Bull, Emma - Bone Dance

[oyceter]

I ended up getting a good two-thirds of the way through this book before realizing that I had absolutely no idea what was going on and who all these characters were. It made a lot more sense the second time round. I figure reading things on five hours of sleep generally doesn't lead to greater comprehension.

The book takes place in post-nuclear-holocaust America -- sometime in the distant past, the US government developed mind control weapons. The Horsemen are humans who can somehow hijack another person's mind and knowledge (they call this "riding" a person, though I think that sounds very sketchy ^_~), and one of them or a group of them pushed the button that set off the nukes down in South America. Sparrow, the protagonist, is a trader dealing in pre-war videos and CDs and other assorted media, and one of the things I like about the world is this sense of something lost.

No one reads the old books anymore in this world, because no one has access to them. The man controlling the city Sparrow lives in controls not only the source of electricity and power, but also knowledge.

The book felt very noirish to me -- something in Sparrow's cynicism and the harsh lives of the other characters, along with the feeling that so much was happening underground, outside of the eyes of the law. But like much noir, I didn't feel very connected to the characters, and because of that, I don't think the ending quite worked for me. Bull doesn't take the usual noir ending (if I am reading this correctly as noir, which is questionable) of darkness and despair and increasingly grey morality; instead, Sparrow doesn't stay disconnected from the world, and much of the plot hinges on this point. Anti-noir? Not sure. But not enough of an anti-noir to make me care about the characters, some of whom felt a little cardboard at times. I also couldn't really understand why so many people ended up allying themselves with Sparrow, given that Sparrow is really not the nicest of people in the beginning.

Plus, I liked Frances a great deal and was sad that she wasn't in more of the book.

I'm still glad I got it, because it's a very different sort of book than I usually read, but I'm not quite sure if I liked it or not.

Comments

[livinglaurel.livejournal.com]

The first time I read that book, I identified with Sparrow, but I had the most terrible crush on Frances....

[oyceter]

Frances was definitely cool! I wanted more of her. I can sort of squint and see the Lymond resemblances as well, of course.

[livinglaurel.livejournal.com]

People telling me Frances is a riff on the Lymond books makes me want to read them, altho I think I will inevitably and sadly disappointed that they have no Frances in.

[oyceter]

Mmmm Lymond books ^_^. You know you want to....

[livinglaurel.livejournal.com]

Eeeeeeeee.... ((feels Lymond books like a black hole pulling her in))

[angeyja.livejournal.com]

No one reads the old books anymore in this world, because no one has access to them.

I feel that way sometimes about finding the books I left behind in the late eighties early nineties.

Have you read Finder yet?

[oyceter]

I read Finder a really long time ago and don't remember any of it except something about a beer bottle and the ending. I think you sent me a copy! It's sitting on my shelf right now awaiting a reread ;).

ah good

[angeyja.livejournal.com]

That explains where it is.

Of the other two, did you like _War for the Oaks_ better?

Data point data point...

Re: ah good

[oyceter]

Hee, would you like it back? I can always dig up a copy at the library.

I think I like War for the Oaks better than Bone Dance for sentimental reasons, but for some reason I'm most fond of Falcon.

Re: ah good

[angeyja.livejournal.com]

OK I may get this rec thing down yet! At least on Bull you and I fall pretty opposite. I say I go BD, F, WftO and Falcon last.

Nope, thanks for asking but not unless it's bothering you to have around. I should reread _Bone Dance_ but what I think I'd really like to do is go on a reading binge of the Scribblies' and other books I read about that time all together. I should go to Flights of Fantasy anyway and see what they have. I haven't been in ages.