"Deadlocked" by Charlaine Harris

When an author finds a formula success, it makes sense that both s/he and the publisher want to capitalize on this with a series.  Some series run for just the "right" amount of books, leaving a reader satisfied.  Sometimes we want more, but that's part of what makes a series a success - wanting more.  I think the bittersweet feeling that comes with the ending of a series is part of the beauty of a well-written story.

Many reviewers have declared the Southern Vampire Mysteries pretty much DOA at this point.  Worse, there's a general DNR consensus.  The series really "should have" ended after the 9th book, because it was clear that both the author's passion for the story and the tale that drew readers in the first place were gone.

In the latest installment, Deadlocked (which I borrowed from our base library), readers say not only is the plot pointless - our heroine, Sookie Stackhouse, is now a bitch.

I don't think Sookie sounds bitchy, though she has clearly lost her tolerance for all things supernatural.  I think she just sounds tired.  Tired of life and all the complications, politics and dangers of the supernatural community, as well as of her relationship.

As it is, I was never fond of the long-term Sookie/Eric pairing.  I hoped fervently that Harris would set things "right" by bringing Sookie back together with Bill, or just letting the girl stand on her own two feet once more.

In the end, I think that's what it will take to make book 13 a satisfying conclusion: Sookie stepping back, not just from the "supes", but boyfriends in general. I want to see her put her foot down and say "Enough is enough!"

I hope her snappish behavior in Deadlocked is a prelude to that very resolution.

Copyright (c) 2012 Wendy L. Callahan

Memoirs: Self Indulgent?

Yesterday I finished reading Wild by Cheryl Strayed.  I went to GoodReads to enter my rating and looked at some of the reviews out of curiosity.

One of the things I've noticed when it comes to memoirs is at least one review, if not quite a few, complain that the book is "self-indulgent".  In my previous post, I mentioned that I'm not much for reading memoirs, but that's merely because I tend to prefer the fantasy genre.  It's nothing against people telling their personal stories.

In fact, I read several mini-memoirs a day in the form of blogs.  I read blogs about homeschooling, genealogy, Paganism, reading, writing, and M/s relationships.  These are the things that interest me personally, because they relate to my life.

I also maintain three blogs here, and I am the homeschooling blogger for PaganSquare.  The goal in maintaining a blog is to reach out to and connect with others with similar interests and lives.  That's part of the fun of the internet and, yes, blogs are like little daily or weekly memoirs.

So if a memoir is self-indulgent, a blog could be considered self-indulgent as well.

Perhaps the difference is the audience reached and the fact that most bloggers are not compensated for their writing.  A mass-market paperback tends to reach more people, and the author is also benefiting through any advances and, once the advance earns out, royalties.

If we pick up a memoir hoping for some sort of life-changing message, we might be projecting expectations that are far too lofty.  A memoir is rather like a blog, in that you need to connect with the writer to really enjoy it.  I think, like any other book, we go in for hoping for something specific.  Sometimes, we are very happy with the results, and sometimes we are disappointed.

I don't think a memoir that lacks a deep spiritual message or insight is "self-indulgent".  I think an agent and publisher simply found a person's story interesting and compelling enough to share with the rest of us.  :)

Copyright (c) 2012 Wendy L. Callahan