Man (Ralph Ellison)
20
Song of Solomon (The Song of Songs, also Song of Solomon or Canticles, is one of the megillot found in the last section of the Tanakh, known as the Ketuvim, and a book of the Old Testament.)
21
Gone With the Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
22
Native Son (Richard Wright)
23
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest ( Ken Kesey)
24
Slaughterhouse-Five (Kurt Vonnegut)
25
For Whom the Bell Tolls (Ernest Hemingway)
26
The Call of the Wild (Jack London)
27
Go Tell It on the Mountain. (James Baldwin)
28
All the King's Men (Robert Penn Warren)
29
The Lord of the Rings (J. R. R. Tolkien)
30
The Jungle (Upton Sinclair)
31
Lady Chatterley's Lover (D. H. Lawrence)
32
A Clockwork Orange (Anthony Burgess)
33
The Awakening (Kate Chopin)
34
In Cold Blood (Truman Capote)
35
Sophie's Choice (William Styron)
36
Cat's Cradle (Kurt Vonnegut)
37
A Separate Peace, by John Knowles
38
Naked Lunch (William S. Burroughs)
39
Brideshead Revisited (Evelyn Waugh)
40
Women in Love (D.H. Lawrence)
41
The Naked and the Dead (Norman Mailer)
42
Tropic of Cancer (Henry Miller)
43
An American Tragedy (Theodore Dreiser)
44
Rabbit, Run (John Updike)
45
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Mark Twain)
46
Candide (Voltaire)
47
Sons and Lovers (D.H. Lawrence)
48
The Autobiography of Malcolm X (Alex Haley and Malcolm X)
49
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (Dee Brown)
50
Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury)
51
Howl ( Allen Ginsberg - a poem)
52
Leaves of Grass (Walt Whitman)
53
Moby-Dick (Herman Melville)
54
Our Bodies, Ourselves (a book about women's health and sexuality produced by the nonprofit organization Our Bodies Ourselves (originally called the Boston Women's Health Book Collective)
55
The Red Badge of Courage (Stephen Crane)
56
The Scarlet Letter (Nathaniel Hawthorne)
57
Sexual Behavior in the Human Male (Alfred C. Kinsey, Wardell R. Pomeroy, and Clyde E. Martin)
58
Stranger in a Strange Land (Robert a Heinlein)
59
A Streetcar Named Desire (Tennessee Williams)
60
Uncle Tom's Cabin (Harriet Beecher Stowe)
61
Where the Wild Things Are (Maurice Sendak)
62
The Crucible (Arthur Miller)
63
Anne Frank: the Diary of a Young Girl (Anne Frank)
64
The Bell Jar (Sylvia Plath)
65
Arabian Nights (Richard Francis Burton & Geraldine McCaughrean)
66
Gullivers Travels (Jonathan Swift)
67
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou)
68
Madame Bovary (Gustave Flaubert)
69
Moll Flanders (Daniel Defoe)
70
A Wrinkle in Time (Madeleine L'engle)
71
Bridge to Terabithia (Katherine Paterson)
72
The Chocolate War (Robert Cormier)
73
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Stephen Chbosky)
74
Harry Potter (J. K. Rowling)
75
The Giver (Lois Lowry)
76
Alice in Wonderland (Lewis Carroll)
77
The Handmaid's Tale (Margaret Atwood)
78
Flowers for Algernon (Daniel Keyes)
79
The Outsiders (S. E. Hinton)
80
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (lMark Twain)
81
That Was Then, This Is Now (S.E. Hinton)
82
The Golden Compass (Philip Pullman)
83
Charlotte's Web (E. B. White)
84
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Roald Dahl)
85
The Giving Tree (Shel Silverstein)
86
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (C.S.Lewis)
87
The Wizard of Oz (L. Frank Baum)
88
James and the Giant Peach (Roald Dahl)
89
Grimm's Fairy Tales (Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm)
90
The Little Mermaid (Hans Christian Anderson)
91
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (Alvin Schwartz
92
Winnie-The-Pooh (A. A. Milne)
93
Siddhartha (Hermann Hesse)
94
The Metamorphosis (Franz Kafka -1915)
95
Frankenstein (Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)
96
The Canterbury Tales (Geoffrey Chaucer)
97
The Well of Loneliness (Radclyffe Hall)
98
All Quiet on the Western Front (Erich Maria Remarque)
99
The Master and Margarita (Mikhail Bulgakov)
100
Heart of Darkness (Joseph Conrad)
“A book banned” sounds like a joke.
Are people a bunch of idiots that have to be controlled by some System that decides what can be read and what can not?
It is ridiculous.
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EDA reviews Part 6 - books 47-55
Previous part 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5
47) The Slow Empire - Uh, couldn't really follow this one at all. There are books when the first person narration works, but not here - too many jumps in setting, too little connective tissue, most of it told from the POV of a person who is barely connected to the protagonists? And that's even before they started repeating chunks of text wholesale between various parts - and I couldn't figure out if it was intended, or if it is the ebook was acting out on me. More than half way through the book, I still couldn't entirely tell what the story is supposed to be about, or if the plot has even started yet. Even having finished it, I find myself somewhat aghast. There are a few glimpses of something interesting, but for the life of me, I can't figure out what. 4/10
48) Dark Progeny - Also not really feeling it. It's not a bad story, but I do rather prefer a Doctor Who story to actually feature the Doctor and the companions front and center, whether they are POV characters or not. Here, though, they are barely in it - it's even more egregious than the previous one in actually giving the supposed protagonists stuff to do, and even on rare occasions we do switch back to them, it is all pretty generic. Anji developing telepathic abilities and the Doctor trying to calm her down all the while Fitz is freaking out in the background? Yes, please, more of that. Following around 20 interchangeable OCs that have nothing to do with the trio? No thank you. 6/10.
49) The City of the Dead - If you are invoking magic in a sci-fi universe, you need to be able to handwave it. It doesn't need to be awfully complex, "something something aliens, something something energy" is usually enough, but without it, you can't just throw magic about willy nilly. There are rules.
There are moments when it is a beautiful story, evoking a lot of dream-like wonder, and if it managed to remain a hazy dream, it probably would have been better for it. At the same time there is something very uncomfortably cynical about it, to the degree it left a bad taste in my mouth. There is a narrow line between not shying away from the ugliness of the world and deliberately making something ugly just for the sake of it, and often it felt like it was leaning towards the latter. Dunno, I started out wanting to like it, and feeling rather conflicted about it, but by the end became utterly indifferent. 7/10
50) Grimm Reality - Pure crack. Mind Robber wishes it could be as hilarious and off the wall as this story is. It throws every cliche fairy tale narrative device in the book at the characters and expects them to take it with the straight face, all the while realizing that the rules of the world are completely bonkers. And it manages to sustain this energy throughout, which is a no small feat. It's actually pretty exhausting by the end of it. Fairy tales stories do not belong to a lengthy literary genre, and even taking time deconstructing them, at 95K words becomes it becomes just too much - figuratively, and, on occasion, literally. Still, pretty great, I wish more books had its energy 9/10.
51) The Adventuress of Henrietta Street - *sigh*. My expectations were pretty low to begin with, and I still am somehow disappointed. Credit where credit's due - it is probably most coherent of the books from Miles. And at least it's better than Interference. That's really not saying much, though.
Honestly, if you've read any story about prostitutes, murder, satanic sex rituals bordering on blatant pornography, eastern culture and "mysticism of female sex" used for fetish fuel, written by a dude who clearly gets off on all of this - you've read all of them. There is really nothing revolutionary or compelling about it. On the list of "plots I never want to see in Doctor Who", they are definitely up there. And the Doctor is dying again, because it wouldn't be Miles's book without it. And he's, uh... living in a brothel, trying to marry someone, in order to, uh..... ritualistically tie himself to Earth, for, reasons? Did I read that right? After over 100 years of living on Earth and wanting to do nothing else than seeing the back of it, right. And writing books not quite about sex but definitely about sex. Because that's the thing the Doctor apparently does now. Self insert what self insert. And Fitz and Anji are just... there. On an occasion. All of it exposed on in a dull faux academic style without a shred of characterization, all the while absolutely nothing of note is happening, despite being a singularly longest EDA.
Just, if you hate the characters so much. If you don't understand what makes them tick to this degree. If you don't even care to learn. If you consider any established emotions they should have about the plot you are putting them through beneath you. Why are you writing in a shared universe to begin with? 2/10
(I did have an unintentional moment of hilarity with it, though. There is a character that is referred to as Lord ______, as if his name is censored. TTS would always pronounce it as Lord Underbarunderbarunderbar. Always gave me a chuckle).
52) Mad Dogs and Englishmen - A hilarious story, a very easy read, flowing from scene to scene. There are several occasions of fridge horror treated with levity that I would have rather have avoided. Plus, it is as incestuous as a book about books can get, and yet.... It is just absurd enough to work.
Plus, the whole, “His books are full of black magic, mind control...and perversion - moral and ethical and sexual. He is polluting the atmosphere of our group”, “What’s next? Rewrite War and Peace so it’s about guinea pigs?” - Oh, the shade. It is a good book in its own right, but just for this alone, 10/10
53) Hope - It's a pretty average book. Not outstanding, not horrible. Would have made a decent episode, all things considered, in a bread and butter sort of way. It does have some great ideas - the refuge of humanity, the conflict between Anji and the Doctor finally coming to light - not quite the type of conflict I was hoping for, though. If only it had a bit more nuisance, without neatly delineated black and white, if the antagonist didn't end up being a mustache twirling villain, if the Doctor didn't end up strong-arming everyone in a much more macho manner than he normally goes for (with a rather clunky dialogue). It had potential, even if it didn't end up being realized in full. 8/10
54) Anachrophobia - Very meh. The set up was fairly contrived, it never made me care about any of the characters, including whatever the hell the Doctor and co were doing, not to mention any of the secondary characters. Not terribly engaging, after a point I was mostly flipping through it. There is some big conflict brought up at 95% mark, and it is resolved in just couple of pages via a deus ex machina and a paradox. Overall, I might have said that I would have liked it better if I was in a mood for existential horror, but I took a break in the middle to listen to the Lease of Life - and it actually touches upon several similar themes, but with and outstanding character drama and much more graceful execution, which made this book look even more poor in comparison. 5/10
55) Trading Futures - I will give the author all the points for keeping an eye on the future. Perhaps, in 2002, predicting tablets being used as menus in fancy restaurants wasn’t that big of a reach, but I absolutely had a spit take when TTS has read to me something about “eye-phones”. There are some modestly clever moments throughout the book. Too bad that the rest of it is a complete rubbish. Not terribly original, either - a lot of ideas are copied directly from other books and other franchises. Reasonably entertaining, all things considered, but in a much more slapstick sort of way than was probably intended. 7/10
Overall impressions so far - This batch is, for the most part, fine. Some stories are worst than others, some better. With one exception, nothing horrendous, but nothing to write home about, either. They are, for the most part, serviceable. Individually, they have decent enough plots. But. There is very little character work. They can generally be read in any order, or dropped entirely, and you wouldn’t miss anything. The Doctor is mostly coasting from the excellent streak in the last batch, always in a spot light. I am starting to tire of the whole amnesia arc, though - it was good, but it ran its course, and at this point, with everything functionally back to norm, with barely a stray mention of it here and there, we are starting to be overdue for some semblance of resolution of all that. Henrietta Street is entirely a step in the wrong direction - not only it does nothing worthwhile for the characters, it’s just getting unnecessarily further into the weedworks, adding yet another plot thread that is forced on other writers to carry (they mention it occasionally, but it’s not like there is much to build upon) - rather viciously reminding of the previous mess of an ark “don’t you dare to think that it is over”. And I am so over it. Just, move on.
The companions fare rather worse. They are decent enough, they participate in action, in each book, they are mostly staying in character, with a handful of neat moments here and there (in a blink and you’ll miss it sort of way, though), they aren’t written off as an unnecessary burden to carry, which is an improvement. There is nothing meaty given to them though - they ask the necessary questions, do the things required of them, and generally stay out of the way when they are not needed. I guess Anji has at least some character driven moments, even though most of them are reduced to “I miss my dead boyfriend”. Which is... fine, we’ve all lost people, we all mourn them in our own way, but it has been 14 books since her introduction, and she is leaving in another 10. To have her character reduced to just that bit from her first book, with barely anything else to offer.... Plus, all the while, she rarely felt like she integrated into the team - because she is constantly eying her exit and returning to normality (even though she always decides to stay just a little while longer due to circumstances), it’s like from the very beginning she had one foot out of the door.
But while Anji is a bit of a one trick pony, at least she has that much. Poor Fitz gets absolutely nothing to do. The last meaningful book that addressed his character in any way was all the way back around book #42-43, and even that was just catching up on plot after his prolonged absence. He’s been essentially frozen since early 30s books. He is generally a fun character to have around, and does good supporting work, but can he please get something more impactful any time soon? Heck, by this point I’ll even take the recurrence of “finding a new love interest number 20 who will inevitably die by the end of the book” - it has been overdone, and it is certainly not a very exciting plot, not to mention reductive, but at least it’d be something. Though, I guess only one companion is allowed to carry that staple at the time, and right now Anji is it, two dead lovers is just an overkill.
And it is an absolute shame - especially when considering that on the other side, Big Finish was in the middle of streak of some of the best stories. Over the same time that these novels were published, we had audios such as Project Twilight, Eye of the Scorpion, Colditz, One Doctor, Chimes of Midnight, Seasons of Fear, which were full of character.
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42, 49 & 66 from the list with 🥺 in its title
42. First dog breed I think of
Border collie there was a post about border collies on my dash a few minutes ago
49. Collections ?
Fairy tales !! My mom got me a Grimm brothers book for Christmas (she saved it it would have been thrown away otherwise!) And I'm so happy ! I now have Slav tales, an Andersen anthology, 10001 nights, the Grimm ones, a book my grandfather used to read me called 100 ans de contes, and a bunch of small other more modern ones ^^
66. Comfort movie ?
Some time ago I would have said Little miss Sunshine but I feel watching it now would destroy me.... Hhmmm probably an animation movie ? Like Spiderverse or Kubo
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32 / 34 / 48 / 49 / 50 / 55 / 62 / 63 / 92 GO!
32. top five favorite vines? Boy I feel like this is a massive unpopular opinion but I was never that into vines and I don’t think I could even remember 5 of them?
34. advertisements you have stuck in your head? Seitenbacher is a running gag in my family. Also replying IN DER TAT! to just about anything. Can’t think of anything else??
48. if you were a fruit, what kind would you be? Ok so with these questions I never know whether you’re supposed to say a kind of fruit you love so you’d want to be that fruit if you were a fruit, or whether you’re supposed to say a fruit that has similar characteristics as you as a person…? My favorite fruit are cherries or mangos but I myself would probably be more like… an apple, like really basic and boring
49. what saying or quote do you live by? Always veering between “…außerdem ist mein Wesen: Angst” (Franz Kafka, 1920) and “Der Weg geht da lang, wo die Angst ist “ (ZDF girl friends, 1995; tho I’m sure Ilka didn’t come up with it)
50. what made you laugh the hardest you ever have? If we’re talking television, I don’t think I’ll ever laugh as hard again as when that dead body burst through the ceiling on Breaking Bad season 1, comedy history truly peaked. Besides that, my brother makes me laugh really hard at least once a week with some message or sticker on Facebook. And watching iconic Genial daneben moments for the first time, such as Castrillo de Murcia or Kirchenorgel von Halberstadt
55. favorite fairy tale? the only fairytales I even like are the ones by Oscar Wilde, I hate the classic Grimm fairytales. And among those idk, maybe The Remarkable Rocket. (Ok yes, because of the frog)
62. seven characters you relate to? Saga Norén from Bron/Broen, Toby from The Office, Gregor Samsa representative for basically every Kafka protagonist, Elena from One Day at a Time, Chidi from One Day at a Time, Joel from Santa Clarita Diet, Willow from Buffy, omg I can’t BELIEVE I thought of 7
63. five songs that would play in your club?
I’d play NOTHING but Merlin the Magician by Rick Wakeman, I Engineer by Animotion, Blue by Eiffel 65, Freaks by Timmy Trumpet & Savage and Modern Talking’s entire discography and it would be an AWESOME club because I’d be the only guest (my favorite kind of club)
92. lamps, overhead lights, sunlight or fairy lights?Fairy lights (+ candles)
🌟🌟🌟 weird asks that say a lot 🌟🌟🌟
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weird asks that say a lot
in
1. coffee mugs, teacups, wine glasses, water bottles, or soda cans? coffee mugs! it gives me a weird satisfaction
2. chocolate bars or lollipops? chocolate bars!!
3. bubblegum or cotton candy? not a big fan of either :/
4. how did your elementary school teachers describe you? well i’m homeschooled so that’d be my mother the gist of it was that i don’t focus well and get distracted easily
5. do you prefer to drink soda from soda cans, soda bottles, plastic cups or glass cups? oh bottles for sure cannot tell you why but the old fashioned glass bottles of like pepsi or something? Love Those
6. pastel, boho, tomboy, preppy, goth, grunge, formal or sportswear? grunge i love it has the ‘i don’t care’ attitude basically just oversized stuff and a whole bunch of flannels
7. earbuds or headphones? headphones obviously, i’m a gamer what did you think i was gonna say
8. movies or tv shows? i tend to like movies better, but i do love myself a good tv show i think the pinnacle of tv shows done right is person of interest five seasons, i never got bored, it didn’t drag on, and it was always a good watch with good character chemistry
9. favorite smell in the summer? hmm either chlorine or beach smell because both mean i’m in the water And Ya Boi Is A Water Bitch
10. game you were best at in p.e.? i’ve never had p.e. and i think that’s my favorite thing about homeschooling
11. what you have for breakfast on an average day? i normally don’t, because i wake up 11:30-noon because i was up at 3am and i need my eight hours of sleep
12. name of your favorite playlist? some fucken bOPS
13. lanyard or keyring? i’d think key ring
14. favorite non-chocolate candy? uhhhhh literally all my favorite sweets are chocolate fuck probably cow tails
15. favorite book you read as a school assignment? they all sucked and i rarely read any of them so
16. most comfortable position to sit in? either sitting on my ankle or having both legs hanging over the edge
17. most frequently worn pair of shoes? do flip flops count?
18. ideal weather? like, 75-80 degrees with a cool breeze or alternatively 5-10 degrees with Piles Of Snow Everywhere
19. sleeping position? usually on my left side, or my stomach
20. preferred place to write (i.e., in a notebook, on your laptop, sketchpad, post-it notes, etc.)? i love writing on anything i can get my hands on, most times it’s a notebook i tend to always carry pen and paper with me because i Will Not Remember Anything
21. obsession from childhood? you know how people have like, a timeline in their head of their entire life? i did this when i was this age, etc.? yeah i don’t have that my memories are in a big pile in my head and i have to use like things around me to find out a general age it’s wild so i have no idea coloring? minecraft?
22. role model? any kind person ever
23. strange habits? i only shower at night, and once i get in my room and change into my pajamas i have No intention of leaving so i just brush my teeth in the shower
24. favorite crystal? amethyst? quartz? garnet? idk onlytherealonesknow
25. first song you remember hearing? it was a song that my mother used to sing to my brother and i at night when we were in bed, did you ever talk to God i’ve never been able to find it anywhere, but i love it and it has the Best Vibes attached to it
26. favorite activity to do in warm weather? S w i m
27. favorite activity to do in cold weather? cuddle obviously
28. five songs to describe you? uhh dear younger me- mercyme (Christian) the cult of Dionysus- the Orion experience lucky stars- Lucy Spraggan escapism- steven universe? maybe? sunkissed- Khai dreams???? bro i got no idea
29. best way to bond with you? over shared experiences, or a shared love of something just best way to bond? by relating
30. places that you find sacred? not sure old buildings, sites of historical importance, places marred by tragedy
31. what outfit do you wear to kick ass and take names? oh boy here we go my tightest pants, obviously, my heels, and my slutty shirt or my comfy clothes i can kick ass in anything
32. top five favorite vines? i am the sand guardian, guardian of the sand. Posiden quivers before him! fuck off!! *BAM* this is why mom doesn’t fUCKING love you!!! please let this be a normal field trip. with Miss Frizzle?? un-fucking-likely Jeremy eat a snickers. why? you’re not you when you’re hungry. it’s gonna take more than that for my fatass meanwhile, in 1957. your honor, permission to treat the witness as hostile. permission granted. i’m gonna shoot you in the face. that’ll ruin my day
33. most used phrase in your phone? i have no phone but i do say valid a lot because All You Fuckers Are Valid
34. advertisements you have stuck in your head? michigan plumminggggg, we’ll exceed your expectaaationsssss
35. average time you fall asleep? three am
36. what is the first meme you remember ever seeing?
37. suitcase or duffel bag? backpack
38. lemonade or tea? lemonade
39. lemon cake or lemon meringue pie? cake
40. weirdest thing to ever happen at your school? idk the cat pissed on my brother’s papers once
41. last person you texted? moje rojenia
42. jacket pockets or pants pockets? Hoodie Pouch
43. hoodie, leather jacket, cardigan, jean jacket or bomber jacket? hoodie, obviously
44. favorite scent for soap? Manly Smell
45. which genre: sci-fi, fantasy or superhero? mmmmmm sci-fi
46. most comfortable outfit to sleep in? long sleeve tee, plaid pajama pants
47. favorite type of cheese? Mozzarella
48. if you were a fruit, what kind would you be? pineapple i’ll eat you out ;)
49. what saying or quote do you live by? if someone makes you happy make them happier
50. what made you laugh the hardest you ever have? my mother made the weirdest fucking sound once, and i couldn’t breathe and fell off the chair
51. current stresses? school, driver’s training, some other stuff
52. favorite font? Kristen ITC
53. what is the current state of your hands? ????? clean?? i have a ring on my right middle finger, some scars on both hands, my nails are short
54. what did you learn from your first job? haven’t had a job yet
55. favorite fairy tale? any of the old Grimm’s fairy tales they terrified me when i was young, but then i got a taste for the disturbed and gore so they became perfect for me
56. favorite tradition? my family doesn’t really have any traditions
57. the three biggest struggles you’ve overcome? gaining confidence to not be a complete pushover, quitting self-harm, realizing my first relationship wasn’t my fault
58. four talents you’re proud of having? i don’t have four talents i can color really well? i can copy drawings if i look at them long enough
59. if you were a video game character, what would your catchphrase be? Fuck
60. if you were a character in an anime, what kind of anime would you want it to be? something along the lines of kabaneri of the iron fortress or my hero academia
61. favorite line you heard from a book/movie/tv show/etc.? give me something to keep and hold onto forever. let go
62. seven characters you relate to? uggggggggh bro my personality changes every hour i don’t know Sam, from supernatural uh, Klaus? from the originals .... yeah that’s all i got
63. five songs that would play in your club? dangerous- left boy adderall- Max Frost sweet tooth- Scott Helman binary mind- ra ra riot while i’m alive- STRFKR
64. favorite website from your childhood? club penguin and jumpstart
65. any permanent scars? tons
66. favorite flower(s)? coral dahlias and bellflowers
67. good luck charms? nope!
68. worst flavor of any food or drink you’ve ever tried? quinoa, mustard, and root beer
69. a fun fact that you don’t know how you learned? without saliva your stomach would digest itself
70. left or right-handed? right
71. least favorite pattern? whatever the fuck this one is
72. worst subject? math
73. favorite weird flavor combo? ranch and any kind of roast
74. at what pain level out of ten (1 through 10) do you have to be at before you take an advil or ibuprofen? probably like a 7
75. when did you lose your first tooth? neither i nor my mother remember
76. what’s your favorite potato food (i.e. tater tots, baked potatoes, fries, chips, etc.)? Mashed Potatoes Always
77. best plant to grow on a windowsill? strawberries!! they’re yummy and have beautiful flowers
78. coffee from a gas station or sushi from a grocery store? both are gross no thank you
79. which looks better, your school id photo or your driver’s license photo? well since i don’t have my license yet, i’d have to say my license
80. earth tones or jewel tones? earth tones
81. fireflies or lightning bugs? they’re literally the same thing are you asking which one i say? if so, lightning bugs
82. pc or console? both! i prefer pc but a lot of my favorite games are on console and i don’t have a gaming computer
83. writing or drawing? i’m better at writing, but i love both!
84. podcasts or talk radio? not a huge fan of either
84. barbie or polly pocket? i never had or liked either
85. fairy tales or mythology? faerie* tales and mythology
86. cookies or cupcakes? cookies!!!
87. your greatest fear? being abandoned ig
88. your greatest wish? to live an apple pie life i suppose my partners and i living in a house we love, in a town we love, with all of our fur babies
89. who would you put before everyone else? the young if i was in a room full of people, relatives, friends, elders, i would always save the youngest
90. luckiest mistake? posting my diary on ao3 XD i met my darling Leo through it
91. boxes or bags? f....for??? bags are easier to carry, but boxes are just Nice ..... see this is why i think i’m a cat
92. lamps, overhead lights, sunlight or fairy lights? i love sunlight and fairy lights
93. nicknames? Q that’s that’s basically it
94. favorite season? fall
95. favorite app on your phone? duolingo or pixel.y 3D
96. desktop background? school computer:
97. how many phone numbers do you have memorized? just my mother’s
98. favorite historical era? anything Ancient greek, egyptian, incan, aztec, that kinda stuff
#tw cursing#tw self-harm#long post#tw eye strain#probably gonna crank out a few of these today because i'm Bored#meet the blogger
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I’ve seen a lot of people immediately associate Puella Magi Madoka Magica with the story of Faust, in part because of the whole “Deal with the Devil” plot element. And the show does reference Faust here and there (i.e. the name “Gretchen” shows up near the end, and the character associated with it plays a huge role in the overall plot; not to mention all the other Easter eggs scattered throughout).
That’s all well and good, but if we’re talking about stories that involve a girl making a bad deal with a diminutive creature that turns out to have ulterior motives, couldn’t one also draw parallels between Madoka and “Rumpelstiltskin?”
(Long post with spoilers ahead.)
The most popular iteration of “Rumpelstiltskin” is pretty straightforward: the daughter of a local miller is tasked with spinning straw into gold by a greedy king, after her father makes a huge boast in an attempt to seem like a big deal. One night while the daughter is despairing over her task, a little man appears and offers to do the deed for her, in exchange for something of hers. After the first quota is met, the daughter is forced to continue spinning, and eventually gets to the point where the little man requires her to hand over her firstborn as an exchange. The daughter cannot bear to do this, and eventually must discover the creature’s name in order to be free from him; she does so, and the creature is never heard from again.
There have been numerous retellings/variations of the story, but Walter Rankin sums it up nicely in his book Grimm Pictures: Fairy Tale Archetypes in Eight Horror and Suspense Films using a quote from Maria Tatar: “At the heart of all versions of [the tale] is a contract made between an innocent young girl and a devilish creature” (125). Does that sound a bit familiar?
In Episode 8 (out of 12) of Madoka, there’s a scene where Homura and Kyubey confront each other, and Homura reveals that she knows what Kyubey really is, and what its long-term plans for Madoka are, hence why she’s determined to stop Madoka from making a contract with it. The scene also reveals that Homura is from an alternate timeline/future, and her power is actually time manipulation. When Kyubey asks if she wants to change Madoka’s fate that badly, she responds (English dub dialogue) “I do. And I’m going to do whatever it takes to stop you, Kyubey... Or should I say, ‘Incubator?’” It is at this point in the series that Kyubey takes a turn towards creepy, with one shot framing it in shadow, with only its beady, red eyes glaring at the camera, and it becomes very clear that it isn’t the helpful, magical companion it initially presented itself as.
Episode 10 then goes into more detail about Homura’s past: In the original timeline, Homura was a quiet, nervous girl who struggled to keep up in school and make friends, not helped by the fact that she spent some time in the hospital due to a heart condition. Here she met Madoka and another girl, Mami, and found out about the existence of Magical Girls and Witches, the latter of which are later revealed to be the mutated forms of Magical Girls, after they lose hope and have fallen into despair. After growing close to the two of them, in particular Madoka, who is in the same grade as her, Homura watches them both die while fighting Walpurgisnacht, a notoriously unbeatable Witch. Madoka’s death in particular hits Homura the hardest, especially when she finds Madoka’s lifeless body in the middle of the ruins left in Walpurgisnacht’s wake. Coincidentally/conveniently, Kyubey appears while Homura is crying over Madoka’s body, hearing her scream out (English dub dialogue) “It wasn’t worth saving me, if you’re not alive... I want you back!” This leads to Kyubey offering to grant her wish, in exchange for the price of dedicating her life to fighting Witches.
Homura makes her wish--to redo her meeting with Madoka, only this time, she wants to be strong enough to protect her friend--and she is given the ability to stop and reverse time, and goes back in time, allowing her to fight by Madoka’s side. However, Homura is unable to fulfill her wish of stopping Madoka’s death, and must constantly repeat time, eventually learning that Kyubey is nothing more than a manipulative liar who hopes that the girls will eventually lose hope and become Witches, as his race needs the energy output this brings for their own goals. And so the series is revealed to be one long conflict between Homura and Kyubey/Incubator.
So, to recap, just like the Miller’s Daughter, Homura is approached by a mysterious creature while wallowing in despair, and is offered what she desires in exchange for a heavy price. And just like the Miller’s Daughter, she learns that she has been tricked, and attempts to gain an edge by learning the creature’s true identity. While there is no baby at the risk of being lost, one could argue that Madoka fills that role in some capacity, given that Homura’s whole goal is to have her friend back and safe from Kyubey’s influence.
In the chapter “Rumpelstiltskin and the Decline of Female Productivity” in his book Fairy Tale as Myth/Myth as Fairy Tale, Jack Zipes comments that a common element in Rumpelstiltskin stories is the idea of a girl who cannot perform adequately. Within the context of the fairytale, this refers to the girl being unable to spin what is required of her--Zipes mentions an alternate version where the girl’s problem is that she can only spin gold, which is not of much use to her (56). In Madoka, Homura’s problem is that she perceives herself as weak and worthless; she becomes easy prey for a Witch early on when the latter takes advantage of her low self-esteem to lull her into wallowing in her self-pity, to the point that she unknowingly wanders into a labyrinth, which leads to her being saved by Madoka and Mami. “Without this predicament,” Zipes writes, “there is no tale... And as we all know, tales are born out of necessity and desire” (Zipes 56). Homura’s constant time-traveling and witnessing her friends die over and over again end up affecting her considerably, to the point that by the time the series’ plot starts, she has become considerably colder and outwardly emotionless.
The image of a spinning wheel also factors into both the Miller’s Daughter and Homura’s tales. The Miller’s Daughter must work with a spinning wheel to spin straw into gold; Homura, meanwhile, possesses a circular shield that, when turned, can stop time, and if allowed to spin a bit more, can reverse the flow of time as well. In fact, sequences of Homura traveling back in time are accompanied by images of her shield spinning. Both images call to mind the Rota Fortunae, the Wheel of Fortune, and how both heroines need to work against opposing forces in order to change their destinies. In Greek mythology, the spindle was also tied to the Fates, who spun the thread of life and determined what was to come of a person before they died. Zipes calls it “an image of the cosmos that contained the Platonic spindle of necessity in it” (59).
Then there’s the act of naming the mysterious creature: knowing the true name of someone or something is a staple in folklore, due to its link to having power over the unknown, and means to defend oneself from a threat (Zipes 51). In “ Rumpelstiltskin,” the Miller’s Daughter finally rids herself of the title character when she learns his name; in Madoka, Homura knowing Kyubey is an Incubator begins the chain of events in the series that unmask Kyubey’s real motives for contracting Magical Girls. Walter Rankin, in his analysis of the fairytale, points out the implicit consequences that may unfold when the Miller’s Daughter becomes required to spin gold once more, now that she lacks the creature’s assistance (126). Similarly, knowing Kyubey is an Incubator doesn’t automatically solve Homura’s problems; it does, however, give her knowledge necessary to begin to fight back against the Incubators.
Both stories feature a girl who strikes a deal with a demonic creature in exchange for a heavy price; both end up having to fight back against the creature in order to keep what they have, and while learning the name of said creature gives them an edge. There are a few unanswered/unsolved plot threads that imply that things aren’t over entirely yet--the king may be greedy again, the Incubators may do whatever it takes to get energy--but ultimately both are about one girl trying to survive a situation they have found themselves in, in order to hold onto what they have.
Outside Sources
Rankin, Walter. “The Devil in the Details: ‘Rumpelstiltskin’ and Rosemary’s Baby’.” Grimm Pictures: Fairy Tale Archetypes in Eight Horror and Suspense Films, McFarland & Company, Inc., 2007, pp. 118-141.
Zipes, Jack. “Rumpelstiltskin and the Decline of Female Productivity.” Fairy Tale as Myth/Myth as Fairy Tale, University Press of Kentucky, 1994, pp. 49-71.
#puella magi madoka magica#rumpelstiltskin#brothers grimm#anime#television#madoka kaname#homura akemi#kyubey#mod post#analysis#fairy tales#long post#text
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Tale of Tales | episode: 1.01 “Red As Blood, White As Snow”
Once there was a child who was the fairest of them all...
On this inaugural episode of Tale of Tales, we discuss the ways how the Grimms and Disney made fairy tales into stories for children, how beauty and value intersect in patriarchal societies, and how many creative ways you can kill a child who's in your way (spoiler alert: more than one involve apples).
https://www.buzzsprout.com/800948/2468150-1-01-red-as-blood-white-as-snow.mp3?blob_id=8132291&download=true
Guest starring Kaitlyn Millsap
Tales on this episode:
Jakob & Wilhelm Grimm, “Little Snow-White”, Children’s and Household Tales, ed. D. L. Ashliman and Lucas Brandon (1812 [1999/2019]) — 08:12-25:57
Giambattista Basile, “The Young Slave”, The Pentamerone, or Tale of Tales, ed. Nancy L. Canepa (1634 [2016]) — 28:16-37:49
Joseph Jacobs, “Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree”, Celtic Fairy Tales (1892) — 40:36-47:37
Susie Hoogasian-Villa, “Nourie Hadig”, 100 Armenian Tales (1966) — 49:12-57:12
Jakob & Wilhelm Grimm, “The Juniper Tree”, Children’s and Household Tales, ed. D. L. Ashliman (1812 [1999]) — 01:00:14-01:19:48
All Music Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Track Listing:
"Fig Leaf Rag" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) — 02:44
"Danse of Questionable Tuning" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) — 05:26
"Arcadia" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) — 08:12, 28:16, 36:59
"Gathering Darkness" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) — 10:48, 13:11, 15:25, 17:49, 01:03:33
"Unseen Horrors" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) — 20:42, 01:16:34
"Dark Times" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) — 21:36, 29:56
"Fantasy Ambiance" by Alexander Nakarada (serpentsoundstudios.com) — 40:30
"Send For the Horses" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) — 49:12
"Wanderer" by Alexander Nakarada (serpentsoundstudios.com) — 01:00:05
Show Extras: An Odd Price To Pay
One of the Snow White stories I came across in my research that I was unfortunately unable to include in the episode was the Italian folktale “Bella Venezia”, collected by Italo Calvino. It’s both earthy and absurd, and reminds me a bit of Neil Gaiman’s book Stardust for whatever reason.
A woman named Bella Venezia runs a popular inn with her daughter, and asks travelers if they’ve ever seen anyone lovelier than herself. When they politely answer yes, she cuts their bill in half. One day, however, her daughter walks in while she’s talking to a guest, and he tells Bella that her daughter is lovelier than she is. Upset, she charges him double, and sends her daughter to live in a doorless hut by the sea.
A traveler sees her there on his way to the inn, and when Bella asks him her customary question he tells her the girl he saw by the sea is lovelier. Furious, Bella seduces the kitchen-boy and tells him if he wants to marry her he must go kill her daughter. Enamored but afraid, he takes the girl into the woods and abandons her, and then brings Bella the eyes and blood of a sheep as proof.
The girl stumbles upon an enchanted robber’s den and tidies up the place, but also eats some of their food. The twelve confused robbers stand guard each day to see who is cleaning their den and snacking on their dinner, but the first eleven don’t see the girl because she’s hidden herself inside the house. When the twelfth finally finds her, he says she can stay and be their little sister. However, one of the robbers frequents the inn and mentions the girl to Bella, revealing her daughter’s survival.
Bella promises an old beggar woman, who happens to be a witch, to give her half her fortune if she kills the girl. The beggar woman poisons a hair pin and tricks the girl into letting her jab it into her head. The robbers find the girl dead and bury her under a tree, but some hounds on a royal hunt sniff it out and unbury her. The king’s son falls in love and brings her home, and his bewildered mother asks him to at least let them fix the corpse up. In doing her hair the servants find the pin and pull it out, reviving her, and she marries the king’s son. The tale ends with:
“The wedding was celebrated. Tables were even set up in the streets. Whoever wanted to eat, ate! Whoever didn’t want to, didn’t. O Lord, a hen for every sinner! and for me, a sinner of sinners, a hen and several roosters!”
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Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Grimm Fairy Tales ..7 Books… .
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here you go @baura-bear (i’ve also definitely done these before but i know i’ve changed so)
1. coffee mugs, teacups, wine glasses, water bottles, or soda cans?
i’m kind of a hoarder so all of them?? but mostly mugs and water bottles
2. chocolate bars or lollipops?
CHOCOLATE
3. bubblegum or cotton candy
cotton candy slaps
4. how did your elementary school teachers describe you?
very shy but a good learner
5. do you prefer to drink soda from cans, bottles, plastic cups or glass cups?
soda sounds really unappealing right now so none?
6. pastel, boho, tomboys, preppy, goth, grunge, formal, or sportswear?
a combo of boho tomboy and grunge
7. earbuds or headphones?
earbuds
8. movies or tv shows?
i don’t have the patience for either, podcasts are superior
9. favorite smell in the summer?
i walked by this couple yesterday who had ice cream and just... the smell of sugared cream and waffle cones.... delicious
10. game you were best at in pe?
volleyball maybe, but i still wasn’t good at that
11. what do you have for breakfast on an average day?
a granola bar, which sucks bc my first period is choir this year so i won’t be able to eat first period!!
12. name of your favorite playlist?
“oh boy i’m pining for someone”
13. lanyard or keyring?
my keychain is so heavy that wearing a lanyard would slowly break my neck
14. favorite non-chocolate candy?
GUMMI BEARS!!!!!!!
15. favorite book you’ve read as a school assignment?
either romeo and juliet, to kill a mockingbird, or and then there were none
16. most comfortable position to sit in
i like legs crossed but i also like just the ideal Leg Bounce position
17. most frequently worn pair of shoes?
my grey converse high tops
18. ideal weather?
like... 60 degrees and mildly cloudy
19. sleeping position?
on my side or occasionally on my stomach
20. preferred place to write?
in a notebook, writing on my laptop gets old after a while
21. obsession from childhood?
MAGIC TREE HOUSE or dolls in general
22. role model?
eva fucking noblezada
23. strange habits?
i like to shake my foot when i see something i like (is this stimming? probably and i kind of like it)
24. favorite crystal
emerald but just bc it’s my birthstone
25. first song you remember hearing?
probably something off of rumors by fleetwood mac
26. favorite activity to do in warm weather?
i hate warm weather but i like shopping
27. favorite activity to do in cold weather
go to school?? i kind of feel like my outfits are the coolest in winter and that gets me a lot of compliments
28. five songs that describe you?
just pick five random queen songs and it’ll probably be pretty accurate
29. best way to bond with you?
literally just talk to me. i can ramble for hours about shit you probably don’t care about
30. places that you find sacred?
my bedroom and the two giant woods in my hometown
31. what outfit do you wear to kick ass and take names?
basically just blue jeans a flannel and a black tank top. not very cool but i feel nice in it
32. top five favorite vines
all i can think of rn is i’m gonna munch i’m gonna crunch so there’s that (stream revolution lover)
33. most used phrase in your phone?
fdhslfhdjslkfdk or any other keyspam
34. advertisements you have stuck in your head?
i have adblock lmao
35. average time you fall asleep
like 12:30 now that it’s summer
36. what is the first meme you remember seeing?
ehrmagerd or however you spell it
37. suitcase or duffel bag?
duffel bag
38. lemonade or tea
both, including when they’re combined (arnold palmers slap)
39. lemon cake or lemon meringue pie?
cake
40. weirdest thing to ever happen at your school
high school: this past year’s senior prank which did give me a mental breakdown but it was kind of hilarious
middle school: The Smell
41. last person you texted?
my dad
42. jacket pockets or pants pockets?
pants, i always feel like shit will fall out of my jacket pockets
43. hoodie, leather jacket, cardigan, jean jacket, or bomber jacket?
hoodie and cardigan, Maximum Coze
44. favorite soap scent?
i kind of like dessert scents
45. which genre: sci-fi, fantasy, or superhero?
none of them??
46. most comfortable outfit to sleep in?
my fav flannel which is very soft and underwear
47. favorite type of cheese?
the one that comes on pizza
48. if you were a fruit, what kind would you be?
....... a watermelon? i look pretty appealing from the outside but i’m actually 92% water
49. what saying or quote do you live by?
andre deshields’ three rules to longevity from the tonys :,)
50. what made you laugh the hardest you ever have?
i can’t remember but i’ve definitely peed myself laughing in like... elementary school
51. current stresses?
“am i waiting too long to snap back my crush” and “OH SHIT I HAVEN’T STARTED ANY OF MY ESSAYS”
52. favorite font?
helvetica or comic sans if i’m in the mood
53. what is the current state of your hands?
i last washed them like 30 mins ago, my left hand’s nails are painted black, and my right pointer finger is bleeding
54. what did you learn from your first job?
i haven’t had one yet lol
55. favorite fairy tale?
i have no idea
56. favorite tradition?
i don’t really have any noteworthy ones
57. the three biggest struggles you’ve overcome?
That Time In October 2017, The Week Of May 6 2019, and The Week Of Mamma Mia Auditions And The Week After (those are the official titles in my brain lmao)
58. four talents you’re proud of having?
i have a good fashion sense, people tend to like my art?? i’m good in a choir?? and i guess i’m a bit naturally smart
59. if you were a video game character, what would your catchphrase be?
something like “i’m gay”
60. if you were a character in an anime, what kind of anime would you want it to be?
some combination of yuri on ice and ouran high school host club
61. favorite line you heard from a book/movie/tv show/etc?
i particularly like that one dude in hp and the sorcerer’s stone that was described as a toothless walnut
62. seven characters you relate to?
uhh my mind is really drawing a blank rn
63. five songs that would play in your club?
like... a combination of 70′s queen, cousin simple, and memes that’ll make people go buckwild
64. favorite website from your childhoos?
girlsgogames
65. any permanent scars?
(small tw) i have a scar on my left middle finger from when i tried to change razor blades and i just noticed today i have one single self harm scar left on my left leg and nnnnnnnhhhhhhh
66. favorite flowers?
roses and ik ferns don’t count but ferns are v pretty
67. good luck charms?
i have the shittiest luck lmao
68. worst flavor of any food or drink you’ve ever tried?
i’m infamous for never trying new foods
69. a fun fact you don’t know how you learned?
idk, pretty much every fun fact ever?
70. left or right handed?
right
71. least favorite pattern?
like.... stripes of any kind make me look fatter than i am
72. worst subject
physical science, but it’s all bc of my shitty teacher
73. favorite weird flavor combo?
uhhhh fries and a wendy’s frosty?? or sometimes i squeeze a lemon into my coke
74. at what pain level out of ten do you have to be at before you take a pill?
hahahahahahaha i can’t swallow pills so i suffer
75. when did you lose your first tooth
i have no fuckin clue
76. what’s your favorite potato food?
fries!!!!! good!!
77. best plant to grow on a windowsill?
ferns or cacti
78. coffee from a gas station or sushi from a grocery store?
neither?
79. which looks better, your school id photo or your driver’s license photo?
my school id but only bc i don’t have a license yet lmao
80. earth or jewel tones?
earth
81. fireflies or lightning bugs?
fireflies
82. pc or console?
pc?? although all i play on is my laptop which isn’t technically a pc
83. writing or drawing?
neither rn, i’m feeling uninspired
84. podcasts or talk radio?
P O D C A S T S
85. barbie or polly pocket?
neither, i was a liv doll kid
86. fairy tales or mythology?
mythology but i can also dig some like... brothers grimm shit
87. cookies or cupcakes?
both but it depends on my mood (i could really go for a cookie rn)
88. your greatest fear?
experiencing eternal blackness after death
89. your greatest wish?
move into an apartment with my soulmate and act for a living
90. who would you put before everyone else?
nobody really rn
91. luckiest mistake?
coming out to my parents maybe? although it wasn’t a mistake, i would defo be in a bad place if i was closested at home
92. boxes or bags?
i have no clue
93. lamps, overhead lights, sunlight, or fairy lights?
fairy lights!!
94. nicknames?
none but if any future partners can come up with one for me i will marry them instantly
95. favorite season?
fall or spring
96. favorite app on your phone?
instagram or tik tok (KILL ME)
97. desktop background?
a nice landscape one of my fav artists painted
98. how many phone numbers have you memorized?
just my own lmao
99. favorite historical era?
60′s/70′s (i hate to be that bitch but that’s when music was at its peak)
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Book Review 49/72
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
About 3 pages into this I went “oh! this is the one tumblr had discourse about!”
It sure fucking was.
The good bits: Characters were a delight. Plot was engaging and clipped right along. Writing was...solid.
Bad bits:
I’m not sure a Jewish reclamation of Rumpelstiltskin needed to happen, and if so it should’ve been far more deftly handled. Rumpelstiltskin is a) a German story in that rendering, not a Lithuanian, b) part of a fairy tale type (Aarne Thompson type 500) that turns up all over the world in not-necessarily antisemetic clothing, and c) written by the Brothers Grimm.
In order:
a) A pretty key part of Spinning Silver is that it’s set in vaguely-Lithuania, but Novik doesn’t draw on Lithuanian stories to build her world. She draws on Germanic and other western European ones instead. Just put it in Germany? I promise, there were Jews in Germany too.
b) but if the reason she picked ATU-500 to retell is it’s intrinsically antisemitic, it’s...not...there are certainly versions that have that wrapping but not all do
c) the Brothers Grimm had other really blatantly antisemitic stories, notably the Jew Among Thorns, and on a list of Most Antisemitic Fairy Tales Rumpelstiltskin doesn’t make the top 10
which is all. okay. sure. she picked a bad story to do this with. BUT FURTHERMORE
Miryam is sort of weirdly Jewish? I’m not convinced Novik has been to a shul before. I’m really not convinced she’s been to an orthodox shul, and specifically a Lithuanian one. Lithuanian Judaism is a specific and very fervent strain of Judaism that’s not reflected here.
Why does her family live alone in a goyishe village? Why don’t they live in the nearest shtetl and her father walk into town for the debts? Does he not get to hear Torah read on Shabbat? Do they go to Vilnus (or wherever) on the High Holy Days for the whole season so they’re not travelling back and forth during the times when he must be in community? Where do they purchase their kosher meats from? On that note, why on EARTH doesn’t Miryam go vegetarian when with the Staryk, those animals can’t be kashrut. Why doesn’t the timing of sunrise/sunset come up earlier, since it pertains to morning and evening prayers? Why doesn’t she say prayers??? Ever????? WHAT ABOUT HER MONTHLIES, THE STARYK KING DOESN’T HAVE A MIKVAH
[clears throat]
basically, we get a lot of informed Judaism and it feels very much like Novik read some wikipedia pages and maybe a beginner book and called it a day. Which. I know she is Jewish-by-blood. I’m not questioning that. But being descended from Jews doesn’t give you an automatic understanding of the Torah. that’s what I have problems with.
also WOW the compulsory heterosexuality is strong with this one. I KNOOOOWWWWW she can write queers. I KNOW SHE CAN, I’ve read her fanfic. And yet...two m/f relationships neither of which make a whole ton of sense? At least the tsarina’s is outright political, and that’s fine. I’m fine with that. But what the FUCK is Miryam doing not marrying Wanda????
finally (not finally. I have so many problems), the lack of any sort of header between POV changes meant it took me forever to figure out names and keep track of people. this is just basic editing shit.
3/5 for characters and plot, -2 for the WEEK of AND ANOTHER THING I’ve been sending my long suffering friends
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update on the shelf of shame
I had a New Year’s resolution of reading 50 books in a year... But I’ve done it in half a year!
1. Electric Dreams – Phillip K. Dick
2. Dark Alchemy: Magical Tales from Masters of Modern Fantasy – (several authors)
3. Los diarios del diablo – M.J. Weeks
4. La porta dels tres panys – Sònia Fernández-Vidal
5. Nausicää 1 – Hayao Miyazaki
6. Nausicää 2 – Hayao Miyazaki
7. Nausicää 3 – Hayao Miyazaki
8. Nausicää 4 – Hayao Miyazaki
9. Jessica Jones: Alias – Brian Michael Bendis
10. Pecado – Laura Restrepo
11. Uncle Scrooge & Donald Duck – Don Rosa
12. A lion among men – Gregory Maguire
13. Pare de rates – Joan Barceló i Cullerés
14. The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood
15. Más allá del planeta silencioso – C.S. Lewis
16. My solo exchange diary – Nagata Kabi
17. Claudine – Riyoko Ikeda
18. Wuthering Heights – Emily Brontë
19. La Belle Sauvage – Phillip Pullman
20. Grimm Tales – Phillip Pullman
21. Positively Queer – Auraboo
22. Viidakon Tuliainen – R.L. Stine
23. Left hand of darkness – Ursula Le Guin
24. Orange is the new black – Piper Kerman
25. Orlando – Virginia Wolf
26. Los ojos del dragón – Stephen King
27. Teoria King Kong – Virginie Despentes
28. Big Mushy Happy Lump – Sarah Andersen
29. Chewie and the Porgs – Kevin Shinick/Fiona Hsieh
30. Cris & Cris – Maria Felicitas Jaime
31. El bosque profundo – Sofia Rhei
32. Nueve cuentos malvados – Margaret Atwood
33. The scarecrow and his servant – Phillip Pullman
34. Los escarabajos vuelan al atardecer – Maria Gripe
35. Ewald Tragy i altres textos de joventut – Rainer Maria Rilke
36. Un pavo rosa – Diana Gutiérrez
37. El príncep i el captaire – Mark Twain
38. The Ghost Prison – Joseph Delaney
39. Little Women – Louisa May Alcott
40. Heidegger i un hipopòtam travessen les portes del cel – Daniel Klein / Thomas Cathcart
41. Nälkäpeli – Suzanne Collins
42. Else & Barbulette – Susana Arrabal
43. A feast of sorrows – Angela Slatter
44. Pandora – Anne Rice
45. La expedición – Stephen King
46. El misterio del cuarto amarillo – Gaston Leroux
47. Moss Dash – Apila Pepita
48. The bride was a boy – Chii
49. 10 Dances – Inouesatoh
50. Hän on kannoillasi – R.L. Stine
Some were borrowed, but most were from my Shelf Of Shame (that is still...very full bc I keep buying books or taking them from bookcrossing spots at the library).
Some of them (like the Stephen King ones) had been there since I was 14yo. Others (like 4, 13, 40, and 46) had been gifts from relatives who only knew I liked to read and had no idea of which genre.
I’m not gonna comment on the classics in here, I liked some and some I didn’t, and I’m not willing to disclose which ones. Probably 23 was my favourite of this group though.
The Finnish titles I had already read in either English or Spanish, and re-read them in Finnish to practice the language. 21 and 47 are by independent Finnish artists/authors and in English, they have queer themes and are cool.
I liked most of the mangas (5,6,7,8,16,17,48,49) and some of the comics (28,29).
Was a bit disappointed with the Phillip Pullman books that weren’t n.19, but mostly bc I expected something different when I bought them.
Special mentions:
A feast of Sorrows, I found second hand for free and it was really, really good, and up my alley in what I’m interested right now: new fairy tales, with women protagonists, and just damn thrilling.
Nueve cuentos malvados, surprised me because the protagonists of the tales were elderly people, an age group that I’ve barely read about, and it was an interesting persepective.
El bosque profundo is a collection of microtales and it was!!! so!!! good!!! Sadly it’s in Spanish and hasn’t been translated yet. I’m half-way through another book of the same author and I’m liking it a lot.
Most of the books I have left now are very thick, so I won’t be able to read them as quickly, but maybe I could try to aim for 25 more books before the end of the year? But it’s a soft objective because I have already read so much. I’m currently re-reading Good Omens (which doesn’t count) and I have like, three more books started, the rest of the Hunger Games in Finnish, etc.
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All weird asks!! They're so good!
Sorry this is a bit late, babe! I wanted to wait til I had the opportunity to answer all these uninterrupted!
1. coffee mugs, teacups, wine glasses, water bottles, or soda cans?
Coffee mugs! tbh I drink tea out of coffee mugs because who actually uses teacups? I mean my grandma has tons and I would use them, but the handles are so tiny and I am v clumsy so it scares me.
2. chocolate bars or lollipops?
Chocolate bars!!! I’m too impatient for lollipops and plus they always get coated in saliva which just...drips down my chin since my mouth is already full.
3. bubblegum or cotton candy?
Bubblegum! I love cotton candy but I can only handle a bit at a time tbh. Also I haven’t had bubblegum in almost two years bc of braces and I miss it so much I can’t wait to have it again.
4. how did your elementary school teachers describe you?
Okay, so even though I’ve always been homeschooled, when I was in elementary school we did this program with a ton of other homeschoolers where you could take actual classes and stuff. My teachers always said I was quiet and focused and studious, and you could always count on me to be lecturing everyone else on the instructions if they hadn’t been paying attention. (does any of that surprise anyone?)
5. do you prefer to drink soda from soda cans, soda bottles, plastic cups or glass cups? GLASS SODA BOTTLES. nothing beats soda that’s been bottled in glass rather than plastic. You ever had orange cream soda from a glass bottle????? SLAPS ASS MY DUDE.
6. pastel, boho, tomboy, preppy, goth, grunge, formal or sportswear?
Pastel/boho/preppy/goth, my dude. I have so many sides to my fashion and aesthetic.
7. earbuds or headphones?
EARBUDS BC HEADPHONES NEVER FIT OVER MY EARS RIGHT. BUT EARBUDS WITH SOFT TIPS BECAUSE MY EARS ARE TOO SMALL FOR THE PLASTIC ONES.
8. movies or tv shows?
Tv shows tbh because even though I can binge 4 eps of 45 minutes each per night, they’ll hold my attention a lot more than a movie. It’s weird.
9. favorite smell in the summer?
Thunderstorms/petrichor, also natural bogs. PEAT BOG SMELL FUCKING SLAPS.
10. game you were best at in p.e.?
None. I liked trampoline time back when we took gymnastics, if that counts. I also liked jump roping and Irish step dancing.
11. what you have for breakfast on an average day?
Nothing lmao. I sleep til like noon and then I microwave something for lunch.
12. name of your favorite playlist?
My catchall playlist, Things I Love, my summer playlist, Summer Songs, my Gryffindor playlist, My Queen And Country playlist for writing, and my playlist for The Raven Cycle. (after I post this I’ll edit it and link them)
13. lanyard or key ring?
Keyring, a lanyard would like constantly detract from my outfit if that makes sense???
14. favorite non-chocolate candy?
Sour Patch Kids or Swedish Fish.
15. favorite book you read as a school assignment?
Between The Grapes Of Wrath, The Great Gatsby, The Handmaid’s Tale, and To Kill A Mockingbird!
16. most comfortable position to sit in?
Just fucking sprawled every which way.
17. most frequently worn pair of shoes?
My grey converse if it’s comfortable out, my silver flip flops if it’s hot, and my fur-lined black combat boots if it’s cold.
18. ideal weather?
65-70 degrees, partly sunny, breezy, not humid.
19. sleeping position?
I need to sprawl to fall asleep, but once I’m asleep I curl up into a little ball.
20. preferred place to write (i.e., in a note book, on your laptop, sketchpad, post-it notes, etc.)?
Laptop and notebook ONLY IF I’m sure of myself, which isn’t often. But I do write dense, scribbled paragraphs on sermon note pages if something comes to me during church lmao.
21. obsession from childhood?
The American Revolution, weather, astronomy, and mysteries/ghost stories.
22. role model?
Idk tbh? Lately I’m just trying to define and live up to my own standards?
23. strange habits?
Pulling the collar of my shirt up to my mouth and sucking on it. Also being a perfectionist in my writing. I don’t do messy drafts. It’s all perfect by the time I write it, and I edit/spellcheck as I go.
24. favorite crystal?
Amethyst (my birthstone), bismuth, opal, and blue goldstone.
25. first song you remember hearing?
Other than nursery rhymes/kid’s songs, it was Light Up The Sky by The Afters, or California Dreamin’ by The Mamas And The Papas.
26. favorite activity to do in warm weather?
Find shade/a cool spot and read with a cold drink.
27. favorite activity to do in cold weather?
ALSO READ. And snuggle with thick socks and a cup of tea and play DS games all day.
28. five songs to describe you?
My five faves atm -
I Am Here // Pink
The Pines // Roses and Revolutions
Soldier, Poet, King // The Oh Hellos
Traveler’s Song // Aviators
Hymn // Kesha
29. best way to bond with you?
Share my interests about politics, history, books, true crime, paranormal, tv shows, and also be kind and understanding when I don’t text for long periods bc I don’t feel up to talking.
30. places that you find sacred?
The woods on the hill behind my house. Dense, deeply green, secluded woods. Hedge mazes. Old and crumbling castles. Anywhere beneath a clear sky and a full moon. Your heart when you’ve come to terms with your fears and made peace with yourself. Anyplace with historical significance. Bookstores on an autumn/winter day. Libraries.
31. what outfit do you wear to kick ass and take names?
A kickass plaid, bruh. Also my leather jacket - once I lose enough shoulder weight to fit in it again.
32. top five favorite vines?
Fre shavoc ado, the one where the dog eats the butterfly, the Lin-Manuel Miranda one where he’s brainstorming, “what the FUCK kind of weather is this, and the dad and son with the saxophone and the oven door.
33. most used phrase in your phone?
“oh mood”
34. advertisements you have stuck in your head?
“WOW! It’s NatureStone!”
35. average time you fall asleep?
Right now it’s 4-5 am because I suck.
36. what is the first meme you remember ever seeing?
I Can Haz Cheezburger, My mom used to look at the website with me when I was like 10.
37. suitcase or duffel bag?
They both have pros and cons. :/ Duffel bags are easier to carry but suitcases keep stuff from getting broken better.
38. lemonade or tea?
TEAAAAAAAAAAAA
39. lemon cake or lemon meringue pie?
Lemon meringue pie!!! my stepdad made a really good one the other week.
40. weirdest thing to ever happen at your school?
Nothing, since I was homeschooled. Same weird shit that always happens at home. Our safe word for when I got overwhelmed in math was “quokka” and we’d stop and look at cute quokka pictures.
41. last person you texted?
My gf :)
42. jacket pockets or pants pockets?
Jacket pockets because things are not only hard to fit in girls’ pants pockets, but if you put a chapstick/lipstick in there it starts to melt :(
43. hoodie, leather jacket, cardigan, jean jacket or bomber jacket?
BETWEEN HOODIE AND CARDIGAN. SO VERSATILE. SO COMFY.
44. favorite scent for soap?
Irish Spring soap or the blue Dial bars smells better and cleaner than anything to me.
45. which genre: sci-fi, fantasy or superhero?
Fantasy. It can take me a bit to get into it, but once I do, I love it. I only do sci-fi if it has rebellion and isn’t heavy on the sci. And superhero movies are great but a lot of the tropes are meh. Fantasy has a lot more versatility if you ask me.
46. most comfortable outfit to sleep in?
Sweatpants/leggings and a soft, well worn tee.
47. favorite type of cheese?
Parmesan, white cheddar, or Muenster.
48. if you were a fruit, what kind would you be?
Raspberry!
49. what saying or quote do you live by?
“do no harm but take no shit.”
50. what made you laugh the hardest you ever have?
A really poorly edited political ad on tv a couple years ago. There was weird jazz playing, flames in the background of an image of the Capitol Building, and then the top of the dome opened and this guy’s face was inside. It is the single funniest ad I have ever seen and I laughed for 10 minutes so hard I was like an inch away from passing out.
51. current stresses?
Passing my driving test next month, getting a job, figuring out if my math skills are okay enough to take the SAT or an equivalent test.
52. favorite font?
Baskerville or Georgia!
53. what is the current state of your hands?
My fingernails are short bc I picked them while reading earlier, my cuticles suck bc I pick at those two, and my pinky is obliterated and scabbed because of when I accidentally sliced through the nail with a razor while shaving the other day. So, not great, but I’m living.
54. what did you learn from your first job?
That kids can be really annoying but also really cute and hilarious if you can get them to calm down. And also that baby fingernails are surprisingly sharp.
55. favorite fairy tale?
The OG Princess and the Frog where it’s implied the prince and “faithful Henry,’ his carriage driver, fall in love and ride off together at the end. JACOB AND WILHELM GRIMM SAID GAY RIGHTS.
56. favorite tradition?
Every December, my mom and I drive around after dark at night and I play Pokemon and we rate everyone’s Christmas decorations based on tackiness.
57. the three biggest struggles you’ve overcome?
So isolated I was as a preteen/early teenager, my self harm, and the internalized anger over my abusive relationship and PTSD.
58. four talents you’re proud of having?
Writing, puzzle solving, singing, and calligraphy.
59. if you were a video game character, what would your catchphrase be?
“Benvoli-no.” (I recently remembered I used to say that a lot and I need to bring it back)
60. if you were a character in an anime, what kind of anime would you want it to be?
Dark, fairy tale anime with a lot of secrets to uncover and some dark woods.
61. favorite line you heard from a book/movie/tv show/etc.?
TV show - “I am the Bad Wolf. I create myself.” - Doctor Who
Movie - “It’s not about deserve. It’s about what you believe. And I believe in love.” - Wonder Woman
Book - “If you never saw the stars, candles were enough.” - The Dream Thieves, by Maggie Stiefvater
62. seven characters you relate to?
Dean Winchester - Supernatural
Sam Winchester - Supernatural
Jack Kline Winchester - Supernatural
Charlie Bradbury - Supernatural
Gansey - The Raven Cycle
Blue Sargent - The Raven Cycle
Hermione Granger - Harry Potter
63. five songs that would play in your club?
Final Song // MO
Call Home // Heathers
I Am Here // Pink
Babylon // 5 Seconds of Summer
Shake It Off // Taylor Swift
64. favorite website from your childhood?
WEBKINZ AND THE OLD AMERICAN GIRL WEBSITE
65. any permanent scars?
Yes, I have several that remain from self harm, scars all over my left knee from being a clumsy child, and most of all a major scar down the center of my chest from heart surgery when I was a baby.
66. favorite flower(s)?
Rose, lavender, lilac, and dahlia.
67. good luck charms?
Not really???
68. worst flavor of any food or drink you’ve ever tried?
Olives, mushrooms, radishes, cottage cheese, and ranch dressing are all foul.
69. a fun fact that you don’t know how you learned?
Martin Luther didn’t actually nail his 95 theses to the church door, he just kind of passed them around, which is a lot less dramatic tbh. Also light-up signs were first used in New York City in 1884.
70. left or right handed?
I’m left-handed!
71. least favorite pattern?
I think zebra stripes, leopard print, and houndstooth are super ugly.
72. worst subject?
Math for sure. Even science would be easier if it didn’t involve so much math.
73. favorite weird flavor combo?
Wendy’s fries and chocolate frosty!!!
74. at what pain level out of ten (1 through 10) do you have to be at before you take an advil or ibuprofen?
I think a 7, usually. My pain tolerance is pretty high because of a) years of self harm, and b) due to my PTSD my muscles are constantly tense and in pain anyway.
75. when did you lose your first tooth?
I was 4, and it had been loose but it fell out when I was trying to blow up an inflatable ball.
76. what’s your favorite potato food (i.e. tater tots, baked potatoes, fries, chips, etc.)?
Fries or roasted potatoes that are charred and crunchy on the bottom. Chips are a close third.
77. best plant to grow on a windowsill?
Idk, my grandma’s the one with the green thumb mania lmao. But She keeps a lot of violets and arrowhead plants in the windowsills!
78. coffee from a gas station or sushi from a grocery store?
NEITHER I HATE BOTH COFFEE AND SUSHI IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES.
79. which looks better, your school id photo or your driver’s license photo?
Never had a school ID, but my temporary license photo is actually pretty good right now!
80. earth tones or jewel tones?
I really like earth tones for myself.
81. fireflies or lightning bugs?
THEY ARE THE SAME MF THING. Also I call them both, it just depends on what comes out of my mouth haha.
82. pc or console?
PC, I guess, though I don’t really game. I just watch my stepdad game.
83. writing or drawing?
WRITING. I cannot draw to save my life.
84. podcasts or talk radio?
Podcasts, talk radio is so annoying.
84. barbie or polly pocket?
Barbie, although I loved both.
85. fairy tales or mythology?
Mythology I guess??? Although again, I love both.
86. cookies or cupcakes?
COOKIESSSSS
87. your greatest fear?
Rejection, losing people I love, people secretly hating me. Also drowning, spiders, clowns, and guns.
88. your greatest wish?
To be a semi-successful author and work in a library/museum.
89. who would you put before everyone else?
My mom and my gf.
90. luckiest mistake?
Almost dropping a knife blade first on my foot but it landed between my toes.
91. boxes or bags?
um boxes I guess? I’m really good at fitting things in tetris style.
92. lamps, overhead lights, sunlight or fairy lights?
FAIRY LIGHTS AND DIM YELLOW LAMPS.
93. nicknames?
Ell, Alexander, Ellie, Little Lion, and Nerd.
94. favorite season?
FALL FALL FALL FALL
95. favorite app on your phone?
Tumblr or Spotify. Two apps I couldn’t live without.
96. desktop background?
97. how many phone numbers do you have memorized?
About a half dozen. Mine, my mom’s, my stepdad’s, my grandparents’ home number, my grandpa’s, and my grandma’s.
98. favorite historical era?
Both the American Revolutionary period and the Victorian Era (esp in Britain)
THANK YOU LOVE THIS WAS SUPER FUN
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