Willis, Connie - Bellwether

[oyceter]

Jonquil showed up at the bookstore!! Squee!!

Back to your scheduled post...

I don't think I get the Connie Willis thing. Either that, or I need to read Impossible Things.

Anyhow, much like Passages, Bellwether is on a scientific/scholarly mystery and how it gets solved, along with the minutiae of corporate life. I liked it much better than Passages, most likely because Bellwether is about trends and fads and chaos theory, which I find much more interesting and much less personally threatening than near-death experiences. So I had a great deal of fun reading about the various fads in the beginning of each chapter, along with the main character's various observations of trends and fads all around her. It was also interesting because the book was published in 1996, and it was fun to see what fads had become mainstream and what had faded away and become painfully outre (can anyone pronounce outre? It's one of those words I learned from books).

ETA: oo-TRAY. Weird. Always thought it was OH-trah.

Much like Passages, I didn't much like the conclusion of the book and the solving of the scientific/scholarly mystery. I also enjoyed it more because I was much more amused by the poking fun at corporate fads and stupid acronyms and paper work, as compared to the relatively low interest level in the workings of a hospital.

So. Things so far I dislike about Connie Willis -- there are certain characters who are Wrong. Flip, in this one, and anyone who believed in metaphysical stuff or religion in Passages. It sort of annoyed me, that all the heroine's friends and anyone she knew would all commiserate over the wrongness of these characters, and I felt they were more stereotypes than anything else.

She feels more like a stereotypical sci-fi read to me, more idea based than character, and in general, I tend not to go for those types of books unless I find the idea very interesting.

ETA:
rilina's review

Comments

[coffeeandink.livejournal.com]

I think you've started with two of her weakest novels, and also that her novels are weaker than her short fiction. I really do recommend trying to find Impossible Things and Firewatch (the title novella is particularly outstanding). Of the novels, I like Lincoln's Dreams the best and everyone else seems to like either Doomsday Book or To Say Nothing of the Dog.

[yhlee.livejournal.com]

I second this--Impossible Things and "Fire Watch" (I've read the story, but not the collection of that title) are quite good.

I actually liked Bellwether a lot. Was completely unmoved by Passages. My sister adores To Say Nothing of the Dog.

In my not-at-all humble opinion on this matter, Willis has this annoying fuzzy-brained understanding of chaos theory and I feel she uses it in a handwavy way to fudge things, but a) I haven't (re)read her works in a while, and b) I've studied math some more since reading a number of them. Nevertheless.

[veejane.livejournal.com]

I thought Bellwether weak because it was so fluffy and flimsy; my brother, like Yoon, disliked it because he hated the fuzzy science. (Willis is one of those few authors we pass along through the family.)

We all liked To Say Nothing of the Dog, and I did like Lincoln's Dreams a lot, but yes, her short stories are usually her best strength.

"Last of the Winnebagoes" in Impossible Dreams, and in addition to the title story, "Lost and Found" and "Samaritan" and "Mail Order Clone" and "Blued Moon" in Fire Watch are my favorites (and they're all over the map).

[oyceter]

*giggles*

I have no credentials in that matter at all, although sometime, I really want to read a good, layman's explanation of chaos theory. I figure Jurassic Park's explanation of it is much like The Da Vinci Code's explanation of gnostic Christianity... plausible sounding to the people who know nothing about it, absolutely ludicrous to those who do.

[yhlee.livejournal.com]

You'll want Chaos by James Gleick. Very readable, a little too light on the math for my taste, but very readable. It focuses on the human-end of mathematical discovery and exploration.

I haven't read The Da Vinci Code. I've actually heard some of the hype. Any good?

[oyceter]

Blech. Kind of interesting ideas, but I think one would get a much better look at said ideas in MUCH better prose in Elaine Pagels' The Gnostic Gospels.

Did I mention the terrible prose and the pseudo-feminism and the sheer Mary-Sue-nes/Marty-Stu-ness of Robert Langdon?

[yhlee.livejournal.com]

I'd read a few of the wonky Christianity conspiracy theories and am pretty much content to leave things where they are. Thanks for the link. I shall avoid it assiduously.

[oyceter]

Sure thing -- the sad thing is that a lot of the history that he talks about in the beginning re: the canonization of certain books into the New Testament and the exclusion of others is really interesting. But then, Pagels is a much better intro to that than him anyway!

Oh yes

[londonkds.livejournal.com]

Definitely at least try Doomsday Book

[oyceter]

I think I shall temporarily give up on the novels for now -- I can see how she might work better in short story form.

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

"Fire Watch" from FIRE WATCH and "Chance" and "Jack" from IMPOSSIBLE THINGS are three of my favorite sf short stories of all time. And if you've ever been traumatized by parking, roommates, or college, and especially by all three at once, "In the Late Cretaceous" is hilarious.

The only Connie Willis novel I like at all is the half of DOOMSDAY BOOK that's set in 1348. The futuristic storyline is silly and dull, but can easily be skipped in re-readings because she alternates chapters.

PASSAGES would have made a terrific novella.

[oracne.livejournal.com]

BELLWETHER is one of my favorites of hers. I like it because it's so chatty and fast, and then it all comes together, WHAM! At least it did for me.

I think I am biased because I heard her read the beginning before it came out (at a Philcon) and when I read it, I heard her voice.

[oyceter]

That's pretty neat. I don't think I am quite used to her voice yet, or I don't particularly enjoy it or something... YMMV, naturally.