Cuevas, Judy - Bliss
Sat, Jun. 26th, 2004 10:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
oyceterVery much worth giving in and ordering it online.
Somehow Cuevas manages to make Hannah the sort of spirited ingenue who is innocent yet sexual and keeps her real and unirritating. I particularly like Hannah's taste in clothes and accessories, despite the atrociousness of it ;). Mostly I liked how I could actually see Hannah and Nardi (the ex-ether-addict-ex-sculptor) fall in love, instead of fall headfirst into lust, like so many romance couples do. Of course, lust is a factor, but it was more wrapped into the general infatuation and then the growing friendship between the two. I very much appreciated that I got the see the parts in which they weren't just jumping into bed and were actually talking to each other or just having some fun. It's a remarkably angst free book, considering the various plot factors (he is engaged to another woman for the money factor, she has a checkered past, etc.).
I also liked the fact that we got to see them after marriage, and that we got to see Hannah tempted by money and a better lifestyle. I've always been sort of annoyed by all those romantic ballads and stories going on and on about "all you need is love" and "love conquers all." I must have been an anti-romantic pragmatist very far back, because I always remember picking apart the logic of all that. I concluded early on that while love is good and helps with not having money or health or those things, love doesn't really quite conquer them. So I enjoy books that take that into account. Hannah and Nardi are in no way an idealized couple who are fated for each other or any such stuff like that. They have to deal with being broke and being tested by these things. I particularly liked the bit in which they're living together in Paris, and Hannah finds out that while she does still love Nardi, he isn't the handsome, romantic Nardi she thought. He has bad habits that annoy her, and he doesn't wait on her hand and foot. He's imperfect, and so is she. And they're not even giant, towering flaws that make for good angst. They're just the small things that are horribly annoying, like the boy never remembering where my knives go in the kitchen, and me leaving my books everywhere.
The normalness of Hannah and Nardi was just really enjoyable. And I didn't really see Sebastian as the villain of the piece, although that may be because I know he's in Dance too. But heh, I was slightly more attracted to Sebastian in the book than to Nardi. It's the proper geekness that gets to me (see: Wesley and Simon).
Oh, and Cuevas managed to avoid having Amelia Besom fall into the stereotype of either horrible, mean old lady who refuses to give anyone a chance or crusty old lady with the heart of gold, once warmed up properly, and instead had her balanced somewhere between the two, which I also appreciated.
And note to self: do not start these books at 1 in the morning. Bad idea if any sleep at all has been planned for the night.
Somehow Cuevas manages to make Hannah the sort of spirited ingenue who is innocent yet sexual and keeps her real and unirritating. I particularly like Hannah's taste in clothes and accessories, despite the atrociousness of it ;). Mostly I liked how I could actually see Hannah and Nardi (the ex-ether-addict-ex-sculptor) fall in love, instead of fall headfirst into lust, like so many romance couples do. Of course, lust is a factor, but it was more wrapped into the general infatuation and then the growing friendship between the two. I very much appreciated that I got the see the parts in which they weren't just jumping into bed and were actually talking to each other or just having some fun. It's a remarkably angst free book, considering the various plot factors (he is engaged to another woman for the money factor, she has a checkered past, etc.).
I also liked the fact that we got to see them after marriage, and that we got to see Hannah tempted by money and a better lifestyle. I've always been sort of annoyed by all those romantic ballads and stories going on and on about "all you need is love" and "love conquers all." I must have been an anti-romantic pragmatist very far back, because I always remember picking apart the logic of all that. I concluded early on that while love is good and helps with not having money or health or those things, love doesn't really quite conquer them. So I enjoy books that take that into account. Hannah and Nardi are in no way an idealized couple who are fated for each other or any such stuff like that. They have to deal with being broke and being tested by these things. I particularly liked the bit in which they're living together in Paris, and Hannah finds out that while she does still love Nardi, he isn't the handsome, romantic Nardi she thought. He has bad habits that annoy her, and he doesn't wait on her hand and foot. He's imperfect, and so is she. And they're not even giant, towering flaws that make for good angst. They're just the small things that are horribly annoying, like the boy never remembering where my knives go in the kitchen, and me leaving my books everywhere.
The normalness of Hannah and Nardi was just really enjoyable. And I didn't really see Sebastian as the villain of the piece, although that may be because I know he's in Dance too. But heh, I was slightly more attracted to Sebastian in the book than to Nardi. It's the proper geekness that gets to me (see: Wesley and Simon).
Oh, and Cuevas managed to avoid having Amelia Besom fall into the stereotype of either horrible, mean old lady who refuses to give anyone a chance or crusty old lady with the heart of gold, once warmed up properly, and instead had her balanced somewhere between the two, which I also appreciated.
And note to self: do not start these books at 1 in the morning. Bad idea if any sleep at all has been planned for the night.
(no subject)
Mon, Jun. 28th, 2004 05:24 am (UTC)Sebastian is my favorite, too. One just NEEDS to muss him up.
(no subject)
Mon, Jun. 28th, 2004 02:14 pm (UTC)And Sebastien is just too cute!!